Wine Ratings

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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

There’s such purity of fruit to this with both dried and ripe strawberries and citrus rind. It’s full-bodied and structured with layers of ripe tannins that are fine and polished. Tight at the end. Give this two or three years to open and soften. Try in 2024.James Suckling | 94 JSThis is one of the most versatile wines to emerge from Italy in recent years. A bread and butter winner for Vietti, the 2017 Barolo Castiglione is sharply contoured and bright, with an excellent quality of fruit that can be described as crisp, tonic and rich. That extra concentration comes in part from the hot vintage; however, the greater Castiglione growing area delivers consistent quality and persistence above all else.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPCastiglione is from a collection of vineyards across Barolo, from vines that are 10 to 45 years old. Each of the parcels are fermented and aged separately prior to the final blending and are aged for approximately 30 months in oak casks and barriques. The 2017 Barolo Castiglione has pure aromas of fennel, fresh cherry, and cinnamon. Balanced and energetic on the palate, there is ripe cranberry, blood orange, and dried roses, with fine tannins. Vibrant and approachable out of the gate, this is a wonderful entry from the Vietti estate. Drink 2021-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDVietti’s blended Barolo is bold and ripe in the 2017 vintage, its red-cherry and strawberry flavors framed by ferrous tannins that infuse the wine with cool energy. As usual, two-thirds of the fruit for Castiglione comes from Ravera, a cool corner of Barolo where winds from the Alps helped preserve acidity and kept the fruit tones crunchy and bright. Scents of fresh violets and rose petals accent the wine and add to its appeal.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 93 W&SThe 2017 Barolo Castiglione is a wild, exotic wine. Super-ripe red cherry, kirsch, cinnamon, tobacco, new leather and rose petal all flesh out in this ample, voluptuous Barolo from Vietti. The 2017 is a wine of significant heft hidden behind a wall of tannin. Give it a few years to soften or open it well in advance. Time brings out striking translucence as well as finesse.Vinous Media | 92 VMFrom a selection of small vineyards in Castiglione Falletto, with vines aged between 10 and 43 years old planted on clay-limestone soils. Castiglione is aged for about 30 months in oak casks as well as barriques, and the result is a wine with intense violet and orange peel notes over red fruit aromas, with spices in depth. Tense and supple, the palate features assertive tannins at present but has the shoulders to age well, improving both integration and complexity.Decanter | 91 DECThis is rich and round, delivering cherry, plum, tar and menthol flavors. Dense with tannins, this shows a rustic side on the dry finish, yet remains long and echoing cherry and berry notes. Best from 2024 through 2040. 8,346 cases made, 1,800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2018 Bruno Giacosa Barolo is very rich and hedonistic, with ripe strawberries and rose hip and notes of incense, lilies and violets. It is a lovely nose, persistent, intense and enticing and on the palate it is like falling into a soft velvety bed of rose petals. It already has such beautiful harmony and poise. It has a lush, sensual texture of crushed velvet, and is full-bodied without feeling heavy. There are plenty of dense, savory tannins extending the very long finish, creating a combination of seductive charm and power. This is something special, a great achievement in this vintage. Wait 2-3 years at least but I would not want to miss that young fragrance.The Wine Independent | 98 TWIA fine and pretty Barolo with plenty of strawberry and mushroom character. White truffle, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied and creamy with medium, round tannins. Delicious now and will improve nicely.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2018 Gattinara Riserva Borgofranco is superb. Black cherry, leather, spice, menthol, licorice, mocha and dried herbs are beautifully amplified. Layered and expansive on the palate, with striking textural resonance, the 2018 is seriously impressive. It is another exceptional wine in this range from Cantina Delsignore.Vinous Media | 96 VM

The Gavarini Chiniera vineyard is shaped like an amphitheater with thick forests at the back (which protects from cold air currents) and sandy chalk soil at 380 meters in elevation. This is a special site, and the Elio Grasso 2018 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is always one of Grasso’s most easily recognized wines. This vintage is exceptionally bright and vibrant with lifted tones of cherry, plum, blue flower and sweet blood orange. Those primary notes are framed by sensations of dusty white mineral. This mid-weight wine exhibits the deep elegance that was achieved in this vintage. Production is 12,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPDried-cherry, strawberry and tar aromas follow through to a full body with intense, chewy tannins that frame the wine nicely. Flavorful finish. Juicy. Not a big wine, but shows structure and class for the vintage. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 95 JSA bright, cherry-laced red, with a fruity core framed by tobacco, earth, eucalyptus and iron flavors. Firm and dense on the finish, yet this remains elegant and vibrant through the lingering aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2042. 1,000 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2018 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera has shut down massively since I tasted it last year, which is probably a very good thing for its medium and longer term prospects. Time in the glass releases some of its inner sweetness, but this classically austere, young Barolo is going to need time. I would not dream of touching a bottle anytime soon.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2018 Barolo Perno is a wild, exotic wine. The bouquet alone is captivating. Leather, orange peel, sage, mint, dried flowers and mulling spices all soar out of the glass. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2018 packs a serious punch. Sinewy tannins play off a core of inner sweetness and bright saline notes. This heady, racy Barolo is an exotic beauty. The volatile acidity is on the higher side, but it works within the context of this very old-school style.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The Fontanabianca 2018 Barbaresco is taut and elegant, showing the kind of bright primary fruit that should accompany this wine as it begins and completes its aging trajectory. The wine is very silky and fine, and it shows a nuanced texture that gives this bottle its competitive edge. Fruit comes from a 4.5-hectare site with south and southeast exposures and calcareous clay soils. Production is an ample 30,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSourced from three vineyards within Neive, the 2018 Barbaresco was aged for 20-22 months in a combination of large barrels and barriques. The 2018 leads with medicinal herbs of Amaro, sour cherry, barnyard, and apricot. Fresh with tangy pomegranate pulp on the palate, orange peel, and turned earth, with building tannins on the finish, there is a natural feel and sensibility to the wine that is full of energy. Drink 2021-2032.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDRed cherries with hints of cassis and earth, against a background of solid, spicy oak. Medium-bodied with firm oak and fruit tannins and a rather chewy finish. Give this two or three of years to even out. Best from 2024.James Suckling | 92 JSPacked with plum, cherry, earth, tobacco and iron flavors, this red is as savory as it is fruity. Firms up on the finish, with mouthcoating tannins leaving their mark on the finish. Eucalyptus and rosemary accents linger. Best from 2025 through 2045. 2,800 cases made, 1,200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSAromas of camphor, red berries and dark spice lead the way along with a whiff of toasted nut. Racy and rather austere, the linear palate offers sour cherry, blood orange and raw coffee bean framed in taut, close-grained tannins that leave a firm finish. Give it a few more years to fully integrate. Drink 2024–2029.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

The 2018 Barolo Sperss is a gorgeous, gorgeous wine. The aromatics alone are beguiling. Then again, that’s one of the things that makes Barolo such a totally seductive wine. Sweet black cherry, lavender, spice and leather give this unusually translucent Barolo striking layers of dimension. Potent Serralunga tannins are present, but they are beautifully woven into the wine’s fabric. Sadly, production is around 11,000 bottles, down sharply from the 18,000 or so that is more typical.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGLots of rose-petal aromas here, together with some stems and sandalwood, as well plums and berries. Medium-bodied with a tight palate and very fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Linear and focused. Hints of nutmeg and pie crust highlight the palate. Approachable. now, but needs at last three or four years to open. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 95 JS

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

The 2018 Sandrone Barolo Aleste comes from grapes from the Cannubi Boschis vineyard but is called ’Aleste’ as a combination of the names of Luciano Sandrone’s grandchildren - Alessia and Stefano. These wines are very Burgundy-like in their weight, texture and finesse but with the added depth and grip of Nebbiolo. This 2018 has a delicacy on the nose with bright red cherry and very subtle spice notes. It has a largesse and generosity of texture, with rounded, sandy-textured tannins and a slightly more clipped, assertive note. It just flows with ease and charm across the palate. Very beautiful, with a forceful personality. Wait maybe two years and drink for 20 plus.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIMade with fruit from Cannubi Boschis, the Luciano Sandrone 2018 Barolo Aleste is plump and ripe, but this wine also shows a more delicate character that is its ace card. The aromas are filigreed and fine with dark fruit, spice and licorice. The effect is integrated, and the wine shows a lovely, softer personality to balance out this mildly concentrated expression.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPAn open-knit Barolo highlighted by plum, cherry, leather and tar flavors. Supple in texture before firming up, with dusty, refined tannins lingering on the finish. This should evolve nicely with some bottle age. Best from 2025 through 2043. 800 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2018 Barolo Aleste is gorgeous, but also very quite today. There’s terrific purity to the dark red/purplish fruit and a good bit of volume too, but readers will have to be patient. Bright acids and firm tannins lend energy. I admire the presence and texture here. The Aleste, from Cannubi Boschis, benefits from a site that can handle moisture. This is nicely done.Vinous Media | 94 VMDried red berries and dried flowers, almost tobacco on the nose. Citrus and minty notes add character. Medium-to full-bodied, elegant and silky palate that thickens out with fine, creamy tannins as it progresses. Super texture to this, gently coating the palate. Rather firmer just at the end for now. Really refined and elegant. Best from 2024.James Suckling | 94 JSFragrant purple flower, woodland berry and menthol aromas form the nose along with whiffs of spice. The elegant, medium-bodied palate offers juicy pomegranate, red currant and oak-driven spice set against an acidic backbone. Taut, fine-grained tannins leave a drying close. Drink 2025–2033.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

The 2018 Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne is medium-deep, slightly more garnet in color than the 2017 and in fact the 2017 looks younger. The nose is restrained at first, developing in the glass with delicate cream, spice and a leather note. On the palate It has a jaw-droppingly beautiful texture and weight. This is all about finesse - it is like wearing a very well made suit where you cannot feel you are wearing anything. It is beautifully harmonious - a little less intense than the 2017 but with some brightness and that beautiful weightless quality. It is very Burgundy-like in terms of its weight and texture and reflects the 2018 vintage perfectly with just the right level of concentration and balance.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIOne of my personal favorites, the 2018 Barolo Le Vigne is savory in character and packed with dark fruit. Ripe cherry and redcurrant cedes to spice, licorice and fragrant rose. The oak is integrated, but there are added accents of spice and dark tar. Le Vigne is a blend of fruit from Baudana in Serralunga d’Alba, Villero in Castiglione Falletto, Vignane in Barolo and Merli in Novello.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA taut red, with alluring aromas and flavors of rose petal, strawberry, cherry, tea and graphite fused to an elegant frame. Reveals its structure on the long finish, where there’s plenty of fruit in the end. Delivers terrific balance and harmony. Best from 2025 through 2043. 1,500 cases made, 350 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe delicate mix of creamy red berries and savory, truffley notes keeps your nose glued to the glass. And that subtlety is carried over into the medium-to full-bodied palate, where there’s a youthful balance of silky fruit and lightly firm tannins that drives gently through the long finish. Subtle is the word, but excellent is the verdict. So tempting to drink now, but give it a couple of years. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSCamphor, violet, red berry and oak-driven spice are front and center on this fragrant red. Elegantly structured and vibrant, the focused palate delivers juicy red cherry, crushed strawberry, star anise and a hint of mocha alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2026–2033.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2018 Barolo Le Vigne is a mid-weight, tightly wound wine, with a classic sense of austerity that will need at least a few years in bottle to start softening. Red cherry fruit, white flowers, mint and chalk lend brightness and tension throughout. In 2018, the blend of vineyards is Baudana, Villero, Vignane and Merli.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This is extremely expressive on the nose, rich, nuanced cherry and raspberry aromas, some delicate perfume with rose, caramel and cola - such beautiful aromatics. A crystalline texture and purity of flavour on the palate full of ripe fruits - really a heady mix of juicy red fruits, cherries and strawberries but given grip by plump, plush, vibrant fruity textured tannins that really coat the mouth, silky, then velvety - totally abundant but the whole palate remains lifted with such freshness. Acidity is there but so is this cooling, liquorice, mint aspect with soft wood spice and toasty caramel notes. A mix of linearity and aerial delicacy while being so rich and fruity. Delicious. Drinking Window: 2030 - 2045Decanter | 96 DECForest berries, underbrush, rose and menthol aromas lead the nose along with a potpourri of varied spices. Hailing from La Morra in one of the denomination’s top sites, the palate is a stunning combination of structure and finesse, delivering small red berries, baking spices and the vineyard’s iconic minty accents framed in silky tannins. Licorice notes lingers on the finish. Drink 2025–2035.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe Michele Chiarlo 2018 Barolo Cerequio opens to a pretty lacework of aromas with smaller berry fruits, crushed stone, rusty nail, pressed lilac or blue flower and a dusting of spicy licorice powder. The bouquet is vertical and tight, leading to a very precise succession of varietal tones that flavor the wine’s polished finish. The Cerequio has ample power as well, with etched tannins that grip this Nebbiolo firmly to the palate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis red reveals enticing cherry and berry flavors, along with floral and underbrush notes, all underlined by a mineral element and firm, well-integrated tannins. Supple in texture and lingers with an aftertaste echoing cherry and strawberry fruit. Best from 2026 through 2043. 1,000 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSNice mix of deep, ripe red fruit and oaky spice. Medium-to full-bodied with a robust framework of tannin and a richly spiced, fruity finish. Needs time to integrate, but there’s a solid core to this. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2018 Barolo Cerequio is an attractive mid-weight wine. Dark red/cherry plum fruit, mocha, leather, spice and incense all grace this supple, silky Barolo. There’s lovely creaminess and plenty of allure in this tasty Barolo from Michele Chiarlo.Antonio Galloni | 90 AG

The 2018 Barolo Le Coste di Monforte is a dark, brooding wine. A blast of dark cherry, menthol, licorice, dried herbs, incense, tobacco and gravel hits the palate, conveying all of the virile intensity this site is so well-known for. There’s good depth and a fair amount of brawny tannins to wrap it all together. The 2018 is very nicely done.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2019 Barbaresco Ronchi is a deep, potent wine. In this tasting, the Ronchi impresses with its stature, aromatic presence and textural intensity. Dark red cherry, red plum, cinnamon, rose petal and dried flowers emerge with a bit of coaxing, but the Ronchi is one of the least giving wines in the range today. I would cellar it for at least a few years. It is another wine where elegance and power meld together.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGFloral aromas of rose and violet align with Morello cherry and aromatic herb on this fragrant red. Precise and savory, the palate is still youthfully tense, delivering red cherry, pomegranate and licorice alongside tightly wound, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Give it time to fully develop. Drink 2029–2039. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe Albino Rocca 2019 Barbaresco Ronchi is concise and tight with precise aromas of blackcurrant, aniseed, crushed stone and blue flower. Ronchi fruit often shows this more angular and linear quality, and these traits come through with special sharpness in this vintage. Additionally, there is an earthy, crushed limestone quality that also seems specific to this expression. The tannins are hard and firm, setting this wine up for a longer drinking window. Production is 8,200 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPRound and fruity, featuring cherry, raspberry, earth, tar and white pepper aromas and flavors. Reveals a floral hint, too, as this plays out with grace and finesse. Well-structured and silky. Best from 2025 through 2040. 650 cases made, 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFresh strawberry with hints of cherry, as well as orange peel. Medium to full body with chewy tannins and a savory finish. Give this two or three years to soften and come together. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 92 JS

Sweet and succulent aromas of tangerines, freshly cut ripe strawberries, cherries and flowers follow through to a full-bodied palate with sleek and dense tannins that run the length of the wine and then fan out into a dense, vivid finish of fruit. It’s chewy and seriously structured with finesse and energy. Silky texture. This needs at least four or five years to come together and open. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JS

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

Silky, elegant and wonderfully nuanced, the 2019 Gattinara Il Putto is seriously impressive. All the elements are impeccably balanced. Soaring aromatics meld into a core of bright, red-toned fruit. Medium in body, yet deep and resonant, this classically built Gattinara is fabulous. I especially admire the energy and purity here.Vinous Media | 96 VM

It, too, is a wine of gentleness and refinement, with bright plum fruits and warm spice both apparent in the aromas, within the context of an aromatic profile both seamless and harmonious. It’s ample in the palate yet round-contoured, with acidity here as important an element of the wine’s structure as is tannin. The tannins, indeed, are unintimidating and supportive – but resonant and flavoury, too, in best Barolo style. The overall impression of an easy-rolling roundness is underscored by the wealth of fruit which sings through the palate. For all that, this is a serious Barolo which could easily take five to ten years’ further ageing: an ideal introduction to the pleasures of the 2019 vintage in this emblematic Piedmontese region.Decanter | 97 DECWith fruit from Brunate, Liste, Cerequio, Cannubi and Raviole, the 2019 Barolo Lecinquevigne is a little subdued on first nose and would benefit from more time in bottle. This wine offers an appellation-wide taste of Nebbiolo, and the focus, consequently, is on the grape more than any single vineyard. These kinds of blends work very well in a vintage like 2019 that holds its own in terms of balance, intensity and texture. With 70,000 bottles made, this is the most accessible and affordable Barolo in the Damilano portfolio.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPVery perfumed and pretty with ripe berry, terra-cotta, and rose petal aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a lovely creamy texture. Fresh and bright. Delicious now but will age nicely. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSUnderbrush, camphor and violet aromas lift out of the glass on this fragrant Barolo. Made with Nebbiolo from five vineyards, the polished palate features juicy black cherry, cranberry, star anise and crushed mint accompanied by taut, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2026–2934. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KOA taut, linear red, with macerated cherry and plum flavors augmented by hay, spices and iron. This has ample fruit and savory notes waiting to shine through once the tannic structure mellows. Best from 2026 through 2045. 5,800 cases made, 4,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2019 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is just superb, with layers of pure fruits and spices interwoven with vibrant cherry liqueur, candied roses, incense, and baking spice. Harmonious and balanced from the start, it offers ripe tannins, a seamless spine of fresh acidity, and fantastic length that leaves me wanting more. As it opens, it reveals more nuanced notes of apricot and saline earth. An outstanding medium to full-bodied red, this is one to cellar for a few years, as it has a ways to go before its full spectrum is revealed. Drink 2026-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDWith vines adjacent to forests on white chalky soils, the Elio Grasso 2019 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is a luminous and very beautiful wine. Vintner Gianluca Grasso called this "the helicopter vintage" because he actually rented a helicopter to fly over the vines for 45 minutes to dry them from rain right before harvest. As he tells it, this was a costly but good decision because 15 minutes after he finished harvesting on October 26, heavy rain came and lasted an entire week. Thanks to these dramatic measures, the grape skins were excellent, and maceration with submerged cap lasted 55 days. That’s how perfect the skins were. This balanced wine shows extreme precision and elegance.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2019 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is classically austere and just gorgeous right out of the gate. Soaring aromatics and fine, sculpted fruit race out of the glass. Crushed rose petal, cinnamon, orange peel and mint are all beautifully delineated. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2019 is going to need years to be at its best, yet it has that embryonic inner sweetness that characterizes the very finest wines here. Superb.Vinous Media | 96 VMPerfumes of cinnamon, plums and dried flowers follow through to a medium body, with fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Hints of cedar and sandalwood. Crunchy and lightly chewy. Give this four or five years to soften. Best after 2028.James Suckling | 94 JS

Very different from the Gavarini Chiniera, the 2019 Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté shows more bite, structure and a bigger tannic impact. Fruit was harvested a bit earlier, but healthy grape skins allowed for 52 days of maceration. This wine shows beautiful intensity and fullness with dark fruit, earth, hazelnut and dark plum. Surrounded by forests, the greenery gives balance to this wine by moderating temperatures. In fact, this site saw up to 10 degrees Celsius drops in diurnal temperatures, leading to thick skins and ideal phenolic ripeness.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPAnother remarkable wine from this outstanding and tension-packed vintage, the 2019 Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate takes on a bit more introspective nature, with black cherry, cracked peppercorn, licorice, and wet asphalt. Full-bodied, it offers sweet tannins and notes of balsamic herbs, violets, leather, and black raspberry that move through the palate at a glacial pace without feeling weighted. I would recommend cellaring for a few years, after which it will be perfect for winter weather evenings by the fireside over the coming decades. Drink 2026-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2019 Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè is rich, dark and explosive. Dark-fleshed fruit, cloves menthol, licorice, scorched earth, leather and dried flowers are some of the notes that infuse the 2019 with character. Deep and resonant, with tremendous depth, the Ginestra is a wine of unbridled intensity. Swaths of tannin wrap around the huge, substantial finish. This virile, strapping Barolo is quite simply classic Ginestra.Vinous Media | 95 VMPlum and orange peel with some flowers such as violets on the nose. Medium to full body with tannins that build on the palate. Chewy and powerful. Traditional sensibility and nature to this. Try this after 2027.James Suckling | 95 JS

Fragrant, focused and loaded with finesse, this impressive red opens with aromas of iris, red berry, spice and camphor. Elegantly structured and savory, the vibrant palate features juicy raspberry, Morello cherry, star anise and wild mint framed in taut, fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Drink 2024–2034.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WELots of plum, ripe strawberry and crushed nutmeg. Hazelnut too. Full-bodied with firm and velvety tannins and a chewy finish. A wine with energy and structure. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 94 JSThe Elvio Cogno 2019 Barbaresco Bordini hits all the right chords, striking at elegance, balance and a transparent approach that highlights the character of the vintage and this vineyard in Neive. This is a medium-bodied wine with polished tannins and a delicate flavor profile focused on wild berry, licorice and crushed stone. Some 10,000 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2019 Barbaresco Bordini is a very pretty, expressive wine that marries the natural power of this site with a good deal of finesse, a pretty appealing combination in my book. Powerful and yet classic in bearing, the 2019 offers up generous red-fleshed fruit, spice, rose petal, orange peel and dried herbs. The 2019 can be enjoyed today or cellared for a decade plus. Today, it is pretty impressive.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGEnticing aromas of cherry, strawberry, hay, sweet grass and iron mark this smooth, velvety red. Shows ample structure, yet this is harmonious overall, with a beam of pure cherry lingering. Best from 2024 through 2038. 830 cases made, 125 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The Elvio Cogno 2019 Barolo Ravera is just gorgeous, starting with its enticing scents of woodland berry, blue flower, forest floor and camphor. Made partly with whole cluster fermentation, the structured palate is young but already shows depth, featuring layers of succulent raspberry, licorice, menthol and baking spice framed in firm, refined tannins. Give it time to fully develop. Drink 2027–2044. Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOThis wine opens a window on one of the best cru sites in the appellation—the Ravera Vineyard on the Novello side, where steep hills descend down from a castle perched atop a beautiful panorama. From this vantage point, you look up at Novello and the Elvio Cogno winery built midway up the incline. The 2019 Barolo Ravera benefits from this special place and represents a wider net of fruit selected from across the estate vineyard. As a result, Ravera often shows extra versatility and depth. The 2019 vintage offers wild berry, blackcurrant, tart fruit, iodine and campfire ash. This is on the darker and more concentrated side of the Barolo spectrum. 15,000 bottles were released.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Barolo Ravera is beautiful with floral and spice perfume and offers a Burgundian aesthetic, with notes of apricot and wet stone. It is medium-bodied, highly refined, and pure, with complexity that continues to evolve in the glass, revealing notes of rhubarb, apricot, wild raspberry, and dusty earth. A beautiful and expressive wine with a lot of grace, it is going to drink well at a lot of stages, so don’t worry about whether to drink it soon or forget about it in the cellar over the next two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDTannins are sheer and long with a steely and muscular nature, yet they are nicely integrated. Full and toned. This is a wine for the cellar yet it already shows pretty floral and blue fruit character. Drink after 2029.James Suckling | 96 JSUsing two clones of 70- to 80-year-old Nebbiolo on calcareous soil in the distinguished MGA of Ravera, this 2019 has incredible energy. Delicate red fruits accompany earthy depths and balsamic lift, while in the mouth grippy tannins underline concentrated wild red fruits. It’s vertical in nature – as you may expect given the limestone soils – delivering a shot of citrus peel on the long and super-fresh finish.Decanter | 95 DECNo written review provided. | 95 W&SThe 2019 Barolo Ravera marries finesse with the energy that is typical of all the wines from this part of the appellation. Tasted next to the 2018, it possesses gorgeous inner sweetness and captivating perfume to match its mid-weight personality. Hard candy, blood orange, mint, iron, spice and dried flowers all open in the glass. Here too, the tannins are admirably balanced for a young Ravera Barolo.Vinous Media | 93 VM

These village-specific wines are growing in popularity, and among the various expressions on the market today, this wine from Verduno is really quite special thanks to its highly distinctive floral aromas and its delicate sense of inner balance. A new project being inaugurated with this vintage, the Fratelli Alessandria 2019 Barolo del Comune di Verduno shows a fine, streamlined mouthfeel with polished tones of river stone, crushed rose and licorice root. The aromas are refined and fragile. This is a 20,000-bottle release.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPFragrant and refined, Fratelli Alessandria’s 2019 Barolo del Comune di Verduno opens with enticing scents recalling dog rose, perfumed forest berry, cedar and eucalyptus. Lithe and elegantly structured, the savory palate reveals juicy red cherry, spiced cranberry and star anise accompanied by taut, fine-grained tannins. It’s well balanced, with fresh acidity. Drink 2024–2034. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOThe 2019 Barolo del Comune di Verduno is a dark, brooding wine. Dark-toned fruit, spice, menthol and licorice lend tons of intensity to this decidedly potent Verduno Barolo. There’s real density and mid-palate richness. This is far from an entry-level bottling, that is for sure. Patience is essential.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMThere is expansive perfume of anise, raspberry liqueur, rose petal, and chalky earth in the glass of the 2019 Barolo Del Comune Di Verduno. It is medium-bodied, with a persistent linear structure and fresh-driven citrus of orange peel, tea leaf, and cranberry. Allow another year and drink 2025-2035.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

The 2019 Barolo Gramolere (with 7,000 bottles made) shows a slightly sweeter and riper fruit profile. This wine comes from the village of Monforte d’Alba, which is known for more structured and powerful wines compared to Verduno (where this winery is based), which offers lighter, more floral wines instead. Gramolere shows dark fruit, plum and spice, but it also has a pretty mineral note of rust or iron. However, within this portfolio, this wine may well deliver the longest drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Barolo Gramolere, tasted from barrel, is the most elegant wine Vittore Alessandria has made yet from his family’s holdings in Monforte. Medium in body and transparent, the 2019 offers up black cherry, lavender, spice, licorice, dried herbs and menthol are all laced together in a layered, mysterious wine that captures the essence of Nebbiolo in Barolo. The classically austere finish is a thing of beauty.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMMore concertation of fruit can be found in the 2019 Barolo Gramolere. with raspberry liqueur, spice box, and licorice. It is medium bodied but has a more expanded feel. with notes of dried apricot, grenadine, blood orange, and tobacco. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDCedar, violet, Asian spice and ripe black-skinned fruit aromas lift out of the glass along with balsamic whiffs of camphor. Juicy and full-bodied, the smooth palate doles out ripe black cherry, almond liqueur, licorice alongside velvety, enveloping tannins. Drink 2025–2034. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KO

The 2019 Barolo Monvigliero shows a medium dark garnet appearance with an especially focused quality of fruit. There is wild cherry and Japanese plum, but the Monvigliero cru also delivers crushed rose, earthy iris root, candied orange peel with clove and dustings of black pepper. The wine is exceedingly silky and polished in texture, but its inherent complexity is never diminished. It should be interesting to revisit this bottle after the 10-year mark. This estate was the first to bottle a Monvigliero in 1978, and today 7,000 bottles are made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2019 Barolo Monvigliero, tasted from barrel, is fabulous. Silky and elegant, with tons of energy, the Monvigliero is showing beautifully today, even as a sample from tank with low SO2 typical of this stage pre-bottling. Even so, all the translucent finesse of Monvigliero comes through loud and clear. Crushed red berry fruit, chalk, blood orange, mint and white pepper lend brightness. The 2019 is shaping up to be a real beauty. It’s one of those young wines that is very hard to spit.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMThe 2019 Barolo Monvigliero is layered with cinnamon, red cherry, white pepper, and apricot and is dry, elegant, and medium-bodied on the palate, with fine tannins and mouthwatering salinity. Revealing notes of orange pith, warming spice, and pomegranate seed, it is long on the palate with a linear approach. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDFratelli Alessandria’s 2019 Monvigliero is full-bodied and delicious, delivering flavors of raspberry compote, blood orange, licorice and tobacco enveloped in velvety tannins. It’s bold but also possesses an almost weightless finesse, and thanks to the fruit richness, you’d never guess this has an abv of 15%. Drink 2026–2039. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOFirst produced in 1978, the vines on this 1.4ha plot are now 50 years old. Traditional winemaking with long maceration and ageing in botti grandi. Dense and ruby in colour, the nose is restrained: earthy, with dried mushroom, rose and violet, cinnamon, and fresh pomegranate. Vibrant, savoury and delicate yet chewy on the palate, its tannins are extracted but polished, and a bit rigid on the finish. Not really ready to drink; a structure that defies time.Decanter | 90 DEC