Barolo 2019 – more tasting notes

Mid-to-deep ruby with orange tinges. Sweetly perfumed fruit with top notes of dusty oak. Supple palate with lots of drying tannins that are kept in check by the juicy red fruit on the finish. (WS)

Just mid ruby. Subdued red fruit but with a sense of fullness on the nose. Succulent and slow to open up on the palate. Raspberry fruit lined with tasty tannins. Poised and with great length. (WS)

Lustrous mid ruby. Open-knit, sweet, peppery red fruit on the nose with a hint of dusty oak. Supple red fruit with rustic, chewy tannins. A little rustic but pleasant and ready now. (WS)

Youthful mid ruby. Very closed on the nose and only showing savoury-sweet hints. Succulent sour-cherry and raspberry fruit on the palate with a deep layer of clayey tannins. Solid and won’t disappoint. (WS)

Palish ruby. Shyly perfumed nose but with plenty of concentration underneath. Just a tiny bit dusty at the beginning and needs lots of aeration. A core of raspberry and strawberry fruit on the palate. Succulent and sweetly aromatic strawberry-fruit palate. Real depth, yet lithe with lots of coating tannins that match the aromatic build-up on the finish. (WS)

Just mid ruby. Slightly reduced and closed on the nose. With aeration, it opens up to sweet raspberry fruit, lifted by just a touch of oak. Juicy, solid raspberry fruit on the palate with coating tannins clinging to the fruit. Very long and concentrated without being heavy. (WS)

Just mid ruby with orange tinges. Deep and a little brooding, with properly concentrated fruit underneath. With aeration, more and more complex. Lots of juicy, light fruit that is a contrast to the heavier nose. Juicy, lively finish with a deep layer of chewy tannins. (WS)

Lustrous mid ruby. Opulent, sweet, ripe raspberry nose with dusty hints and lifted by oak notes. Attractive raspberry-fruit palate supported by aromatic oak. Long and elegant and with a dry, tannic bite on the finish. Modernist style, but pushing all the right buttons. (WS)

Just mid ruby. Gorgeous, sweet raspberry and sour cherry on the nose with hints of fresh mint. Suave, fragrant raspberry fruit on the palate with hints of sweet oak and framed by tasty, coating tannins. Compelling, long and with a full spread on the finish. Fantastic balance. (WS)

Just mid ruby. Slightly raw rhubarb on the nose, but with attractive raspberry fruit underneath. Fragrant and fresh, but lacks substance. More like a Langhe Nebbiolo. (WS)

Diano d’Alba. Mid-to-deep ruby with bright orange tinges. Proper depth of dark-cherry fruit on the nose, with just a suggestion of gingerbread, like a whisper. A pure core of ripe dark cherry with tightly knit, fragrant, bitter-sweet tannins. Savoury, long fruit finish. A little rustic and totally convincing. (WS)

Roddi. Lustrous mid ruby with orange tinges. Cool raspberry nose with a hint of cooked rhubarb. A core of ripe red fruit layered with coating tannins. Very slow to show it all and with a juicy, if embryonic, finish. A really impressive result for this little-known vineyard. (WS)

Roddi. Just mid ruby with orange tinges. Sweet, concentrated cherry with perfectly integrated, sweet oak. A rich concoction of juicy cherry and fragrant oak on the palate and with long, polished tannins. Will make lots of friends. (WS)

Roddi. Lustrous mid ruby. Cool nose of dark-cherry fruit. A delicious core of pure, juicy cherry on the palate with long, finely grained tannins. A super-attractive, elegant wine from a little-known vineyard. (WS)

Verduno. Mid ruby. Cool, savoury, minerally red fruit but with plenty of concentration. Lots of sour-cherry fruit on the palate, with polished tannins. Very long and generous. (WS)

Verduno. Lustrous mid ruby. More depth on the nose than the straight Verduno from the same vintage and with layered complexity. Ripe and yet fresh, with plenty of succulent cherry on the palate and lots of attractive, chewy tannins. Great depth of fruit on the finish. (WS)

Verduno. Mid ruby with orange tinges. A little subdued, with brooding, perfumed fruit on the nose and savoury, minerally touches. Juicy, almost racy cherry fruit on the palate. Plenty of concentration and yet elegant and with savoury, fine tannins. Closes up on the finish. (WS)

Verduno. Mid-to-deep ruby with bright orange tinges. Brooding and a little reduced right now, with hints of rich fruit and leather. Supple, generous, juicy red fruit on the palate with grainy tannins. Solid. (WS)

Verduno. Mid-to-deep ruby with orange tinges. Rich red-fruit nose dabbed with sweet oak. A mouthful of supple, rich fruit and sweet, spicy oak with fine, chewy, long tannins. Lots of juice and oak on the finish and yet irresistible. For right now. (WS)

Verduno. Lustrous mid-to-deep ruby. Layers of ripe red fruit with savoury, saline hints. A sensational palate of richness and elegance, with bags of polished tannins that follow the fruit rather than dominating it. Layered finish that shows incredible depth. (WS)

Verduno. Deep, maturing ruby with bright orange tinges. Sweet oak and rich raspberry on the nose. The palate is pretty much the same, with plenty of finely ground, coating tannins. Undeniably attractive but could be a little less upfront, if it wants to reflect this cru. (WS)

Verduno. Just mid ruby. Beautiful, savoury, minerally fruit on the nose, with just the merest suggestion of oak. On the palate, a combination of lightness and fullness – there is no other way to describe it. Fluid raspberry fruit with savoury, saline notes and finely ground tannins on the finish. (WS)

Verduno. Just mid ruby. Cool rhubarb and raspberry nose. Focused and concentrated raspberry fruit on the palate and perfectly balanced by supple acidity and fine, chewy tannins. Could be a little finer, but it is already a big step up from the 2018 version in terms of complexity. (WS)

Verduno. Mid ruby. Concentrated, ripe red-fruit nose with earthy, savoury hints. Plenty of sour-cherry and raspberry fruit on the palate and with attractive, chewy tannins. Lots of juice on the finish. Solid and long. (WS)

Verduno. Lustrous ruby. Deep raspberry and morello-cherry nose and almost a little ethereal, in spite of its obvious concentration. Just a touch of savoury oak. Succulent fruit of impressive concentration. Has lots of everything, yet it’s fantastically balanced. Very long and compelling and can already be approached. (WS)

Verduno. Mid ruby with orange tinges. Brooding, deep red fruit on the nose with just the merest suggestion of oak. Still a little backward on the palate but with lots of juice on the finish. Impressive concentration but I had expected a little bit more elegance from this cru. (WS)

Verduno. Just mid ruby with orange tinges. Brooding red-fruit nose with a hint of fruit drops and leather. Succulent red fruit with lots of ripe acidity and just a hint of oak. The juicy, almost tart fruit is lined with persistent, long, powdery tannins on the finish. Ends a little mouth-watering. A little rustic for this cru. (WS)

Barolo. Just mid ruby. Earthy, spicy, minerally nose that is still a little subdued on the fruit. Transparent raspberry fruit on the palate that might seem a little light at first. Great elegance and style, and yet this has nothing polished about it. (WS)

Barolo. Just mid ruby with orange tinges. Fine and lifted on the nose, fresh and finely balanced on the palate. Succulent, long and elegant, with finely chiselled tannins. Sheer class. Already irresistible but deserves more time. (WS)

Barolo. Youthful mid ruby. A concentrated marasca and raspberry nose with balsamic, pet-shop hints heightening the complexity of this wine. Compact sour cherry, with a fragrant cranberry and sour-cherry finish and fine, powdery tannins. Long, fragrant and completely dry. (WS)

Barolo. Lustrous mid ruby with orange tinges. Lifted raspberry-fruit nose with a hint of morocco leather. Supple, generous cherry and raspberry fruit with a big layer of bitter-sweet tannins. Not enormously complex, yet long and well balanced. A solid offering. (WS)

Barolo. Mid-to-deep ruby. A tiny bit grubby/reduced at first. Sweet red fruit with a medicinal hint. Supple, sweet raspberry fruit on the palate, with a firm, tannic structure. Convincing, if a little austere. (WS)