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Aromas of rose, red berry and eucalyptus mingle with whiffs of exotic spice on the gorgeous, fragrant red. Loaded with finesse and tension, the elegant, structured palate delivers crushed raspberry, white pepper and star anise set against fresh acidity and taut, lithe tannins. It's already compelling, but hold for even more complexity. Drink 2022–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis is all about finesse with power. Such great length here with ever so refined tannins and precise strawberry, cedar, dried-rose and mineral character. Medium body. Fresh and vivid finish. Hard not to drink now, but wait until at least 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSI tasted this wine over two sittings, one at the winery and one at my home office a few weeks later. Although I can't claim any extraordinary differences between the two sessions, I noticed a few minimal shifts that are essential to understanding the wine's future aging ability. The 2016 Barbaresco starts off slow at first, showing a small margin of aromatic evolution in the glass. But come back two hours later, and you can almost hear the soft sounds of the symphony playing just below the surface. The 2016 vintage is characterized by the solid intensity and firmness of its aromas, which transcend fruit and veer toward balsamic herb, licorice, tar and smoke instead. The tannins offer a moment of sweetness and softness, before you are aware of their undeniable firmness. In all, there is a certain glossiness or satiny quality to the mouthfeel that underlines the wine's carefully crafted integration. I would describe this as a classic and also a somewhat austere Barbaresco that fully deserves extra cellar time to stretch those tight muscles and grow in volume. This wine will award those who wait.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPGaja's 2016 Barbaresco is positively stellar. A wine of poise and grace, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive spice and floral notes open up first, but what really stands out is the wine's nuance and delineation. There is a sense of translucency to the 2016 that is impossible to miss. Sweet red cherry, mint, cinnamon and rose petal develop in the glass, adding further shades of nuance. Quite simply, the 2016 is one of the very finest Gaja Barbarescos in recent memory. This is such a gorgeous wine. Don't miss it.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe Gaja family calls 2016 one of the best vintages they have ever experienced, with a long, slow ripening period without heat stress or disease pressure. That balance comes through in this suave, elegant Barbaresco. It smells of soft rose petals and tastes of juicy cherries and spiced raspberries, the flavors gliding along smooth, ripe tannins. With air, the wine picks up energy and depth, moving into a long, vibrant finish.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SThis gorgeous red evokes rose, strawberry, raspberry and cherry fruit, shaded by tobacco, tar and wild thyme notes. Pure, sleek and intense, with a firm base of tannins and vibrant acidity for support. This should evolve beautifully. Be patient. Best from 2022 through 2043. 1,800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2016 Barbaresco showed beautifully, with a classical yet seductive and sweetly fruited style that's going to evolve gracefully. Medium ruby-hued, with a core of sweet red fruits balanced by classic dried flowers, licorice, asphalt, and medicinal herbs, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness that carries impress sweet fruit as well as building tannins. Barbaresco doesn't get more classic, and while it has a sunny, sweetly fruited style, it also has ample underlying tannins and structure, so give bottles 4-5 years. It should deliver the goods for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe nose is poised, displaying very ripe raspberry and black berry aromas. The attack has intensity, partly thanks to its pungent acidity, but there's no rawness and the tannins are ripe. This is taut and structured and needs time. While concentrated, it's not excessively so, and the wine retains its delicacy through the very long finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC

Predominantly from within the cru of Cerequio on the border between Barolo and La Morra, Conteisa has been produced since 1996. The 2017 Barolo Conteisa has ripe aromas of red cherry, cinnamon, and licorice. The palate is forward and gushing with raspberry leather, iron-rich earth, and tobacco leaf. This is the most generous and giving of the three wines in this tasting, yet at the same time remains noble. Drink 2022-2042.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDFabulous aromas of ripe strawberry and raspberry with hazelnut and citrus follow through to a medium to full body with ultra-fine tannins and a racy and refined finish. It’s so fresh for the vintage and goes on for minutes. A classy and great wine. Better after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2017 Barolo Conteisa is rich, ample and inviting. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar and dried flowers lend captivating aromatic presence to the Gaja family’s La Morra Barolo. Even so, the 2017 is quite closed today, which is rather unusual for a wine that is typically far more open in the early going. That’s probably a good sign for the future, though. Time in the glass brings out the classic Conteisa red-toned fruit profile. More than anything else, I am so impressed with how the 2017 gets better and better with air. This is a terrific showing. Sadly, production is down by about 50% because of severe selection.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe Gaja 2017 Barolo Conteisa opes to an immediate sense of dimension and textural width that distinguishes this hot growing season. In this case, that additional volume and power are expertly contained and refined in this wine with fruit from the Cerequio vineyard of Barolo. Cerequio saw hail damage in 2016 and was more fortunate this year; however, the site generally remains quite protected from extreme weather conditions (compared to its adjacent vineyards). This wine excels most noticeably in terms of mouthfeel. The finish is silky and long and those more astringent 2017 tannins are gracefully absent here.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPGaja manages two different plots in Cerequio, from where most of the grapes for Conteisa come. Both exposures - southeast and east - mark the character of this wine. If Sperss is the Yin, Conteisa would be the Yang: It’s dark fruited with black cherry and plum complemented by graceful wild herbs and mint, and a bloody, olive-like savouriness. Full-bodied and crisp, the tannins are firm, thick and dusty yet evolved. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECExpressing balsamic aromas and flavors of soy, eucalyptus, wild thyme and tobacco, this Barolo also delivers ripe plum and cherry midpalate, with earth and tar accents rounding out the profile. Gruff tannins mark the finish, so be patient. Best from 2025 through 2045. 650 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSAromas of French oak and roasted coffee bean lead the nose along with whiffs of pressed rose petal, eucalyptus and the barest hint of berry. The firm, full-bodied palate offers licorice, coconut, vanilla and dried cherry alongside assertive, close-grained tannins. You’ll also feel the warmth of alcohol on the close. Drink 2025–2032.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

The 2017 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is flat out stunning. All the purest essence of Rionda comes through in a captivating Barolo that dazzles. Sweet red cherry fruit, kirsch, rose petal, licorice and blood orange are some of the many aromas and flavors that lift from the glass. Exotic and racy, the 2017 is a flat-out stunner. Now, for the million dollar question. Is it better than the 2016? Right now, I give an edge to the 2017 for its greater finesse and total sense of exotic beauty. But time will be the judge. I do look forward to tasting the 2016 and 2017 side by side!Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is a gorgeous wine, and although it could stand more years of aging, you’re not wrong to enjoy it in the near or medium term either. The 2017 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is packed tight with dark fruit, but it also shows a delicately savory edge with black licorice and rusty metal. The wine’s intensity and the mouthfeel are sublime. Aging sees it go into botte for 36 months followed by another 36 months in bottle before its release. Production is 12,500 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA traditional style with long fermentation and maceration in oak vats at a temperature of around 30°C, then aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for up to 42 months, followed by a further 24 months in the bottle. The nose is impressively fresh and vibrant, with a mix of white pepper, watermelon, wild strawberry and mint leaf. Less restrained than usual, on the palate the attack is firm, still young, and chewy, with brilliant long acidity and a cherry kernel finish. It deserves time to develop more complexity.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2017 Massolino Vigna Rionda Barolo Riserva has a super-bright clarity and intensity to its ruby color. On the nose, sweet red fruits combine with just-ripe cherry, wild rose and gentle cream notes but everything is beautifully restrained and elegant. On the palate it has a very lovely, silky and fine texture with flavors similar to the aromas. The tannins are super-refined but with plenty of chalky density - this vineyard is in Serralunga after all - a commune famous for its tannins! The finish is mouth-wateringly fresh. What a super-pure, bright and vivacious wine! Keep three to four years, but it will drink well for probably 35 to 40.The Wine Independent | 96 TWINotes of wild strawberries and sour cherries with dried flowers and chocolate orange undertones. Medium- to full-bodied, very polished and fine-grained, showcasing subtle notes of red fruit with a mineral backbone. Even and balanced with a textural finish. Great to drink after 2025 but will age further.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2017 Vigna Rionda from Massolino impresses with aromas of forest floor, leather, camphor, wild berry and a whiff of blue flower. It’s brooding and firm, featuring dried cherry, crushed mint, cake spice and tangy mineral framed in tightly-knit, fine-grained tannins. Surprisingly fresh acidity keeps it lifted.It’s a phenomenal showing for what was such a dry, scorching vintage. Drink 2029–2037. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KO

Dried strawberry with some cherry, nutmeg and spice. Some dried meat, too. Full-bodied, chewy and rich with integration and focus. The tannins are really put together beautifully. Long and intense. Tight at the end. This needs at least four or five years to open. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2017 Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata is a pleasant, easygoing Barolo from Roberto Voerzio. Lifted, perfumed Rocche aromatics meld into a core of crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, blood orange and spice. The 2017 is a bit more nervy than most vintages, but the brisk tannins help convey a measure of freshness that is quite welcome in this vintage. The 2017 is a solid wine, but far from inspiring.Vinous Media | 90 VM

So perfumed and complex, with tangerines, jasmine, cedar, black truffle and iron. Full-bodied and very structured. Fantastic structure for the vintage. Very Barolo-like in structure. Available in 2023. Give this at least four or five years to soften.James Suckling | 98 JS