Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The release schedule of this wine is complicated. The 2018 vintage was released before the 2017. Furthermore, the Figli Luigi Oddero 2016 Barolo Vignarionda is coming to market now after both the 2017 and the 2018. It is not being called Riserva but can be pretty much considered as such. The wine shows a firm sense of austerity and tightness, and you can see why the decision was made to release it so late. It has presumably softened with extra time in bottle. Tasted now, it leans into pretty tertiary tones with dried blackcurrant and spice that underline that pretty evolution. It also offers good freshness, and the tannins are not dried. In fact, they feel youthful and hydrated.
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Wine Enthusiast
Enticing aromas of incense and macerated cherries mingle with notes of tea and bay leaf, creating a captivating bouquet. On the palate, this Barolo is chewy and rich, filling the mouth with its concentrated flavors. A hint of dehydrated orange adds an intriguing dimension, while mixed whole spices contribute depth and complexity. The wine’s full-bodied nature and layered profile showcase the exceptional character of the Vigna Rionda cru.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
The center of the production of the world’s most exclusive and age-worthy red wines made from Nebbiolo, the Barolo wine region includes five core townships: La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto and the Barolo village itself, as well as a few outlying villages. The landscape of Barolo, characterized by prominent and castle-topped hills, is full of history and romance centered on the Nebbiolo grape. Its wines, with the signature “tar and roses” aromas, have a deceptively light garnet color but full presence on the palate and plenty of tannins and acidity. In a well-made Barolo wine, one can expect to find complexity and good evolution with notes of, for example, strawberry, cherry, plum, leather, truffle, anise, fresh and dried herbs, tobacco and violets.
There are two predominant soil types here, which distinguish Barolo from the lesser surrounding areas. Compact and fertile Tortonian sandy marls define the vineyards farthest west and at higher elevations. Typically the Barolo wines coming from this side, from La Morra and Barolo, can be approachable relatively early on in their evolution and represent the “feminine” side of Barolo, often closer in style to Barbaresco with elegant perfume and fresh fruit.
On the eastern side of the Barolo wine region, Helvetian soils of compressed sandstone and chalks are less fertile, producing wines with intense body, power and structured tannins. This more “masculine” style comes from Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba. The township of Castiglione Falletto covers a spine with both soil types.
The best Barolo wines need 10-15 years before they are ready to drink, and can further age for several decades.