Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 2021 750ml

The Comm. G.B. Burlotto 2021 Barolo Monvigliero is another headline achievement from vintner Fabio Alessandria. This wine certainly stands out in a crowd, and I would argue that its floral and herbal notes (linked to traditional whole-cluster fermentation) are more expertly and elegantly presented in this epic vintage. The wine shows growing vertical intensity with rosehip tea, crushed stone, bergamot and a spicy hint of ginger. But it remains demure all the while. The tannins in the Monvigliero are more resolved compared to the Cannubi and certainly the Castelletto, but the wine offers a different kind of structural backbone that permeates the entire palate with smooth silkiness, as opposed to showing up as textural firmness on the finish alone. That said, you'll want to put this bottle aside for more cellar aging. Very few winemakers have the steel nerves to execute whole-cluster fermentation across the board. If things go south, the process can open wines up to significant risk, including Brett, volatile acidity and undesired secondary notes from fermentation. Monvigliero in Verduno is a site of moderate elevation that is influenced by the warm air currents and humidity of the nearby Tanaro River. Hazelnuts, not grapes, are the main crop across the river banks. Nebbiolo grapes mature earlier here; but perhaps more significantly, the grape stems become quite ripe, and this is something that only happens here. This little detail has opened a new chapter for the entire Barolo appellation, especially today with climate change on our minds.

#63 in Top 100 Wines of Italy, 2025. A perfumed wine full of intensity and vermouth-like complexity. Sweet spices dominate on the nose, with cinnamon, oak bark, peonies, Parma violets, violet candy and earthy strawberry fruit. Smooth attack, with a full body, refreshing lifted acidity and velvety, refined and elegant tannins. Savory finish full of details, with a rhubarb and dried orange aftertaste. Chiseled to perfection. A sleek wine for the long haul, but drinkable in two or three years.

This is fragrant and silky, featuring green olive, green tea, rose, cherry, tamarind, iron and tobacco flavors. The supple texture gives way to a firm line of tannins, leaving a strong grip on the finish. The flavors persist and expand on the aftertaste. Best from 2028 through 2047.

A singular and distinctive vintage, the 2021 Barolo Monvigliero leaps from the glass with lifted aromas of salted orange peel, concentrated wild strawberries, Asian spices, and brambly herbs. The palate is equally expressive and long, with profound structural tension and a noble feel, although it simultaneously has a singular expression of the place and winemaking style. It’s a brilliant wine all around, with great richness to its tannin structure, and it’s constantly evolving in the glass. Drink over the coming decades.