The Not-To-Be-Missed 2016 Piedmont Vintage

Early results are in, and there are fewer vintages in Piedmont’s history than the 2016 that have delivered at such a high level, from Barbaresco to Barolo and beyond. Any cellar full of the best of 2016 Piedmont will thrill collectors for years to come. This is also one of the times in the campaign where some of the best wines are still widely available, but after big reviews by nearly every major publication, that won’t be the case for long.

Piedmont has delivered a treasure trove of great vintages recently. 2013 was a terrific vintage full of appealing wines from both Barolo and Barbaresco. 2014 was a cooler year, full of more structured, old-school renditions, if that’s your thing. 2015 was warmer, a set of accessible wines but still many of a very high caliber that will be enjoyed for a long time to come. Even looking further back, 2010 was a benchmark vintage, albeit much more so in Barolo than Barbaresco. 2008s were classically styled and elegant. 2007s, ripe and racy. 2006s, massively structured and tannic. But even with this wealth of options, few growing seasons hit the sweet spot like 2016. The vintage delivers, as Antonio Galloni says, “wines that capture all the pedigree that Nebbiolo is capable of.”

One of the great characteristics of this vintage is that the wines are, for the most part, uniformly great across the board. It is hard to deny the caliber when, everywhere you look, there’s one terrific option after another. And while the region prides itself with wines that express a combination of site-specific terroir and cult-producer pedigree in a way that’s reminiscent of Burgundy, it is not hard to find elite selections at a relative pittance when exploring Piedmont.  Vietti’s 2016 “Castiglione” Barolo is great example—a blend of sites that go into $250 bottlings (including a core from the 100-point Ravera) and a $49.99 price point.  The acclaim (JS95, JD95, WA94+, V94) speaks to a wine at twice the price.

One of the big concerns of many collectors is that we’ll someday see Piedmont take on a Burgundian trend of elusive allocated wines and exponential prices. And while some producers are starting to take off in that direction—e.g., Giacomo Conterno, Guiseppe Rinaldi, Bartolo Mascarello—there are still a dozen producers for each of those icons that are operating at the highest level and can still be had by even the casual collector.  Cavallotto’s “Bricco Boschis” Barolo speaks loudly to this.  As a sub-$80 wine with a storied history, its WE99 score places it among the finest of the vintage from seasoned critic and author Kerin O’Keefe. A second blockbuster score from Wine Advocate’s Monica Larner (98 points) all but cements it as one of the most significant releases of 2016.

Among other can’t-miss selections is Luigi Pira’s “Vigna Rionda,” a wine that comes from one of the most coveted Crus in Serralunga (and all of Barolo for that matter) and is a steal for under $80. It is produced in minuscule quantities, with only 4,000 bottles made in 2016. Speaking of coveted Crus, the aforementioned Ravera is starting to be considered one of the flagship releases from those who are lucky to farm it. Two undeniable gems that show the caliber of this site are Elvio Cogno’s “Ravera” and G.D. Vajra’s “Ravera.” Both producers are on most dedicated collector’s shortlists, and they’ve released absolutely thrilling renditions in 2016.

For Barbaresco, we’re much later in the campaign than Barolo, but there still are plenty of not-to-be-missed opportunities. For starters, every cellar should have a full complement of Produttori’s 2016 Barbaresco. A triple 95-pointer for under $40 is something that you’ll rarely see from anywhere, much less one of a region’s most famed and celebrated producers. Nearly the same acclaim is found in the JS95, V94 Orlando Abrigo “Meruzzano,” a sub $30 gem that won’t last long now that it is in stock. Both are also conveniently available in large format. For those looking for high-end collectibles, many consider Gaja’s 2016s are as good as they’ve ever been, which is saying a lot for this historic label. Galloni called their 2016 Barbaresco “one of the finest in recent memory” among a handful of nearly vintage-best reviews in multiple publications.

For about the next six months, we’ll see the heart of the Barolo campaign and the tail end of the Barbarescos. Using 2010 as a corollary, the wines from vintages like this tend to become scarce fast. The top wines from that reference-point vintage, a mere six years ago, are nearly impossible to find in any quantity these days. The secondary market for Piedmont wines is also as hot as any other category, meaning that for those collectors who can be convinced to let go of the wines (very few of them), they’re finding a premium. 2016 will need to earn that reputation in time, but many will argue even early on that it is a superior vintage. Rankings aside, one thing is for certain—2016 is an undeniably special vintage in Piedmont, and the wealth of opportunity that’s available now will be a thing of the past before you know it. Check out our entire selection here.

- Ryan Moses