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Tasting notes
Monforte d'Alba. Tasted blind. Mid ruby. Fragrant, sweet and concentrated on the nose and with the merest hint of fruit cake. Soft, concentrated, sweet fruit cut through by acidity. Long, multi-layered juicy finish with fine but firm tannins. (WS)
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Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The Gianfranco Alessandria 2016 Barolo opens to tangy and spicy fruit aromas with accents of aniseed, dried licorice and cola. That part fruit intensity and part ethereal spice is the aromatic playlist of a classic Barolo such as this. The wine is fermented in stainless steel, with a short 10 days of skin contact. It later ages in 225-liter oak barrel, of which only 20% of the wood is new. The results are lightweight and buoyant, and the wine is strong on aromatic high tones with some mint and crushed stone. There is no residual heaviness on the nose or the palate, and that balanced acidity kicks in on the close. Some 10,000 bottles were released in January 2020.
The 2016 Barolo is bright, floral and beautifully lifted. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry and mint all grace this subtle, nuanced Barolo. Medium in body, with lovely freshness and good depth, the 2016 has so much to offer. This is a very pretty, and refined straight Barolo. The 2016 has the potential to be a real overachiever. I especially like the wine's inner sweetness and perfume.