La Festa del Barolo 2021 Barolo Masterclass

The Pool, New York
Tasted Saturday, January 31, 2026 by drwine2001 with 284 views

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 2021 Trediberri Barolo Berri

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Clear red. Forward, very engaging red berry and mint. Medium to lighter body. Supple and pliant with naturally sweet red cherry, vibrant acidity, a dash of late bitter chocolate. With time, some fine earthy tannins emerge. These Trediberris just dance across the palate. So pretty now, but impeccable balance and more backbone than initially meets the eye (or the tongue I should say) portend gracious intermediate aging.

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  • 2021 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Bricco Gattera

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Dark red. Very fragrant deep dark fruit and penetrating green tones-heady, ripe aromas but much more herbaceous than the Berri. Medium weight, powerful impression, some noticeable oak which receded with more air. Citrus, lower register fruit, good salinity, and dusty, gripping, palate staining tannins to close things. Completely different from the other wine in this mini-flight. A little coarse and I’m not sure about how much the tannins will soften, but there is a lot of wine here that will be interesting to follow.

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Flight 2 (3 Notes)

  • 2021 Oddero Barolo Monvigliero

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Red with limpid outer third. Balanced low key fruit and fennel aromas. Medium body. Now this was much more like tasting a 2019 than any other wine today. It started out lean, saline, and soil driven with just a hint of ripe fruit peeking through in the mid-palate. With time in the glass though came sap, texture, and piquant red and blue fruit. This still has young Nebbiolo tannic austerity, so it will take a good bit of time, but I absolutely loved the rapid transformation and filling out of the wine over 90 minutes. I think it will wind up being terrific in quite a classical style.

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  • 2021 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Light ruby center. Assertive fennel with dark fruit behind it. Medium weight with nice sappiness. Sweeter than the Oddero with moderate acidity, very good stoniness, and a citric twist. It is a bit more easygoing than that wine because the fruit really sings, but the tannins eventually kick in and there is excellent back end framing and structure to carry. This also improved and softened a lot over an hour and a half. Fascinating results from the same cru with both similarities and differences.

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  • 2021 Crissante Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Clear light ruby core. Delicate aromatic mix of licorice and red fruit. Medium to lighter weight. Wonderful lively red fruit mixed with anise and a touch of citrus. Fluid and balanced with riper, softer tannins than the other 2 Monviglieros, giving it much more early accessibility. Lovely wine in a lighter, more open style that reminded me of 2020’s. Not as cerebral or terroir oriented as its peers, but this is and will be a joy to drink over a broad window.

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 2021 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Aleste

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Ruby color, deepest of the 6 wines so far. Intricate fennel, licorice, and orange peel. Medium body, wonderful texture. Ripe red fruit, excellent salinity, crisp acidity, and chocolatey tannins that turned more clenched and grippy over time. Appealing attack followed by a serious back end which emphatically signals “Not for early consumption!”. Somehow, for me, the individual components of this wine were excellent, yet overall it did not excite as much as other bottles in this line up. It was also pretty static over the short time I was able to follow it.

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  • 2021 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Cannubi

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Even light ruby. Warm red fruit, lovely spice, and light herb scents. Medium to light weight. Strong saline, mineral, soil base with red fruit in the background. Fine grained moderately long tannic finish that is gentler than the Sandrone but still provides some lingering earthy austerity. Very attractive, subtle terroir wine. Not flashy, but I really like the support the fruit provided, the complexity, and the flavor intensity for the weight of the wine. Outstanding potential in a more restrained style akin to the Oddero Monvigliero.

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

  • 2020 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Deep ruby. Soaring mint! Medium weight. Wow, an opening volley of mixed, perfectly red and blue fruit with real layering and depth followed by deep soil and light but drying tannins which reach the gums. Late citrus and excellent acidity enliven things and provide even more focus. The balance is beautiful here. This is one of the best Cavallottos I’ve ever had, and while it has so much early appeal, it is a 2020 with the stuffing and backbone to improve for 15 or 20 years. Super effort that far exceeded my expectations of producer and vintage.

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  • 2020 Roagna Barolo Vecchie Viti Pira

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Dull light ruby. Discrete anise and red fruit that just gains in fragrance as it sits out. Light to medium body, more delicate and wispier than anything else poured today. Beautiful, subtly sweet red berry, herb, outstanding acidity, gentle soil base, terrific salinity, and fine, light tannins. Remarkable for seamless interplay of all of these fruit and savory parts. Just bursting with flavor for such a wisp of a wine. Great now, great in 20 years-that seems to be the story with Roagna wines. I love the finesse and refinement.

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Flight 5 (2 Notes)

  • 2021 Poderi Colla Barolo Dardi Le Rose Bussia

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Ruby. Light fennel and spicy, ripe red fruit. Medium weight. Open, supple, ripe cherry, excellent acidity, light soil, and ripe tannins. Becomes a little more savory and dry on the finish. Very nice to drink but not nearly as detailed or deep as some of the other wines. It also had the misfortune of being shown right after the sublime Roagna, which undoubtedly affected my perception of it. That’s frankly unfair to a young producer, like being asked to give a concert and having Prince as your opening act.

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  • 2021 Ca' di Press Barolo Perno

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Light ruby center. Low pitched herbal nose. Medium weight. Red fruit nose. Nicely ripe fruit, light citrus, moderate tannins and earth. One of the simpler, more anonymous wines of the tasting, but again the fruit is juicy and it did improve in the glass. Competition was too tough though.

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Flight 6 (2 Notes)

  • 2021 Elio Grasso Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Full ruby. Enticing rising aromas of ripe citrus, mint, and candied cherries. Medium weight, incredible sweet but fresh fruit, excellent acidity, terrific underlying soil, and pretty fierce drying tannins. At this point, the entry says “Yes!” but the finish says “Hold your horses”. Hardly the most subtle or lacy wine poured today, but who can resist that succulent fruit? Even after only a few minutes, the tannins ameliorate, it adds an interesting smoky note, and things begin to integrate. Quite a mouthful which should be at least excellent well down the road.

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  • 2021 Piero Benevelli Barolo Mosconi

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Light ruby. Fennel tones. Light bodied. So different from the Grasso as it leads with a deep core of soil, but there is gently sweet red fruit and citrus that grow as the wine opens up. There are significant furry tannins, but they are not severe. Understated after the extroverted Grasso wine, but it really drew me in and impressed me more with each taste.

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Flight 7 (2 Notes)

  • 2021 Vietti Barolo Ravera

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Ruby. Low key mint. Medium to light weight. Obvious wood, moderate soil, but it took a while for any fruit to surface. When it did, it was on the black cherry side. Oak is reprised on the tannic finish. This seems much more one dimensional than most of the other wines, and the reticence of the fruit was just really strange. Another Vietti that I just don’t understand or enjoy.

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  • 2021 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Francia

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Ruby. Already complex, sinuous aromas of herbs out front and fruit in the background. Medium weight. Gorgeous melange of citrus, dark cherry, spice, tobacco, and ground espresso. Tooth coating but refined tannins. Incredible inner mouth sweetness and harmony. Confident, classy, and the supreme balance that allows enjoyment now and a glimpse into its splendid future. What a great wine to finish the tasting!

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