Winemaker Notes
#63 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2021
The greatness of Monvigliero lies in its signature aromatics, which are unlike any Barolo. Its astonishingly intense, and instantly recognizable, perfume of wild strawberries, rose petals, cedar and truffle is nothing short of hypnotic. And it could come from no place else on earth. It is the essence of its terroir.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made with whole-cluster fermentation, the Comm. G.B. Burlotto 2016 Barolo Monvigliero opens to distinctive intensity with floral notes backed by forest berry and bramble. Including the grape stems in fermentation imparts a slightly herbaceous character with eucalyptus and balsam herb. I also pick up on some freshly milled white pepper that reminds me of the Nebbiolo-adjacent Pelaverga grape that is also commonly planted in Verduno. The wine opens slowly to reveal grilled herbs, toasted chia seed and pistachio nut. More than obvious fruit, the core of the wine offers wild rose, lavender and pressed flowers.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of rose, red berry, dark spice, smoke and wild herb shape the nose on this structured red. Intense and loaded with finesse, the radiant, focused palate doles out ripe red cherry, cranberry, licorice, tobacco and menthol. Vibrant acidity and a mineral vein create youthful tension while firm polished tannins lend seamless support. Drink 2024–2046.
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Wine Spectator
A distinctive red, full of savory aromas of wild thyme, juniper, eucalyptus and green olive. Flavors of cherry and strawberry enter on the palate and overall this is refined and lacy. Harmonious and long, it finishes with flashes of blood orange, spice and malt. Best from 2023 through 2042.
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.