‘Poetically reminiscent of the legendary 1985 vintage’
The highly anticipated 2021 Barolos are here! Many are calling it one of the greatest modern-day vintages, and we rate it alongside 2016, 2019 and 2020. In a nutshell, the 2021s are noble wines, showing verve and structure with pure, concentrated fruit and notable ageing potential.
‘2021 is not a patchy vintage with highs and lows between Barolo’s various communes, but one of consistent excellence,’ says Aldo Fiordelli, Senior Editor at JamesSuckling.com. You can buy confidently and generously across the range, but don’t sit on this – the 2021s are flying out of the cellar.
GD Vajra’s Barolo Albe 2021 offers incredible value, though it’s often overlooked because of the star power of Bricco delle Viole and Ravera. ‘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,’ notes Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate, scoring it 95 points.
Serralunga d’Alba is one of the great successes of the 2021 vintage and Luigi Baudana’s Barolos, Baudana, Cerretta and Serralunga, show why. Power and perfume have rarely been so beautifully married. The length is unreal in all three wines, with their drinking windows going well into the 2040s.
For the Burgundian side of Piemonte, go to La Morra, where Giulia Negri creates supremely classic, ethereal iterations of Nebbiolo in a high-altitude setting. Antonio Galloni of Vinous describes her 2021 Barolos as ‘simply lights out’ (Serradenari) and ‘sublime stuff’ (Marassio)
Finally, the classicists of Alba, Pio Cesare, who can make both Barolo and Barbaresco in a single cellar because they predate the DOCG. Their Barolo Pio and Barbaresco Pio impress us every year. Their heavy hitters, the single vineyards, are in a class of their own and ‘shine because of their profound, austere power’.
