Six Interesting Barolos

 Yesterday I tasted six interesting Barolos from recent vintages.

Elvio Cogno is perhaps the most important producer of the Novello subregion, with a substantial holding of the Ravera vineyard at its core. Two wines could be tasted. The 2018 Bricco Pernice from a less heralded vintage is red fruited. It is the lighter of the two wines, but I enjoyed its elegance, energy and balance, held together by its firm powdery tannins (94 points).

The more famous Ravera from the highly regarded 2021 vintage is a big, powerful wine. The colour is dark, and the wine tastes of black cherry. I found the wine, while impressive, lacking some finesse. It was also slightly alcoholic on the finish (93 points). Maybe it will come together over time.

Elio Grasso is not only a superstar of Monforte, but of all of Barolo. The two champion wines come from the same vineyard. The Ginestra Chiniera is located at the higher altitude of 350 to 400 meters. The soil is a mixture of limestone and sand.  The 2020 vintage delivered more forward wines, and it showed in this example. This is a red fruited, elegant, very feminine (can I still say this?) wine, with lifted aromas, firm acidity, and silky tannins. I liked this a lot (95/+++ points). 

The  2021 Casa Maté, coming from an altitude of 300 to 350 meters, and grown on a clay and limestone mix, is a powerful and balanced wine. It is dark fruited, with a big mouthfeel. This in contrast is quite a masculine wine, with huge ageing potential. The tannins are well rounded and deliver an earthy feel to the wine (96/+++ points). 

Barolo takes its lead from Burgundy and champions single vineyard wines. As a result, blended Barolos are less highly regarded, but can be quite good, in my experience. There were two wines to taste which showed this, both from the 2020 vintage. The Mauro Molino Barolo from La Morra tasted of red cherry and wet stone. This wine has a very dry and austere feel, but is not unattractive (93 points).  

The 2020 Ferdinando Principiano Barolo from Serralunga shows off darker fruit. Earthy flavours add to a complex palate. The tannins are smooth and the finish is long. This is a very attractive wine, which is already very enjoyable to drink (94/+++ points). 

These blended Barolos cost less than half of the single vineyard wines shown here. They are a good commercial proposition.