WINE ADVOCATE – Barolo, Barbaresco & Co.

G.D. Vajra's Ravera (whose site straddles the municipalities of Novello and Barolo) is always the most angular, powerful and vertical of their collection. It comes from soils with clay and sandstone at 320 to 340 metres above sea level. This is the ideal place for wines that show both power and elegance. The tannins are sweet, but every fibre of the backbone is dense and firm. Red and purple fruits with liquorice, tar and white truffle are neatly packed here, revealing themselves only gradually but then with beautiful precision and straightforwardness. The final has a wonderfully long reverberation, great! SUPERIORE.DE

The latest addition to Vajra's Barolo line-up comes from a 1.5 hectare parcel in Coste di Rose, a small MGA (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive) in the Barolo region. This is a steep slope at 310 metres above sea level with a high proportion of sandy soils with good drainage, whose vines and soils are cultivated in a natural way. This very accessible Barolo presents itself straightforward, forward and impresses even at a young age with its refreshing frankness. A very precise bouquet of cherry, plum, liquorice, spices and menthol. On the palate, a wide and multi-layered arc of fruit with lots of juice and power, supporting tannins and a full, long and mineral-minty finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Bright and radiant, with lots of Nebbiolo character, it is a successful interpretation of the terroir and shows the great class of the winery. On the nose, sweet red cherries, tobacco, mint, anise and white pepper. Medium-bodied and graceful on the palate with a good balance of perfume, acidity and structure. With further bottle ageing, it looks forward to a great evolution. SUPERIORE.DE

Cerretto is a fruit-driven wine of virile, explosive power that shows, among other things, how different the wines of Serralunga can be. Black cherry, plum, sage, menthol and liquorice hit the palate in a firm, tannic Barolo that will require some patience but already presents itself with remarkable freshness, purity and nuance. Cerretta is the embodiment of richness and structure of Serralunga. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Baudana 2018 storms the glass with plenty of energy and intensity. Black cherry fruit, smoke, wild herbs, liquorice and tar form a compelling backdrop of aromas, flavours and textures as this dazzling, powerhouse Barolo opens in the glass. The intense final is accompanied by delicate rose petals, lavender and a subtle mineral-salty vein. Its stable tannin framework awaits a few more years of bottle ageing, as is typically the case with a classic Serralunga Barolo. SUPERIORE.DE

The vivacious Chiara Boschis has been a rather modernist Barolo winemaker for over 25 years, although she now uses much less new oak than in the past. She is best known for her Cannubi, but her Mosconi, from 1 ha of this top vineyard in Monforte d'Alba, can be just as good in some vintages.

The great Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra from the historic Clerico vineyard. Bright garnet red. Open-hearted bouquet of ripe fruit and spices, the elegant tannins are accompanied by a pleasant freshness in the complex taste, deep and long on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Dark cherries, menthol, flowers and tar are just some of the classic notes in the complex bouquet of the Bricco Pernice from the Ravera single vineyard. On the palate, the austere structure and great power are joined by a fine inner sweetness. In the long finish, memories of damp earth, dried herbs and wild flowers. SUPERIORE.DE

Barbaresco Bricco di Treiso presents itself with more power and depth than the normal Barbaresco. On the nose, dark red stone fruit, menthol, spices, leather and some cedar. On the palate, punchy even when young and with a great deal of muscularity, which, together with the harmoniously balanced tannin and acid structure, foreshadows a great, long life with a hopeful development. SUPERIORE.DE

A few years ago, Pio Boffa, who has unfortunately passed away in the meantime, bought himself a "small" present for his 60th birthday. Not a new set of golf clubs, a picture hanging in the hall, a holiday for him and the family. No. Just a vineyard called Mosconi in Monforte d'Alba, a region of Piedmont where four generations of the Pio Cesare dynasty never gained a foothold. Originally, the grapes from the 10-hectare vineyard were to enhance the quality of his classic Barolo, but after the first barrel samples, it was unmistakably clear to Pio Boffa that this would be at least an equal - if stylistically different - counterpart to the hitherto undisputed flagship Ornato.

Bright and radiant, with lots of Nebbiolo character, it is a successful interpretation of the terroir and shows the great class of the winery. On the nose, sweet red cherries, tobacco, mint, anise and white pepper. Medium-bodied and graceful on the palate with a good balance of perfume, acidity and structure. With further bottle ageing, it looks forward to a great evolution. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Campè occupies top positions among its high-profile competitors almost every year. Fittingly, the majestic red bears the king of beasts, a lion, on its ornate yellow label. We think: There is hardly a better graphic interpretation of this powerful, stately wine. An all-around successful experience

Barolo Bricco delle Viole 2018 is unusually open and seductive, as it is normally rather shy and needs time before it shows the full range of its personality. Rose petals, spices and red-coloured fruits float in the glass, supported by fine, racy tannins. In the drink, then, the typical, medium-heavy characteristics of Bricco delle Viole, at the same time the contours are soft and the wine's personality demands the next sip. Vajra fans should give it a few more years of maturity, despite its current accessibility. SUPERIORE.DE

The Barolo Cannubi with its interpretation of the Nebbiolo grape, probably the purest at Altare, has been the ambitious project of daughter Silvia since 2011 and represents an exciting rounding off of the already almost unique collection. Sparkling, brightening ruby garnet. A very clear and inviting nose, smelling of ripe raspberries and plums, a little rose petals, subtle hints of cloves in the background. Round and balanced on the palate, plump ripe fruit, then starts with bundled, dense tannin, fills the palate full, a firework of spices in the final. SUPERIORE.DE