Barale's 2016 Barolo
As the 2016s from Piedmont continue to make their way to our shelves, it’s clear that this will be an important year for the region. Antonio Galloni sums it up well: it was a year when there was a beautiful convergence between winemakers at peak skill and weather hitting all the right marks. He says:
“In so many ways, 2016 is all about being in the right place at the right time for Barolo. An ideal growing season with all the prerequisites for a great vintage comes at a time when so many winemakers are in their primes, past the stage of experimentation and settled into their own personal styles. The result is a vintage full of truly spectacular, breathtaking wines that captures all the pedigree that Nebbiolo and Barolo are capable of” (Vinous, 02/2020).
Barale Fratelli is always among our favorites wines from the region, as the balance between elegance and value that each bottle delivers seriously can't be matched. In their 2016 Barolo, they've truly made something special. Italian Buyer Greg St Clair remarks, “This 2016 vintage adds another dimension of power. It’s still supple and graceful, but you know you are in the presence of power.”
Even in its youth, there is so much complexity in this bottle: rose petal and black cherry on the nose with a touch of cigar-box spice, then sweet berry coulis on the palate and plenty of depth. There is so much structure here and it will no doubt be a long-lived wine. It’s a lot of wine—give it a moment to breathe if you want to drink it now—especially when you consider its $34.99 price tag. The combination of elegance and power here is so enticing.
A big thanks to 5th-generation winemaker Eleonora Barale for her video on the vintage & a behind-the-scenes look at where the magic happens!
- Kate Soto