2016 Barolo

The Trediberri 2016 Barolo has crossed all its t's and dotted all its i's. This is a nicely zipped-up expression of Nebbiolo that follows a classic aromatic playlist with forest berry, pressed violet, crushed stone and tangy licorice. This carefully balanced ensemble enables the wine to spread evenly over the palate, imparting elegance and silkiness as it does. If I were to assign one descriptor to this Barolo, it would be balance. The grapes are fermented in cement, and the wine ages in oak for 23 months. I also like the fact that this wine is not quite immediate, but almost. You could easily pop the cork with just a few more years of aging under its belt. This release was 33,315 bottles.

The 2016 Barolo is a powerful, deep wine that is going to need time to soften and further open up. Black cherry, plum, spice, leather, dried herbs and menthol infuse the 2016 with notable aromatic depth as well as a palpable sense of brooding, virile intensity to match its classically built, mid-weight structure. This is an especially potent vintage for the straight Barolo, and there is clearly so much going on in the glass; it is a superb wine in the making. The Barolo is a blend of 80% Berri and 20% Rocche dell'Annunziata.