Red

100 pts James Suckling
This is really muscular and really powerful. It is amazing. Full-bodied, yet tight and super structured with incredible power and super toned tannins. It goes on for minutes. The greatest Barbaresco ever from here? I love the strength with fruit finesse. I don?????t remember tasting a young Asili like this. Give this a lot of time to come together. One for the cellar. Try after 2026.

97+ points Wine Advocate
Packaged in its distinctive red label, the 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a rich and profound wine with incredible depth and dimension. Bruna Giacosa skipped over the 2015 vintage because she felt that the fruit was not poised for long aging. From the 2014 vintage, we jump to this 2016 expression, a wine that Bruna says reminds her of the epic 2001 and 2004 vintages. She also loves the 2017 vintage, which I look forward to tasting next year. This wine is incredibly precise and sharp; however, the volume and generous fruit weight promises a long aging future. The aromas veer toward red berry, cherry and cassis, and the darker black fruit tones that you might expect are less prominent in the Asili. The wine majestically captures the elegance and the power of this iconic vintage.

100 points James Suckling
This is the second 100-point Vigna Le Rocche, following the 2015. What the former had in intensity of fruit and transparency, this has in structure and power. The purity of fruit is sensational in this young Barolo, offering blackberries, black truffle and iron. Rust too. This is so tannic and powerful with incredible structure. This may be the most structured Barolo from Bruno Giacosa I have ever tasted as a young wine. Speechless. Full-bodied and so intense, yet it remains fresh and agile. Traditional in every sense of the word, but this is clear and clean. A classic in the making. It will be in the market January 2022. Leave this for at least six to eight years. Try in 2027.

98 points Wine Advocate
The Bruno Giacosa 2016 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche sees its fruit sourced from the oldest vines in the Falletto cru. This wine boasts all the signature touches of Serralunga d'Alba with the massive structure, density and the long aging potential that comes with Nebbiolo grown in this village. The wine spreads evenly over the palate, imparting its considerable fruit weight and generally leaving a big impact. This Barolo is really quite lovely and beautiful. The bouquet is fluid and ever-shifting, showing new sides with firm fruit, blackberry, smoke, rusty nail and mineral with every swirl of the glass. I visited this vineyard site shortly before tasting this wine and marveled at the beautiful peacocks that roam free between the rows of vines.

98 points Wine Spectator
This red bursts with juicy cherry, blackberry, floral and mineral aromas and flavors fused to a firm structure, with dense tannins gaining the upper hand on the finish for now. Nevertheless, there is a beam of pure cherry throughout and this finishes long, with fruit and wild herbs gracing the aftertaste. Best from 2026.

Organic

94 points Vinous
The 2020 Barbaresco Rabaja is compelling. All the elements are in the right place, and that is evident from the very first taste. The aromatics alone are beguiling. Kirsch, rose petal, mint and orange peel lend notable inner sweetness. There’s plenty of Rabajà tannin, but at the same time the 2020 is incredibly refined, more Asili than Rabajà.

This wine is rustic Nebbiolo through and through, that is delightful to drink even in its youth. The body is a very pretty elegant red hue, with traditional notes of smoke, leather and scorched earth. There is a slight note of oak that pairs nicely with some dusty tannins on the finish. It does needs to unwind a bit in the glass, which is typical for the varietal. This is a solid value in traditionally made Nebbiolo.

The De Forville family emigrated to Piedmont from Belgium in 1848 and established themselves in the village of Barbaresco in 1860. Here, the family was instantly engaged in growing the Nebbiolo grape under the direction of Gioachino De Forville. Now, the fifth generation is in place: Valter and Paolo Anfosso, the two sons of Bruno and Mafalda.

In the early part of the twentieth century, the De Forvilles sold their wine in bulk directly to restaurants and to retailers who then bottled the wine. In 1940 the estate bottled its first wine and now virtually their entire production is bottled at the estate

The nearly 11 hectare domaine is divided between holdings in the villages of Barbaresco [4.5 hectare] and Castagnole Lanze [6.5 hectare], a commune that is about four kilometers east of Barbaresco in the direction of Asti.

Their Barbaresco is the standard-bearer for the estate. The vines are planted exclusively within the confines of Barbaresco and are scattered among various “crus”, including Rabaja and Pozzo. The average age of the vines is 35 years. After harvest, the juice is fermented in stainless steel for approximately two weeks; then the wine is racked into large oak “botti” to age at least 18 additional months and frequently longer before being bottled. This wine is emblematic of the work done at the De Forville estate: the wine is rigorously traditional, marrying the finesse of Barbaresco with the alluring aromas and flavors of truffle, earth, berries, rose, tar and leather and carrying, most important of all, a backbone of sweet, dusty tannins that give length and breed.

This vibrant, full-bodied red is a blend of grapes harvested in parcels spread amongst the three communes of Barbaresco, Neive and Alba. Included as the primary source are grapes harvested in the cru “Ga’Grosso” in Barbaresco. The grapes are crushed and are then fermented in stainless steel for almost two weeks after which the wine is racked into oak barrels and “botti” for one year prior to bottling. The average age of the vines is 30 years.

Organic

95 points Wine Advocate
Do you have a favorite pair of jeans or a favorite dress that you keep in your closet for all occasions? That's the equivalent of this wine. The G.D. Vajra 2021 Barolo Albe is an enormously versatile expression of Nebbiolo with an affordable price that offers more value for your money than most Barolos out there. The bouquet focuses on dark berry pressed flower and crushed stone. It offers good sharpness over broad lines. The mouthfeel is medium-plus in texture and it closes with silky accessible tannins. Fruit comes from three cru sites: Coste di Vergne Fossati and La Volta

70% Nebbiolo, 10% Vespolina, 10% Croatina, 10% Uva Rara, wow, we’re on here! Very mineral off the bat, which is enchanting and attention grabbing. Restrained aromas of balsamic, ferrous, iodine, cherry, faint red rose. The restraint draws you into the glass, and what you find keeps you there. Very good with a great burst of intensity on the palate, which balances compaction and openness well. Burgundian in feel, Very classy, poised, and precise. An outstanding wine.

Organic

A delightful expression of traditionally styled Nebbiolo (100%) from Piedmont’s Roero region. Classic notes of dried cherries, orange rind, baking spice and dried flowers. Medium-bodied with nice length that finishes with slightly firm tannins that soften nicely with decanting. Sourced from two prized vineyards Trinita and Renesio. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged for 25 months in 460 to 500 liter (2-3 times used) French oak casks. The wine then rests in bottle for an additional 12 months prior to release.

The reviews are on the previous vintage.

93 points James Suckling
This is spiced and a little savory with notes of red berries, citrus peel and chocolate nibs as well as some cloves and dry earth. Medium to full body. Wide and fine tannins with velvety texture. Chocolaty finish.

92 points Wine Spectator
The plum and cherry flavors in this red are muted, sidling up against licorice, leather, earth and eucalyptus notes. There's a distinctive saltiness, plus dense tannins on the gripping finish. Best from 2027 through 2043. 2,300 cases made, 500 cases imported.

Organic

Pure and focused, offering violet, cherry, raspberry and mineral aromas and flavors. Shaped by vibrant acidity, this red persists with a lingering, resonant aftertaste.

This Superiore Barbera d’ Alba is delightfully smooth for being so rich and round. It seamlessly balances it’s power with terrific acidity and supple tannins. Lovely dark fruit notes with a bit of spice and earth. A very versatile wine for pairing with food.

#42 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2024!

91 points Wine Spectator
Vanilla and resin accents frame the core flavors of boysenberry, blackberry and plum in this firmly structured red. Flashes of violet and spices emerge as this fades gracefully on the long aftertaste.