Wines

Organic

93 points Wine Spectator
Pure and focused, offering violet, cherry, raspberry and mineral aromas and flavors. Shaped by vibrant acidity, this red persists with a lingering, resonant aftertaste. Drink now through 2028

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.

91 pts James Suckling
A creamy and fruiyt white with sliced apples and pears, as well as some flint, parsley, and fennel undertones. Medium-bodied, fresh and satisfying. Drink now.

#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.

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.

Their style is fruit-forward, aiming for a very pure varietal expression and approachability in youth.

"Medium bodied and robust with rich, ripe fruit on the nose and an elegant palate." Winemaker notes

Michele Chiarlo sources grapes from strictly selected Barbera vineyards with excellent exposure to produce a superb, balanced wine. The choice vineyards are in the southern area of Asti province, especially the hills around Nizza Monferrato. Temperature controlled maceration and fermentation on the skins yields the dark, rich color that is typical of great Barberas. The wine is aged in large French oak casks for 8 months before release.

The grapes used in this classic example of Gavi grew in the shadow of “Il Forte,” the iconic fortress that towers over the region’s namesake village. Cool temperature fermentation for 20 days, aging in steel through the winter months.

Bright, balanced, aromatic, fruity wine. Floral aromas, with delicate scents of lemon, green apple, honey; notes of almonds in the finish.

Organic

Ezio Poggio is a true visionary or, as Italians would say, a personaggio. He is devoted to the revival
of Timorasso, one of Italy’s most dynamic wine grapes. Ezio planted his first vines in 2004,
reestablishing a long-lost growing zone now known as Terre di Libarna along the north face of
the Apennine Mountains, which separate Piedmont from Liguria. In 2011, Ezio successfully
petitioned for official recognition of a new subzone in the southern half of the Tortona Hills called
Terre di Libarna. His daring decision to grow Timorasso at an elevation of nearly 2,000 feet is
without peer, and his unique vision for the grape has yielded white wines of ineffable beauty and
poise. At merely 15 hectares, this small but mighty subzone of the Colli Tortonesi DOC
encompasses the highest elevation growing region for Timorasso. Ezio Poggio is the sole
producer in Terre di Libarna.

Timorasso thrives in white, rocky, calcareous-clay soils, which bear a strong resemblance to the marls, or Marne di Sant’Agata, found in parts of the Langhe. Unlike the Langhe or the Roero, however, very little sand is found in these hills. Terre di Libarna’s significant diurnal temperature swings are mitigated by warm Mediterranean air currents rising up from Liguria. While a relative newcomer to the international scene, the variety has long been esteemed in Piedmont, where Timorasso was often nicknamed "White Barolo" due to its incredible structure and age-worthiness. As early as the 1800s, ampelographers described Timorasso as a noble variety. Leonardo da Vinci, no less, is believed to have been a fan, having included a bottle of white wine known as Timuras and a local cheese from Colli Tortonesi among wedding gifts for Isabella di Aragona.

Characterized by intense, enduring herbal and mineral notes as well as high acidity, Timorasso is mediumto full-bodied with notes of white flowers, subtle stone fruit, and lemon. Due to the presence of an aromatic precursor abbreviated as TDN (trimethyl-dihydronaphthalene) also found in Riesling. Timorasso can yield age-worthy wines that develop great complexity over time. Such bottlings often demonstrate diesel or kerosene notes after several years in bottle. By law, Timorasso cannot be labeled under the Colli Tortonesi appellation if the wine has not rested on the lees for at least 10 months, a technical requirement befitting a structured, age-worthy white wine like Timorasso. While many Timorasso fans draw parallels to Chenin Blanc for its aromatic profile, texture, and ageability, it is singular among native Italian white varieties.

Organic

94 points Vinous
The 2019 Barolo Ginestra Vigna del Gris is another terrific wine from Conterno-Fantino. Crushed flowers, cedar, pipe tobacco, mint, dried flowersand worn in leather give the 2019 striking aromatic presence. Here, too, Fabio Conterno has done a terrific jobin taming the Monforte tannins. The Gris never has the completeness of the other Crus, but in 2019 it is positively striking. I would drink this ahead of the other 2019s. Drinking Window 2024-2034

I was blown away by the wines I tasted at Conterno-Fantino. The 2019s are nuanced transparent and wonderfully expressive of place. In other words everything Barolo should be. Everything starts in the vineyard which has always been evident here. In recent years Fabio Fantino has refined that approach giving the wines a level of precision that is impossible to miss. The 2019s spent 15-18 days on the skins far longer than a decade ago and were aged in a combination of barrique and 25hL casks. The 2019s are simply stellar.

Wine Spectator:
A bright Moscato, with lively acidity and flavors of white peach puree, aromatic lilac, crushed almond and orange granita. Zesty finish. Drink now.

Organic

97+ points Vinous
The 2020 Barbaresco Pajor?? is a textbook wine from this site. A wine of depth and stature the Pajor?? is so impressive even just bottled. Dark cherry plum lavender spice and menthol race across the palate as the 2020 shows off its obvious pedigree. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of spice balsamic-infused nuances that build into the palate-staining finish. The 2020 is shaping up to be truly magnificent.

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.

A fresh, dry, mineral-driven wine produced exclusively from the Erbaluce grape. As are all the grapes in the Ferrando lineup, the Erbaluce is hand-harvested. Harvest usually occurs in late September. This cuvée is fermented and aged in stainless steel. The vineyards are situated in and around the village of Caluso in the heart of the Canavese district known for its many lakes and the hillside vineyards which overlook them.

Organic / Natural

100% Nebbiolo. The vines come from Loreto- sand-loam soils, planted in 1998, east-facing , Mompellini- sand-loam-clay soils, planted in 2008, west-facing, and San Grato, sand and limestone, planted in 1967, southwest-facing. They hand-harvest and ferment each vineyard separately. The grapes are destemmed then pumped into concrete and stainless steel tanks with around 3-5% whole clusters included. Fermentation starts spontaneously and takes, with maceration, approx. 2 weeks. They do soft pigeage and pump a small amount of juice over the cap to extract from the skins. After fermentation they press off in a basket press and then blend the 3 wines together. Loreto brings a fruity nose, some body and good acidity, Mompellini brings color and structure and San Grato brings elegance, floral aromatics and juiciness. After malo they rack one more time in concrete tanks outside (usually in November) and 2 weeks later they rack into botti, a used 500 liter tonneaux, and the rest in concrete. They blend those components together again and rack in April/May and then they don’t touch the wine until November. The wine is then bottled between November and January

93 points Vinous
The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico is one of the most searingly tannic wines in the range. Readers will have to be patient with the 2019, as it is going to need time. As always, Montefico is a Barbaresco built on linear intensity more than size. In 2019, the qualities are quite accented. Time in the glass opens the bouquet nicely, but the 2019 remains quite closed.

98 points Kerin O'Keefe
Alpine herb, pressed rose, new leather and black tea aromas lead the nose on the superb Montefico 2019 Riserva. Showing the impeccable class and intensity this cru is celebrated for, it’s youthfully austere but also incredibly savory. The firmly structured palate delivers ripe red cherry, raspberry compote, licorice, almond liqueur and saline mineral notes accompanied by a firm backbone of tightly-woven, close-grained tannins. Bright acidity gives it great aging potential. (1/2024)

Organic

Organic / Natural / No Added Sulfites

100% Nebbiolo grapes from our younger and less exposed vines, which produce less concentrated fruit. Vindabeive is our picnic wine! It's the juicy result from a carbonic maceration of Nebbiolo which comes from the higher part of our vineyards and we pick a little earlier then the rest. Grapes spend five days on the skins, roughly half as whole bunches, before being pressed off to cuve for just a couple of months. The wine was bottled just a few months after the harvest, retaining a beautiful vibrancy. With just a hint of tannin, this light, bright and easy take on the grape is just the thing for your next barbecue.

94 points Vinous
The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is powerful, savory and intensely linear, in classico Ovello style, and yet it appears to have enough fruit behind its imposing tannins to develop well over the coming years. In this tasting, the Ovello feels pretty closed post bottling, but its inherent balance and qualities are there. Clean saline notes extend the finish in promising fashion.

96 points Kerin O'Keefe
The 2019 Ovello Riserva is succulent and enveloping, offering scents of dark-skinned berry, forest floor, violet and new leather. Full-bodied with impressive structure and fruit, it boasts ripe raspberry, black cherry and licorice supported by firm, close-grained tannins that provide the backbone. Fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Drink 2029?????2044. Abv: 14.5%

Organic

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.

96 points Decanter
Bricco Fiasco is a single cru, vinified by itself since 1978, today from vines of 85 years old. The wine, after long maceration and ageing in botti grandi, opens up to smoky woodland notes, with citrus leaf, bark, wild strawberry and rose water delicacy. Full of sucrosity on the palate, the attack is youthful, with firm acidity and grainy, very elegant tannins. Structure and concentration are perfectly woven and poised, giving to this cru terrific balance which will count for ageing. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2050

95 points Wine Advocate
Bricco Fiasco is a proprietary name for a vineyard in Castiglione Falletto with 85 year old vines. Luigi Scavino says, "These vines represent a unique heritage for our family." The 2019 Barolo Bricco Fiasco (with 5,800 bottles released) is a little shy initially, with heavier berry fruit aromas that eventually relax to show campfire ash, pencil shaving and pressed rose. Put this bottle aside for a few more years.

97 points James Suckling
Sweet berries, smoke, cedar and olives on the nose. Floral. Full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a pretty background and ripe fruit. Flavorful finish. Hints of bitter citrus and smoke, too. Very complex. Powerful for Falletto. Drink after 2026.