Wine & Spirits - December 2019 - 76

YEAR'S BEST BAROLO & BARBARESCO
274431
maceration followed by two years in French
oak barriques. Notes of sweet spice and caramelized orange peel enrich the wine's bold
black-cherry and raspberry fruit. The tannins
are ripe and round, too, making the wine
approachable in youth, if you appreciate oakdriven flavors. § Skurnik Wines & Spirits, NY
274010

92 | Luigi Baudana

$56

2015 Barolo del Commune di Serralunga
d'Alba ^ Grapes from five parcels in the Serralunga d'Alba commune combine to make
this firm mineral-inflected Barolo. Its scents
of licorice, cherry and plum are reflected in
the juicy flavors, with hints of soft herbs adding lift, even as ferrous tannins grip the finish. § MHW, Manhasset, NY
274587

92 | La Briccolina

$75

2014 Barolo Briccolina ^ Simona Grasso and
her son Daniele farm 16 acres of vines in Serralunga's Briccolina cru using sustainable
and organic practices. In the 2014 vintage,
they sold 90 percent of their produce, retaining fruit from their oldest vines (50+ years)
to make just 3,000 bottles of this Barolo.
The wine is fleshy, with dark cherry flavor
layered with notes of tobacco and licorice,
while lively acidity draws out a rusty minerality. § North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
274212

92 | Cavallotto

$140

92 | Fontanafredda

$100

2015 Barolo Proprietà in Fontanafredda ^
This comes from the 144-acre Fontanafredda
cru, which lies entirely within Fontanafredda's estate. It's ripe and plummy, the fruit flavors accented with notes of licorice, menthol
and tobacco. Firm, ferrous tannins carry it to
a warm, peppery finish. § Taub Family Selections, Boca Raton, FL
274688

92 | Bruna Grimaldi

$58

2015 Barolo Badarina ^ Badarina, a high-elevation cru at the southern end of Serralunga's
ridgeline, produced a firm, reticent Barolo
in 2015, the wine needing time in the glass
to reveal its brisk, spicy plum and cherry flavors. The finish is warm and firmly tannic,
the wine needing more time in the cellar. §
Massanois Imports, NY
273853

92 | Massolino

$97

2014 Barolo Parafada ^ The Massolino family's 55-year-old vines and protected, southfacing exposition in Serralunga's Parafada
cru handled the rainy 2014 growing season
well: This is dark and fleshy, with brisk acidity surging through its cherry and wild raspberry fruit, picking up notes of cedar, smoke
and graphite that linger through the finish. §
Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL
274336

92 | Giulia Negri

$60

2012 Barolo Bricco Boschis Vigna San
Giuseppe Riserva ^ This riserva fermented
with ambient yeasts and aged in large Slavonian botti for up to 60 months, gaining notes
of roasted mushroom and tobacco leaf that
accent soft red cherry and raspberry flavors.
The tannins are compact and leathery, reining in the fruit flavors as some bitter amaro
notes emerge. Give this at least five years in
the cellar to allow the tannins smooth out
and the flavors to integrate. § Skurnik Wines
& Spirits, NY
274043

2015 Barolo La Tartufaia (Best Buy) ^ Negri
named this wine after the truffle fields her
grandfather planted before she replaced
them with vineyards. She pulls it from the
estate's high-elevation plots in the Serradenari cru, and ages the wine for two years in
large Slavonian casks. With pure red-cherry
flavors, lifted rose scents and a fine, filigreed
structure, it is an appealing choice for restaurants that can pour Barolo by the glass. §
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
274333

$144

2015 Barolo Serradenari ^ The fruit for this
wine comes from a southwestern-facing slope
in La Morra's Serradenari cru that rises up to
1,700 feet above sea level. You can feel the
coolness of the elevation in the wine's hightoned scents of flowers and orange peel,
as well as in the vibrancy of its cherry and
red-currant flavors. Brisk and lively, almost
delicate for a Barolo, it would pair well with
lighter pasta and poultry dishes. § Kermit
Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
273651

92 | Pio Cesare

2015 Barolo Ornato ^ Scents of rose and
white smoke lead into vibrant kirsch-like flavors. Mouthwatering acidity fills in around
the fruit flavors as notes of dark chocolate,
toasted nuts and scorched earth emerge to
give a dark, savory tone to the finish. § Maisons Marques & Domaines USA, Oakland, CA
273707

92 | Giacomo Fenocchio

$85

2015 Barolo Bussia ^ A selection from vines
that are up to 40 years old, and macerated for
40 days, this is dark and tannic, the flavors of
fresh cherry, lavender and rosemary darkening toward tar and tobacco. Give this time in
the cellar. § Kysela Père et Fils, Winchester, VA
76

WINE & SPIRITS

DECEMBER 2019

92 | Giulia Negri

92 | Pecchenino

$85

$70

2013 Barolo Bussia ^ This wine opens with
appealing scents and flavors of red cherry,
tobacco and cedar, though they are tamped

down by rigid tannins and warm alcohol.
This needs time for the fruit tones to flesh
out and match the wine's powerful structure. §
Vias Imports, NY
274339

92 | Guido Porro

$51

92 | Guido Porro

$49

92 | Giovanni Rosso

$95

92 | G.D. Vajra

$40

92 | Mauro Veglio

$43

2014 Barolo Santa Caterina (Best Buy) ^
Guido Porro, a fourth-generation Serralunga
vintner, is a traditionalist in the cellar, macerating his Barolos for about 24 days in cement
vats and aging them for three years in large
Slavonian botti. The 2014 Santa Caterina,
from his higher-elevation plots in the Lazzarito cru, is fresh and floral yet firmly structured, with dark-cherry flavors framed by
cool mineral tannins. § Kermit Lynch Wine
Merchant, Berkeley, CA
274341
2014 Barolo Gianetto (Best Buy) ^ Porro
culls fruit from his younger vines for Gianetto, and it shows a youthful vigor in its
crunchy red fruit and racy acidity. The
moderate tannins and bright flavors make
it accessible for early drinking, and a great
choice for by-the-glass programs. § Kermit
Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
273652
2014 Barolo Serra ^ Davide Rosso's vines
in Serralunga's Serra cru hug the top of the
ridgeline on the east/southeast-facing slope,
where the light, calcium-rich soils gave a
high-toned wine that shows the buoyant,
joyful side of the cool, rainy 2014 vintage.
Floral scents and notes of orange peel lift the
flavors of red cherry and pomegranate, the
wine appealing in the near term, though it
has the structure and substance to improve
in the cellar. § Vias Imports, NY
273840
2015 Barolo Albe (Best Buy) ^ Giuseppe Vaira
sources the fruit for this wine from his highelevation plots in the Barolo commune and
ages it in large Slavonia casks. Full-bodied
and supple, with dark fruit tones and notes
of licorice and tobacco, it is driven by a bright
core of acidity that keeps it feeling energetic
through the finish. A fantastic Barolo value. §
Vajra USA, Manhasset, NY
273939
2015 Barolo (Best Buy) ^ This combines
fruit from plots in the La Morra and Monforte d'Alba communes to make a fruit-forward, juicy Barolo laced with notes of licorice
and vanilla bean. Ample acidity and supple
tannins make it approachable in its youth. §
Saranty Imports, Stamford, CT
273937
Wine & Spirits - December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - December 2019
