Monday, 2 March 2026

The Barolo Boys Eats Dinner At Le Torri


A very nice habit, the Barolo Boys eating dinner at Le Torri in Castiglione Falletto during Grandi Langhe.

NV Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs, Laherte Frères
Degorced April 2023 this beauty offers up a racy, elegant nose with notes of dry mango, candied lemons, elderberries and gravel. Very handsome.
The taste is tight and fresh with notes of oranges, white currants, lemon cream and its sports a lovely acidity. A great drink.
93p   (tasted 2026/01)



2023 Nebbiolo d´Alba Superiore San Sebastiano, Cascina Penna-Currado
A young, restrained nose with notes of ripe flowers, dark cherries, violets and Langhe earth. Very fine.
The taste is velvety and fine with a lovely warmth, a nice cherry fruit and a long, lingering finish.
92p   (tasted 2026/01)

2022 Barbera d´Alba Pre-Phylloxera, Elvio Cogno
A high, all over the place nose with notes of plums, dark chocolate, red beets and a touch of VA. Not as coherent as earlier vintages of the Pre-Phylloxera.
The taste displays the same characteristics as the nose, sweet fruit, dense but not as refined as earlier vintages. Wait and see.
88p   (tasted 2026/01)



2021 Barolo Ginestra Case Maté, Elio Grasso
A aristocratic, tight nose with notes of ripe red cherries, hard cherry candy, nail polish, coffee powder and violets. Very fine.
The taste is upfront, juicy but with a firm backbone and with stunning notes of hard cherry candy, high quality balsamic vinegar, sweet minerals and fir wood. Long, long. 7+ years.
95p   (tasted 2026/01)

Finanziera!


Posted by at No comments:

Friday, 27 February 2026

2018 Barolo Riserva Bussia, Fenocchio


2018 Barolo Riserva Bussia, Fenocchio
A classic tar & roses nose with additional notes of violets, asphalt and fresh paint. Very fine.
The taste is nicely structured with perky tannins, gorgeous sweet/sour cherry fruit and a long, taut finish. 6+ years. This Fenocchio cantina is run by Alberto Fenocchio, brother of Claudio who runs Giacomo Fenocchio. 
93p   (tasted 2026/02)

Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, 25 February 2026

Some Interesting Bottles Of Dolcetto


Dolcetto can´t age. Ask any winemaker in Langhe and they will say roughly that. Drink in a couple of years time, is their recommendation.
I beg to differ. Of course its a delight to drink a young, juicy Dolcetto with your everyday pasta, but they will age. Case in point - 1992 Dolcetto d´Alba, Bruno Giacosa, tasted six years ago - Barolista: A 19 Bottle Dolcetto Tasting With Dolcetto Boys & Girls - from one of worst vintages in the last 40 years, still a very good drink. 
At our latest monthly tasting I poured the Dolcetto´s below.

1988 Dolcetto d´Alba Bussia Soprana, Aldo Conterno
A laid back, mature nose with notes of dried strawberries, earth and sand.
The taste is earthy and dry with notes of assorted red fruits, herbs and iron. A fine dryness in the finish.
87p   (tasted 2026/02)

1994 Dolcetto d´Alba Vigneto Bric Sant´Ambrogio, Eredi Lodali
From magnum. A high, mature nose with some VA and notes of lingonberries, dusty earth and glue.
The taste is dry and a tad foursquare with hay, dried raspberries and earth.
77p   (tasted 2026/02)



2013 Dolcetto d´Alba Ciabòt Brusà, Umberto Fracassi
A restrained, fairly deep nose with notes of dried blueberries, ink and tobacco. Very good.
The taste is medium bodied with notes of damsons, dry herbs and earth. 
85p   (tasted 2026/02)

2016 Dogliani Superiore, San Fereole
A first a tad barnyardy but with air it displays notes of sweet/sour raspberries, matchbox and Langhe earth. Very, very good.
The taste is tight and spicy with a very fine warmth and notes of raspberries, sage and moist earth.
90p   (tasted 2026/02)


2018 Dogliani San Luigi Vigna la Costa, Chionetti
Bottle no 1202 out of 2206. The nose is deep and iron filled with additional notes of damsons, bakelite and tobacco. Very young.
The taste is tight and seedy with notes of red currants, ripening blueberries, gravel and ink. Very long. 6+ years.
90p   (tasted 2026/02)


2022 Dolcetto di Diano d´Alba Superiore Sori´Pradurent, Claudio Alario
An open, layered nose with notes of plums, paint and and a dried up blueberry pie. Very fine.
The taste is young and nicely concentrated with sturdy tannins and notes of iron, ripe blueberries and iodine. Long and lingering. 5+ years.
92p   (tasted 2026/02)

Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, 24 February 2026

The Barolo Boys Does Grandi Langhe 2026


The Barolo Boys arrives again in Turin to attend Grandi Langhe, yet again to try to make the impossible. 
Bigger than ever, this year 515 producers were in place. The opening hours was more generous, two more hours per day, but still not enough time.

I met up with 46 producers and got to taste a decent amount of wines during the two days - 133 Baroli and 45 other wines, a total of 178 wines.
We also made some visits during Saturday and Sunday, of which there will be separate posts. In total for the four days I tasted 263 wines, of which 161 was a Barolo.

The idea of Grandi Langhe is to showcase the newest released vintage, in this case the 2022 Baroli. 
But as you can see from the wines below there was a lot of 21´s also. Not that I am complaining, since 21 is a superior vintage.





How about the 22 vintage then? I tasted 97 Baroli in the four days we were in Langhe. Its a, to qoute most of the winemakers, "hot and dry". It was, again according to the same winemakers, the earliest harvest in a very long time. 
It is in general a good vintage but it is a tad warm in some cases, the tannins are softer and, again, in some cases there is a rather short finish. A good restaurant vintage, but will I buy some, I guess no.

All pictures are of the great people of Langhe, I just love to meet them in Grandi Langhe and when I visit the cantinas.
At the end of this post there are also some pics of some bottles.

The wines tasted at Grandi Langhe:
97-98p
2019 Barolo Riserva Cannubi, Francesco Rinaldi

2022 Barolo Vigna Pajana, Renzo Seghesio


95-96p
2015 Barolo Percristina, Domenico Clerico

2019 Barolo del Comune di Monforte d´Alba, Silvano Bolmida

2020 Barolo Bricat, Giovanni Manzone
2020 Barolo Vignarionda, Ettore Germano

2021 Barolo Rocche dell´Annunziata, Rocche Costamagna
2021 Barolo Gramolere, Giovanni Manzone
2021 Barolo Le Coste Di Monforte, Silvano Bolmida
2021 Barolo Pajana, Domenico Clerico

2022 Barolo Bricco Boschis, Roccheviberti
2022 Barolo Castelletto, Raineri
2022 Barolo Cannubi, Serio & Battista Borgogno
2022 Barolo Rocche dell´Annunziata, Francesco Rinaldi
2022 Barolo Brunate, Francesco Rinaldi
2022 Barolo Cannubi, Francesco Rinaldi
2022 Barolo Bussia Vigna Pianpolvere, Chionetti
2022 Barolo Villero, Brovia
2022 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca´Mia, Brovia
2022 Barolo Prapó, Paolo Scavino
2022 Barolo Bric dël Fiasc, Paolo Scavino
2022 Barolo Ginestra, Renzo Seghesio
2022 Barolo Gattera, Mauro Veglio
2022 Barolo Castelletto, Mauro Veglio





93-94p
2017 Barolo Riserva Castelletto, Fortemasso

2020 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell´Annunziata, Rocche Costamagna
2020 Barolo Riserva del Fico, E. Molino
2020 Barolo Riserva Lazzarito, Ettore Germano

2021 Barolo Cerretta, Schiavenza
2021 Barolo Prapo, Schiavenza
2021 Barolo San Giuseppe, Pecchenino
2021 Barolo Bussia, Pecchenino
2021 Barolo Brunate, Marcarini
2021 Barolo Ravera, Elvio Cogno
2021 Barolo del Comune di Barolo, Cascina Sót
2021 Barolo Cerretta, Giovanni Rosso
2021 Barolo, Brovia
2021 Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto, Cascina Fontana
2021 Barolo Bricotto Bussia, Domenico Clerico
2021 Barolo Aeroplanservaj, Domenico Clerico
2021 Barolo Castelletto, Fortemasso
2021 Barolo Fossati, Borgogno
2021 Barolo Cerretta, Ettore Germano

2022 Barolo Lazzarito, Vietti
2022 Barolo Rocche Castiglione, Roccheviberti
2022 Barolo, Raineri
2022 Barolo Rocche dell´Annunziata, Rocche Costamagna
2022 Barolo Monvigliero, Luigi Einaudi
2022 Barolo Bussia, Ruggeri Corsini
2022 Barolo Castelletto La Villa, Seghesio
2022 Barolo Bricco delle Viole, M. Marengo
2022 Barolo Brunate, M. Marengo
2022 Barolo Margheria, Massolino
2022 Barolo Parafada, Massolino
2022 Barolo San Lorenzo di Verduno, Diego Morra
2022 Barolo Monvigliero, Diego Morra
2022 Barolo Albarella, Serio & Battista Borgogno
2022 Barolo, Francesco Rinaldi
2022 Barolo Parussi, Chionetti
2022 Barolo Monvigliero, Castello di Verduno
2022 Barolo Bricco San Pietro, Cascina Sót
2022 Barolo Sotto Castello di Novello, Giacomo Grimaldi
2022 Barolo Rocche Dell Castiglione, Brovia
2022 Barolo Cerretta, Claudio Alario
2022 Barolo Badarina, Bruna Grimaldi
2022 Barolo Monvigliero, Paolo Scavino
2022 Barolo Ravera, Paolo Scavino
2022 Barolo Bussia Vigna Fantini, Paolo Scavino
2022 Barolo, Oddero
2022 Barolo Villero, Oddero
2022 Barolo del Comune di La Morra Ca´d´Nalin, Renzo Seghesio
2022 Barolo Arborina, Mauro Veglio
2022 Barolo Paiagallo, Mauro Veglio
2022 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d´Alba, Mauro Veglio





91-92p
2009 Barolo Riserva Centoanni, Giovanni Manzone

2019 Barolo Bricco San Pietro, Anna Maria Abbona

2021 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d´Alba, Schiavenza
2021 Barolo Perno, Schiavenza
2021 Barolo Castelletto, Giovanni Manzone
2021 Barolo Treturne, Fogliati
2021 Barolo Bussia, Fogliati
2021 Barolo Cascina Nuova, Elvio Cogno
2021 Barolo, Giovanni Rosso
2021 Barolo Bussia Vigna Dei Fantini, Silvano Bolmida
2021 Barolo, Domenico Clerico
2021 Barolo Liste, Borgogno
2021 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d´Alba, Ettore Germano

2022 Barolo, Vietti
2022 Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto Vecchie Vite, Roccheviberti
2022 Barolo, Raineri
2022 Barolo del Comune di La Morra, Rocche Costamagna
2022 Barolo Ludo, Luigi Einaudi
2022 Barolo Bricco San Pietro, Ruggeri Corsini
2022 Barolo Gallinotto, Mauro Molino
2022 Barolo La Serra, Mauro Molino
2022 Barolo del Comune di La Morra, Marcarini
2022 Barolo La Serra, Marcarini
2022 Barolo, M. Marengo
2022 Barolo Parussi, Massolino
2022 Barolo del Comune di Verduno, Diego Morra
2022 Barolo, Serio & Battista Borgogno
2022 Barolo del Comune di La Morra, Serio & Battista Borgogno
2022 Barolo Massara, Castello di Verduno
2022 Barolo del Comune di Monforte d´Alba, Cascina Sót
2022 Barolo Ravera, Giacomo Grimaldi
2022 Barolo Sorano, Claudio Alario
2022 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio, Bruna Grimaldi
2022 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio, Paolo Scavino
2022 Barolo del Comune di Monforte d´Alba, Fortemasso
2022 Barolo, Mauro Veglio
2022 Barolo, Borgogno





89-90p
2021 Barolo Serra, Giovanni Rosso
2021 Barolo Bussia, Silvano Bolmida

2022 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d´Alba, Schiavenza
2022 Barolo Castelletto, Seghesio
2022 Barolo, Mauro Molino
2022 Barolo Zinzasco, Diego Morra
2022 Barolo Treturne, Fogliati
2022 Barolo Bussia, Fogliati
2022 Barolo del Comune di La Morra, Giovanni Corino
2022 Barolo Giachini, Giovanni Corino
2022 Barolo Bricco Manescotto, Giovanni Corino
2022 Barolo, Castello di Verduno
2022 Barolo, Giacomo Grimaldi
2022 Barolo Riva Rocca, Claudio Alario
2022 Barolo Camilla, Bruna Grimaldi
2022 Barolo, Paolo Scavino
2022 Barolo, Prandi


87-88p
2021 Barolo Castello di Novello, Passone Massimiliano


85-86p
2020 Barolo Castello di Novello, Passone Massimiliano


























Yours truly and Presidente del Consorzio del Barolo, Sergio Germano

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)