Is The Long Wait Finally Over? 2001 (15-Year) Barolo Retrospective

It’s 2016, and as fans of Barolo and Barbaresco, that means that we have a great reason to organize both 20- and 15-year retrospectives of two of my favorite past vintages, 1996 and 2001.  Plans for a ‘96 retrospective are in the works, but today I’d like to share our recently-completed tasting of 2001 Barolo.

2001 is a vintage that has a lot of meaning to me.  As a collector, it was the first classic vintage that I could taste on release.  Thinking back to those days, and all of the hype surrounding the 2000 vintage, I vividly recall the first of the 2001s arriving.  Compared to the 2000s, I couldn’t help but be moved by the ‘01’s sense of refinement and structure.  It was the first time that I had witnessed a wine that moved me emotionally, and although they weren’t pleasurable to drink at the time, it was possible to imagine, or forecast, the greatness of these sleeping giants.

The aromatics displayed an intensity of fruit that was held in check by floral, mineral and earth tones.  On the palate, we were presented with a glimpse of their potential as a pure core of razor-like focused fruit that steamrolled across the the palate, yet was then quickly smothered as a wave of fine tannin coated the senses.  The 2001s were finessed, mid-weight and built for the cellar.  At the time, I couldn’t even put these sensations into words, as it took tasting many more structured vintages before I truly understood what I was experiencing.

As I placed these wines into my cellar, I was fully aware that it would be many years before I could consider opening one on the basis of it providing a pleasurably mature experience.  I would shake my head in regret each time I read a tasting note on 2001 Barolo, for how could they possibly be ready to drink?

Then in December of 2011, my Barolo tasting group held our first blind 10-year retrospective on the vintage.  It was a painful experience.  Even as the wines had been decanted much earlier in the day, they were a wall of tannin.  We left the experience with palates that were lashed by tannin.  Doing my best to report back to readers on the vintage, all I could do was to use the small data-points that I was able to retrieve prior to each wine's tannic shutdown on my palate.  The broad message was that these wines needed more time.

However, what followed were a number of events that cast a worrisome light over the vintage.  First was a report from Antonio Galloni of Vinous in 2012 that reported that he had found a high percentage of cork-related issues as he completed his own 2001 retrospective.  This was followed by a number of tastings of my own, as well as by fellow collectors, where the wines were found to be overly austere, or in a state where the fruit seemed to be drying as the tannin remained firm and overwhelming.

For years now, we have all worried about the 2001 vintage, and so going into our recent tasting, there was a level of anxiety that was shared by the group.  Would these wines confirm our worries or put them back on track to being a youthful yet classic vintage?

I’m very happy to report that it is the former.  Our blind 2001 tasting showed a vintage of remarkable character that will continue to mature over the next two or more decades and is just now starting to show its entry into an early drinking window.  Are these wines ready to drink?  Absolutely not, but with a little coaxing, I’m sure you’ll have the same experience that we did.  As for the regiment, each member was instructed to open and double-decant their wine by noon for a tasting that started at 7pm.  When it comes to the cork issues that Antonio had experienced, we did have one corked bottle, but these things happen, and it’s difficult to either confirm or deny the problem without tasting a much broader selection of wines.

For the sake of providing a more indepth selection, I have included, with our blind retrospective, a small number of 2001 Barolo that were tasted within the last six months.  They have been marked as “Non-Blind!”.  Enjoy!

2001 Barolo Retrospective

(This was a blind tasting with capsules removed before bagging.  Most wines were double-decanted at noon. Bagging was done with no set order.  Attendees knew what wines were present at the table, but they had no information otherwise.)

Aldo Conterno Barolo Granbussia Riserva 2001 - An initial whiff of nail polish remover gave me pause; however, the ‘01 Granbussia came around in the glass to reveal ripe dark-red fruits, sweet herbs, and spice in an intense expression on the nose.  On the palate, it displayed silky textures with herbal-infused red fruits and a hint of bitter blackberry.  The finish was medium in length and slightly herbal.  Having tasted this on a number of occasions, I admit to being surprised by this night's slightly clumsy performance. (91 points)

Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato 2001 - The nose showed smoky cherry with minerals, dried leaves and hints of savory herbs.  It was dark on the palate, driven by minerals and tart black fruits, on a medium-bodied frame with cheek-puckering tannin.  It finished on dried cherry and hints of wood. Although this came across as slightly austere, there is some pleasure to be found in its current state of evolution. (92 points)

Conterno Fantino Barolo Sori Ginestra 2001 - The nose was deep in its spice-inflected dark red fruits, spice and earthy mineral tones.  On the palate, I was greeted by soft and inviting textures with dark, spicy fruits enveloping sweet tannin.  Earth tones emerged over time, as well and minerals and savory herbs.  It finished on palate-saturating fruit and a hint of bitterness. (91 points)

Gaja Sperss 2001 - I was greeted by a dark, intense, yet polished bouquet of black cherry, spice, tobacco and sweet herbs.  On the palate, brilliant red fruits, exotic spice, and floral tones were contrasted by hints of pine, earth, and fine-grain tannin.  The finish was long, yet inward in its tart black fruit and tannin, begging for more time in the cellar. (93 points)

Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis 2001 - On the nose, I found ripe cherry and minerals with dusty red floral tones, hints of spice and sweet herbs.  It was soft and alluring on the palate through its brisk acidity, displaying notes of ripe cherry, plum and earth.  Tannins mounted through the experience as the fruit seemed to saturate the senses, turning darker with time, leading into a finish that showed the structured youth of this young Riserva. (93 points)

Brovia Barolo Rocche 2001 - What an intriguing bouquet, as the Brovia Rocche seems to pull you deeper into the glass with its display of undergrowth and crushed stone giving way to charred meats, dark fruit and hints of herbs.  On the palate, I found silky textures, firmed up quickly by brisk acidity and youthful tannin, yet still showing focused cherry and strawberry fruit along with inner floral tones.  The finish was long, yet youthfully austere with remnants of dried cherry and minerals. (94 points)

Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 2001 - The ‘01 Monvigliero is almost impossible to resist at this stage of its life.  On the nose, a display of exotic floral tones, savory herbs and black olive were offset by alluring notes of ripe strawberry fruit and minerality.  On the palate, I found soft, velvety textures with fleshy, yet bright and vibrant red fruit, sweet herbs and inner floral tones.  It finished on a note of sweet herbal tea and dried strawberry, with fine tannin that was nearly enveloped by it’s juicy and vibrant fruit. This was a real stunner. (94 points)

Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) 2001 - The nose displayed airy and lifted red fruit with notes of dusty spice, menthol and licorice wrapped firmly around a mineral core. On the palate, it displayed radiant cherry and pomegranate with hints of spice and firm ’01 tannins, which provided a saturating and concentrated fruit sensation along with grip to spare. The finish resonated on fine tannin and lingering dried cherry and sweet herbs. (94 points) Non-Blind!

Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste 2001 - The bouquet was pretty but compact, showing black cherry, dusty soil, licorice, sweet spice and undergrowth. On the palate, it was tightly wound up in its structure, with notes of dried cherry, strawberry fruit, tobacco and savory herbs. It finished tight and restrained with dried fruits lingering long. This really showed the classic structure and tannin of the vintage with brilliant, focused fruit, yet remains many years away from its peak. (95 points) Non-Blind!

Vietti Barolo Rocche 2001 - The ‘01 Rocche was the personification of pure class and elegance.  On the palate, I found dark red fruits with a hint of wood, followed by floral rose, sweet herbs and spice.  Soft textures eased the senses, while brisk acidity gave life to brilliant cherry fruit, minerals and inner floral tones in a truly elegant expression of Rocche.  The finish was long with hints of fine tannin, dried cherry and lasting inner floral tones.  If you have the ‘01 Rocche in your cellar, then you’re in for a real treat.  If not, then what are you waiting for?  (95 points)

Article and tasting notes by: Eric Guido

1989: Barolo Retrospective

By Eric Guido

The "Epic" '89 Cascina Francia
With no Monfortino in '89,
this wine turned out to be a
masterpiece.

2004 was the year that I really got into wine, and from that moment forward it has been a continuous learning experience on a topic that is constantly evolving. In that time, there are specific “truths” that I’ve come understand. One is that price doesn’t always dictate quality. Another is that there will always be another “greatest vintage ever,” according to somebody, only a few years down the road. And then there’s 1989 Barolo; and the truth is that it’s the best, classic vintage of Barolo in the last 35 years.

Let’s call a spade a spade. I understand that farming practices have improved, that wineries work cleaner and more efficient, and that global warming has given producers more good vintages to work with. But here's another truth; because of all of these changes and improvements, the Barolo being made today will never become the wines of yesterday. Granted, they might become something totally different, which in retrospect may be considered better. But we won't see another 1974, '78 or '89. The fact is that all the technology today is simply trying to recreate what a great vintage provided us in years like 1989.

We're talking about a time when there were great vintages once a decade, and it was the result of what Mother Nature gave them. Green harvesting wasn't regularly practiced in 1989; instead a wet, cool spring resulted in irregular flowering. What's more, severe hail in June left its mark on many vineyards. The summer was warm, but not hot, and temperatures dropped near the end of the growing season with wide fluctuations between day and night. The result was a late harvest with perfectly ripe grapes.

Setting up our blind tasting at i Truli.  An amazing tasting
complimented by a Piedmonte inspired menu.

When I think back to the first time I tasted an '89 Barolo, even at an early point in my journey to understand wine, the quality struck me. All of the other vintages I had tasted, '95 through 2000, seemed to pale in comparison. They were rich in fruit and powerful, yet bright and focused with a structure that I can best describe as "noble". They weren't ready to drink yet, which at the time (2006) intrigued me greatly. However, even though the structure of these wines dominated, you could still sense the tension of fruit that was just waiting to bloom. So here we are, eight years later, and these wines are even closer to peaking, but not quite there yet. Enjoyable? Absolutely. Yet, you can still sense that there's something more waiting down the road, and I won't be surprised if we are still enjoying the best of them 40 years from now. God, I love '89 Barolo.

These 25-year old corks look fantastic, unfortunately
a few them work cork-taint time bombs.

The following notes are from a recent tasting, which included 14 bottles of Barolo and 2 of Barbaresco. One issue I witnessed was a problem with cork taint (3 out of 16 bottles), which is another issue on the decline these days. Also, out of all of these wines, one was obviously heat damaged, a concern when trying to procure these wines on the market today. My advice, if you have the means, is to buy '89 Barolo, because the prices will only go up as the wines continue to peak. However, if you are a buyer, make sure you are getting them from a reliable source. Many of these wines will cost a pretty penny (my Wine of The Night is retailing at $595), but that doesn't mean you can't find deals if you look hard enough. '89 Produttori Ovello is a perfect example.

On to the notes:

Flight #1 was something of a let-down, yet in no way the fault of the vintage. The unfortunate reality of older wine is the possibility of it being damaged from mistreatment or issues with cork. Thankfully corks have improved drastically in the last decade. However, there was a silver lining in the form of a Produttori Barbaresco that showed beautifully. What would a Barolo tasting be without a Barbaresco inserted as a ringer, which pans out to be a winner?

1989 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Ovello – What a pretty and feminine wine that may not have shown as well next to a larger-scaled Barolo or Barbaresco, yet on it’s own was magical. The nose was still youthful, showing dusty red fruits with minerals and rose petals. On the palate, it showed silky textures interlaced with veins of structure and acidity. Bright cherry was joined by notes of earth and inner floral tones, which lasted into a long, staying finish. The Ovello was elegant and finessed, showing the undeniable qualities of Produttori yet again. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Roagna Barbaresco Riserva – Sadly, the ’89 Roagna Barbaresco Riserva was slightly corked, and what a shame that was, because what I did find in the glass tempted my curiosity. Dried red fruits pushed forward on the nose with notes of soil, gravel and old parchment. On the palate, it was tart with red berry and herbal notes, yet turned muddled. Dried red berries lingered on the finish with a zing of acidity. (N/A) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo – The nose was dark, showing roasted meat, mushroom, moist leaves and beef stock. On the palate, it was still youthful yet meaty, with red fruits and earth tones. The finish was long, yet the wines acidity seemed to dry out the wine, leaving only traces of citrus peel and minerals. (87 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Cavallotto Barolo Vigna San Giuseppe Riserva – You could sense the greatness in this wine, yet it was apparently mistreated at some point in its life. The nose was earth personified with porcini mushroom, soil, mineral, herbal tones and a hint of French onion soup. On the palate, it showed tart red fruits and citrus peel. The finish was dank and muddled with notes of earth and stewed fruit. (N/A) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

Flight #2 really took things up a notch and relieved any fears that flight #1 may have stirred. Monforte d’Alba was the theme of the flight, and these wines came through in spades. What really impressed me was how impossibly young they all seemed.

1989 Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala – The nose was classic, showing dusty red fruits, dried flowers, sandy soil, minerals and beef broth. It showed great depth on the palate, with tart red berries saturating the senses in waves of velvety texture, followed by notes of herbal tea and minerals. The finish was staying and seemed to wrap the palate in warm, radiant fruit. Other tasters seemed to prefer the Colonnello, but for me it was the Cicala that showed best. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini – The nose was earthy and complex with dark red fruit, mushrooms, dried flowers, hints of citrus rind and dusty, dried cranberries. On the palate, it was still young and structured with tart red fruit, inner floral tones and hints of citrus. The medium-long finish lent a sweet and sour effect as red berry and citrus intermingled. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello – The nose was wonderfully expressive with dark red fruits, dried flowers, spices and beef stock. On the palate, it was smaller-scaled, yet silky smooth and juicy with round red fruits and herbal tones. The finish turned darker and lingered. Other tasters found this to be much more interesting than I did. It’s a beautiful wine that’s drinking well now, but it was lack of depth on the palate that soured my view. (92 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Riserva – The nose was modern and forward, showing ripe black cherry with balsamic tones, spice, licorice and a whiff of vanilla oak. On the palate, it was surprisingly clean, focused and finessed with cherry, sweet spice, dark chocolate and earth tones. The finish was soft and juicy with dried red berry notes lingering long. (88 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

Flight #3 was marked by the biggest disappointment of the evening, a completely corked Brovia Rocche and Bruno Giacosa Villero. Luckily, the two wines that did show were incredible! So began the battle of the two ’89 Vietti…

1989 Brovia Barolo Rocche – Corked

1989 Vietti Barolo Rocche – The ’89 Vietti Rocche was stunning. The nose was forward, yet elegant and finessed, showing beautiful floral tones, cherry, potpourri, roses, balsamic hints and spice. On the palate, it was still youthful and structured; yet even still, the most focused red fruit ran deep, enveloping the senses and contrasted by inner floral notes. The finishes lingered on and on with hints of structure tugging at the senses while crystalline red fruit slowly faded away. This wine was seamless. (96 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Vietti Barolo Villero Riserva – The nose was bright and explosive with sweet red fruits, spice, rose petal, potpourri and hints of menthol. On the palate, it was round with velvety red fruits, yet persistent and focused, as sweet spice and hints of citrus danced across the senses. It finished focused and clean with dried red berries and hints of spice, which lingered on and on. It was gorgeous. (95 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Villero – Corked

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better, along came Flight #4. Out of the 16 bottles we originally assembled, what wasn’t revealed to the tasters was that a 1989 Giacomo Conterno Cascina Frania had been entered into the tasting. It was great listening to the chatter around the table as everyone put their nose to the glass.

1989 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia – The nose was deep, rooted in the earth with iron and minerals, yet dark and imposing as rich black cherry, licorice and dried roses gave contrast to rock dust and black soil tones. You could sense that as much as this wine was willing to give, there was still so much more being held in reserve. On the palate, balsamic notes gave way to dark fruit and inner floral perfumes, yet the wine’s muscle and girth seemed to be working hard (yet in a futile manner) to try and keep it all concealed. The finish was filled with strawberry, tar and tobacco notes in a long, youthful expression. This is a wine that anyone who considers themselves a fan of Barolo must taste at one point in their lives. (97 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Cascina Bruni Barolo Vigna Batistot – The nose was beautiful and quite unique, with spicy, candied tones leading to Bing cherry, celery seed and candle wax. On the palate, it showed velvety textures with dark red fruit and a hint of bitters. The finish was staying with red berry and licorice lingering on the palate. (90 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Prunotto Barolo Cannubi – The nose was dark, and at first reticent; yet as it opened in the glass, a bouquet of red berry, floral perfumes, herbs, minerals and a hint of spice came forward. On the palate, focused red fruits gave way to earth, minerals and stone with a still lively structure. The finish was clean and refreshing with a note of dried cherries. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Riserva – The nose showed red fruit, which was a bit stewy, with mushroom, herbs, tar and parchment. On the palate, dried red berries, spice and fall leaves coated the senses, yet the sense that this wine was holding back edged on my thoughts. The finish showed notes of red fruit and old cedar with a drying structure, which cut it short. (92 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!


Related Links: 
Words from fellow wine writers and bloggers who attended this tasting. The following links are a great way to get an in-depth understanding of these wines and the vintages.
Greg dal Piaz of Snooth: PIEDMONT’S GREATEST VINTAGE?
Ken Vastola of "The Fine Wine Geek": 1989 Barolo and Barbaresco

1999 Barolo and Barbaresco: Right on Track

One of the most common discussions among Barolo drinkers are which vintages from the 1995 through 2001 vintage streak will rise to the top. It’s a debate that has been going on for years, and for quite some time, ’99 seemed to be a big question mark--until recently.

A recent experience with a '99 Aldo
Conterno Colonnello, truly peaked
my interest in revisiting these wines.

This time last year, I would have worried about opening a ’99 Barolo. It was a fear that it would be too broad yet too tannic and far from maturity. I’d say you should be drinking ’95, most ‘97’s, and some ’98’s. I would have gone on to say that ’96 was more structured but classic with fruit that would last the test of time. Then I’d explain that ’01 was still a baby in need of more time, but that it appeared to be a great vintage in the making. But with ’99, I had feared that it wouldn’t come around while the fruit was still intact. However, Barolo has a way of surprising you, and ’99 has done just that.

1999 had a great start, being a year that saw favorable conditions throughout the entire region. A warm summer with cool nights lent the grapes that much needed push and pull of heat to ripen, and a break at night retained balance and added aromatics. Maybe I was at a disadvantage, having never tasted these upon release. For me, most of these bottles were at least seven or eight years old before my first taste and may have been in a dormant stage. However, after this tasting, I can see that they are right on track.

Most of these wines are just entering their drinking window. I wouldn’t put them in the same league as ’96 for ageability, yet I would say there’s at least a decade of improvement in store for the majority of wines we tasted. What was troubling was the number of bottles that appeared to be suffering from unusually high amounts of volatile acidity. Lastly, there was the revelation that our wine of the night wasn’t a Barolo—It was a Barbaresco.

In my opinion, ’99 is a vintage to sample over the coming years--and buy, if the price and provenance is right.

On to the notes:

La Morra and Barolo

1999 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate / Le Coste – The nose was highly expressive with black cherry and raspberry fruits, followed by soil, slate dust and earthy minerals with a hint of V.A. On the palate, it was silky with a full body, showing rich red fruits, sweet spice and saline minerals. It’s structure seemed to creep in with the second sip as drying tannin coated the palate, yet still managed to close with flavors of cherry and wild herbs. (92 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cerequio – On the nose, I found cherry fruit with oak influences of sawdust, cinnamon with an odd note of raw beef. On the palate, it was soft and juicy with sweet red fruits, coffee notes and spice. The finish was staying with red fruit, cinnamon spice, inner floral notes and cheek-puckering tannin. (89 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Brezza Barolo Cannubi – The ’99 Brezza Cannubi was a gorgeous Barolo with crushed red berries, roses, mineral dust, and tobacco on the nose. On the palate, it was elegant and finessed with ripe cherry fruit and minerals, which turned darker and more dramatic over time to reveal sweet balsamic notes. The finish showed red berries made tart by cheek-puckering tannin. This wine was youthful, with many years of development ahead of it. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

Barbaresco

1999 Produttori del Barbaresco “Torre” – The ’99 Barbaresco “Torre” from Produttorri del Barbaresco makes a serious case for the quality of their normale. The nose showed cherry fruit, dried roses and earth tones of soil, a bit of green stem and raw chestnut. On the palate, a rush of intense red berry fruit was followed by earth and mushroom with a chewy texture that gave way to tannin. The finish showed dried red berries with gruff tannin that was fine on this night but may one day overpower the fruit in this wine. (90 points) Find in on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Produttori del Barbaresco Moccagatta Riserva – The Produttori Moccagatta was classic in every way, and having tasted it blind, was easily confused for being a Barolo. The nose started out muted, but with a short time in the glass, a bouquet of dried cherry, potpourri, menthol and dark, dark chocolate filled the senses. On the palate, intense tart cherry washed across the senses with notes of cedar but was quickly subdued by fine tannin. Penetrating red fruits stayed through the finish in good balance against this wine’s tense structure. The Moccagatta was dark, mysterious and truly seductive on the nose with a truly classic feel on the palate. (95 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano – The nose showed spiced red fruits, cherry pipe smoke and notes of acetone. On the palate, it showed an abundance of aggressive acidity with ripe red berries that coated the palate yet seemed to drop off in the middle. The finish was drying with penetrating red fruits. It would appear that this bottle was flawed. (NR) Find it on Wine-Searcher!


Monforte d’Alba (Important to note that the ’99 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello was tasted separatly but with similar treatment before tasting.)

1999 Attilio Ghisolfi Barolo Bricco Visette – The nose was unexpectedly advanced, showing damp soil with cherry, herbs, floral rose and minerals. On the palate, it was soft with ripe cherry and hints of iron like minerals. Stern tannins showed through on the finish with notes of cherry and cedar staying through the close. (87 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello – The nose was dark and seductive with cherry tobacco, plum, dusty potpourri a hint of musk and medicinal herbs. On the palate, it was velvety and perfectly balanced with masses of fruit. Sour cherry sauce and a hint of cedar filled the senses and warded off the silky tannins that were still present but not out front. On the finish, the fruit turned dry yet still intense with hints of sweet spices. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher! 

Castiglione Falletto

1999 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato – The nose showed sweet dark cherries and roses with spice and licorice. On the palate it was balanced and feminine with ripe cherry and spices, all driven by juicy acidity that brightened up the palate and nearly masked its underlying structure. The finish was fresh and juicy with inner floral notes lingering throughout. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

Serralunga

1999 Massolino Barolo Vigna Rionda Riserva – The nose was restrained, yet found its center with time in the glass, showing a bouquet of bright spiced cherry, tobacco, sandy soil and saline minerals. On the palate, it was lean in body, showing notes of dried cherry, earth and mushroom with teaming acidity and a broad structure that took control and lasted throughout the finish. (90 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Schiavenza Barolo Riserva – The nose showed intense cherry but was followed by sweet acetone and plastic notes. On the palate, it showed tart cherry, minerals and rust with drying tannin that dominated the finish. This wine was marked by V.A. (NR) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

Barolo: In the land of giants

I taste a lot of Barolo. When I think back, I find that I often compare much of what I taste today to the wines I’ve loved from the past. These wines become your benchmark. Sometimes they are uprooted and moved down the list by new wines, and sometimes they are forever immortal. I still remember, as if it was yesterday, one of my first experiences with a bottle of ’96 Aldo Conterno Bussia Soprana. Over time I realized that this bottle wasn’t a great bottle of Barolo, although at the time, it was magical.

With that in mind, I thought it was time to list my current top ten, or maybe, fifteen, which I say because I purposely tried not to repeat too many producers. For instance, my unedited top ten would include three different Bruno Giacosa Red Label Riservas. I feel this list is much more useful to my readers or someone looking to start down the path toward great Barolo. Some are hard-to-find gems, but there are also some surprisingly affordable and available bottles to be found here. I know there are a number of aged wines here that are very hard to come by, but if you take nothing else from this list, at least take my word that it is worth buying Barolo on release and cellaring it to maturity. It’s one of the main reasons I started my own cellar.

2001 Cavallotto F lli Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe

Imagine my surprise when in the company of some pretty stiff competition that the 2001 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe came out as one of the top bottles of the night. What's more is that this isn't a $100+ bottle of wine. If you can find them, buy them.

The nose showed deep, rich red fruits, poppy and menthol with a zesty, almost tropical note of tangerine. On the palate, it was velvety and rich with sweet, spiced red fruits. The finish was intense, structured and long. This wine is just starting to drink well but could use a few more years. A must have!  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello

1999 is shaping up to be one of the greatest years of Piedmont's vintage streak of ’96 through ’01. They are still very young and only starting to show what’s in store for the future. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised to find the ’99 Colonnello assessable after a few hours in decanter. Aldo Conterno is considered one of the great houses of Piedmont; in recent years, there has been some upset over generational changes, which I hear may be evening out. I seriously hope so, but the quality in this bottle was astonishing. 

The nose was dark and seductive with cherry tobacco, plum, dusty potpourri, a hint of musk and medicinal herbs. On the palate, it was velvety and perfectly balanced with masses of fruit. Sour cherry sauce and a hint of cedar filled the senses and warded off the silky tannins that were still present but not out front. On the finish, the fruit turned dry yet was still intense with hints of sweet spices. Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1998 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc

This was the wine that sold me on Paolo Scavino’s style. Here was a producer that I often disregarded as too oaky, too extracted—too modern, yet one that was suddenly catapulted to my top-ten to watch list. Where ’97, ’00 and ’03 are drinkable yet clumsy in their own ways, ‘98 is a year that has become very assessable in a refined and graceful way.

The Bric dël Fiasc initially showed cherry and dusty potpourri, but with time it transformed into something more with cherry compote, allspice, hard red candy, roses and cooked sausage. The palate showed a good amount of structure and intense cherry fruit with herbal tea and mushrooms. The finish presented silky tannin that lent to a brilliant aftertaste of sour red fruit.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1996 Luigi Pira Barolo Marenca

This bottle totally took me by surprise. As any Barolo lover knows, '96 is a vintage to watch. The wines are still babies and show so much potential over the long term. The last thing I expected was that a producer that's known for its modern style would have made such an intense yet graceful wine. In the end, it made its way onto my top ten list.

Initially, the nose showed roses with new leather, tar, anise and sour red fruit hiding behind it all. The palate was very tight with savory beef broth, minerals, old cedar and cranberry. The finish showed sour red fruits with cheek-puckering tannin lingering toward the end. As this bottle approached the fifth hour; the nose retained many of its initial qualities, but a rich (not sweet) cherry tobacco had moved to the front along with dusty dried flowers. The palate had taken on more body, as a mix of red berries, cinnamon and sauté mushroom led to a slightly gravely tannin on the tremendously long finish. At the seventh (and last) hour (only because we couldn't stop ourselves from drinking it) this bottle had become almost impossible to ignore, as the cherry took on darker, woody and mentholated tones in the nose. The roses had become sweet, and the tar faded to the rear. On the palate, sweeter red berries with cherry liqueur, spice, and soil took over. The tannins on the finish had faded to a slight drying sensation and left me with cranberry and cedar which lasted for a full minute.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2004 Vietti Barolo Riserva Villero

I know it's hard to spend so much money on wine, but if I had to choose one 2004 to put away, I believe it would be Vietti's Villero Riserva. This wine showed so much intensity mixed with balance that I just wanted to stop everything and admire it for as long as possible.

The ’04 Villero Riserva was one of the most intense yet balanced young Baroli that I have ever tasted. The nose showed rich elegant cherries, medicinal herbs, sweet spices and a subtle sheen of vanilla. On the palate, pure red berry fruit gave way to tar and menthol as this elegant wine turned to a structure that coated the entire palate in silky tannin and staying red fruits until the long close.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2001 Elio Altare Barolo Vigna Arborina

2011 was the year that I was properly introduced to the wines of Elio Altare, and I sure am glad that I opened my mind to them. For years I shunned them due to Altare's reputation as a modernist, but no more. These wines are silky and structured with a deftly applied layer of oak. They are nothing like the traditional Baroli that I love, but they are a great experience all the same.

The Altare Arborina showed a classic Barolo nose of red fruits, plum skins, roses, tar, a hint of animal musk and undergrowth. The nose pulled me in and reminded me somehow of childhood autumn days with dried leaves and pine nestles. On the palate, it showed an elegant, full body backed by a balance of tannin and acid. The fruit was rich but not over-ripe with sweet spice and an airy, refreshing note of menthol. The finish was long with red fruits, tobacco and a hint of brown sugar. This wine needs more time and is truly stunning. It reminds me very much of some of the best '96s I've tasted.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1990 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia

I tasted this wine in a lineup of Giacomo Conterno that spanned over three decades, and it was the best drinking wine of the night. Don't get me wrong, the '89 was amazing, but it wasn’t quite ready, and the '96 and '01 obviously needed time. However, the 1990 was firing on all cylinders--enough to make me buy some the very next day. It's a beautiful bottle of wine that's worth every penny.

The nose was utterly explosive and captivating, as earthy tobacco and tar with raspberry wafted up from the glass. With further exploration, musky notes with roses and a hint of black olive tempted the senses. On the palate, this wine showed its rich yet massive structure with dark ripe strawberry, tar, savory broth, graphite and lead fading to a long staying finish. This wine is drinking beautifully yet should continue to improve for many years. It’s absolutely stunning.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1974 Vietti Barolo Rocche

The 1974 Vietti Rocche was one of my WOW wines of the last five years. Never did I think that a '74 could be so young and vibrant. This wine was literally bursting with juicy Nebbiolo fruit and layers of mature complexities. As of this writing, I know The Rare Wine Company still has a few of these left, and frankly, I'm surprised they do.  If you can't buy up to the '74, check out the '01, '04, '06 or '08 and bury them in your cellar for the next decade or two.

What a pleasure it was to drink the 1974 Vietti Rocche. The nose showed floral undergrowth, fresh-turned soil with strawberry and, as time passed, a sweet, almost caramel note which added outstanding complexities to the already beautiful bouquet. On the palate, it was juicy yet balanced and still showed youthful notes of fresh red berries, cinnamon and sweet floral notes. The finish swung toward the savory side as broth and brown sugar lingered for over 30 seconds.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia

I know, I know that I have the 1990 as one of my top ten Baroli, but the '89 deserves a spot up here too, maybe even more so. These two bottles of wine are so different yet both so amazing. In comparison, the '89 is still a tween, while the '90 is roaring into its young adult life.

The nose showed dried red fruits, tar, mushroom broth, a bit of black strap molasses and a hint of barnyard. A gorgeous structure showed on the palate that gives the impression that this wine will last the ages. It was still a little tight with a tannic grip but giving none the less with dark red fruit and a mineral core. The finish was long and fine, showing sour cranberry. This was the wine of the night for me.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1990 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Collina Rionda Riserva

There it is again; 1990 Barolo. Some people have it out for 1990 Barolo. It was a ripe year, and the wines were big with high alcohols. A lot of people said they wouldn't age, but I invite you to give them a try. These wines might not be drinking as well in 15 years, but they are fantastic right now and should continue to impress for some time. This bottle was one of my favorites, and I know it's expensive, but you don't have to buy up to a Bruno Giacosa Red label to experience 1990.

This wine was everything I ever wanted in a glass of Barolo. It was sweet yet sour, earthy yet fruity, and rich yet with razor-like focus. The nose showed masses of ripe red berries with hot dried spices, gravelly moist earth, mushroom and hints of green stems. On the palate, this showed silky, sweet, ripe strawberry, yet it also had savory warmth, full with earth, menthol and leather strap on a beautifully structured frame. It was amazing how young the Collina Rionda seemed, as silky tannin washed across the palate and soothed me into a long, seductive finish that begged for the next sip.  Find it on Wine-Searcher!