Winemaker Notes
The first single-vineyard Barolo made for first time in 1978, in Castiglione Falletto village from Fiasco MGA, in their property since 1921. Here they own 2,5 hectares cultivated with Nebbiolo for Barolo. It’s an amphitheater south-west exposed located at 280 m of elevation.
Thanks to the very central position in the Barolo region, the soil is very complex. The Tortonian limestone and the Helvetian yellow sands cross combining into the wine a great finesse and freshness of the aromatics with intensity and depth of the structure.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Barolo Bric del Fiasc is the hallmark wine of the estate, and it shows. Taking on more concentration, it is pure and generous with kirsch, star anise, nutmeg, and menthol and moves impressively to the palate with ease and nobility. It offers fantastic depth while remaining true to the vintage and propels forward through an arch of acidity, while having grounded notes of Earl Grey tea, black cherry, and crushed stones as well as ripe tannins. Best After 2026
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James Suckling
Aromas of strawberry, orange, white rose, and sandalwood follow through to a full body with very fine tannins that have a velvety texture that is focused and refined. Vivid acidity. Juicy and flavorful. Lovely depth and intensity.
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Wine Spectator
A supple, graceful red announced by rose, cherry, licorice, iron and white pepper aromas and flavors. This is no pushover, however, with a layer of dense, pointed tannins that resonate on the long aftertaste. Shows excellent balance and complexity. Best from 2027 through 2046. 675 cases made, 203 cases imported.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With the gold label, the Paolo Scavino 2019 Barolo Bric dël Fiasc is also a bit closed on first nose. I came back to this wine (and all the others in this flight) 24 hours later to monitor the progression of the bouquet. At this young stage, you get basic primary fruit with some light spice. The tannins are a bit more etched and prominent in this wine.
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.