Barolo
Known as the king of wines, it is potent, complex and long-lived wine made from the Nebbiolo grape. The appellation is spread over 2,134 ha in total and consists of several villages and communes. divided into a multitude of individual vineyard sites and crus similar to Burgundy, with many producers owning small plots of the individual crus.
The main winemaking approach is a long maceration of Nebbiolo grapes - between 30 to 60 days -followed by a long maturation period in large old casks for a minimum of 38 months. And many producers often choose to age their wines even longer than this because of the intense fruit and powerful tannins of their grapes.
The combination of microclimate, altitude, soil, exposition and each winemaker’s individual touch is what makes every Barolo different. And in the main communes such as Serralunga, Castiglione Falletto, and La Morra, their Barolos are renowned for certain characteristics unique to each of them, due to their differing soils and exposition.
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Barolo
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Vinous (95)
The 2019 Barolo Cannubi is one of the best wines I have tasted from Brezza in a very long time. Sweet, perfumed and silky, the 2019 bristles with Cannubi character. Crushed red berry fruit, cedar, mint, rose petal and orange zest are some of the notes that grace this exquisite but potent Barolo. Give the tannins a few years to soften.$337.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
With certified organic fruit from one of the most celebrated sites in the appellation, the Brezza 2020 Barolo Cannubi shows pretty intensity and focus. It offers aromas of iris root, lilac and wild blueberry. Indeed, it is quite floral in character, with violets over a fine texture. You really get a very pretty and elegant wine in this bottle. This is a production of 9,309 bottles plus large formats.$372.00 -
(6x75cl) 2010Vinous (92)
Brezza's 2010 Barolo Castellero offers up a super-classic profile of dried rose petal, anise, mint, coffee, sweet herbs and dried cherries. A gracious, mid-weight Barolo, the 2010 stands out for its soft, approachable personality and impeccable sense of balance. Sweet floral and spice notes linger on the soft, feminine finish. This is the most ethereal and fleeting of the 2010s. The Castellero is also a bit less polished and complete than the other Barolos in the range.$419.00 -
Vinous (91)
The 2016 Barolo Castellero is a powerful, pleasantly rustic wine that is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Burly tannins convey an impression of rusticity, but beyond that, there is good depth and plenty of fruit as well. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2016 for at least a few years. Scorched earth, tobacco, menthol, macerated dark cherry, licorice, game and incense add to the wine's dark, wild and virile feel.$286.00 -
(6x75cl) 2018Vinous (93)
The 2018 Barolo Castellero is laced with dark cherry, plum, spice, menthol, licorice and dried flowers. Powerful and ample, with striking depth, the Castellero is another impressive wine in this range from Brezza. There's plenty of richness and mid-palate weight to go along with the wine's brooding personality. Give the tannins a few years to soften.$485.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2019 Barolo Castellero is a deep, beguiling wine. Deeply pitched spice, menthol, licorice and dried herbs meld into a core of dark-toned fruit. Virile and imposing, with notable inner sweetness, the Castellero is stunning. There's a bit of new oak influence, but it is not dominant. This is another superb Barolo from Brezza.$252.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (90)
Ripe red in color, the 2020 Barolo Castellero is generous with notes of raspberry preserve, crushed roses, and rosemary. Medium-bodied, it’s approachable and has a supple texture along with an easygoing nature. It retains good freshness at this stage, but I would drink it sooner rather than later.$372.00 -
Vinous (95)
Dark cherries, pine, menthol, licorice, smoke and underbrush all take shape in the 2010 Barolo Sarmassa. The darkest and most imposing of the Brezza Barolos, the Sarmassa is backed up by firm tannins that ensure the wine will drink well for a number of years. This is the most tightly wound of the Brezza 2010s, so it will require a bit of patience. This is a deep and deeply satisfying Barolo from Enzo Brezza. In 2010, Brezza did not produce his top Barolo, Bricco Sarmassa. All the best fruit went into the straight Sarmassa.$143.00 -
Decanter (97)
Brezza is dedicated to organic viticulture, and works only with indigenous yeast, big oak vessels and long macerations in the cellar. His 2019 Sarmassa is one of the most elegant Barolos of the vintage, if not the most. Bright ruby in the glass and vibrant on the nose, the tannins are impeccable. Plenty of Parma violet notes are to the fore, soaked with rhubarb root, liquorice stick and a whiff of yellow fruits. The attack is poised, soft and silky, with long, lifted acidity. There is a perfect extraction here – the tannins are very well judged and ripe.$292.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The certified organic Brezza 2020 Barolo Sarmassa is a quiet wine from a loud vintage. You'll appreciate how subdued and silky Nebbiolo performs in this expression. The wine shows a finely knit texture with little highlights of fruit, spice and licorice. Sarmassa enjoys southwest exposures with silty clay soils. Production is 8,698 bottles and 415 magnums.$404.00 -
(6x75cl) 2015Vinous (92+)
The 2015 Barolo Riserva Bricco Sarmassa is presently quite tannic and unyielding, as these wines can be in the early going. Even so, there is a good bit of depth that needs time to fully emerge. Red cherry, pomegranate and mint nuances gradually emerge over time. A vertical, strapping Barolo, the 2015 Riserva needs to be left alone for the better part of a decade.$466.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 2005 Barolo Riserva 150 Anniversario Rocche-Villero is one of the standouts of a very impressive lineup of Barolos. It races out of the blocks with a layered nose of enticing black fruit laced with melted tar, wilted rose petals and a subtle brine note. Medium-bodied on the palate, delivering firm tannins and counterbalanced by a perfect line of acidity, the dark berry fruit laced with dark chocolate and a hint of fennel. Reassuringly long on the finish, this is one delicious and captivating Barolo. Tasted at the Vinous off-line dinner at La Trompette.$424.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (94)
Given the poise and complexity, it's hard to believe this is the firm's entry-level Barolo. It opens with alluring aromas of wild berry, forest floor, new leather, menthol and purple flower while the full-bodied palate delivers crushed raspberry, morello cherry, mint and star anise. Firm refined tannins and bright acidity give it a structured finesse as well as balance.$424.00 -
$254.00 -
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.$265.00 -
Vinous (89)
The 2017 Barolo is a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. In 2017, Brovia's straight Barolo is quite floral and lifted in feel. Crushed flowers, mint, spice, blood orange and sweet berry fruit are laced throughout. As a reminder, the Brovia Barolo is a blend of all four sites the family bottles as vineyard designates, with an emphasis on the Brea cru. This mid-weight Barolo is all charm.$248.00 -
Wine Advocate (93)
The Brovia 2018 Barolo is a classic wine with a smooth and silky mouthfeel that is brightened by cassis, dried cherry, tar, licorice and campfire ash. The firm tannins give ample support and contribute to the wine’s considerable length.$261.00 -
(12x75cl) 2019Wine Advocate (95)
On a shortlist of "annata" wines to buy from Piedmont this year is the Brovia 2019 Barolo. Made from a blend of fruit from Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d'Alba, this wine delivers a very sharp and chiseled performance that puts a priority on directness, freshness and length. This pretty wine has a pronounced fruity side and a mineral side, and these two parts converge beautifully. There are hints of dried mint and licorice on the close of this must-have wine. 25,000 bottles were produced.$694.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
On a shortlist of "annata" wines to buy from Piedmont this year is the Brovia 2019 Barolo. Made from a blend of fruit from Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d'Alba, this wine delivers a very sharp and chiseled performance that puts a priority on directness, freshness and length. This pretty wine has a pronounced fruity side and a mineral side, and these two parts converge beautifully. There are hints of dried mint and licorice on the close of this must-have wine. 25,000 bottles were produced.$401.00 -
(12x75cl) 2006Vinous (96+)
The 2006 Barolo Ca' Mia is a totally mesmerizing, hypnotic wine. The aromatics alone are head spinning; menthol, tar, incense, minerals, tar and dried roses rise from the most classic of bouquets. A blast of smoke, dark wild cherries and plums follows. Everything comes together beautifully in this virile, powerful wine that nevertheless retains the elements of finesse for which Barolo is often described as an 'iron fist in a velvet glove.' Sensual and alluring from start to finish, the 2006 Ca' Mia may turn out to be one of the best wines ever made at Brovia.$1,435.00 -
(6x75cl) 2010Vinous (97)
Smoke, tar, earthiness and licorice add gorgeous dimensions of complexity in the 2010 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca’ Mia. Here, too, the flavors are remarkably bright and focused. The dark, brooding notes of Serralunga are very much present, but the 2010 impresses for its pure balance, harmony and class. Dried rose petals, spices, licorice and game add complexity on a huge finish supported by big, incisive tannins. This is another utterly vivid, dazzling Barolo from Brovia. Here, too, readers will note a slight name change.$1,125.00 -
Vinous (94)
Lavender, mint, sage, smoke, tobacco and plums are all laced together in the 2011 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca'Mia. As always, the Ca'Mia is a decidedly vertical Barolo built on a spine of persistent tannin, but in 2011 there is a little bit of added polish that serves to soften the contours. Tucked off the main road, Brea remains one of the least well-known vineyards in Serralunga. The 2011 is a great wine to start exploring some of the nuances of this site. A huge finish that brings together power and voluptuousness captures the pure radiance of the year.$528.00 -
(3x150cl) 2013Vinous (96)
The 2013 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures the essence of this striking hillside site. A host of lavender, violet, menthol, licorice and tar notes open up first. Wonderfully translucent and yet powerful, the 2013 bristles with energy and pure class. Here, too, the tannins are remarkably polished for a young Serralunga Barolo. Dense, dark and powerful, with nearly buried tannins, the 2013 Ca' Mia is a superb wine with a very bright future.$844.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 2013 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures the essence of this striking hillside site. A host of lavender, violet, menthol, licorice and tar notes open up first. Wonderfully translucent and yet powerful, the 2013 bristles with energy and pure class. Here, too, the tannins are remarkably polished for a young Serralunga Barolo. Dense, dark and powerful, with nearly buried tannins, the 2013 Ca' Mia is a superb wine with a very bright future.$643.00 -
Vinous (94+)
The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.$1,340.00 -
Vinous (94+)
The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.$228.00 -
Vinous (94+)
The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.$508.00 -
Vinous (94+)
The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.$468.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (98)
Mesmerizing aromas of violet, rose, perfumed berry and dried aromatic herb mingle together with a whiff of forest floor in this compelling wine. Full-bodied, elegant and delicious, the structured palate delivers ripe Morello cherry, cranberry, licorice and tobacco framed in youthfully assertive but refined tannins. It closes on a tangy mineral note. Drink 2027–2037.$1,050.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (98)
Mesmerizing aromas of violet, rose, perfumed berry and dried aromatic herb mingle together with a whiff of forest floor in this compelling wine. Full-bodied, elegant and delicious, the structured palate delivers ripe Morello cherry, cranberry, licorice and tobacco framed in youthfully assertive but refined tannins. It closes on a tangy mineral note. Drink 2027–2037.$238.00
Known as the king of wines, it is potent, complex and long-lived wine made from the Nebbiolo grape. The appellation is spread over 2,134 ha in total and consists of several villages and communes. divided into a multitude of individual vineyard sites and crus similar to Burgundy, with many producers owning small plots of the individual crus.
The main winemaking approach is a long maceration of Nebbiolo grapes - between 30 to 60 days -followed by a long maturation period in large old casks for a minimum of 38 months. And many producers often choose to age their wines even longer than this because of the intense fruit and powerful tannins of their grapes.
The combination of microclimate, altitude, soil, exposition and each winemaker’s individual touch is what makes every Barolo different. And in the main communes such as Serralunga, Castiglione Falletto, and La Morra, their Barolos are renowned for certain characteristics unique to each of them, due to their differing soils and exposition.
