2016 Barolo Vintage - How Is It Looking?

[Gregory_Dal_Piaz]

I have tasted few released wines, but many samples over the past 2 plus years. The vintage always struck me as special, but for its elegance and finesse. It’s an exceptional vintage, but how much better can it be than any other vintage? Different yes, but once one is at the level of 2010, 2013, and dare I say it even 2015, it gets very difficult to proclaim that one vintage is better. I mean why are we buying these wines? To win competitions or to have something truly enjoyable, unique, and representative of terroir to drink?

The Barolo landscape has changed of course, and that means for pricing as well as quality. Many so called second tier producers are nipping on the heels of the top tiers guys these days, and often for a fraction of the price. In that respect there is an almost eternal improvement in quality, as the quality of supply increases. I’m sure inexpensive 2015 and 2016 barolo has never been better.

This is probably the last vintage that i truly stock up on, it’s that good, and I expect it may have a notably smaller shut down window than other, larger scaled vintages; another advantage. We can all sit down in 20 years and decide which producer did better in which vintage of the decade, for our palates, but today i would suggest you buy the producers that appeal to your palate. The wines will be good, perhaps even grand.

[David_K2]

I have tasted few released wines, but many samples over the past 2 plus years. The vintage always struck me as special, but for its elegance and finesse. It’s an exceptional vintage, but how much better can it be than any other vintage? Different yes, but once one is at the level of 2010, 2013, and dare I say it even 2015, it gets very difficult to proclaim that one vintage is better. I mean why are we buying these wines? To win competitions or to have something truly enjoyable, unique, and representative of terroir to drink?

The Barolo landscape has changed of course, and that means for pricing as well as quality. Many so called second tier producers are nipping on the heels of the top tiers guys these days, and often for a fraction of the price. In that respect there is an almost eternal improvement in quality, as the quality of supply increases. I’m sure inexpensive 2015 and 2016 barolo has never been better.

This is probably the last vintage that i truly stock up on, it’s that good, and I expect it may have a notably smaller shut down window than other, larger scaled vintages; another advantage. We can all sit down in 20 years and decide which producer did better in which vintage of the decade, for our palates, but today i would suggest you buy the producers that appeal to your palate. The wines will be good, perhaps even grand.

Thanks for your thoughts. I take it there won’t be a report on your website this year? I have found those very useful in the past. Any standouts from 2016 in your mind?

[Gregory_Dal_Piaz]

Hi David,

Thank you for the kind words. No report on 2016s, sadly. Since i generally do not keep detailed notes on barrel samples, there was very little to go on.

The top wines of the vintage will be predictable. G Conterno, B Mascarello, Vietti, Burlotto, G Rinaldi. I can’t say I’m buying any of those, at least not at the prices I’ve seen so far.

My money is going to the second tier:

Brovia
Massolino
Oddero
Fratelli Alessandria
Cogno
F Rinaldi
Vajra


Trediberri is worth taking a look at as well and I did buy Vietti’s Castiglione, which along with the Barolo Classicos from Oddero, Brovia, Vajra, and Massolino is one of the top values in barolo today.

[Lorenzo_F]

2016 is a superior vintage to 2015 . 2014 loads of pleasant surprises from new comers : conterno giacosa and massolino.