As always, we’ve managed to wrangle another outstanding stockpile of Barolo and Barbaresco from some of the world’s most sought-after producers this year. Yet, unlike in previous years, the bottle count is decidedly low in 2024, making these already rare birds even rarer than usual. So, make your moves and make ’em quick if you want to cash in, and please be mindful of the following ground rules:
+ Only 1x bottle of each cuvée per person allowed! Feel free to buy different bottles from the same producer, but no two of the same! (If you purchase more than one, we will refund you automatically, no questions asked.)
+ Orders will only be taken directly from the website. No phone orders, email orders, DMs or hold requests.
+ If the website says ‘sold out’, it means it. Whatever is on the web or left over on the shelf in-store is all we have.
Now…Take your marks. Get set. Go!
We’ll begin in Barolo, with the wines of Cappellano, the legendary, ultra-traditional four-hectare estate in Serralunga d’Alba, now in the hands of fifth-generation maker Augusto Cappellano. There’s an estate first in this year’s release in the 2021 Cappellano Barbera d’Alba from a nearby vineyard in Roero – all stewed black cherries, pebbly minerality, mocha bittersweetness and a lick of anise, with a fine balance of body and acid. A future classic in the making. The Barbera d’Alba Gabutti is back in full force (from 2019), almost nebbiolo-like in its weight, fruit and spice profile, sent out on a characteristically sharp acid high perky with blood orange. A distinctive expression, no doubt.
The estate produces two Barolos, both of which are back in the house. The 2019 Barolo Pié Rupestris is a total triumph, showing trademark whiffs of rose petals, red berries, mint and an undercurrent of liquorice, orange rind and sweet spice. Lots of lift, lots of flow. There’s less of the 2019 Pié Franco up for grabs this year than ever, which pretty much tells you everything you need to know about that.
Much like Cappellano, the late Giuseppe Rinaldi is considered one of the region’s enduring titans, another purist whose legacy now rests in the hands of daughters Marta and Carlotta. To call the 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo an entry-level wine would be pretty insulting, given its high-toned perfume of violets and roses, and its well-shaped palate bright with wild strawberries and talc-like tannin.
Three Barolos are produced at the 10-hectare winery, which comprises some of the region’s most famous crus. The 2020 Barolo Bussia is light-footed and energetic, pulsing with dark fruit, eucalyptus and scrubby herbs, all kept in check by fresh acidity. Similarly nimble, the 2020 Barolo Tre Tine shows pronounced flavours of Morello cherry and macerated strawberry, with a touch of ripe fennel and a bit of salinity. The 2020 Barolo Brunate, by contrast, packs in way more woody spice and herb characters and offers more assertive tannins, yet still retains an aura of pure class. *THESE LITERALLY ALL SOLD OUT WHILE WE WERE UPLOADING THE EDM, NO JOKE! SO SET YOUR RSS NOTIFICATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR OR COME TO THE MASTERCLASS!
Of course, there is the dynamic (and still somewhat under-the-radar) duo of Barolos from the historic Cascina Pugnane, always great value, never to be underestimated. The 2019 Barolo Bussia is the more fragrant of the two, a starburst of red-fruit perfume and ripeness shaped by softer tannin, while the darker, grittier 2019 Barolo Pugnane from just a stone’s throw away packs more density and grunt.
Now to the wines of Giovanni Canonica, a “new-school” producer by comparison, who very much does things the old-fashioned way at his teensy 1.7-hectare vineyard. As per usual, his 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo is very much a “baby Barolo”, an insight into the uncanny expressiveness that has made these wines so highly coveted. Both of Canonica’s two Barolos take it an octave higher, the 2020 Barolo Paiagallo overflowing with red fruit and floral detail tempered by earthier elements, while the 2020 Barolo Grinzane Cavour feels more definitively savoury. Both, of course, just so full of interest and personality.
Over in Barbaresco, things are looking just as peachy. Everyone’s favourite surfer/skater/snowboarder-cum-extraordinary-winemaker Olek Bondonio has come out with two crackers from the relatively cool 2021 vintage. The 2021 Barbaresco Roncagliette, from one of the region’s landmark vineyards, is layered as all hell, a fine mesh of red berry vibrancy and nuttiness, youthful yet elegant and poised all the same, albeit somewhat more compact than usual. The 2021 Barbaresco Starderi, from 40-year-old vines on steep slopes, is the more vivacious of the two, but is also a smidgen more delicate and subdued this time around.
And then, lastly, there’s the small but mighty Serafino Rivella, from the holy-grail cru of Montestefano, minded by Teobaldo Rivella and his wife, Maria. They only ever produce one Barbaresco cuvée each year, from 60-year-old vines, and it’s very much of a case of “if you know, you know.” The 2020 Barbaresco Montestefano is well worth knowing, driven by dark berries, tea-like tannin and a real sense of tension and power.
It’s no secret that laying these wines down for several years (and in some cases even decades) pays huge dividends, so it’s probably worth pointing out there there’s still a bit of Olek Bodonio’s 2020 Barbaresco Roncagliette kicking about, as well as 2016, 2017 and 2018 vintages of Serafino Rivella Barbaresco Montestefano and 2018 Cappellano Barolo Pie Rupestris. (Wink wink, nudge nudge.)