In Focus: Barolo

Summer came late

7 October, 2022

of Marcus Hofschuster in Tasting

The year 2018 began with an exceptionally cold winter, followed by a wet and also too cool spring. Although this had the advantage that the water reserves in the soil were replenished somewhat after the extremely dry previous year, the precipitation was so heavy, especially at the end of May and beginning of June, that the vineyards were in part hardly accessible or not accessible at all - and certainly not drivable. Conditions subsequently became more favourable, and from mid-July onwards, stable high-pressure weather ensured a more relaxed ripening process. October also offered stable harvesting weather, so that the were to their grapes without any hectic.

©Consorzio di Tutela e

In the Langhe, one speaks of a classic vintage or a winegrowers' year - both ciphers for a vintage that was rich in challenges and demanded a lot from the winegrowers. This is also evident in the wines, which cover the whole range of qualities and styles that Barolo has to offer. The best wines of the vintage are to be found above all on the more elegant side and thus rather among the traditionalists - even if the dividing line here is no longer as clear as it once was. At their best, they are complex, fine, deep and ideally already beguiling. However, many Barolos of the vintage also have a relatively brittle tannin, which is not always countered by enough ripe juice. At the other end of the scale, on the other hand, there are wines with plenty of alcoholic power, but only some of which have sufficient concentration and depth to achieve a good balance.

2018 is a vintage for which we advise caution as far as long storage is concerned. The great classics will have no problem with 20 or more years, and that although most of them taste irresistible even today. The majority of wines, on the other hand, will probably reach their best drinking phase in just a few years. Especially those with rather brittle tannins or a certain alcohol overhang are often said to need only enough time to harmonise. This has always been wishful thinking.

The best prerequisites for harmonious maturity are always those wines that are already in balance in their youth. They may not be in the majority in 2018, but they are certainly plentiful - and where everything is right, the wines are so delicious that you should definitely look out for them. The same goes for the best Riserve from the great 2016 vintage, which are also now on the market.

We tasted around 200 wines for this In Focus, of which we present the best here. Links to all the wines tasted with detailed descriptions as well as the producers can be found at the end of each of the best lists.

In FocusBarolo Vintage 2018

GAJA — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG "Sperss"

Rinaldi Giuseppe — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Brunate 100.00 €

Rinaldi Giuseppe — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG "Tre Tine" 100.00 €

Giovanni Rosso — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Vignarionda

Domenico Clerico — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Ginestra "Ciabot Mentin®" 100.00 €

Cavallotto Tenuta Bricco Boschis — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Bricco Boschis 80.00 €

Luigi Pira — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Vignarionda Up to 80.00 €

Luigi Pira — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Marenca Up to 60.00 €

Domenico Clerico — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Ginestra "Pajana®" 90.00 €

Cascina Sòt — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Bricco San Pietro 90.00 €

Pio Cesare — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG "Pio" 60.00 €

Achille Boroli — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Cerequio

Domenico Clerico — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Serralunga d'Alba "Aeroplanservaj®" 100.00 €

Gianfranco Bovio — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Parussi Up to 55.00 €

Casa E. Di Mirafiore — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Lazzarito 69.00 €

Luigi Pira — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Margheria Up to 50.00 €

Viberti Giovanni — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Monvigliero 92 WP excellent 40.00 €

Rocche Costamagna — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Rocche dell'Annunziata 92 WP excellent 38.00 €

Gianfranco Alessandria — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG San Giovanni Up to 70.00 €

Azienda Agricola Silvio Grasso — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Annunziata "Vigna Plicotti" Up to 50.00 €

Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Cannubi 50.00 €

Giovanni Rosso — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Cerretta

Azienda Agricola Silvio Grasso — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Bricco Manzoni Up to 55.00 €

Angelo Negro — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Serralunga d'Alba 92 WP excellent 44.50 €

Azienda Agricola Carlo Revello & figli — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Giachini 45.00 €

Gianfranco Bovio — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Arborina Up to 49.00 €

Brezza Giacomo & Figli Azienda Agricola — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Sarmassa 50.00 €

Paolo Manzone — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Meriame Up to 80.00 €

Batasiolo spa — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Cerequio 51.00 €

Azienda Agricola Negretti — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Bricco Ambrogio Up to 80.00 €

Batasiolo spa — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Brunate 48.00 €

Azienda Agricola Diego Morra — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Monvigliero Up to 90.00 €

Angelo Negro — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Baudana 91 WP excellent 74.30 €

Azienda Agricola Fratelli Seghesio — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Castelletto 40.00 €

Casa E. Di Mirafiore — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Paiagallo 49.00 €

Poderi Luigi Einaudi — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Cannubi 91 WP excellent 75.00 €

Domenico Clerico — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Monforte d'Alba 50.00 €

Molino Mauro — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Bricco Luciani Up to 52.00 €

Marcarini — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG La Serra 91 WP excellent 47.00 €

Cascina Sòt — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Monforte d'Alba "Sòt" 60.00 €

Achille Boroli — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Brunella

Réva — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Cannubi 91 WP excellent 180.00 €

Azienda Agricola Silvio Grasso — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG "Turnè" Up to 50.00 €

Antica Casa Vinicola Scarpa — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG "Tettimorra®" 91 WP excellent 60.00 €

Podere Rocche dei Manzoni di Valentino — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Perno "Vigna Capella di S. Stefano" 80.00 €

Marchesi di Barolo — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Sarmassa 68.00 €

Borgogno Giacomo & Figli — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG 45.00 €

Achille Boroli — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Villero

Batasiolo spa — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Briccolina 55.00 €

Azienda Agricola Boasso Franco — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Margheria 90 WP excellent 60.00 €

Batasiolo spa — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Bussia "Vigneto Bofani" 48.00 €

Gianfranco Bovio — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Gattera Up to 49.00 €

Azienda Agricola Boasso Franco — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Gabutti 90 WP excellent 60.00 €

Azienda Agricola Cagliero s.s. — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Ravera Up to 40.00 €

Agricola Fratelli Broccardo SSA — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Bricco San Pietro 45.00 €

Azienda Agricola Raineri Gianmatteo — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Perno 48.00 €

Az. Agr. Pecchenino — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG "San Giuseppe" Up to 45.00 €

Azienda Agricola Monchiero Fratelli — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Castiglione Falletto 30.00 €

Az. Agr. Pecchenino — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Le Coste Di Monforte Up to 50.00 €

Azienda Agricola Guido Porro — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Vignarionda

Azienda Agricola Raineri Gianmatteo — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Castelletto 68.00 €

Poderi Luigi Einaudi — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Terlo "Vigna Costa Grimaldi" 90 WP excellent 75.00 €

Azienda Agricola Negretti — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Monvigliero Up to 120.00 €

Gianfranco Alessandria — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Up to 50.00 €

Cascina Bongiovanni — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Pernanno Up to 45.00 €

Poderi Luigi Einaudi — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Monvigliero 90 WP excellent 75.00 €

Brezza Giacomo & Figli Azienda Agricola — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Cannubi 45.00 €

Cantina Gigi Rosso s.r.l. — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Bricco San Pietro 42.00 €

Rizieri — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Silio 90 WP excellent

Achille Boroli — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG

Marchesi di Barolo — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Barolo 63.00 €

Azienda Agricola Abrigo Fratelli s.s.a. — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Ravera 35.00 €

Viberti Giovanni — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG "Buon Padre" 90 WP excellent 34.00 €

Josetta Saffirio — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Persiera "Castelletto" Up to 60.00 €

Giovanni Rosso — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Serralunga d'Alba

Azienda Agricola Carlo Revello & figli — Piedmont 2018 Barolo DOCG Boiolo 39.00 €

All wines

In FocusBarolo Vintage 2017

Réva — Piedmont 2017 Barolo DOCG Ravera 91 WP excellent 95.00 €

Costa di Bussia Tenuta Arnulfo — Piedmont 2017 Barolo DOCG Bussia 45.00 €

All wines

In Focus: Barolo Vintage 2016

Viberti Giovanni — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Bricco delle Viole Riserva 95 WP great 60.00 €

Vietti snc di Currado Alfredo e C. — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Castiglione Falletto "Castiglione"

Viberti Giovanni — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG San Pietro Riserva 93 WP excellent 60.00 €

Viberti Giovanni — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG La Volta Riserva 93 WP excellent 60.00 €

Viglione Achille Sas — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Riserva "DuRè" 60.00 €

Réva — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Lazzarito 92 WP excellent 450.00 €

Azienda Agricola Abrigo Fratelli s.s.a. — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Ravera 37.00 €

Azienda Agricola Monchiero Fratelli — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Pernanno Riserva 60.00 €

Famiglia Anselma — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Riserva "Adasi" 69.00 €

Rocche Costamagna — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Rocche dell'Annunziata Riserva "Bricco Francesco" 90 WP excellent 60.00 €

Paolo Manzone — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Riserva Up to 100.00 €

Garesio Società Semplice Agricola — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Cerretta Riserva 70.00 €

Monti S.a.r.l. — Piedmont 2016 Barolo DOCG Bricco San Pietro Up to 50.00 €

All wines

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	100 WP unique Wines that can only be made differently, but not better.
	95-99 WP great World-class wines whose depth, complexity, character and expressiveness give an unforgettable, sensual experience.
	90-94 WP excellent First class wines that are among the best of their kind. They are characterized by purity, harmony, depth and character.
	85-89 WP very good Remarkable wines with personality, expression, as well as a certain complexity and depth. They deserve every wine lover's attention.
	80-84 WP good Clean, harmonious, at best typical wines.
	75-79 WP passable
	70-74 WP schwach
	60-69 WP insufficient
	50-59 WP unacceptable

Welcome back!

In Focus: Barolo

Summer came late

In FocusBarolo Vintage 2018

In FocusBarolo Vintage 2017

In Focus: Barolo Vintage 2016

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EVENTS NEAR YOU

100 WP unique

95-99 WP great

90-94 WP excellent

85-89 WP very good

80-84 WP good

75-79 WP passable

70-74 WP schwach

60-69 WP insufficient

50-59 WP unacceptable