2016 Barolo – Paolo Scavino, Bruna Grimaldi And Giovanni Rosso

Now that the wines have been released, 2016 has turned out to be an outstanding vintage for Barolo, but many vintners knew it all along. “There are vintages where certain vineyards perform much better than others, but in 2016, it was brilliant for all the communes where we had vineyards,” remarks Elisa Scavino of the Paolo Scavino winery in Castiglione Falletto.

There are many producers who agree 100% with Scavino, as 2016 was a year where everything worked out beautifully in the vineyards. This decade has been quite special for Barolo producers, with 2016 arguably the finest vintage, while 2010 and 2013 are also outstanding; 2018 and 2019 display great promise as well and will be released in the next two to three years.

I’ve written about several of these wines in past articles; here are are notes on 2016 Barolo from three producers: Paolo Scavino, Bruna Grimaldi and Giovanni Rosso.

Paolo Scavino (Castiglione Falletto) – In a territory where family wineries are the norm, this may be the ultimate family winery, one that is managed by three people: Enrico Scavino (son of Paolo) and his two daughters, Elisa and Enrica. Their wines have been recognized as highly distinctive over the past two decades, with recent releases displaying greater varietal purity and overall harmony.

Paolo Scavino Barolo 2016 – Beautiful young garnet; aromas of morel cherry, strawberry and hints of clove and mocha. Medium-full with very good concentration. Excellent varietal character, good acidity, elegant medium-weight tannins, nicely integrated wood notes. Very good persistence and harmony. Approachable now, but another year in the bottle will soften the wine a bit, peak in 8-10 years. Very Good to Excellent

Paolo Scavino Barolo Prapò 2016 – Beautiful young ruby red; aromas of morel cherry, chocolate, red plum and cumin. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Rich mid-palate, excellent ripeness, very good acidity, rich, elegant tannins, impressive complexity. The fruit is somewhat high tone, so give this a year or two in the bottle to settle down. Very good persistence and excellent sense of place. Peak in 12-15 years. Excellent

Paolo Scavino Barolo Monvigliero 2016 – Youthful garnet; lovely aromas of morel cherry, sandalwood and orange zest, with a hint of coffee bean. Medium-full with excellent concentration. This is a superb statement of origin, as the herbal notes of Monvigliero are emphasized here, along with excellent depth of ripe fruit. There is very good acidity, excellent persistence and rich young tannins that are beautifully integrated. Marvelous complexity, this is a highly distinctive Barolo that needs several years to round out, and has great promise, with peak drinking in 15-20 years. Outstanding

Paolo Scavino Barolo “Carobric” 2016 – Delicate young garnet; exquisite aromas of morel cherry, red currant and rosemary. Medium-full with excellent concetration. Elegantly presented mid-palate; silky tannins, very good acidity, outstanding persistence, beautifully integrated wood notes. Gorgeous wine with great finesse and varietal character. A feminine Barolo that will age gracefully; subtle notes of balasmic in the finish. 12-15 years, perhaps longer. Superb

Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc 2016 – Deep young garnet; expressive aromas of morel cherry, date, tar and a hint of sour cherry. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Beautifully structured wine from start to finish with supreme harmony of fruit, wood, tannins and very good acidity. Excellent persistence and complexity, with a marvelous sense of balance as well as varietal purity. A seamless wine that is very appealing now, and will continue to display its character and complexities over the next 12-20 years. A rich Barolo with great personality and finesse. Superb

Bruna Grimaldi (Grinzane Cavour) – Bruna Grimaldi and her husband/winemaker Franco Fiorino craft examples of Barolo that rarely win headlines, but are beautiful representations of their origins. The winemaking here is a blend of old and new, as the various Barolo are matured in both large (grandi botti) and mid-size (tonneaux) oak casks.

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo “Camilla” 2016 – This is a blend of several vineyards, made as the most approachable Barolo of Grimaldi. Beautiful young garnet; aromas of morel cherry, rosemary and cardamom. Medium-full with very good concentration. Ideal ripeness, well-integrated wood notes, elegantly styled tannins, very good acidity and persistence. Very nice complexity and overall harmony. Approachable now, but will benefit from another year or two in the bottle, with peak drinking in 10-12 years. Fine value. Excellent

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Bricco Ambrogio 2016 – From the cru in the commune of Roddi. Deep garnet; aromas of morel cherry, cumin and sage. Medium-full with excellent concentration. This is quite rich on the palate, and displays good acidity, notable persistence and subtle wood notes. This needs some time to settle down, as at present, it is rich, but lacks finesse. Peak in 10-12 years. Very Good to Excellent

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Badarinia 2016 – From the vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba (near the famous Falletto vineyard of Bruno Giacosa). Youthful garnet; aromas of morel cherry, cumin and fennel. Medium-full with excellent concentration, this has medium-weight tannins, good acidity, nicely integrated wood notes and excellent persistence. This is an excellent representation of the Serralunga style with a powerful finish and a distinct mineral quality. Give time; peak in 12-15 years. Excellent

Giovanni Rosso (Serralunga d’Alba) – This has been one of the most fascinating success stories in Barolo over the past decade. Davide Rosso, son of the late Giovanni Rosso, has been crafting elegant, highly complex examples of Barolo from vineyards in Serralunga. The wines are traditional in style, as they are aged in large casks, so as to highlight varietal character as well as the identity of the vineyards from where the grapes were sourced. He produces five separate examples of Barolo, including the highly sought after Vigna Rionda Ester Canale; below are notes on two of his 2016 Barolo.

Giovanni Rosso Barolo Cerretta 2016 – Deep young garnet; aromas of morel cherry, rosemary and cumin. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Beautifully developed mid-palate, excellent persistence, very good acidity, nicely integrated wood notes and middle weight, elegant tannins. A well made wine with excellent varietal character and one having all the components for admirable againg potential. The sense of place and restraint of this wine is first-rate. This will evolve with great subtlety, with peak drinking in 15-20 years. Outstanding

Giovanni Rosso Barolo Serra 2016 – Beautiful young garnet; aromas of morel cherry, thyme and dried strawberry. Medium-full with very good to excellent concentration. Elegant, beautifully structured mid-palate. Lenghty finish, very good acidity, ideal ripeness, rich, elegant tannins, beautifully integrated wood notes. Outstanding harmony, with excellent varietal purity and a sense of place. This will evolve little by little over the coming years, with peak drinking in 15-20 years. Superb