Festa Del Barolo Tasting Melbourne 2025

Showing more oak rendering and depth, the 2019 Barbera d'Alba Vittoria (with 4,500 bottles made) exhibits a much bigger and broader style compared to the estate's steel-aged Barbera. This wine sees 18 months in barrique, with about one-third new oak. The aging process serves to flesh out the dark fruit, dark cherry and plum. It creates a wine of bigger structure too, opening it up to more food-pairing possibilities, from meat lasagna to grilled steak. MONICA LARNER

JEROME COURSODON

Pear, apple, a white flower perfume, something a little like hay, and almonds. It’s a glossy wine but has a balanced attack of acidity, a slight lemon zest and almond bitterness, a pleasant and appropriate level of chalky grip, with a juicy finish of good length. Good. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

Small tweaks and incremental changes in vinification and winemaking have seen the wines improve every year. The quality across the board has always been top of their class and further cements this outstanding estate as one of the pre-eminent producers in the region. It would certainly be no stretch to call them a leading light in the heart and hearts of Roero.

This is another great rendition. A hint of tropical fruit that lends an almost riesling like element to the wine, along with a floral hint. There is a some lovely depth to the fruit and that bit of extra flesh show so nicely on this wine. Still fresh and zippy on the finish with a little phenolic grip that carries the orchard fruits into a long, gentle close. Yum!

Aromas of blue flower, exotic brown spice and cedar lead the nose on the lovely Barolo from Francesco Rinaldi & Figli. Elegant and full-bodied, the savory palate is polished and already almost accessible, featuring juicy Morello cherry, raspberry and licorice framed in fine-grained tannins. Drink 2026-2032. KERIN O'KEEFE

Rinaldi’s 2020 Barolo is a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Deep and quite potent, the 2020 offers tons of depth, complemented by hints of tobacco, worn-in leather, dried cherry and crushed autumn leaves that argue for near- and medium-term drinking. This will make for a terrific restaurant Barolo. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

Fruit is sourced from Cannubi, Monrobiolo di Bussia, San Giovanni.
Complex, subtle and concentrated on the nose at the same time. Minerally core wrapped up in cherry fruit. Lots of supple acidity and fragrant light fruit while very persistent and long. Fine grip of grainy tannins on the finish. Almost ephemeral. WALTER SPELLER

Guido Porro remains one of the most underrated growers in Serralunga. ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous.com

They are traditionalist at heart employing large format oak, no fining or filtering nor any herbicides or pesticides in the vineyards. The approach across the board is thoughtful, deliberate and with a hands-off approach in the winery. The wines are all hand harvested with either concrete or stainless steel for fermentation.

The grapes come from small yet significant vineyards in the various municipalities of the Barolo area, and the vines are between 10 and 45 years old, cultivated using the Guyot system. The average density per hectare is 4.500 plants. Limestone and clay-rich soil.

Each individual MGA is vinified and aged separately and in different ways to enhance the characteristics of each “terroir”. Alcoholic fermentation lasts around 3-4 weeks in stainless steel tanks, in contact with the skins. This period includes pre- and post-fermentation maceration, with the use of the traditional submerged-cap method. Malolactic fermentation takes place in wood. Aging: 30 months in large barrels and, for a small portion, in barriques. Each cru is vinified separately and assembled before bottling.

The new super-star of La Morra, Alberto Crissante is one of the most gifted winemakers and farmers I've come across. As Galloni wrote recently, "The wines confirm Alessandria's place as one of the most talented young growers in Barolo today". In terms of style these are modern classical. Longish maceration and elevage in only larger Slavonian oak. The prettiness of La Morra with an underlining structure to give it a little more seriousness.

The 2021 Barolo del Comune di La Morra is a superb appellation-level wine. Floral and silky on the palate, with fabulous persistence, the 2021 exudes class from start to finish. This has come together beautifully over the last year or so. Specifically, the tannins that were a bit troublesome before have begun to integrate into the wine's fabric. The essence of La Morra in a glass. ANTONIO GALLONI

 

 Utterly delicious, the 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo hits all the right buttons, starting with its alluring fragrance of blue flower, cedar and woodland berry. Showing the charm of a young, beautifully crafted Nebbiolo meant to be enjoyed in its youth and a few years beyond, it doles out ripe raspberry, wild strawberry and crushed mint before closing on a note of star anise. Lithe tannins and fresh acidity provide seamless support. (93) KERIN O'KEEFE

From select vineyards in the villages of Neive, and Alba, and vines 28-36 years, this youthful red was fermented and aged in stainless before moving to oak for 14 months’ rest.

This is one of the longest standing labels in Giacosa’s stable having first been produced in 1969, just after the first Barolos and Barbarescos of the mid-60’s.

Deep ruby red with light violet reflections. Ripe cherries, blackberries and plums on the nose, accompanied by a fine spiciness and a hint of liquorice. Full-bodied on the palate, with juicy fruit, lively, well-integrated acidity and supple tannins. The ageing in stainless steel preserves freshness and varietal typicity, while the balanced structure gives the wine depth and drinking pleasure. An authentic Barbera from the best vineyards in the Alba region, which is particularly harmonious in this vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The 2023 Riesling Pétracine is a wild, dynamic wine. Ripe pear, apricot, jasmine and exotic floral overtones all meld together. The 2023 exudes varietal character, but it also has a distinctly Piedmontese profile, especially in its acids. This is a terrific vintage for the Pétracine. (94) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

The 2020 Barolo Bricco delle Viole, Vajra's flagship, is very fine. Dark cherry, kirsch, blood orange, spice and lavender are nicely amplified. The 2020 is gracious and elegant, but its youthful Nebbiolo tannins will require some time to soften. The 2020 is another wine that captures my keen interests with its sublime balance. I would be thrilled to own it. (96) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

The G.D. Vajra 2020 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is a very pretty wine with brightness and delicate aromas that remain etched and defined. You get dried violet or lilac, tart cherry, cranberry, lavender essence, rosemary and other perfumed Mediterranean nuances. Bricco delle Viole finishes dry, and the tannins are on the powdery side, giving the wine medium weight and a lean mid-palate. (95) MONICA LARNER, The Wine Advocate

This is the inaugural vintage. The 2022 Barbera d'Alba draws it fruit from a tiny 0.38-hectare parcel planted in 2018 at a cool 450 meters in elevation with darker soils that are a good fit for the variety. Vintner Francesco Versio planted four clones of the variety as a strategy to offset disease pressure, and to keep the vines healthy, he uses organic products and fertilizers made with sea algae, essential oils and citrus peels among other things. This wine is fermented with ambient yeasts in oak and ages in botti for seven to eight months. These results are especially succulent and rich with pretty dark fruit concentration and soft tannins. MONICA LARNER, The Wine Advocate

I have seldom seen a transformation as dramatic as what has taken place at Lodali over the last few years. In the 1990s, Walter Lodali made dark, potent, heavily extracted wines that were not particularly distinguished for the time. Ten years ago, tired of wines made by consultants, Lodali decided to focus solely on wine. "At the time, I ran two restaurants, and I made wine, all of which I did poorly," Lodali says. His first decision was to delegate operations of his outside businesses to others in order to devote all his attention to the vineyards and cellar. Changes started in earnest in 2017 and then developed gradually over time. The results are nothing short of stunning. Today's wines embody the essence of finesse. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

From Treiso, this is beautifully perfumed and incredibly pale in colour. Aged in concrete and stainless, its silky with red berry fruit, thyme, lavender and lacy with sweet tannins.

Ripe red fruit, white pepper, leather, geranium and blood orange aromas come to the forefront on the stunning 2022 Freisa from Cavallotto. It's delicious and enveloping, delivering layers of strawberry, blood orange, truffle and licorice flavors before closing on mint and a salty note. Firm, fine-grained tannins and surprisingly fresh acidity for the hot, dry vintage keep it nicely balanced. (94) KERIN O'KEEFE

Mid-to-deep ruby. Very youthful on the nose, like the wine was just racked off from the cask. Very distinctive. Cranberry and savoury spice with hints of tamarind and garden herbs. Racy acidity that works like a shot of energy. Wired raspberry and completely dry. Stunning, fine, gravelly tannins. (18) WALTER SPELLER, JancisRobinson.com

This spicy red delivers cherry, raspberry, earth and eucalyptus flavors on a broad, dense frame, yet still remains fluid. Burly tannins put a lock on the finish, where accents of orange peel and spices linger. (94) BRUCE SANDERSON, Wine Spectator

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!