A few days ago Vinous published the reviews of Barolo 2016. Antonio Galloni called the 2016 vintage “An ideal growing season with all the prerequisites for a great vintage comes at a time when so many winemakers are in their primes, past the stage of experimentation and settled into their own personal styles. The result is a vintage full of truly spectacular, breathtaking wines that captures all the pedigree that Nebbiolo and Barolo are capable of “. Click here to read the Vinous full article about the 2016 Barolo’s vintage.

Here below what Antonio Galloni says about our growers:

Ca’ Rome’

Barolo Rapèt – 92

The 2016 Barolo Rapèt offers a good bit of immediacy. Sweet tobacco, mint, dried cherry, licorice, tobacco and dried herbs add lovely shades of aromatic nuance to this soft, fruity and accessible wine. Gracious and medium in body, the 2016 has some tannins that need to melt away, but it is a very pretty and expressive wine.

Barolo Cerretta – 90

The 2016 Barolo Cerretta is a dark, hulking wine, with plenty of muscle wrapped around a core of dark red and black fruit. Menthol, sage, licorice, spice and a range of balsamic inflections give the Cerretta its dark, brooding personality. The Cerretta comes across as more tannic and potent than the Rapèt. Accordingly, it needs a few years in bottle to be at its best, but I expect it will always be a rather hulking, rustic Barolo.

Cascina Bongiovanni

Barolo Pernanno – 93

The 2016 Barolo Pernanno is a big, plush wine and also a significant step up from the straight bottling. Ample and generous in feel with terrific depth, the Pernanno is super-expressive in 2016. Melted road tar, spice, black cherry and dried herbs add layers of aromatic complexity to a wine that is at once refined but also quite powerful. The 2016 finishes with real substance and depth. Terrific.

Barolo – 90

The 2016 Barolo is a soft, fruity Barolo to drink now and over the next few years, while the flavors remain vibrant. This is an especially silky, open-knit style. Succulent dark cherry, red plum, flowers and sweet spice are all nicely melded together. I would prefer to drink the 2016 over the next few years. Once again, this is a terrific wine in its peer group.

Conterno Fantino

Barolo Mosconi Vigna Ped – 95

The 2016 Barolo Mosconi Vigna Ped is another gorgeous wine in this range. The natural richness of Mosconi comes through loud and clear, but unlike most wines made from this site, Conterno-Fantino’s 2015 is wonderfully polished and refined from start to finish. Ripe red and purplish berry fruit, wild flowers, licorice, mint and lavender build as this super-expressive, inviting Barolo shows off its alluring personality. The 2016 is just so phenomenally delicious.

Barolo Castelletto Vigna Pressenda – 94+

The 2016 Barolo Castelletto Vigna Pressenda is bright, punchy and super expressive, with striking floral and mineral top notes that lend energy and brilliance to this mid-weight Barolo. The purity of the flavors is just striking. Medium in body, gracious and nuanced, the Castelletto has so much to offer. This is a super-classic wine that shows significant tension and austerity; I would give it a few years to soften.

Barolo Ginestra Vigna Sorì Ginestra – 94

The 2016 Barolo Ginestra Vigna del Gris offers a striking balance of density and the more floral, high-toned notes that are so typical of this wine. Dried flowers, rose petal, mint, sweet spice and cedar are all nicely lifted. Beams of incisive tannin give the wine its vibrant, energetic feel. I would drink it first among these four wines.

Barolo Ginestra Vigna del Gris – 93

The 2016 Barolo Ginestra Vigna del Gris offers a striking balance of density and the more floral, high-toned notes that are so typical of this wine. Dried flowers, rose petal, mint, sweet spice and cedar are all nicely lifted. Beams of incisive tannin give the wine its vibrant, energetic feel. I would drink it first among these four wines.

Marcarini

Barolo La Serra – 89

The 2016 Barolo La Serra is laced with sweet dried cherry, dried flowers, mint, pine, cedar and anise, all of which open up in the glass. The 2016 is an attractive wine, but it is also light and somewhat faded in character. The incisive La Serra tannins are evident, but the 2016 is a light wine for both this year and site.

Barolo Comune di la Morra – 87

The 2016 Barolo is ethereal, gracious and nicely lifted, with plenty of La Morra finesse on display. Crushed flowers, mint, sweet dried cherry, kirsch and pipe tobacco are nicely lifted. This is an especially airy style, even for La Morra. I would prefer to drink the 2016 over the next handful of years.

Poderi Luigi Einaudi

Barolo Bussia – 95

The 2016 Barolo Bussia is laced with a whole range of sweet floral and balsamic overtones, along with striking underpinnings of structure and tannin that give the wine its shape. A wine of energy, tension and nuance, the Bussia is just superb in 2016. Time in the glass brings out its ample, expansive richness. I can’t wait to see how it ages.

Barolo Cannubi – 94

The 2016 Barolo Cannubi is ample and generous, with terrific textural resonance and breadth. Ripe dark cherry, plum, spice, licorice, new leather and menthol all flesh out in a supple, racy Barolo loaded with class and personality. The 2016 is rich, sensual and wonderfully inviting.

Barolo Terlo Vigna Costa Grimaldi – 91

The 2016 Barolo Terlo Vigna Costa Grimaldi is a pretty, translucent wine, and also a very good example of where Einaudi is headed stylistically. Dried red cherry, mint, wild herbs and crushed flowers are all nicely lifted. In this vintage, the Terlo comes across as quite perfumed, but also lacking some of its customary depth on the mid-palate. It will be interesting to see if the wine fleshes out a bit more in bottle, or if it is destined to remain classically austere.

Barolo Ludo – 90

Einaudi’s entry-level 2016 Barolo Ludo is juicy and inviting, which make it an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years, give or take. Sweet red cherry, spice and floral notes are nicely pushed forward. Short macerations of 21 days bring out the fruit and a lovely sense of mid-weight structure, along with silky tannins that make the 2016 easy to drink and appreciate, even at this early stage.