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The 2000 Sorì Tildìn is like cashmere on the palate. Sweet red berries, flowers, mint and spices flow effortlessly from this beautifully detailed, nuanced wine. The Sorì Tildìn shows attractive freshness and gorgeous balance from start to finish. It is easily one of the finer wines of the vintage.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGAmazing aromas of plums, strawberries, and minerals follow through to a full-bodied palate, with ultraripe tannins and a long, mineral and blackberry aftertaste. Gorgeous. So fresh and structured. Best after 2010. 1,050 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2000 Sori Tildin is like cashmere on the palate. Sweet red berries, flowers, mint and spices flow effortlessly from this beautifully detailed, nuanced wine. The Sori Tildin shows attractive freshness and gorgeous balance from start to finish. It is easily one of the finer wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030.Angelo Gaja’s 2000s are a bit of a mystery. The wines were absolutely beautiful upon release and equally impressive when I tasted them a few years later for the 7th edition of Parker’s Wine Buyers Guide. The 2000s were far less convincing when I tasted them in November 2010. All of the wines were initially very reticent and closed. After an hour or two in the glass they opened for about 30 minutes before closing back down again. Gaja thinks the wines are passing through a stage of inaccessibility. If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt it is Gaja. I can’t remember the last older wine from this cellar that was a disappointment or that hadn’t aged well, and I have been privileged to taste the vast majority of wines that have been made here under Angelo Gaja’s tenure. Time will ultimately tell where these wines are headed, but this was not an especially flattering showing for Gaja’s 2000s. That said, most producers would be thrilled to have wines like these in their cellars. In some ways, Gaja is a victim of his own success. He sets such a high bar with his finest vintages; it is only natural to expect greatness all the time. The 2000s fall a bit short of that mark but are quite strong in the context of the year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

The 2004 Cannubi is the oldest vintage I have yet tasted from this bottling at G. B. Burlotto (though I have every intention of rectifying this situation as soon as I cross paths with an older vintage or two of this great wine!) and the wine is a superb example of this outstanding vintage. The deep and vibrant nose soars from the glass in a constellation of red and black cherries, incipient notes of gamebird, bitter chocolate, camphor, a touch of fresh almond, cherry skin and a beautifully complex base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with outstanding balance, a superb core of pure fruit, ripe tannins and superb length and grip on the young and perfectly balanced finish. This will be a great bottle of Cannubi in the fullness of time! (Drink between 2018 - 2050)John Gilman | 93+ JG

The 2007 Barolo Vigneto Cannubi emerges from the glass with layers of sweet red fruit supported by the silkiest of tannins. Sweet floral and spiced notes follow, adding further complexity. The Cannubi captures the essence of the generous vintage in this site, in an expressive, open style that shows beautifully. The warm growing season gave the wine a little more mid-palate stuffing, not a bad thing for this very classic producer. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2007 Barolo Vigneto Cannubi emerges from the glass with layers of sweet red fruit supported by the silkiest of tannins. Sweet floral and spiced notes follow, adding further complexity. The Vigneto Cannubi captures the essence of the generous vintage in this site, in an expressive, open style that shows beautifully. The warm growing season gave the wine a little more mid-palate stuffing, not a bad thing for this very classic producer.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2007 Cannubi bottling from Fabio Alessandria is not quite as transparent as the Monvigliero in this vintage, but it too shares lovely elegance on both the nose and palate. The fine bouquet is also probably a touch deeper, wafting from the glass in a blend of red and black cherries, a touch of anise, gentle tarry notes, a beautifully complex base of soil, woodsmoke and fresh oregano in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off lovely mid-palate depth, with ripe, fairly firm tannins, lovely focus and grip and a very long, well-balanced and youthful finish. (Drink between 2020 - 2050)John Gilman | 93 JG

The 2008 Sori Tildin is impressive. I confess I wasn't quite prepared for the assault of fruit and tannins here. Sori Tildin is so often a graceful, elegant wine, but that is not the case in 2008. That's not to say elegance is missing, but this is a big, big wine with tons of intensity and richness, all woven together beautifully. It's tough to find a comparison with a previous vintage, as this is a pretty singular Tildin. The flavors are familiar if a touch on the dark side, but the structure is closer than that of Sori San Lorenzo. Flowers, tar, leather and licorice wrap around the palate. This is a fabulous showing and a great wine in the making.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe 2008 Sori Tildin is impressive. I confess I wasn’t quite prepared for the assault of fruit and tannins here. Sori Tildin is so often a graceful, elegant wine, but that is not the case in 2008. That’s not to say elegance is missing, but this is a big, big wine with tons of intensity and richness, all woven together beautifully. It’s tough to find a comparison with a previous vintage, as this is a singular Tildin. The flavors are familiar if a touch on the dark side, but the structure is closer than that of Sori San Lorenzo. Flowers, tar, leather and licorice wrap around the palate. This is a fabulous showing and a great wine in the making. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033.This is a stunning set of wines from Angelo Gaja and his team in Barbaresco. Those who think 2008 is a truly great year for Nebbiolo must have tasted these wines. In a vintage that is inconsistent across the villages of Barbaresco, Gaja has produced not one but four stellar wines. As fabulous as these wines are, they aren’t especially true to type, as I explain in these notes. The 2008s I tasted in the US showed far better than the bottles I tasted in Barbaresco during the summer. Perhaps the onset of the cool fall weather gave these wines a little more spine than they had during the sweltering heat of August. Readers who want to learn more about the 2011 harvest at Gaja may want to take a look at my video interview with Gaia Gaja and vineyard manager Giorgio Culasso.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPEspresso, plum, black cherry and toast aromas and flavors mark this powerful, muscular red, which is angular and out of sorts today, but dense and grainy, with a firm, tannic structure. The oak dominates the finish, so give this time. Best from 2015 through 2032. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A banner wine for Gaja, the 2010 Sori San Lorenzo brings the infinite and ethereal aromas associated with Nebbiolo into startling focus and clarity. Again, like the Sori Tildin, the structure and tannic firmness of the wine will carry the wine forward over the years and decades ahead. It demands much more time until it fully blossoms. I walked through the San Lorenzo vineyard with Gaia Gaja and she showed me some of their recent activity. Every second row is planted with barley that acts as a natural rototiller given its aggressive root system. Borrowing other “New World” ideas, they’ve started compost piles with Californian red worms and are using (with less success, I’m told) wooden tree boxes to repopulate the birds. All of this must seem very odd to the neighbors. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.Just a short while ago, in the midst of one of Italy’s darkest political hours when forming a functioning government seemed like an exercise in futility, someone sent me a Facebook petition proposing Angelo Gaja as a candidate for President of the Republic of Italy. Although Angelo himself would brush it off as jest, that seedling of a (good) idea took the Internet by firestorm. What he has demonstrated over the years, besides from his infectious enthusiasm and keen ability to communicate his thoughts with brilliant clarity and gumption, is a natural ability for leadership. Barbaresco is lucky to have an Angelo Gaja, the Langhe is lucky to have him, and Italy is, too.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2010 Sorì San Lorenzo jumps from the glass with lavender, violets, plums, smoke and licorice, all in a lifted, precise style built on finesse. The tannins are remarkably sweet and polished for such a young wine. The pulsating fruit and sense of structure are reminiscent of the 1999, but here, there is perhaps a little more finesse and slightly more compelling balance.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGAromas of marble, dried cherries and iron, with hints of iodine. Full-bodied, tannic and chewy, yet balanced and refined all the same. This needs the most age of the single-vineyard, 2010 Gaja Nebbiolos. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSThis muscular red features ample fruit, with a fine quality to the stiff tannins, offering loads of cherry, tar and sandalwood flavors, with excellent length. Give this a few years. Best from 2016 through 2032. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2014 Barbaresco Montestefano is fabulous. Rich, ample and explosive, as the best wines from this site are, the 2014 covers every corner of the palate with intense fruit, bright acidity and structure. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, orange peel, spice, tobacco, leather, smoke and licorice infuse the exotic, resonant finish. The Montestefano is always a wine of breadth. That is exactly what comes through here.Vinous Media | 96 VMAromatic herb, woodland berry, violet, citrus zest and tilled soil scents take shape in the glass. The succulent, linear palate doles out cranberry, red cherry white pepper and star anise flavors, bolstered by a backbone of firm, refined tannins and bright acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

The 2014 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is a stunning wine. Sweet, perfumed and deep, the 2014 is off-the-charts great. Dark red and purplish berry fruit, mint, lavender, spice and hard candy infuse the 2014 with striking layers of nuance. But what really impresses about the 2014 is its depth and huge vertical build. All the elements fall into place in a sumptuous, deep Barolo that screams with character. Beams of tannin punctuate the finish. Massolino's 2014 is one of the greatest Vigna Riondas I have ever tasted.Antonio Galloni | 98+ AGThe Massolino 2014 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is a wine that speaks of vintage as articulately as it speaks of site. The 2014 vintage is one of the most distinctive within these past two decades, with a quality of fruit that is fine, light, ethereal and almost fragile. However, Serralunga d'Alba, where the Vignarionda cru is located, is always characterized by extra power, structure and fruit weight. In a sense, this Riserva represents an intersection between those two opposites, showing both elegance and muscle. The wine opens to a pretty garnet color, and the aromatic intensity is well developed and capped by a mid-weight finish. Wild berry tones are followed by iron ore, blood orange and camphor ash. Massolino farms 2.6 hectares within the cru with calcareous and marlstone soils. Some 8,500 bottles were made, and this wine will be released in September 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPUnderbrush, moist earth, leather and a whiff of menthol shape the delicate nose. The linear, youthfully austere palate shows impressive structure for the vintage, featuring juicy black cherry, spiced cranberry and licorice accompanied by tightly wound, close-grained tannins and firm acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEOn the savory side, this red offers strawberry, currant and cherry flavors that are locked up with the dense tannins, lending an overall austerity and a dry, astringent, mouthcoating finish. Best from 2023 through 2040. 350 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Enticing scents of rose, iris, perfumed berry and an earthy whiff of truffle shape the fragrant nose on this dazzling wine. The delicious, full-bodied palate boasts structure and a weightless elegance, delivering juicy Marasca cherry, cherry compote, cinnamon and star anise. Taut, polished tannins and fresh acidity provide balance and an elegant structure. It’s already irresistible but will also age well for years. Drink 2022–2035. Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOEnticing scents of rose, iris, perfumed berry and an earthy whiff of truffle shape the fragrant nose on this dazzling wine. The delicious, full-bodied palate boasts structure and a weightless elegance, delivering juicy Marasca cherry, cherry compote, cinnamon and star anise. Taut polished tannins and fresh acidity provide balance and an elegant structure. It’s already irresistible but will also age well for years. Drink 2022–2035.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2015 vintage was warmer than 2016, and you can feel it in Bricco Pernice’s penetrating flavors of ripe cherry and raspberry as they glide over powerful, ferrous tannins. Impressively vibrant for the vintage, with detailed scents of rose petals, lavender and orange zest, the wine remains fresh and balanced days after it was opened, indicating a long life ahead.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 97 W&SThe Elvio Cogno 2015 Barolo Ravera Bricco Pernice delivers the depth, richness and concentration that are a hallmark of this pretty vintage. This wine is a pure expression of the productive Lampia clone of Nebbiolo. Generous layers of blackberry, wild cherry, rose hip, ferrous earth and campfire ash are neatly folded together to build the wine’s intensity. Like the other wines from this estate, the tannic management is spot-on. You are aware of the wine’s youthful structure, but it is delivered without hard edges or sharp points. A mere 4,000 bottles were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2015 Barolo Bricco Pernice is an exotic, beguiling wine. Blood orange, mint, sweet red cherry, star anise and a range of spice notes give the Bricco Pernice striking aromatic and flavor complexity. Medium in body, refined and super-expressive, the 2015 has so much to offer. Best of all, it will drink well with just a few years in bottle. It is such an effortless, gracious wine. Very polished, nuanced and elegant, this silky Barolo has a ton of structure but is also impeccable in its balance.Vinous Media | 95 VMAromas of camphor and sweet pipe tobacco give way to cherry, tar and wild scrub flavors in this densely structured red, which is elegant and sinewy, with a lingering, chewy finish. Best from 2023 through 2045. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSRipe and dried-fruit character to the strawberry, floral and citrus aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied and chewy. A little subdued in the palate, but shows ripe, well-formed tannins and vivid fruit. Give it time. Drink after after 2023.James Suckling | 95 JS

Here’s a little hop, skip and a jump back in time to a vintage with great personality and character. The Sottimano 2015 Barbaresco Currá is a majestic expression that unfolds to reveal dark fruit, spice and carefully evolved aromas of tar, licorice and spent embers. Past vintages of this wine have started off slow and closed (that’s one of Currá’s age-worthy attributes), but the warm and sunny 2015 vintage starts with high aromatic intensity. The wine is aged in neutral oak (with only 10% new barrel) and fruit comes from 50- to 60-year-old vines in Neive. The mouthfeel is young and spicy, so this wine won’t be fully accessible for another 10 years or so. A mere 2,500 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe limestone and clay soils of the Currà cru tend to produce wines with muscular tannins, which is why Andra Sottimano releases this bottling later than his other Barbarescos. The wine rested in French oak barrels (15 percent new) for two years, giving the tannins the firm feel of new leather. The red-cherry flavors are vibrant, infused with notes of cardamom and anise.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 96 W&SThe decision to release the 2015 Barbaresco Currà two years later than the other wines has paid off handsomely, as the incisive young Currà tannins have now had time to start to soften, which in turn gives the wine tremendous openness that is on display today. Blood orange, pomegranate, sweet red cherry, star anise and cinnamon imbue the 2015 with an alluring sense of exoticism that is impossible to miss. Bright and lifted, the 2015 is just starting to develop the first signs of aromatic nuance. It will drink well for many years to come.Vinous Media | 95 VMFragrant and focused, this offers tantalizing aromas of rose, violet, woodland berry and Asian incense. Firm and linear, the chiseled palate evokes red cherry, cranberry, star anise and a hint of white pepper set against tightly wound, fine-grained tannins. It’s still young and austere but balanced, with vibrant acidity. Give it ample time to fully develop. Drink 2023–2038. Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOFragrant and focused, this offers tantalizing aromas of rose, violet, woodland berry and Asian incense. Firm and linear, the chiseled palate evokes red cherry, cranberry, star anise and a hint of white pepper set against tightly wound fine-grained tannins. It’s still young and austere but balanced, with vibrant acidity. Give it ample time to fully develop. Drink 2023–2038.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis red is concentrated and packed with cherry, plum, tar, iron and underbrush flavors. It’s fluid and supple, with a mass of sinewy tannins guarding the finish. Best from 2024 through 2045. 208 cases made, 75 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse is one of the most distinctive wines in all of Piedmont. It emerges from a tiny parcel in Neive first planted in 1913 with the Rose clone of Nebbiolo known for its aromatic intensity, that is rarely seen these days. Deeply bright and perfumed, the 2015 offers up an exotic mélange of sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, spice, rose petal and kirsch. There’s terrific depth and plenty of substance to wrap it all together. The 2015 spent four years in wood, a combination of small barrels and medium-sized casks. I wonder what this wine would like taste like if it was aged in more neutral oak, as there is a bit of oak tannin here. Even so, the 2015 is an exquisite wine and a Barbaresco of real character.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

Just bottled, the 2015 Barolo Riserva Cascina Dardi is a real powerhouse. This full-bodied, potent Barolo packs a huge punch. It won’t be ready to drink anytime soon, that much is obvious. Time in the glass brings out aromatic intensity and inner perfume. Spice and blood orange accents lend an exotic quality to this dark, layered Barolo. The Riserva is a wine for readers who appreciate the natural fragility of artisan wines, wines that aren’t perfect but that perfectly embody the human spirit.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Forest floor, red berry, leather and pipe tobacco aromas are front and center. The intense, full-bodied palate offers impressive structure and finesse, delivering succulent Marasca cherry, cinnamon, star anise and a hint of hazelnut alongside assertive but noble tannins and vibrant acidity. It already shows focus and depth, but give it time to fully bloom.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2016 Barbaresco Montestefano is simply magnificent. Bright floral overtones and red/purplish berry fruit give the Montestefano a feeling of focus and explosive energy that is compelling. Hints of mocha, leather, smoke, lavender and a whole range of balsamic inflections open up in the glass, revealing a Barbaresco of power, structure and complexity. Ample in feel and yet wonderfully vibrant, the Montestefano is wonderfully complete. It is also one of the very best wines I have ever tasted from La Ca' Nova. The Montestefano is a bit more showy today than the Montefico, but both wines are remarkable.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

The 2016 Barbaresco Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina is dark, dense, powerful and super expressive. Black cherry, mocha, leather, licorice and menthol are some of the many notes that take shape in a Barbaresco that is bursting with energy. Chalk, orange peel, dried flowers and mint add layers of nuance as the wine opens up in the glass. This brooding, potent Barbaresco needs time to be at its best, but it is clearly a great wine in the making.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AG

The 2016 Barolo Riserva Gramolere takes all the Gramolere signature and amplifies them, partly because of the richer vintage but also through a more extracted approach that also features a stronger oak imprint. Succulent dark cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and dried herbs are beautifully dialed up.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis is aromatic with notes of dried rose petals, sour cherries, tangerine peel and spices. Compact and slightly chewy but very fine and polished with medium to full body and a lengthy, firm finish. Better after 2025.James Suckling | 93 JS

You get a real sense of ripeness, as soon as you get a whiff of this red; blackberry essence, ripe stems, vanilla and lifted balsamic vinegar and shoe polish are out in full force. It’s on the full-bodied palate where the power really hits you — this is a chewy, full-bodied Barbaresco with unforgiving, stocky tannins and densely packed dark fruit. Don’t tread lightly here, but expect a powerhouse of fruit and tannin! Drink from 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSRose, menthol, wild herb and forest berry aromas lead the nose. Linear and elegantly structured, the savory palate is loaded with finesse, offering wild cherry extract, licorice and orange zest framed in firm, refined tannins. Bright acidity lends balance and tension. Drink 2024–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEStrawberry, cherry, eucalyptus and mineral flavors highlight this slim yet flavorful red. Balanced and refined, featuring a resonant finish packed with lively tannins. Best from 2022 through 2040. 750 cases made, 105 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Forest floor, new leather, camphor and rose aromas mingle with a toasted note. Linear and racy, the precise, elegantly structured palate offers dried cherry, espresso, orange peel and licorice alongside firm, close-grained tannins and vibrant acidity. Drink 2024–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is a superb nose that shows pressed violets, blueberry compote, hibiscus, tangerines and orange blossom. Medium-bodied with delightful polish to the deft tannins and acidity that cuts through the blue fruit like butter. A refined, floral style of unmistakable beauty. Drink from 2021.James Suckling | 93 JSThis wine truly underlines the differences between the single vineyards of Barbaresco. The Faset vineyard is located only about 300 meters from Asili, yet the wines made from these respective sites are completely different. The 2016 Barbaresco Faset shows more heft and fiber with brooding dark fruit. This wine shows a whole different level of intensity. Pair it with Piedmont’s plin ravioli.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPThe 2016 Barbaresco Faset is a bold, punchy wine. Spice, leather, cedar, dried flowers, mint and a touch of new oak all give the Faset a super-distinctive aromatic profile. The flavors are really popping in the Faset today. I especially like the wine’s energy.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

Camphor, star anise, tobacco and underbrush are just some of the aromas you’ll find on this stunning red. Full-bodied and elegantly structured, the savory palate doles out ripe Marasca cherry, rasberry compote, baking spice and licorice set against youthfully assertive, noble tannins. Give it time to fully develop. Drink 2027–2037. Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOCamphor, star anise, tobacco and underbrush are just some of the aromas you’ll find on this stunning red. Full-bodied and elegantly structured, the savory palate doles out ripe Marasca cherry, rasberry compote, baking spice and licorice set against youthfully assertive, noble tannins. Give it time to fully develop. Drink 2027–2037.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis has very pretty sweetness of fruit to it, with dried strawberries and cherries, as well as walnuts and light cocoa powder. It’s medium-to full-bodied with creamy tannins and a subtle finish. Better in three or four years. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JSA release of about 5,000 bottles, the Brovia 2017 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione offers a very elegant take on a wild and hot vintage that was not always easy to tame. The wine’s aromatic profile can be described as ripe for sure because you get a generous dose of fragolino di bosco (wild strawberry), peach and orange blossom. Like the Villero, that ripeness is mitigated by the pretty mineral note that frames the bouquet. That dusty crushed limestone is more prominent in the case of the Rocche di Castiglione. However, the mouthfeel is a touch more compact and slenderer in the case of this wine. The tannins are silky and fine, but it would be nice to come back to this bottle in five years or more when the wine has had the chance to flesh out further.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2017 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is delicate and perfumed from the outset. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, cedar, mint and licorice all open in the glass. The 2017 is a classic Rocche - gracious, medium in body and super-finessed. The ripeness of the year comes through in the wine’s flavor profile, but all the elements are so well balanced. The only thing missing is a bit of depth, and that leaves the finish feeling just a bit dry.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Aromas of iris, ripe dark-skinned berries and truffle mingle with ground clove on this smooth, compelling red. On the delicious, full-bodied palate, firm, fine-grained tannins wrap around ripe Marasca cherry, blood orange and licorice while fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2024–2032.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2017 Barbaresco Angelo is superb. The aromatics alone are simply beguiling. Rose petal, mint, lavender, pine, orange peel and sweet red cherry give the Angelo remarkable allure. Pliant and silky on the palate, with striking resonance, the Angelo impresses from the very first taste. Its overall balance is simply remarkable. I loved it.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis is bright and bursting with cherry, raspberry, licorice and iron aromas and flavors, while savory elements of eucalyptus, wild thyme and cut hay add detail. Fine balance and length. Best from 2024 through 2038. 175 cases made, 30 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Roses and lavender with other flowers. Peaches. Glorious fruit of dark plums and ripe strawberries. This is dense and intense but there are layers of very fine tannins, like fine cashmere. Goes on for minutes. Opens in the mouth. Almost endless. Three years in cask and two years in bottle before January 2023 release. Give this at least five to six years.James Suckling | 98 JSThis year’s top-end release from Bruno Giacosa is the 2017 Barolo Riserva Falletto Vigna Le Rocche (in the red label). Bottled in 2019, the wine stands apart thanks to a hot and dry growing season that Bruna Giacosa is very excited about. In fact, she prefers 2017 to 2015, although the two vintages do share similarities. This wine is very open-knit, and it reveals dark concentration in the form of ripe blackberry, candied cherry and spice. The tannins show a loose, granular quality that adds considerably to the textural impact of this Riserva.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis supple red is elegant and powerful, driven by an underlying mineral element. Strawberry, cherry, rose, iron and wild thyme aromas and flavors persist, building to a long aftertaste, while dense, refined tannins lend support. Offers superb balance and length. Best from 2025 through 2045. 110 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

The 2017 Barolo Castelletto captures all of the savory and mineral complexity of this high-altitude site. Ethereal and gracious, the Castelletto has so much to offer. Pine, mint, blood orange, crushed raspberry and star anise are all finely sculpted throughout. This is one of the best Barolos I have ever tasted from Manzone. Don’t miss it.Vinous Media | 96 VMI love the dense, savory elements that thicken up the red fruit on the nose, speaking more of terroir than oak influence. Full-bodied with lots of fine-grained tannins that are already giving an easy ride to the juicy fruit, through to a long, only lightly firm finish. It’s very rare to give a drink-now recommendation to a young Barolo, This is irresistible right now. Yet, it should develop nicely in bottle, too. Drink or holdJames Suckling | 93 JS

The 2017 Barolo Bussia Cascina Dardi is a super classic wine from the Fantino brothers that melds together the richness of the year with traditional expression of Bussia structure. Bright red-toned fruit, kirsch, blood orange, mint and spice open over time, supported by beams of nervous tannin that lend energy. This is a terrific 2017 Barolo.Vinous Media | 93 VM

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

The 2017 Barolo Riserva Perno is a real stunner. Deep, pliant and super-expressive, the 2017 boasts gorgeous inner sweetness and depth to lay off its huge, imposing tannins. The ripeness and overall intensity of the year comes through in the wine’s captivating aromatics and pliant, layered mid-palate. Even so, the 2017 has a boatload of tannin and tons of searing structural intensity to assimilate. I would not dream of touching a bottle anytime soon.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Forest floor, cedar, new leather and camphor aromas take shape in the glass on this compelling, earthy red. Showing a Barolo-like structure, the full-bodied, savory palate has an alluring wildness and energy to it, delivering dried cherry, blood orange, black olive and licorice framed against a backbone of tightly knit tannins. Bright acidity keeps it balanced. It’s still youthfully austere and needs a few more years to fully develop. Drink 2026–2038.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2018 Barbaresco Montestefano is brisk and engaging. This is an especially strict reading of Montestefano that seems to have more of Montefico-like sense of vibrancy and tension. Rosewater, orange peel, white pepper and bright red-toned fruit are all finely cut. The 2018 comes across as a touch severe today. I would cellar it for a few years and see what happens.Vinous Media | 94 VM