Piedmont new releases

This is an exciting 1st vintage release and it doesn’t disappoint, it is a shame that only 2000 bottles were made. The vines are situated at the top of the hill and have a high percentage of sand, producing a wine with great vivacity. There is a finesse and salinity to the core with clove and liquorice spice supporting the sour cherry and pomegranate aromas. The savoury, chalky tannins provide an elegant structure to this breathtaking Barolo.

Attractive perfume of red cherries, wild flowers and raspberries combine beautifully with a savoury gravelly note. The palate is very precise with a zesty acidity and well knit tannins. An approachable Barolo that showcases the best the region has to offer.

A parcel within a single vineyard. Rocche sits at the top of the hill and has the oldest vines within the vineyard. Complex layers of red plums, cherries, rose and sweet clove and cinnamon spice. There is a herbal note on the palate as well as a leather that adds intrigue, with firm powdery tannins that are quite prominent now, but will almost certainly calm down in a couple of years. This is a classy wine that needs time.

Volumes are extremely limited with only 3600 bottles produced. There is lots going on in this wine, very intense and concentrated yet it still possesses poise and focus. Dark red berry fruits, liquorice and subtle tobacco notes are supported with clove spice. Tannins are firm and need time but have a high quality chalkiness to them and the richness on the palate balances out these rugged edges quite nicely.

Enrico fell in love with this wine during the harvest. It’s so fresh and pure, with exceptionally fine, silky, saline tannins, and remarkable length. There’s complexity too: citrus fruit and red berries, and then a hint of seaspray. Wonderful, and balanced on the finish.

This vineyard, that shares the estate’s name, has marne and clay at the top, and then a little sand lower down. So there are 2 soils in the same cru. It’s savoury and pure, and there’s a density and hints of smoke on the finish. This is such a charming Barbaresco: an unbelievable bargain.

This flies under the radar compared to Monvigliero, and it feels a little closer in style to La Morra, but there’s fine-boned tannins and a lovely sense of savouriness on the finish. Very well balanced.

The same soil as Rabaja, it’s the exposition here that’s key. This is very energetic, with grippy tannins, lots of minerality, and excellent balance of richness and bright acidity. A really charming Barbaresco.

With the grapes coming from 3 different vineyards with a number of old vines, the wine takes on additional layers and weight. The 2020 combines juicy red cherry and pomegranate fruit with floral and sweet spice notes as well as an energetic core with chalky, well integrated tannins.

A blend of Verduno vineyards, this has notes of balsamic, and it has the strawberry fruit and soft, sandy tannins you'd expect from this commune. So much drive and energy: just such a delicious Barolo.

Mario decided that the 2018 Monvigliero needed less time in barrel, and felt it won’t age quite as long as some vintages, so this isn’t a Riserva this year. This is so refined, pure, and energetic, with lovely finesse, and sumptuous tannins. This is pure Monvigliero, and such a delight already.

There’s a lot of freshness to the 2017 Monvigliero Riserva, and also a very silky palate, despite the challenges of the vintage. This has grip and grows on the palate, and there’s notes of sea spray and red fruits, and then some balsamic. Very complex, with time this will blossom into a wonderful wine.

Vinified in oak rather than stainless steel (as the Rabajà-Bas is). This is aromatic and open, with wild flowers on the nose and plenty of intensity. There’s a purity and focus to the fruit, and notes of liquorice and tons of energy on the finish. This is very impressive, and very long indeed.

From a single plot of the celebrated Bricco Boschis vineyard, the San Giuseppe is rightfully revered as one of Piedmont's greatest wines. This is so intense and concentrated, with grippy tannins, yet the elegance and refinement that marks out a truly great wine. Complex, long, and detailed, this has to be tried.

The Barolo Bricco Boschis comes from the Cavallotto family's monopole vineyard, that surrounds the family home. From a brilliant vintage, this shows remarkable poise and purity, and there's also lots of silky fruit on the finish. Beautifully done, this vintage is not to be missed.

This comes from Bussia, Mosconi, and Ginestra: a plot selection. A beautiful nose, with very fine tannins, and lots of juiciness to the fruit on the finish. Beautifully balanced, and pretty long. An excellent value Barolo.

From a one hectare site in Baudana, in Serralunga d’Alba, and you immediately feel the difference in tannic structure. There’s saline, limestone texture, lots of purity of fruit, and a red strawberry wash across the palate. Very not, with a tonic-like note on the finish.

From a higher vineyard than Pajana, this has more clay in the soil. As such, it’s a purer, more typical expression of Ginestra, and of Monforte. There’s a lot of intensity and grip here, and also lovely salinity on the finish.

Just 5,000 bottles were made of this, from 350 metres above sea level, from the Ginestra cru. This is rich, with softer and more gentle tannins than Ciabot Mentin. You feel the saline, Monforte tannins here, but without them being overpowering. This is a brilliantly balanced Barolo.

This only sees stainless steel, and comes from Ginestra, from a rich and powerful soil with lots of clay. There’s real tension here, with tons of purity and very well-balanced energy. The tannins are juicy, and there’s lovely finesse on the finish.

This is a benchmark Chiniera, with sandy tannins and loads of tension and energy. It’s slightly closed at the moment, but the energy on the palate, and the silky fruit, both point at the remarkable potential of this wine.

Picked two weeks earlier than the Chiniera, on much more classic Ginestra soils, this is darker and more balsamic, with lots of wild fruit, an intensity, and also a sense of real purity. Energetic and structured on the finish, this is very long indeed.

Located in the cru of Rive di Santa Maria in the village of La Morra, the old vine fruit and the La Morra location give this Barolo an edgier and darker profile. Bramble fruits and garrigue aromas are evident on this wine, with hints of truffle giving additional layers. Tannins are firm and chalky and need a couple of years to resolve, but when ready, this wine will be outstanding.

The grapes are sourced from the villages Serralunga d’Alba, Collaretto and La Morra. Vivid purple fruit notes with black cherries, blueberries and pepper spice . The palate displays brightness, purity and juiciness.