Acclaim

“Cascina Bongiovanni’s 2010 Barolo Pernanno is striking. Dark red cherry, plum, cloves, menthol, licorice, smoke and French oak blossom in the glass. Rich, sumptuous and layered, the 2010 is another gorgeous wine with plenty of near-term appeal. Here, too, the fruit is striking. I can’t think of too many Barolos that deliver this much pure pleasure and immediacy.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan. 2014

“Sweet, silky tannins provide the backbone for the 2010 Barolo Cannubi, a wine that impresses for its creamy texture and fabulous overall balance. Sweet red berries, mint, tobacco, cherries and flowers flesh out in a soft, caressing Barolo loaded with finesse. All the elements fall together in the glass. The Cannubi is naturally a more feminine wine than the Terlo, and equally appealing, even if it is totally different in style.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan. 2014

“Freshly cut flowers, red berries and spices jump from the glass in the 2010 Barolo. This is one of the juicier 2010 Barolo’s readers will come across. I would prefer to drink the 2010 over the next few years, while the fruit retains its vibrancy. Hints of tobacco, cinnamon and leather add complexity on the close. This is a beautiful, fruit-driven Barolo well-suited for near-term drinking. The aromatics are a bit reduced today, but the 2010 was just bottled. If the bouquet finds a little more focus the 2010 might merit a slightly higher rating. Proprietor Davide Mozzone blends fruit from Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga for his entry-level bottling.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan. 2014

“Dark red cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco and leather are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass in Einaudi’s 2010 Barolo Terlo Vigna Costa Grimaldi. Explosive and full-bodied to the core, the 2010 is a huge, intense wine endowed with tons of richness and sheer concentration. The 2010 is going to require significant patience. Today it is a bit bombastic, but hopefully finesse will develop in bottle. In the face of a cold vintage, Einaudi decided to basically trim the bunches in half in order to give the fruit the best chance to ripen. The resulting wine is massive yet also impeccably balanced.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan. 2014

“The 2010 Barolo Brunate is initially quite reticent, as young wines from this site often are. Cherry, plum, clove, menthol and pine notes unfold as the 2010 begins to show off its rich, dramatic personality. A rich Barolo bathed in fruit and tannin, the 2010 is going to need quite a bit of time to fully meld together, but all of the raw elements are there for that to happen. The resonant, enveloping finish is impossible to resist.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan. 2014

“Marcarini’s 2010 Barolo La Serra is laced with freshly cut flowers, mint, crushed rocks and red fruit. High-toned floral and spice notes abound in a bright, chiseled Barolo built for the cellar. The vivid, crystalline finish is particularly of note.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan. 2014

“Conterno Fantino’s flagship 2010 Barolo Sorì Ginestra wraps around the palate with gorgeous texture. Pine, menthol, tobacco and savory herbs flesh out in a rich, fullbodied Barolo endowed with stunning depth and volume. Not surprisingly, the 2010 is the tightest and least expressive of these Barolos today. The 2010 spent a year in 100% new French oak barrels and a second year in a combination of French oak and larger casks.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan. 2014

“The 2010 Barolo Vigna del Gris is beautiful, layered and expressive. Sweet tobacco, mint, licorice, crushed flowers and plums meld together in a supple, gracious wine for the year. Sweet rose petals and mint add an attractive upper register of trademark aromatics and perfume as the wine opens up in the glass. The 2010 remains dense and compact, but it is impossible to miss that the tannins here are more refined than has typically been the case with the Gris in the past, which is probably the result of vines getting older. The 2010 needs time to unwind, but it is quite pretty and full of potential. Conterno Fantino gave the 2010 a year in 100% new French oak, followed by a year in a combination of equal parts barrique and cask.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan. 2014

“The richest and darkest of these wines, the 2010 Barolo Mosconi is laced with dark cherry, plum, chocolate, menthol, savory herb and clove nuances. The Mosconi is a wine of power, breadth and richness, with tremendous resonance and weight, all qualities typical of this south-facing site in Mosconi. Naturally, the 2010 needs time to fully come together, but today it is striking and impeccable in its balance. The rich, explosive finish makes it hard to resist a second taste. The 2010 spent one year in 100% new French oak barrels and a second year in cask.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan. 2014

“The 2010 Barolo Vigna Cerretta floats on the palate with an attractive melange of sweet red cherries, savory herbs, wild flowers and fennel. The Vigna Cerretta is darker and more vibrant than the Rapèt, but, it, too is impeccable in its balance. Hints of dark cherry, plum, tobacco and menthol flesh out on the finish. Overall, this is a fairly delicate style for Cerretta and Serralunga, but it all works.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Jan. 2014