2020 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio
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Tasting notes
This is a retaste. This wine is served first in the Scavino's portfolio of single-vineyard wines because it is the lightest in texture but also because they prefer to set their flights by geography going from north to south. From the village of Roddi, the 2020 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio reveals dark aromas of plum and blackberry. The effect is a little more monotone compared to other areas of Barolo, but you get a velvety mouthfeel with sweet tannins.
Critic scores
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Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Roddi. Lustrous mid ruby. Subtle yet concentrated on the nose with cherry fruit and fresh mint hints. Mellow, concentrated sweet-sour cherry palate with firm tannins on the finish. Ready now but needs food. (WS)
Deep ruby/red, the 2020 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio boasts a very pretty and detailed bouquet with a floral perfume of ripe raspberries, violets, lilac, and wet stone. Elegant and medium-bodied, it has a lot of graceful details, with fine tannins, lovely concentration and a lovely and linear feel without any austerity. It has a Burgundian aesthetic and is a very well-styled wine from this site. Drink 2025-2040. Helmed by fourth generation winemaker Elisa Scavino, the estate owns and manages 30 hectares spanning eight of the 11 communes of the Barolo region and is based in Castiglione Falletto. Sadly, Elisa’s father Enrico Scavino passed away earlier this year at the age of 82. He was an active part of his family’s winery until his passing. Since 2007, they have implemented the use of a netted, submerged cap cylindrical system developed by Enrico that achieves a delicate extraction during fermentation. They have moved to slower, longer fermentation periods and, as of 2018, are solely utilizing large casks. In the vineyard, they pay great attention to the soils' compression, creating a sustainable ecosystem rich in oxygen and microorganisms and a sustainable approach. Their most recent acquisitions include those of Prapo and Ravera in 2015. Having lost their contract for Cannubi, they are no longer producing what was known as the Barolo Carobric, of which the Cannubi fruit was a major component. I continue to be impressed with the direction these wines have been taking toward a more expressive and pure sense of place, with wonderful diversity across the portfolio. I had the chance to taste the wines for this report twice.
The 2020 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio is a complex, alluring wine. Dried herbs, menthol, licorice, sage, mocha and lavender play off a core of purplish/black fruit. Dark and sensual, but not at all heavy, the 2020 has a ton to offer in a plush, immediate style. This is a very sexy Barolo.