2016 Barolo Castellero
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Barolo Castellero is layered with aromas of fresh pine, cherry, and cocoa powder. It delivers ripe mid-palate fruit with classic structure, building tannins, and notes of dried strawberry, tea leaf, and game. Enjoy 2022-2036. The Brezza estate consists of 31 hectares of which 20 are dedicated to vineyards. It was founded in 1885, and in 1910 the first estate bottles were produced by Giacomo and his father, Antonio Brezza. They practice organic viticulture, harvest by hand, and only utilize light four-wheelers in the vineyard to prevent the compaction of the soils. For the past ten years, they have also implemented the use of glass stoppers on many of their bottles.
Critic scores
Average Score
Alistair Cooper MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The Giacomo Brezza e Figli 2016 Barolo Castellero is a compact and pretty wine with grapes sourced in the vineyards just outside the beautiful town of Barolo, where the Brezza family has its headquarters. Made with organic fruit, Castellero is bright and compact, with a delicate stream of blue flower, rose, cassis and crushed stone. Those anise and licorice-like aromas are also well developed. This offers a lot of simple and straightforward Barolo purity, making it a great near or medium-term proposition. Exactly 5,068 bottles were released.
The 2016 Barolo Castellero is a powerful, pleasantly rustic wine that is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Burly tannins convey an impression of rusticity, but beyond that, there is good depth and plenty of fruit as well. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2016 for at least a few years. Scorched earth, tobacco, menthol, macerated dark cherry, licorice, game and incense add to the wine's dark, wild and virile feel.
Another powerful nose but more sweet fruit here. A more refined palate again with more sweet perfumed fruit to offer. Very different and a silky mouthfeel with some distinct savoury notes and a touch of earth. (AC)