2019 Barolo check-in at Keith's expense

My friend Keith generously offered to open up 10 bottles of 2019 Barolo to provide an exploration into this next hyped vintage. This was a fantastic opportunity to get a peak into 2019 across a broad range of offerings. The most obvious thing I noticed was how approachable all of these wines were... far more approachable than young classic Barolo vintages have been in recent years. We had good discussion about whether this was down to the vintage, or just down to new knowledge gained in recent decades by the new generation of wine makers... we suspect it’s likely more the latter. While there’s no doubt these had classic Barolo tannins, they were not rip your face off gritty as has sometimes been the case with classic producers. Almost all the wines exhibited far more elegance and grace than one might expect drinking these wines so young. A revelation for me was my first bottles I’ve had by Giulia Negri, a newish producer making some phenomenal Barolos. All of her wines offered tremendous elegance and grace, and the 2019 Marassio was drop dead gorgeous. This has potential to be on par with some of the top wines from my favorite traditional producers (think Giuseppe Mascarello, Giuseppe Rinaldi). While the prices are approachable for the quality level now, expect that to change over the coming decade as they are more discovered. Her 2019 Marassio was the wine of the flight, followed for me by the 2019 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis. As always, the 2019 G.D. Vajra Albe offeres an absolutely stunning wine for the cost of entry. Thank you so much to Keith for this deep dive into the new vintage! I definitely will be adding some bottles to the cellar.

• 2019 Giulia Negri Barolo La Tartufaia 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Dusty, lean aromas, showing notes of strawberry. The aromas are fairly soft and light, but also quite pretty. Soft, elegant palate texture on entry, showing light red fruits initially and dusty tannins, but not over powering. Quite elegant and pretty. Elegant tannins on the finish, but fairly closed down at current. The wine finishes rather tightly, but always remains quite composed, so I expect a nice evolution and opening in the years to come.

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• 2019 Giulia Negri Barolo Serradenari 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Richer, and darker completion than the La Tartufaia, showing some sweet dark red fruits and rocky soil notes. Round palate entry, with ripe berry tones and strong structure. The tannins come in fairly hard, and the palate profile isn't quite as expressive as I'd had hoped based on the more open nose. More puckering tannins come in on the finish and it shows pretty red fruits after the tannins recede. Much tighter and structured, and not quite as available as the Tartufaia. I suspect this wine may be better down the road, but for drinking tonight, it's rather closed.

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• 2019 Giulia Negri Barolo Marassio 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This wine got an immediate, "Wow!" from me when I smelled it. Very elegant and pretty aromas. It's gorgeous, and rather expressive of high toned red fruits and briar. Feels very pure and elegant on the nose. Killer palate entry, with sexy smooth texture that just exudes elegance. The fruit is beautiful and pure, and the structure shows that wonderful vertical integration top traditional producers can show. Again, a gorgeous finish on this. Truly stunning for me, with killer attack all the while holding wonderful elegance. such a pretty wine, and a real revelation for me. This is a producer (and particularly, this wine) to keep an eye on.

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• 2019 G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Pretty aroma, with a lot of floral character. Really elegant and pretty. Soft and pretty on palate entry, and the whole impression is rather mellow for a youthful Barolo, with pretty high toned red fruit. Really surprising, and amazing elegance at this price point. So pretty on the finish, showing soft tannins and very well integrated. I always reach for Albe as a QPR king, but it is even more than exceptional as that in this vintage. Probably the best young vintage I've had.

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• 2019 Ferdinando Principiano Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba 87 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  I found the aromas just generally rather funky and as such didn't pay too much nuanced attention to them. The palate entered showing a lot of sweet berry but again in a wild, weird funky sort of way. Big tannins attack on the finish, which is rather bitter and funky. Overall just didn't enjoy the flavor profile here.

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• 2019 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Aromas were one of the most muted of the flight, showing some soft, but pretty red fruit tones. The palate texture is quite elegant, soft, and pretty. Rich and pure fruit, but the fruit is heavier and darker than I'd expect from Verduno. Still lovely richness and nice structural balance. Surprisingly more heavy than usual at this address on the finish, showing rich, deep fruit and heavy tannins. Not quite the elegance Monvigliero usually shows even in its youth. Larger and fuller than I'd expect; quite robust. Likely hit an awkward phase in the wine. I'll look to pop another soon.

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• 2019 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Gramolere 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Nice rich, round fruit profile on the nose, showing some spicy elegance. Spiced fruit on the palate again, which shows some strange awkwardness that's surprising. Tart, soft, and slightly bitter on the finish. Not sure why these Alessandria's weren't showing too well for me on this day, but this too was underwhelming from one of my favorite producers.

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• 2019 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Elegant and gorgeous aromas. I love the pretty, high toned red fruit on the nose. Soft and pretty red fruit on the elegant and lively palate, showing wonderful vertical integration. Spice, lovely red fruits, and perfectly balanced acidity as its held in the mouth. Wow, what a bloom of sweet fruit and lovely, elegant acidity on the finish. Fantastically young, but clearly showing how well it's integrated. As it lingers, it feels quite soft on the senses. What a wonderful wine... my second favorite of the flight, and certainly a vintage I'd like to add to my cellar. 93+

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• 2019 Trediberri Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The fruit showed a pretty large scale to the fruit here; quite thick and dark vs. the other wines in the lineup. That said, it does express some elegance as well. The texture on the palate is rather soft and fruit forward, with again, slightly darker fruit than I prefer. Bitter, tannic fruit on the finish, which is very puckering. I like the wine, but it's very fruit forward with strong tannins and feels a little out of balance, structurally.

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• 2019 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalletto 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  As this was my last wine, I basically stopped writing notes at this point... but I found the wine quite elegant, and of course, a very traditional approach. The fruit had a unique profile in the lineup, and comes across rather old school, but in just the way that I love.

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