PIEDMONT VINTAGE GUIDE
Barolo
Most recent vintage first. Click a year to see what we have in stock.
2023 - The 2023 Barolos are still in cask, but the season is known: a mild, wet spring, intense heat in July and August, and hail in parts of the Barolo zone, especially La Morra, that cut yields hard. Early reports point to fresh, mid-weight wines with lifted aromatics rather than the density of 2021. Judge producer by producer when the wines arrive in 2027.
2022 - One of the hottest, driest seasons on record, yet the wines are better than the weather suggests: Nebbiolo's late ripening and some well-timed August rain gave ripe, generous Barolos with surprising freshness and polished tannins. These are not long-haul wines in the mould of 2016 or 2021, but the best are delicious and will drink well from release through the mid-2030s.
2021 - A benchmark season. A cool, dry spring held back the vines, a warm summer with timely rain let them ripen slowly, and a long, luminous autumn brought the fruit in at full maturity with the acidity intact. The result is classic Barolo in the lineage of 2016 and 2010: perfumed, structured, complete, and built for twenty years. Buy with confidence across the zone.
2020 - A warm, early vintage that surprised the sceptics. The wines are charming and fruit-driven, with soft, rounded tannins and a generosity that makes them approachable on release, yet the best communes show real finesse. Not the longest-lived year, but a consistent one, and the one to open while the 2019s and 2021s sleep.
2019 - A classic, slow-ripening year with a cool spring, a warm but not extreme summer, and a cool finish to the season. The Barolos are structured and aromatic, with firm, high-quality tannin and the kind of tension that rewards patience. Among the very best modern vintages for the cellar; give them a decade.
2018 - A wet, difficult season with a rainy spring and summer and little heat. The wines are lighter and prettier than the surrounding years: pale, perfumed, early-drinking Barolo from the producers who sorted hard, and thin from those who didn't. Choose carefully, and enjoy the good ones young while the 2016s and 2019s develop.
2017 - Frost in April and then a hot, dry summer slashed yields and pushed ripeness. The best wines are concentrated and surprisingly fresh, with tannins that softened quickly; the weaker ones taste of the drought. A vintage for careful selection, drinking well now and over the next decade.
2016 - One of the great modern Barolo vintages, mentioned in the same breath as 2010 and 1989. A long, even season with warm days and cool nights produced wines of extraordinary completeness: deep perfume, precise structure, perfect balance between power and finesse. They will outlive most of us; the top wines are only now beginning to open.
2015 - A warm, dry summer with a heatwave in July gave ripe, full-bodied Barolos with generous fruit and soft tannin. Rich rather than classical, but balanced and consistent, and drinking beautifully now. A very good vintage for those who find 2016 too austere in its youth.
2014 - A cool, wet summer and hail in several communes made 2014 a producer's vintage. Where the fruit was sorted properly the wines are elegant, lifted and lighter-bodied, with pretty aromatics and early appeal; elsewhere they are lean. The Barbaresco side of the hill fared better. Drink now and over the next few years.
2013 - A cool, late vintage that produced some of the most classically proportioned Barolo of the decade: high-toned aromatics, firm structure, bright acidity and real length. The wines were tight on release and are now entering their first plateau. A connoisseur's year, with another twenty years ahead of it.
2012 - An uneven season — a harsh winter, a hot August, rain near harvest — gave mid-weight, fairly classic Barolos that are good rather than great. The best communes delivered perfume and balance; the wines are drinking well now and will hold through the early 2030s.
2011 - A warm August and September brought the harvest forward and gave ripe, lush, generous wines with soft tannin and immediate charm. Approachable from the start and lovely now; not a vintage for the long cellar.
2010 - The legend. A cool, long growing season with a dry, bright autumn produced Barolos of perfect proportion: intense perfume, deep fruit, formidable but refined tannins, and the structure to age for decades. Prices reflect the reputation; the wines justify it. Hold the top wines well into the 2030s.
2009 - A warm year with a hot August produced ripe, rounded, soft-textured Barolos that were approachable early. Pleasant and reliable rather than profound, and now fully mature; drink.
2008 - A cool, classic season with a long, dry autumn. The wines are perfumed, elegant and precisely structured, with the kind of nervous energy that only Nebbiolo gives in cooler years. Underrated on release and now showing beautifully, with plenty of life ahead.
2007 - An early, warm vintage that produced charming, open-knit Barolos with ripe fruit and gentle tannin. Lovely from the outset and now in full maturity. Drink up over the next few years.
2006 - A powerful, tannic, traditionally structured vintage after a hot summer and a cool, long finish. The wines were austere for years and have taken their time; the best are now coming round and will reward another decade. Excellent for patient collectors.
2005 - A cool, rainy run-in to harvest produced medium-bodied, early-maturing wines that were overlooked between 2004 and 2006. Elegant, aromatic and now fully mature, they are a quiet pleasure at fair prices. Drink now.
2004 - A large crop from a long, even season — classic Barolo of great purity and elegance, perfumed, balanced and complete. One of the finest vintages of the 2000s, drinking superbly now and with time to spare.
2003 - The year of the European heatwave. Low acidity and dry tannins mark most wines, and many are tiring; the exceptions came from the cooler, higher sites and from producers who picked early. Drink up.
2002 - A disaster in Barolo: a cold, wet summer and a devastating September hailstorm across the heart of the zone. Many of the best estates declassified their entire production. Avoid, with the rare exception of a handful of bottlings from unaffected vineyards.
2001 - A classic, structured vintage from a textbook season: a warm summer, rain at the right moments, and a long, dry autumn. The wines have depth, balance and serious ageing potential, and they are at a wonderful point now. Among the two or three best vintages between 1996 and 2010.
2000 - A warm, early year that produced ripe, soft, forward Barolos. Much praised on release, the wines matured quickly and most are now at or past their peak. Pleasant from good producers; not for further keeping.
1999 - Structured and powerful wines, combining elegance with aging potential.
1998 - Balanced vintage producing elegant, medium-bodied wines with good structure.
1997 - Warm vintage with ripe, approachable wines. Early-drinking but still impressive.
1996 - Outstanding vintage. Known for structured, powerful wines with exceptional aging potential.
1995 - Better vintage in a tough stretch; balanced but not remarkable wines.
1994 - Difficult vintage with rain affecting quality; light and inconsistent wines.
1993 - Passable vintage; some wines showed balance but lacked excitement.
1992 - Cool and rainy vintage, wines are thin and lack structure.
1991 - Tough vintage with challenging growing conditions, generally lacking balance.
1990 - Legendary vintage. Known for its richness, balance, and structure. Wines from this year are still highly regarded for their longevity and complexity.
1989 - Fairly structured and balanced wine; with a wide, intense and complex scent; generous and complete taste with an elegant tannin level, very good stuff and persistence; long-lived.
1988 - Excellent vintage. Remarkably elegant structure, great balance and strong character. Pleasant and intense scent with a remarkable fragrance. Right tannin level, wide, delicately bitter, on average long-lived.
1987 - Balanced, good vintage. Well-balanced wine, harmonic and elegant with a gentle and pleasant structure, of good stuff. Delicate, persisting and pleasant scent.
1986 - Elegant, excellent vintage. Very harmonic wine of good stuff, complete, elegant, intensely and widely scented, with a pleasant character. Very modest production because of a hailstorm in spring.
1985 - Perfectly balanced wine with a strong character, a pleasant scent, intense, fragrant, wide and exciting; perfectly balanced velvety texture and tannin level, elegant and generous, suitable for a long life. An honor for the Langhe.
1984 - Elegant, normal vintage. On average strong, well-balanced wine with a pleasant structure, delicate and persisting scent. Modest production.
1983 - Elegant, good vintage. Balanced and pleasant wine, strong enough, elegant and velvety, with a fine and intense scent.
1982 - Complete, strong, balanced wine; with an intense, wide and delicate scent; extraordinarily balanced strength and velvety texture, good character; suitable for a long life.
1981 - Elegant, normal vintage. On average strong, delicate, elegant, harmonic, finely and delicately scented wine.
1980 - Balanced, excellent vintage. Intensely and widely scented, complete wine, of good stuff, extraordinarily balanced, harmoniously built.
1979 - Balanced, excellent vintage. Wine of very good stuff, fairly complete, elegant, intensely scented, with a pleasant character.
1978 - Strong and complete, intensely but delicately and harmonically scented, extraordinarily balanced strength and velvety texture, suitable for a long life.
1977 - Normal vintage. Fine, not too strong, balanced, delicately scented wine. Sometimes mediocre.
1976 - Elegant, normal vintage. Fairly strong, balanced and fine wine, delicately scented.
1975 - Balanced, good vintage. Balanced, harmonic and pleasant, elegant wine, with a delicate and intense scent.
1974 - Excellent vintage. Perfectly balanced, velvety and fine, pleasantly scented wine.
1973 - Elegant, normal vintage. On average strong wine, with an intense and persisting scent, along with a harmonic composition.
1972 - Very bad vintage. Producers renounced this wine as unsuitable for conservation and ripening.
1971 - Splendidly balanced and harmonic, extraordinarily velvety, intensely scented, very elegant wine.
1970 - Complete, intensely scented, strong, velvety, splendidly balanced wine of very good stuff.
1969 - Balanced, normal vintage. Fairly strong, delicately scented wine of good stuff.
1968 - Elegant, good vintage. Velvety, delicate, on average strong wine, elegantly scented.
1967 - Excellent vintage. Complete, strong, intensely scented wine.
1966 - Mediocre vintage.
1965 - Balanced, normal vintage. Fairly strong, balanced wine, with an intense and pleasant scent.
1964 - Splendidly balanced, complete wine, intensely scented, perhaps a little too hard, suitable for a long life.
1963 - Bad vintage.
1962 - Normal vintage. Wine of good stuff, not intensely scented.
1961 - Complete wine, splendidly velvety, with a very strong character, high alcoholic level, very intense and fine scent.
1960 - Bad vintage.
1959 - Mediocre vintage.
1958 - Not too strong but a complete wine of very good stuff; exceptionally elegant, intensely scented.
1957 - Excellent vintage. Complete, velvety, balanced wine.
1956 - Normal vintage. Light wine, though intensely colored and average scented.
1955 - Good vintage. Splendidly balanced, rightly vinous, intensely scented wine.
1954 - Normal vintage. Weak wine, though elegant, fine, velvety.
1953 - Bad vintage.
1952 - Normal vintage. Quite strong, vinous wine, though fairly hard.
1951 - Good vintage. Strong, velvety wine of good stuff.
1950 - Normal vintage. Quite light, vinous, fine wine.
1949 - Mediocre vintage. Weak wine, with a plain character.
1948 - Bad vintage.
1947 - Extraordinary vintage. Complete, perfectly balanced wine, of pure breed and with a very strong character.
1946 - Normal vintage. Quite harmonic and elegant wine.
Barbaresco
Most recent vintage first. Click a year to see what we have in stock.
2023 - Released in early 2026, the 2023 Barbarescos come from a season of extremes — a wet spring, a very hot midsummer and localised hail — and show it: the wines are fresh, mid-weight and aromatic, variable in depth from site to site. The careful producers made lovely, early-drinking wines. Taste before committing.
2022 - A hot, dry season that Nebbiolo handled better than most grapes. The Barbarescos are ripe and generous, with rounded tannins and more freshness than the weather suggested, especially from the higher sites of Neive and Treiso. Approachable early; drink over the next ten years.
2021 - An outstanding, classic vintage: a cool spring, a warm summer, a long, bright autumn, and fruit picked at full maturity with all its acidity. The wines combine perfume, structure and length in a way the zone achieves only a few times a decade. Buy for the cellar.
2020 - A warm, early year that produced charming, fruit-forward Barbarescos with soft tannins and plenty of immediate appeal. Consistent across the zone and already drinking well; a vintage to enjoy while the 2019s and 2021s mature.
2019 - A cool, slow season gave structured, aromatic, firmly tannic Barbaresco in the classic style — wines of tension and length that need a few years. Among the best recent vintages for the cellar.
2018 - A wet, cool year that favoured the lighter, prettier side of Nebbiolo. The wines are pale, perfumed and early-drinking, thin where the sorting was lax. Enjoy the good ones now.
2017 - Spring frost and a hot, dry summer cut yields and pushed ripeness. The better wines are dense and forward with fast-softening tannins; the lesser ones taste of the heat. Selective buying; drink now and over the next several years.
2016 - A great vintage in Barbaresco as in Barolo — a long, even season with cool nights, producing wines of extraordinary balance and aromatic depth. The top wines will age for twenty years; even the entry-level bottlings are superb.
2015 - A warm summer brought ripe, full, generous wines with soft tannins and immediate appeal. Very good rather than classic; drinking well now.
2014 - A cool, damp summer, but Barbaresco escaped the worst of the hail that hit Barolo, and the wines are better than their reputation: elegant, fragrant, lighter-bodied Nebbiolo with real charm. Drink now and over the next few years.
2013 - A cool, late vintage of classic proportions: lifted aromatics, bright acidity, fine firm tannin and real length. Tight on release, now beginning to show, with a long life ahead.
2012 - A hot August and rain near harvest produced mid-weight, fairly classic wines of good rather than great quality. Drinking well now.
2011 - A warm late summer gave ripe, soft, approachable Barbarescos with generous fruit. Lovely early, now fully mature; drink.
2010 - A superb, cool, classic vintage — perfumed, deep, perfectly structured wines that will age for decades. One of the great Barbaresco years, alongside 2016 and 2001.
2009 - A warm year with ripe, rounded, soft wines that drank well early and are now mature. Pleasant; drink up.
2008 - A cool, classic season with a dry autumn produced elegant, precisely structured wines with lovely aromatics. Underrated on release and showing beautifully now.
2007 - A warm, early vintage of charming, open-knit wines with ripe fruit and gentle tannin. Mature now; drink over the next few years.
2006 - A structured, tannic, traditionally built vintage that needed time. The best are now opening into serious, complex Barbaresco with years ahead.
2005 - A rain-affected harvest produced medium-bodied, early-maturing wines — elegant, aromatic and now fully mature. Quietly satisfying at fair prices.
2004 - A long, even season and a generous crop produced classic, perfumed, beautifully balanced Barbaresco. One of the best vintages of the decade, drinking superbly now.
2003 - The heatwave year: low acidity, dry tannins and early maturity for most wines, with exceptions from the coolest sites. Drink up.
2002 - A cold, wet summer; Barbaresco was spared the worst of the Barolo hail but the wines are light and dilute. A vintage to pass over.
2001 - A classic, structured year of real depth and balance from an ideal season. The wines are at a glorious stage now and will continue for years. One of the finest modern vintages.
2000 - A warm, early year of ripe, soft, forward wines that peaked early. Most are now past their best; drink any remaining bottles.
1999 - Very good quality; voluptuous Barbaresco reminiscent of 1997; suitable for aging.
1998 - More structure and potential than 1997; some very fine, elegant wines.
1997 - A hot growing season resulted in record ripeness levels but some low acidities; voluptuous wines.
1996 - Superb Barbaresco for aging; excellent structure and longevity.
1995 - Hail-reduced crop of deep-colored wines; benefited from a sunny autumn; a notch below 1989 and 1990.
1994 - Persistent September rains led to diluted wines; not up to Tuscany’s performance.
1993 - A better vintage with more favorable conditions, producing balanced wines.
1992 - Another difficult year; wines are generally light and lack depth.
1991 - A challenging vintage with less favorable weather conditions, resulting in lighter wines.
1990 - Extraordinary vintage. Exciting and complex wine, with a good structure, balance and consistency, elegant scent; rich and wide, with a generous taste, harmonic and fine tannin level and persistent structure; remarkably long-lived.
1989 - Fairly structured and balanced wine; with a wide, intense and complex scent; generous and complete taste with an elegant tannin level, very good stuff and persistence; long-lived.
1988 - Remarkably elegant structure, great balance and strong character. Pleasant and intense scent with a remarkable fragrance. Right tannin level, wide, delicately bitter, on average long-lived.
1987 - Good vintage. Well-balanced wine, harmonic and elegant with a gentle and pleasant structure, of good stuff. Delicate, persisting and pleasant scent.
1986 - Excellent vintage. Very harmonic wine, of good stuff, complete, elegant, intensely and widely scented, with a pleasant character. Very modest production because of a hailstorm in spring.
1985 - Perfectly balanced wine with a strong character, a pleasant scent, intense, fragrant, wide and exciting; perfectly balanced velvety texture and tannin level, elegant and generous, suitable for a long life.
1984 - Normal vintage. On average strong, well-balanced wine with a pleasant structure, delicate and persisting scent. Modest production.
1983 - Good vintage. Balanced and pleasant wine, strong enough, elegant and velvety, with a fine and intense scent.
1982 - Complete, strong, balanced wine with an intense, wide and delicate scent; extraordinarily balanced strength and velvety texture, good character; suitable for a long life.
1981 - Normal vintage. On average strong, delicate, elegant, harmonic, finely and delicately scented wine.
1980 - Excellent vintage. Intensely and widely scented, complete wine, of good stuff, extraordinarily balanced, harmonically built.
1979 - Excellent vintage. Wine of very good stuff, fairly complete, elegant, intensely scented, with a pleasant character.
1978 - Strong and complete, intensely but delicately and harmonically scented, extraordinarily balanced strength and velvety texture, suitable for a long life.
1977 - Normal vintage. Fine, not too strong, balanced, delicately scented wine. Sometimes mediocre.
1976 - Normal vintage. Fairly strong, balanced and fine wine, delicately scented.
1975 - Good vintage. Balanced, harmonic and pleasant, elegant wine, with a delicate and intense scent.
1974 - Excellent vintage. Perfectly balanced, velvety and fine, pleasantly scented wine.
1973 - Normal vintage. On average strong wine, with an intense and persisting scent, along with a harmonious composition.
1972 - Very bad vintage. Producers renounced this wine as unsuitable for cellaring.
1971 - Both splendidly balanced and harmonic, extraordinarily velvety, intensely scented, VERY elegant wine.
1970 - Complete, intensely scented, strong, velvety, splendidly balanced wine of VERY GOOD stuff.
1969 - Average vintage. Fairly strong wine with subtle aromas and decent balance.
1968 - Good vintage. Velvety, delicate, and moderately strong wine with elegant aromas.
1967 - Complete, strong, intensely scented wine.
1966 - Mediocre vintage.
1965 - Normal vintage. Fairly strong, balanced wine, with an intense and pleasant scent.
1964 - Splendidly balanced, Complete wine, intensely scented, perhaps a little too hard, suitable for a long life.
1963 - Bad vintage.
1962 - Normal vintage. Wine of good stuff, not intensely scented.
1961 - Complete wine, splendidly velvety, with a VERY strong character, high alcoholic level, VERY intense and fine scent.
1960 - Bad vintage.
1959 - Mediocre vintage.
1958 - Not too strong but complete wine, of very good stuff, exceptionally elegant, intensely scented.
1957 - Excellent vintage. Complete, velvety, balanced wine.
1956 - Normal vintage. Light wine, though intensely colored and on average scented.
1955 - Good vintage. Splendidly balanced, rightly vinous, intensely scented wine.
1954 - Normal vintage. Weak wine, though elegant, fine, velvety.
1953 - Bad vintage.
1952 - Normal vintage. Quite strong, vinous wine, though fairly hard.
1951 - Good vintage. Strong, velvety wine of good stuff.
1950 - Normal vintage. Quite light, vinous, fine wine.
1949 - Mediocre vintage. Weak wine, with a plain character.
1948 - Bad vintage.
1947 - Complete, perfectly balanced wine, of pure breed and with a very strong character.
1946 - Normal vintage. Quite harmonic and elegant wine.
1945 - Good vintage. Strong, velvety, intensely scented wine.