tasting / laying down / 2018 Barolo
Luigi Baudana Barolo Baudana Serralunga d’Alba (14.5% ABV)
| 95
BB | Bright ruby to pink. Compact, a touch closed on the nose, but layered red fruit, youthful, and complex, with roses, tar, violets, and blood oranges. Sweet, rich red fruit, mineral, with fine tannins, crushed stone, and a lively finish. | 96 AJ | Clear, bright black-red. Softly fragrant, gently articulated (as so many 2018s are), with ample creamy grace. Teasing pomegranate and rosehip aromatics, with a lovely creamy bass note. Super aromas. Very much as the aromas on the palate: soft, gentle, graceful, teased to a point of perfect ripeness, with singing red fruits to provide energy and lift, and ample cream to smooth the wine’s flow and tannic mass over the tongue. Skilled work here, and a compellingly beautiful wine. Spellbinding tannins over ultra-graceful fruits: How can you not fall in love with this? | 96 MP | An attractive and delicious nose, with cranberry, pomegranate, redcurrant, hay, licorice, and genuine Nebbiolo complexity. The palate shows a lovely progression of flavors, with the fruit supported by all that telltale structure. This is a superb example of 2018 Barolo, with all the aromatics and supporting components in place. Delicious. Drink now or keep. | 94
Ca’ Rome’ (Romano Marengo) Barolo Rapet Serralunga d’Alba (15% ABV) | 95
BB | Ruby to garnet pink. Intense, classic Serralunga, with a compact, mineral, salty nose. Medium to full body, refined tannins, clean, lively, and salty, with small red fruits and a long, fresh- mint, rosewater finish. | 95 AJ | Dark, clear black-red. Bright and glinting. Sweet, warm, and forthright. Finely crafted red-fruit aromas, with gentian, root-spice freshness. Very inviting. Vivid and deep; searching and spicy. Bright and impeccably defined fruits, but ample, firm, supporting tannins: deep textures and resonant flavors. Grand, resonant wine, with absolutely no sense of warm-vintage strain. A long, serene, but athletic finish. Top-notch. Could it be creamier or plumper? A touch—but there is so much else here to enjoy that you won’t feel the lack. A truly dramatic wine on the palate. Tour de force. | 95 MP | Discreet and Burgundian nose, with very ripe red fruit including rhubarb and plum, beetroot and hawthorn. The tannins are pretty obvious and occlude the fruit, and the question is whether these will ever resolve. The finish, however, suggests that this has plenty more to give. It’s long, complex, and not dominated by wood. Given the structure and concentration, this has a very bright future ahead of it. Keep and wait for the magic to evolve. | 96
GD Vajra Barolo Coste di Rose Barolo (14.5% ABV)
| 94
BB | Garnet to pink. Refined on the nose: small black and red fruits, fresh herbs, violets, and roses. Medium-bodied, balanced and clean, with a lively, salty palate and a long, herbal finish. | 92 AJ | Translucent, bright red-black. Sweet and warm, soft, elegant, enfolding aromas of great grace and charm. Cherry and cherry blossom alike. Ample presence and tannic seize on the tongue, and tongue-coating concentration, too. Big, ample, broad-chested Barolo ready to enfold you in its
204 | THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023
embrace. Very much of its vintage in terms of warmth, and straightforward in its approach—but so much to like here. A big mouthful of broad, muscular fruit. Lots of inner fruit drive and lift. | 92 MP | The nose is perfect, with notes of violet, licorice, tinned strawberry, saddle leather, hawthorn, and rose petal. This envelops the palate with fully ripe tannins and a lovely streak of acidity that holds everything to account. The fruit highlights that ephemeral Nebbiolo complexity, with floral, red- and black-fruit notes all there. Keep this and watch it improve—a superb example from this vintage. | 97
Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo Cannubi Barolo (14.5% ABV)
| 93
BB | Garnet to tawny. Closed, earthy, tobacco, cedar-wood nose. Medium body, fine tannins, sweet black and red fruits, and a long, herbal finish. | 93 AJ | Bright and clear; limpid garnet. A very good nose here: sweetly refined and poised, graceful and long. Lovely chiffon fruits teased to maximum aromatic accessibility—you want to sniff and sniff. Ample, expressive, warm, and long—the classical throb of Barolo di Barolo in a great vintage. The ripeness is just beautiful,glowing on the tongue like some pearl illuminated from within. Stylistically, it is very well judged; tender tannins, long, to match the glowing fruits. Honestly, it is not the subtlest wine in our tasting, but I challenge any Barolo lover to open a bottle of this, pour it out, and not smile, smile, smile. | 94 MP | Sweetly elegant red fruit, showing plum, damson, currant, strawberry, raspberry, and sandalwood. The palate is refreshing, with lively acidity and a solid core of focused red fruit, supported by fine tannins. The finish is long and has notes of leather, wet leaves, and damson. A lovely shape that just needs a little time in the cellar. | 92
Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Villero Castiglione Falletto (15% ABV)
| 93
BB | Bright ruby to garnet. Clean, compact, intense, and youthful on the nose, with red cherries crushed stones. Medium-bodied, balanced, and layered, with sweet red fruits and a long, mineral finish. | 93 AJ | Bright, light, and translucent. Elegant, fresh, fragrant, floaty, and layered. Lovely aromas, sliding out over the wine like mist on the water in autumn. Sweet but fruit-poised. Almost salty on the palate here, and very tenor, light and lifted—a completely different style of tannins, for example, from the Baroli di Barolo we have just tried. Grippy, light, seizing, aerial: a kind of drone wine that flies over everything, recording what it sees from the air. Very good in that style, but the actual fresh fruit notes are restrained. (That’s the terroir at work—and by the way, most Barolo producers are very good at not deforming that.) Super Castiglione, but you must remember you are getting something very different from Barolo di Barolo or Monforte. | 92 MP | Complete nose, with a broad spectrum of ripe cranberry, pomegranate, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, autumn leaves, and a gentle touch of woodsmoke. This shows a lovely balance of very finely etched tannins, refreshing acidity, and a gorgeous range of floral, spicy, and fruity aromas. The finish is drenched in fruit and ably supported by the acid/tannin structure. Beguiling. | 95
Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Camilla Blend (14.5% ABV)
| 93
BB | Ruby to garnet. Floral, complex, mineral, earthy nose, with road tar, dried roses, and small red fruits. Medium-bodied, balanced, and lively, but layered, with sweet red fruit, and a long, salty finish. | 94 AJ | Dark-hued—deep russet cherry. Sweet, warm, elegant: lots of pomegranate and red-plum fruits; rosehip and a hint of smoke add a countryside complexity. Very attractive. Lots of breadth and concentration: very engaging and impressive. Complex and rich; ample nuance; fine tannins and perfumed yet fresh fruits. Beautifully managed, stylish wine of great assurance and quality. | 93 MP | Plump and juicy nose, with notes of black fruit, including blackberry, black plum, black cherry, spicy aromatics, with vanilla and cedar and a pleasantly vegetal layer of hay and straw. Very pretty, with ripe tannins that still have a pleasant dustiness, firm acidity, and really decent length. A clear winner in this flight and very “classic” given the vintage. | 93
Massolino Barolo Serralunga d’Alba (14.5% ABV)
| 93
BB | Pale ruby to garnet. Restrained red fruits; a salty nose, with wild strawberries, mint, chalk, and road tar. Medium-bodied, balanced, salty, vertical, red-fruits palate, with a long, pristine finish. | 93 AJ | Bright, clear black-red. Softly spicy, and some floral enchantment, too, all lending complexity to graceful fruits. Pretty and seductive. Classic Serralunga intensity to the fruits here, which are shaped and guided by bright acidity, firm tannins, and some woodland complexities. Lovely shape, balance, and weight: very carefully crafted and managed. Poised, zesty, and mouth-freshening, despite the inner warmth and amplitude of the vintage. Very pure and true: a great success. | 93 MP | Gorgeously aromatic and enticing, with pencil lead, blackberry, wet stone, hawthorn, cranberry, and hay, then notes of tar and sandalwood on the palate. This develops beautifully in the mouth, with a solid core of fruit wrapped up in fine tannins and lively acidity. Given the vintage and the commune this shows superb drinkability. | 93
Luigi Baudana Barolo Cerretta Serralunga d’Alba (14.5% ABV)
| 92
BB | Ruby to garnet. A touch closed, compact and steely on the nose, with small red fruits, dried and fresh herbs, chalk, rosewater, and tar. Medium to full body, lively red fruit, refined tannins, and a long and salty finish. | 95 AJ | Dark black-red, glowing yet clear. Sweet, dimpled-fruit aromas; moist fruit sugars evaporating in the sunlight. Rosehip and redcurrant. A slight aromatic drying after some time in the glass. Vivid, deep, with very bright yet sucrous fruits. Some of its peers are subtler and more layered, but this has impressive inner energy and drive. Fine, active, expressive yet accessible tannins, too. Another excellent Serralunga of ample dimension and charm. Super stuff! | 93 MP | Elegant and delicate aromas of cranberry, violet, raspberry, licorice, candied fruit, pomegranate, rose petal, and cinnamon. On the palate, this has layers of fruit, fine tannins, firm acidity, and a filigree character that suggests the ability to mature. The single question mark is the
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220
