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Bartolo Mascarello’s 1989 Barolo (magnum) is all freshly cut roses, plums, prunes and sweet spices. The aromas and flavors continue to emerge with notable vigor and intensity, framed exquisitely by firm, silky tannins. Grace and class come to mind as apt descriptors for a wine that balances exceptional depth yet also floats on the palate with ethereal qualities that are hard to do justice to on the printed page. The finish is long and wonderfully pure, with overtones of licorice and menthol that invite a second (and third!) taste. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP(Barolo-Bartolo Mascarello) I have no doubt that the 1989 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo will prove to be one of the greatest vintages in the long and consistently excellent career of this maestro, but it is only just starting to show its secondary layers of complexity and desperately deserves more time in the cellar to really reach its apogee. The bouquet is deep, pure and very promising, offering up a blend of cherries, beef bouillon, roasted gamebirds, a touch of wild bay, complex, autumnal soil tones and a topnote of woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is very pure, full and sappy at the core, with great soil inflection, ripe, fine-grained tannins, outstanding focus and grip and a very, very long, pure and complex finish. It is not a crime to be drinking this wine today- if you have enough bottles remaining in the cellar that you are not going to miss one ten years down the road- but this is a wine that is still climbing and its best days are still several years further out. (Drink between 2016 - 2060)John Gilman | 95+ JGOne of the most anticipated wines of the night, the 1989 Barolo is not as exceptional as it can be. I have tasted the 1989 mostly from magnum recently, so perhaps my expectations are a bit colored. Even from the big bottle, though, the 1989 has always shown slight imperfections, especially in the bouquet. In this tasting, my impression is that in the standard bottle those imperfections are more evident. There is plenty of texture and depth to the fruit, but it is the aromatics that are penalizing here.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Conterno’s 2000 Barolo Riserva Monfortino gives an impression of accessibility only because it is so open relative to some of the surrounding vintages of this great, legendary Barolo. The 2000 has tons of fruit backed up with considerable tannic heft. With time in the glass sweet, balsamic notes make an appearance, but this is one of the few 2000s that needs considerable cellaring to show all of its cards. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPI am thrilled to see how well the 2000 Barolo Riserva Monfortino shows in this tasting, as it is a vintage that can sometimes get lost between the 1999 and 2002 in this era. My impression is that the 2000 still hasn’t truly shown its true potential just yet. On this night it remains closed and not particularly expressive. The seductive qualities the 2000 showed as a young wine aren’t especially apparent today. Time in the glass brings out pretty floral overtones. Overall, the 2000 comes across as a Monfortino that is more finesse than power. Even so, readers have to be patient here.Antonio Galloni | 97+ AGDark ruby red in color. Subtle and reserved on the nose, with blackberry, tea, sandalwood and blueberry. Opens to coffee and vanilla bean. Full-bodied, with an amazing, condensed palate of ultraripe fruit and silky tannins. Fresh and superlong. Very tight and fresh. Needs so much time to open and come around. Like a genie in the bottle. Best after 2014. 750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Ceretto's 2010 Barolo Brunate is strikingly beautiful. Silky and polished to the core, the 2010 graces the palate with exquisite finesse and gorgeous textural balance. Dark red cherries, plums, spices, tobacco and menthol all flesh out in the glass. This is a decidedly polished, resonant Brunate Barolo. Crushed flowers, spices and mint wrap around the finish. There is a level of pure density in the glass that is striking, but the full Brunate signatures are going to take time to fully blossom.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThe 2010 Barolo Brunate takes Nebbiolo intensity up a notch thanks to the utter purity and generosity of the bouquet. The wine is aged in French oak, of which 20% is new and 80% is neutral. Always a powerhouse cru, fruit from Brunate tends to be darker and thicker in concentration. This is certainly the case here and you can feel that extra tannic bite on the close. Evolving aromas include white peppercorn, licorice, chopped mint and crushed granite or flint. This is a gorgeous effort. Drink: 2017-2030.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPIntense and quite oaky, with aromas of orange peel and raspberries. The attack is sleek, but the palate is full and rich, with solid fruit and ripe tannins. No heaviness here, however – a long, balanced finish.Decanter | 92 DECElegant and intense, boasting cherry, currant and strawberry notes accented by licorice, tobacco and woodsy spice details. Shows a chalky texture, well-integrated tannins and a hint of licorice on the long finish. Taut and linear. Best from 2017 through 2029. 500 cases made, 125 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSToasted oak, espresso and a whiff of tire rubber open the nose on this wine. The palate displays crushed black cherry alongside coffee, sweet vanilla and plum. Bracing tannins need time to integrate.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Luca Currado is on a roll. This is the third vintage (in as many years) that blows me off my feet. The 2010 Barolo Riserva Villero is a spectacular achievement and a wine that we all aspire to have in our cellars. There is a level of truism here—an authentic portrait of the Nebbiolo grape—that is outstanding. The fruit from Villero saw 45 days of skin maceration and few rackings. The wines of Vietti are always made in reduction to guarantee their long aging future. The bouquet offers many fleeting aromas that add to its enormous complexity. You get wild berry, licorice, anise seed and a touch of iron rust. On average, this very special wine is only released every four years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThis Barolo is built on an expansive scale and it has a stunning concentration that literally takes your breath away. Although it’s already seven years old, the beautifully crafted tannins and acidity make this very lively at the super long finish. Drink or hold. This has several decades of life ahead of it.James Suckling | 98 JSVirile and imposing in the glass, the 2010 Barolo Riserva Villero packs a serious punch. Swaths of tannin wrap around a huge core of fruit in a dark, virile Barolo that shows the more brooding side of the vintage. Sage, tobacco, menthol, violet and smoke add nuance throughout. Readers will have to be patient, as the tannins are likely to remain formidable for many years to come. As outstanding as the Villero is, it is never the most compelling Barolo in the Vietti range. Frankly, the pricing for the Riserva is more the result of managed scarcity rather than purely of the quality of what is in the bottle.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA harmonious red, this features expressive aromas of rose, cherry, licorice, tar and tobacco. The dense, refined tannins are beginning to mellow, and this is starting to reveal its potential. Still has a ways to go, so forget about it for another two to three years. Best from 2021 through 2043. 300 cases made, 58 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS