Vinous (92)

The 2016 Barolo Capalot Vecchie Viti is dark, beguiling and very pretty. Rose petal, orange peel, cinnamon, kirsch, sweet red cherry and sweet pipe tobacco give the Capalot striking aromatic nuance and a real sense of exoticism that is quite inviting. Medium in body and constantly changing in the glass, the Capalot captures all of the complexities that make Nebbiolo and Barolo so fascinating. The tannins need time to soften, but there is plenty to look forward to once that happens.

Vinous (92)

The 2016 Barolo Capalot Vecchie Viti is dark, beguiling and very pretty. Rose petal, orange peel, cinnamon, kirsch, sweet red cherry and sweet pipe tobacco give the Capalot striking aromatic nuance and a real sense of exoticism that is quite inviting. Medium in body and constantly changing in the glass, the Capalot captures all of the complexities that make Nebbiolo and Barolo so fascinating. The tannins need time to soften, but there is plenty to look forward to once that happens.

Vinous (92)

The 2016 Barolo Capalot Vecchie Viti is dark, beguiling and very pretty. Rose petal, orange peel, cinnamon, kirsch, sweet red cherry and sweet pipe tobacco give the Capalot striking aromatic nuance and a real sense of exoticism that is quite inviting. Medium in body and constantly changing in the glass, the Capalot captures all of the complexities that make Nebbiolo and Barolo so fascinating. The tannins need time to soften, but there is plenty to look forward to once that happens.

Vinous (92)

The 2016 Barbaresco is a gorgeous entry-level wine in this range. Dark and fleshy, the 2016 offers terrific depth as well as plenty of character, which is great to see in its peer group. Black cherry, plum, mocha, leather, spice and licorice all meld together. One of the more open wines in the range, the Barbaresco will also give readers an idea of what to expect. This is an absolutely delicious wine in its peer group and price range. The straight Barbaresco is a blend from Meruzzano and young vine fruit from Ronchi.

Vinous (93)

The 2016 Barbera d'Alba is fabulous. Rich in its first impression, but sustained by terrific energy, the 2016 is all finesse. Rose petal, lavender, mint and dark red and purplish fruit develop in the glass, but more than anything else, the 2016 is a super-classic, mid-weight Barbera that will thrill readers who enjoy traditionally made wines.

Vinous (93)

Claudio Boggione's 2016 Barolo Brunate is all class. Beautifully perfumed and sensual, the 2016 captures all of the beguiling aromatic intensity that makes Nebbiolo and Barolo so captivating. Rose petal, mint, cedar, bright red cherry, dried flowers and star anise are some of the many notes that lift from the glass. Although Boggione's 2016 doesn't have the gravitas and power usually associated with Brunate, it is an archetype of traditionally-made Barolo that will delight readers with classically leaning palates. I loved it.

Vinous (93)

Claudio Boggione's 2016 Barolo Brunate is all class. Beautifully perfumed and sensual, the 2016 captures all of the beguiling aromatic intensity that makes Nebbiolo and Barolo so captivating. Rose petal, mint, cedar, bright red cherry, dried flowers and star anise are some of the many notes that lift from the glass. Although Boggione's 2016 doesn't have the gravitas and power usually associated with Brunate, it is an archetype of traditionally-made Barolo that will delight readers with classically leaning palates. I loved it.

Vinous (90)

Brovia's 2016 Barbera d'Alba Sorì del Drago is dark and brooding in the glass. Black cherry, smoke, crushed rocks, cloves, licorice and melted road tar confer density and virile power. Dark and massively concentrated, the 2016 will drink well for at least a handful of years. I would prefer to give the 2016 a bit more time in bottle to allow it to shed some of its considerable baby fat.

James Suckling (94)

Walnuts, berries, tar and hints of smoke on the nose. It’s full-bodied with chewy tannins and a dusty finish. Chewy at the end. Drink after 2023.

Vinous (96)

The 2016 Barolo Garblèt Sue’ is laced with bright red small berry fruit, wild flowers, sage, mint, star anise, apricot and blood orange. In 2016, the Garblèt Sue’ is incredibly sensual, with finer tannins than are the norm. A range of floral and savory notes add striking aromatic lift and exotic perfume. This is the most polished vintage of the Garblèt Sue’ I can remember tasting. As always, the Garblèt Sue’ is marked by a very obvious nervousness in its tannins, but the 2016 also has more than enough fruit to balance things out.

Vinous (96)

The 2016 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione Brovia is explosive and exuberant from the very first taste. There is a rush of sweet red plum, red cherry, mint, blood orange, cinnamon and wild flowers in this rich, heady Barolo that captures the essence of this Castiglione Falletto site. Plush fruit and silky tannins suggest the 2016 will drink well with just a few years in bottle. The 2016 is so alluring, even in the early going; it is not austere at all. The 2016 is fabulous - that’s pretty much all there is to it.

Vinous (97)

The 2016 Barolo Villero is one of the most refined editions of this wine I can remember tasting. Lavender, spice, licorice, mint and blue/purplish fruit are beautifully delineated here. Transparent and nuanced, the Villero is so classy. There is plenty of depth and structure, but what impresses most about the Villero is how unusually sophisticated it is. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s explosive personality, but the 2016 remains incredibly elegant, especially for this site. This is a tremendous showing from Brovia.

Indulge in the captivating allure of Castaldi Fara 2016, a magnificent red blend from the Lombardy region of Italy. As one of the stellar creations of Cantina Castaldi, the dedication to traditional winemaking can be clearly tasted in each sip. Hand-harvested and impeccably aged for 36 months in large French oak barrels, Castaldi Fara 2016 boasts an incredibly refined and elegant, yet compellingly structured character.

The mesmerising blend primarily encompasses Nebbiolo, Croatina, and Vespolina grapes. This synergistic fusion yields a deep ruby red wine with an exquisite bouquet of ripe red fruits, an undercurrent of violets, and a hint of warm spice. A balanced acidity meets velvety tannins on the palate, ensuring a lasting finish.

Castaldi Fara 2016, with its hypnotic charm, is a testament to Cantina Castaldi's ongoing commitment to create wines that brilliantly reflect the richness of the terroir. It is, in every sense, the epitome of Italian wine finesse. Indulge in a bottle and experience the luxury.

Wine Advocate (98)

All of these wines from Cavallotto deliver a very floral and perfumed subtext that gives lift and delicate buoyancy to the overall bouquet. This is the Castiglione Falletto magic that shows so well in this classic vintage. The 2016 Barolo Bricco Boschis offers dried cherry, sandalwood, bramble and forest floor. The wine reveals a slightly wild and untamed character that adds to its interest and personality. Overall, this is an elegant wine with a streamlined and elegant finish. The aromas are focused and bright. I can't wait to taste the Riserva expression from this site when it is released in three years' time.

Wine Enthusiast (99)

A combination of an extraordinary vintage and a fantastic producer are behind this stunning wine. It opens with aromas recalling woodland berry, pipe tobacco, forest floor, balsamic notes of camphor and new leather. Still youthfully austere, the firmly structured palate delivers ripe Morello cherry, licorice, ground clove and iron notes set against tightly knit, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it well balanced

Wine Enthusiast (99)

A combination of an extraordinary vintage and a fantastic producer are behind this stunning wine. It opens with aromas recalling woodland berry, pipe tobacco, forest floor, balsamic notes of camphor and new leather. Still youthfully austere, the firmly structured palate delivers ripe Morello cherry, licorice, ground clove and iron notes set against tightly knit, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it well balanced

Wine Enthusiast (99)

Enticing aromas recalling new leather, pressed rose, eucalyptus and sandalwood come to the forefront on this gorgeous, compelling wine. Full-bodied, structured and loaded with finesse, the precise palate is young but already delicious, delivering juicy Marasca cherry, raspberry, licorice, truffle and white pepper alongside a backbone of taut, refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it energized and will fuel decades of evolution. Drink 2026–2056

Vinous (92)

The 2016 Barbaresco Serracapelli is soft, super-expressive and so inviting. Wild cherry, tobacco, cedar, mint and dried flowers show off the darker side of Nebbiolo. There is a bit of nerve to this classically built Barbaresco, so some aeration is a good idea.

Wine Advocate (95+)

Ceretto offers a tour de force in the 2016 vintage with four excellent single-vineyard expressions from Bricco Rocche, Bussia, Brunate and Prapò. If you can't choose between those wines, you always have this excellent fallback. The classic 2016 Barolo offers dark intensity with great aromatic detailing. Fruit and some floral notes are followed by ferrous notes and a good amount of powdered licorice. The aromas are delicate and fragile; however, the wine deftly hides its power within the soft folds of its slender, mid-weight mouthfeel. This is a perfect go-to Barolo when you can't choose from all the excellent options in this benchmark 2016 vintage. This wine, like the others, hit the market in May 2020.

Wine Advocate (98+)

These back-to-back vintages, 2015 and 2016, deliver knockout performances. The Ceretto 2016 Barolo Bricco Rocche has always been one of the benchmark wines in this revered portfolio. It offers a lovely bouquet that explores some of the more nuanced sides of Nebbiolo that veer into the realms of rose, ash, tar and smoke. These pretty little details frame a solid core of berry fruit, cassis and dried cherry. One of the most distinctive aspects of this wine is the mouthfeel, which manages to impart its power and length without subtracting from its profound elegance. Fruit comes from a 1.5-hectare site owned by the Ceretto family, with sandstone soils at 350 to 370 meters above sea level. This is a Barolo to remember—and save in your cellar.

Wine Advocate (97)

I wasn't sure how to order my tasting flight of Ceretto's four single-vineyard Baroli (from Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d'Alba and Serralunga d'Alba), so I decided to start with this wine from Brunate in La Morra, at the heart of the appellation. The 2016 Barolo Brunate shows a dark core of fruit, and you are immediately aware of the depth and profound nature of this wine. The bouquet is lifted by cassis, wild cherry and plum. The ferrous quality that we saw in some of the other wines is softer here, and I would describe Brunate as the most fruit-forward (at this young stage) with elegant tannins and impactful fruit weight on the finish. All of these wines are aged in new oak (just 10% of the total) and used oak barrel (90%) for the first 12 months. After that, the wine is racked into Austrian oak casks for an additional two years before going into bottle for one more year.

Vinous (100)

In my opinion, the 2016 Barolo Via Nuova is the single greatest Barolo Chiara Boschis has made in her storied career. A monumental, thrilling wine, the Via Nuova captures all the best the vintage had to give. Explosive in the glass, with stunning aromatic depth, the 2016 is drop-dead gorgeous from the very first taste. Dark macerated cherry, lavender, spice, menthol and rose petal are kicked up a few notches from underlying veins of acidity and tannin that give the wine its energy and drive. The 2016 is a wine of extraordinary harmony, purity and finesse with an eternal finish. The 2016 Barolo Via Nuova is a blend of seven plots: Terlo, Liste, Paiagallo, Ravera di Monforte, Mosconi, Gabutti and Baudana.

From the famed vineyards of Monforte d'Alba, the exquisite Conterno Fantino Barolo Castelletto Pressenda 2016 is the very essence of finely crafted Barolo. An ode to elegant winemaking, it's a product of Conterno Fantino, revered for their adherence to low-yield viticulture and meticulous, eco-friendly cultivation methods. This impeccable 2016 vintage boasts a rich, full-bodied profile, characterised by intense garnet hues, complex, encompassing fragrances and fruity notes underlined by a refined mineral quality.

In utter harmony, velvety tannins compliment its lingering, densely flavoured finish, a tribute to the careful 24-month ageing in French oak barrels. The expressive terroir of Castelletto, the south-east facing vineyard from which it hails, lends it added sophistication and structure. Undoubtedly, Conterno Fantino Barolo Castelletto Pressenda 2016 stands as an exemplary ambassador of the Piedmont region's celebrated Nebbiolo grapes. For lovers of sublime Italian wines, this Barolo signals an invitation to transcendence.