The World of Fine Wine Issue 79 2023

ANDREW JEFFORD’S TOP WINES

Luigi Baudana Barolo Baudana 96 Borgogno Barolo Cannubi 95 Ca’ Rome’ (Romano Marengo) Barolo Rapet 95 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo Monvigliero 95 Gian Carlo Burlotto Cantina Massara Barolo 94

THESE ARE NOT WINES THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT A LONG TIME TO OPEN; ALL HAVE SKIPPED HAPPILY INTO BOTTLE WITH THEIR ARMS FLUNG WIDE, BUT THE BEST WILL LINGER AGREEABLY

disconcerting failures. It is certainly a vintage to pick through carefully. “Something beautiful,” though, was indeed possible; the best 2018 Barolos are subtle, graceful, tender, allusive, scrutable. Michael Palij MW draws attention to their “charming aromatics and ripe tannins—surely the name of the Nebbiolo game,” while Bruno Besa also pointed with approbation to their “finesse and charm.” These are not wines that you will have to wait a long time to open; all have skipped happily into bottle with their arms flung wide, though the best will linger agreeably for a decade or so.

They have all the qualities that classicists relish, and are in general more “Pinot-like” after this switchback summer than they would have been had Lucifer come swaggering back into town. Most are fresh; none are tough. They may not be amply endowed but they are generous in spirit, delivering such loveliness as they possess freely—and in unusually drinkable guise, too. (I’ve never written “gluggable” about a Barolo until this tasting.) Just choose carefully.

What of the communes? As usual, I have compounded every score given to every wine by commune (or blend), then divided by the number of wines to reach an average score per commune per wine. Hail or no hail, Serralunga was (as usual) the clear winner, with a total of 276.63 (eight wines submitted). We tasted only three wines from northerly Verduno, but the average of 272.67 put that commune in second place, again true to recent form. It was followed by a good showing for La Morra in third place (270.22, based on nine wines). Then came Barolo (269.22; nine wines), Castiglione Falletto (268; three wines), and Monforte (266.72; 11 wines). The six blended wines we tasted brought up the rear, perhaps significantly in this vintage (266.5). This is a snapshot based on the wines we had a chance to taste rather than any kind of comprehensive or systematic scrutiny of relative commune success, and it may be a reflection of grower skill as much as propitiousness of site. For all that, it is, perhaps, a useful finger in the wind.

THEY HAVE ALL THE QUALITIES THAT CLASSICISTS RELISH. THEY MAY NOT BE AMPLY ENDOWED, BUT THEY ARE GENEROUS IN SPIRIT, DELIVERING SUCH LOVELINESS AS THEY POSSESS FREELY —AND IN UNUSUALLY DRINKABLE GUISE, TOO

Ca’ Rome’ (Romano Marengo) Barolo Cerretta 94 Damilano Barolo Cannubi 94 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo Cannubi 94 Luigi Baudana Barolo Cerretta 93 Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Camilla 93 Massolino Barolo Serralunga d’Alba 93

Rivetto Enrico Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba 93 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo Bussia 92

Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo Terlo Vigna Costa Grimaldi 92 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Villero 92 Gagliasso Barolo Torriglione 92

Aurelio Settimo Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata 92

GD Vajra Barolo Coste di Rose 2018 92 Borgogno Barolo Liste 91 Castello di Verduno Barolo Massara 91 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo Ludo 91 Figli Luigi Oddero Barolo 91 Giovanni Manzone Barolo Gramolere 91

Rocche Costamagna Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata 91 GD Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole 91 Ascheri Barolo 90 Christian Boffa Barolo 90 Ceretto Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 90 Ciabot Berton Barolo Roggeri 90 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Bussia 90

AVERAGE AND RANGE OF SCORES Average

Range Tasting BB AJ MP

90 91

90 89

78–97 83–96 82–96 78–97

THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023 | 203

2018 BAROLO

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