Nebbiolo grape variety

Briccotto is a traditional Barolo from the Bussia vineyard, which used to be sold only in 1.Liters bottles. Even today, the wine is only produced in small quantities; the vineyard covers just 0.3 hectares and is planted with Nebbiolo vines, some of which are 40 years old. Rich ruby colour with a slight garnet rim. Intense, finely characterised nose with pronounced fruity nuances, lots of blackberry, dark cherry, also some cranberry. Dense and polished tannins on the palate, almost silky core, embedded in ripe berry fruit. Earthy notes on the final, savoury and long, an aristocratic wine monument! SUPERIORE.DE

The second novelty of the 2018 vintage is Vietti's Barolo Monvigliero. The special feature: Approx. 60% of the grapes are not destemmed, which enhances the aromatic nuances of the wine. Youthful notes of raspberry and blueberry are flanked by black pepper, gentian, porcelain and black olives. The palate has a beguilingly soft texture, fine and creamy, underpinned by wonderful laurel and floral aromas. Monvigliero impresses with its purity, its serenity and its class. Excellent. SUPERIORE.DE

Some wines have to fight for their recognition over years, while others are in the limelight from birth. For a long time, Barolo Le Vigne was the "second" Barolo in the Sandrone family, standing in the shadow of the iconic Cannubi Boschi – until connoisseurs and critics gradually realised that there was no hierarchy here, but rather equality. Today, after more than three decades since the first vintage in 1990, Le Vigne is no longer a complement to Aleste, but its congenial partner – a wine that perfects the ancient Piedmontese art of blending several vineyard sites and increasingly holds a candle to Aleste.

912 bottles. That's all the plot has to offer. And sometimes the most precious things are right on the doorstep. Behind the family home, below the Vigna Terlo, opposite Le Coste – romina, Luca's partner, owns seventeen hundred square metres of Nebbiolo there. What began as a family vineyard became the youngest and rarest growth in the Roagna portfolio in 2013: a Barolo from Barolo, from the municipality that gave everything its name. Luca deliberately refrains from using an MGA designation. His Terlo, he says, behaves differently from its neighbours – earthier, more idiosyncratic, less characterised by the finesse that distinguishes Coste and Ravera. However, the cool microclimate of the site gives the wine a beautiful tension and a chalky tannin – and the soil that organic sweetness that reminds critics of redcurrant, iris and damp potting soil.

Cannubi. Three syllables that sound like an anthem in the world of Barolo. The most famous vineyard in the Langhe, the heart of the municipality of Barolo, the absolute king among the crus – so say the insiders. Almost one hundred per cent white clay, gently rolling hills between Barolo, La Morra and Novello. A site that does not possess the masculine power of Serralunga or Castiglione, but instead shows the finer, more Burgundian side of Nebbiolo: red fruit, finesse, harmony. Here, where Sandrone and Scavino also make their best wines, Silvia Altare has been cultivating just 0.25 hectares since 2011 – two leased plots that only fill four barriques. Less than 1,500 bottles per year. A privilege for a few.

Barolo Ravera comes from a single vineyard with vines that are almost 50 years old. In the glass, it impresses with a strong, aromatic opening flavour. Bright, precise and finely chiselled, the Ravera captures all the best that the vintage has to offer. Cherry, sweet mint, candy and expressive floral notes are given an extra kick of inner sweetness by Ravera's natural energy. There is so much to look forward to as the wine develops over the next few years! SUPERIORE.DE

Luca Currado cultivates the Brunate Cru on the La Morra side of the vineyard (opposite the Barolo side) and this wine contains fruit from new plots. It convinces with an impressive aroma of red berries, cherries, wild herbs, mint, minerals and rose petals, rounded off by a hint of blood orange. On the palate we find a terrific softness and textural silkiness, this continues with hints of mint, liquorice and camphor ash for many minutes. Polished tannins round off this masterpiece into an extremely elegant Brunate. SUPERIORE.DE

Vietti's Ravera is one of the great stars of Piedmont in its precision and structure. It uses fruit from Novello, from a site that looks out over the castle of the same name on the hill in the distance. This wine offers an impeccable balance between nose and mouth, showing immense purity and power in one package. Rose petals, chalk, pepper and a hint of pomegranate make this Barolo one of the most sought-after in the appellation every year. With some ageing, the powerful tannins give way to an elegant impression that does not deviate one millimetre from the coveted style of this great vineyard. A monument of Barolo, which only a few other winemakers in Piedmont besides Vietti and also Giacosa bottle with such consistency! SUPERIORE.DE

"An expression of elegance in Serralunga", Luca Currado underlines at the tasting of Lazzarito, and we already agree with him on the nose. Gravel, pebbles, red fruits, rose petals, lavender and sage permeate this plastic and very lively Serralunga Barolo. Baroli from Serralunga d'Alba are often in a category of their own thanks to their richness and sheer abundance of fruit. The balsamic symphony opens the doors to a sip that is undoubtedly powerful, but at the same time refreshing and rich in vitamins. With added aeration, Lazzarito delivers mint and balsamic herbs. Lazzarito sets the pace and never loses its rhythm, the great texture of the tannins flanks this palate spectacle in an ideal way and we will discover much more about this great Barolo in the years to come. SUPERIORE.DE

The supremely potent Rocche di Castiglione is often referred to as the first "official" cru in the history of Langa (along with Bussia di Prunotto, both of which were released with the 1961 vintage). It confirms itself once again as the great classic of the house with the 2018 edition. Dark fruits, pressed lilac, blood orange, powdered liquorice, balsamic herbs, spices, iron ore and aniseed fit together perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. Then lush and racy on the palate, with silky tannins and a great depth and resonance that will continue to develop with time. SUPERIORE.DE

Vintage 2018 marks Vietti's exciting Barolo debut from one of Piedmont's most famous vineyards, characterised by exuberant aromas and bright, red-tinged fruit. The bouquet is enormously opulent with ripe fruit aromas ranging from wild cherry to red currant. This is joined by original tones of jam, plum and a hint of ragout. The palate is nuanced and very deep, with enormous complexity, volume and character. Vietti's Cerequio is stunning right off the bat! SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the profound Le Vigne come from Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba (for the power), Villero in Castiglione Falletto (for the precision), Vignane in Barolo (for the purity of the flavours) and Merli in Novello (for the fullness of the fruit). It opens wide with aromas of fresh red fruit and a delicate spicy note. Very intense on the palate, remarkably elegant, fine-grained tannins, extremely clear, structured and long. SUPERIORE.DE

2019 was a gift to Nebbiolo in the Barbaresco DOCG - and Vanotu has accepted it. This Barbaresco from the historic Basarin cru vineyard in Neive bears the signature of a great vintage with quiet naturalness: nothing is overdrawn, nothing loud - everything is in its place with quiet precision. The vines stand on sparse limestone marl, interspersed with sandy veins, with optimal south-west exposure. This site produces wines with depth and tension, but also airiness - a play of power and transparency that is exemplified in Vanotu 2019. The wine was matured for 20 months in French barriques, sensitively dosed, only to frame the wine, not to mould it.

Enrico Serafino's classic opens in a medium-dark colour with fragrant aromas of dark fruits, plums, spices, iron ore and freshly ploughed earth. Medium-bodied on the palate, rather slender, which is not a flaw, but emphasises the elegance and class of the Nebbiolo grape very nicely. The tannins are present but pleasantly tame, with peppery nuances on the finish, a salty mineral aftertaste and delicate nougat on the final. SUPERIORE.DE

The Ravera vineyard on the Novello side, where steep hills descend from a castle perched on a beautiful panorama, is one of the best cru sites in the Barolo DOCG. From this vantage point, you can see Novello and the Elvio Cogno winery, which is located halfway up the slope. Valter Fissore's Ravera from the great 2021 vintage benefits from this special location and shows terrific versatility and depth every year.

The single vineyard Serradenari is currently the highest in the Barolo area and is also the historic site of the appellation (MGA - Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva). The cool and mountainous climate with its clay and marl soils gives rise to a Nebbiolo that makes few words - it is precise, clear and unambiguous.

The history of Vite Talin goes back to 1987, when Luciano Sandrone found a vine in one of his vineyards whose grapes were just half the size of the other plants around it. Luciano decided to grow several shoots from this plant and distributed them across three of his vineyards. Today, now in its fourth vintage, Vite Talin is still one of the most spectacular reds in the entire Barolo appellation, with a total production of just 2,000 bottles.

There are wines that are the result of lengthy soil and climate research, and there are those that are the result of a sudden discovery – a gift of nature to a winegrower who is humble and attentive enough to see the signs. In 1987, when Luciano Sandrone first harvested grapes from the vineyard of the old Natale – called "Talin" – he noticed a single vine that behaved differently from all the others. Small, gnarled grapes with tiny berries, half the size of normal Nebbiolo, of a deep blue, plum-like colour. Thick-skinned, concentrated, with jagged leaves and compact vegetation. Where other winegrowers would have seen a mistake, Luciano recognised a miracle. He labelled the vine, observed it for years, propagated it through field grafting on different sites and began his experiments – for 25 years until DNA analysis in 2017 confirmed what he had always believed: this was a Nebbiolo clone of exceptional qualitative substance.

The history of Vite Talin goes back to 1987, when Luciano Sandrone found a vine in one of his vineyards whose grapes were just half the size of the other plants around it. Luciano decided to grow several shoots from this plant and distributed them across three of his vineyards. Today, now in its fourth vintage, Vite Talin is still one of the most spectacular reds in the entire Barolo appellation, with a total production of just 2,000 bottles.

Michele Chiarlo's Barbaresco Faset offers a high degree of intensity and balance. Its bouquet shows wild berries and cassis with sophisticated background notes of tar, smoke and dark spices. It is a silky expression of the grape variety with a long and very convincing finish. Be patient and give it another 3-5 years to give it the time it needs to integrate and balance. SUPERIORE.DE

Vanotu is the great single-vineyard Barbaresco of the house – a wine with origin at its core and concentration in its expression. The grapes come from the historic Basarin vineyard in Neive, a cru parcel with south-west exposure and steep limestone marl soils, which not only give the Nebbiolo depth, but also structure and vertical tension. The name "Vanotu" is a dedication to Giovanni (Vanotu) Pelissero, grandfather of the current winemaker – a family foundation to which this wine owes its independence. The wine is matured with sensitivity: around 20 months in barriques, some of which are new, precisely matched to the character of the vintage. No dominant wood notes, but a framework that gives the grape variety space and direction.

At the heart of the Bricco Boschis lies a plot of just 2.38 hectares, which is considered the noblest corner of one of the most famous crus in the entire Barolo region: Vigna San Giuseppe. Here, on a medium slope with an ideal south-eastern exposure, 60-year-old Nebbiolo vines are rooted in the geological wonder that has shaped Cavallotto's wines for almost a century. It is the essence of Piedmontese winemaking, condensed into a few square metres – a monument to patience that is only vinified as a Riserva in the very best vintages. Good to know: The 2019 vintage is considered one of the most classic in recent history – a year that revived the great traditions of Barolo. Vigna San Giuseppe combines all the virtues of Bricco Boschi in its purest form: The complex geology of calcareous marl and layers of sand, the perfect drainage of the steep slopes, the unique microclimate that combines warm days with cool nights. The 60-year-old vines have sunk their roots deep into these ancient sea beds and produce grapes of exceptional concentration and elegance. The long ageing period – almost twice as long as the "normal" Bricco Boschis – gives the wine that unrivalled complexity and harmony that makes it one of the great Barolo wines of our time.

"This is our flagship wine, a Barolo recognised the world over, which we have always nourished and cared for with greatest respect. Nothing will change. This is why I will dedicate this special wine to my grandchildren Alessia and Stefano. From now on, it will carry their names." Luciano Sandrone on his intention to rename his world-famous Barolo Cannubi Boschis "Aleste" with the 2013 vintage.

Chiara's Barolo from the Mosconi single vineyard of the same name is powerful, muscular and full of opulence. Rich, bright ruby red colour. Rich aromas of eucalyptus, wild rosemary, plum and black cherry. Deep and powerful on the palate with beautiful spicy accents, dense tannins and a very juicy structure. For us, this Barolo belongs in the top class of the appellation, it always carries its great weight with maximum elegance and is highly authentic, completely in the style of Chiara Boschis, who has once again delivered something really great here. Please leave it in the cellar for a few more years! SUPERIORE.DE