Barolo Annual Tasting Report: A Beautiful Warmth Unfolds

The 2021 Barolo vintage is looking like a landmark year, shaped by four key factors beyond the empirical evidence found in the tasting of nearly 300 wines by Senior Editors Aldo Fiordelli and Jacobo García Andrade, whose explorations spanned Alba and the cellars of the appellation’s various communes.

The first factor? Snow. The winter of 2021 marked the last time significant snowfall graced the Langhe. While snow might seem inconsequential, it is anything but in this region. The Langhe’s steep, rugged soils – often in its finest crus – do not retain rainwater well, as it tends to run off into the valleys.

The benefits from snow are twofold: it replenishes water reserves and cools temperatures, effectively cleansing vineyards of pests and their eggs while warding off noctuids – moth larvae that emerge in spring to feed on vine buds.

Maria Teresa Mascarello, the proprietor of Bartolo Mascarello, confirmed that there was substantial snowfall in January 2021, setting the foundation for a healthy vintage. “This was crucial because from February to the end of the year, only 400 millimeters of rain fell – 100 of which came in November, after the harvest.”

The result was a dry and healthy growing season, culminating in a warm, sunny September. The harvest began in early October. When nebbiolo is afforded an extended growing season, it achieves its legendary complexity. This is the second of the four factors.

“We harvested Ornato between Oct. 12 and Oct. 14, and Mosconi as late as the 18th,” Federica Boffa and Cesare Benvenuto Pio of Pio Cesare said of their nebbiolo vineyards. “The year was warmer and drier than 2019, which resulted in wines that are accessible yet retain depth and structure. We feel truly blessed by this harvest – our first on our own,” Boffa said, referring to the passing of her father, Pio Boffa, in the spring of that year from Covid.

The mostly dry climate throughout the growing season, supported by winter water reserves, not only allowed the nebbiolo grapes to produce dense tannins but also resulted in low pH levels, meaning high acidity in the wines – a hallmark of the vintage, and the third key factor that made for such a great year.

In recent vintages, pH levels had trended higher than those typically found in traditionally styled Barolos. But in 2021, there was a return to lower levels, evident in the wines’ vivid colors, purity of aromas, and fresh, lively fruit – a renewed energy providing vibrant backbone and freshness. All of these elements bode well for the long aging potential of these Barolos.

That brings us to the final factor influencing 2021. The spring of the year brought a frost that swept across the region from April 7 to April 9, coinciding with the same cold snap that struck Burgundy. “It hit the hilltops rather than the valleys,” Maria Teresa Mascarello, the owner of Domaine Mascarello, recalled, attributing the phenomenon to icy winds. Growers estimate that the frost reduced yields by roughly 10 percent, acting as a kind of natural thinning agent.

This topic has sparked lively debate, not just in Barolo but across Italy. Many producers now argue that thinning is no longer necessary in warmer vintages. The 2021 season suggests otherwise. “For us, the frost was beneficial,” Mascarello noted. “Thinning is still important, but it needs to be done early.”

The resulting grapes were healthy, intact and characterized by thick skins, allowing for the traditionally long macerations on submerged caps that are emblematic of Barolo. “It was the last year we did it,” Mascarello confessed, echoing a sentiment shared by other Barolo producers like Enzo Brezza. However, traditionalists such as the Giacomo Fenocchio and Roagna wineries continue to embrace this method.

Despite the frost during the year, 2021 is seen as a warm year in the most favorable sense: “Warm, not as a flaw, but with beautiful aromatic openness and exceptional tannin maturity,” commented Sergio Germano, whose Ettore Germano in Serralunga is now in its fourth generation of family ownership.

The 2021 Barolos are strikingly expressive, with noses that lean more toward openness than austerity. These wines showcase the power and aging potential of great reds but without the heavy-handed extractions of years past. Compared with the more vertical 2019 vintage, 2021 is equally structured but wrapped in a lush fruit profile. While not necessarily ready to drink now, most of the 2021 offerings will shine after just a year or two in the bottle, retaining their remarkable aging potential.

“The 2021 vintage is fuller than 2019 and less structured than 2020, yet it remains elegant,” observed Roberto Conterno, who heads the family-run Giacomo Conterno, which produced its renowned Monfortino Riserva across all three vintages. “It reminds me of another remarkable trio: 1999, 2000, and 2001,” he added – a sentiment echoed by many in the region.

Fabio Alessandria of G.B. Burlotto highlighted the distinct character of each vintage: “2019 was more vertical and tense, while 2021 carries more weight, and 2020 is the most approachable of the three. It’s a strong trilogy overall. If I were to compare, 2021 reminds me of 2015, but with greater freshness, energy, and finesse.”

If the 2021 vintage has a limitation, it might be its aromatic accessibility when compared with the more austere Barolos of the past. However, as Alessandria noted, “Gone are the days of vintages meant solely for cellaring, wines you couldn’t touch immediately.”

Germano emphasized the uniformity of quality in the region. “2021 is not a patchy vintage with highs and lows between Barolo’s various communes, but one of consistent excellence,” he said.

That sentiment is backed by our tastings of wines across the appellation – from Barolo itself to La Morra, Castiglione Falletto and Novello.

One standout of the vintage is G.B. Burlotto’s Barolo Monvigliero 2021. Fermented in wood with 100 percent whole clusters and aged 30 months in large casks, this wine is a jewel of grace and power. It boasts a nose so rich with sweet spices that it evokes a fine vermouth, accompanied by a fragrant palate and velvety tannins built for long aging.

READ MORE BRUNELLO RISERVA 2019 VINTAGE REPORT: CONSISTENCY AND QUALITY FROM A REMARKABLE YEAR

In La Morra, Roberto Voerzio’s offerings lead the way for the 2021 vintage. His Barolo Brunate is a powerhouse, while his Sarmassa showcases finesse, concentration and remarkable length. Also noteworthy are the Brunate 2021 by Marcarini and Mario Gagliasso’s Torriglione 2021. Ceretto’s Barolo Brunate 2021, meanwhile, dazzles with notes of cranberries, dried herbs, underbrush, minerals, and violets, culminating in a beautifully balanced finish.

Bartolo Mascarello’s Barolo 2021 stands as a benchmark for blended Barolos – those crafted from multiple crus rather than a single Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva (MGA). This wine layers sweet spices with profound elegance, delivering a palate of immense depth.

In Serralunga, Vietti’s Barolo Lazzarito 2021 impresses with its floral grace and structure, while Giovanni Rosso’s Vigna Rionda Ester Canale Rosso 2021 offers an elegant interplay of sweet violets, wild strawberries, and red oranges, underpinned by robust yet refined tannins. The Pio Cesare Ornato 2021 also shines because of its profound, austere power.

Monforte d’Alba delivers some excellent options as well. The Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Villero 2021 combines dark fruit, potpourri, and a dusty texture with a hint of menthol on the finish. The Barolo Ginestra Vigna del Gris 2021, from Conterno-Fantino, balances bright red fruits and licorice with raw power, while Paolo Scavino’s Barolo Bussia Vigna Fantini 2021, a newly celebrated cru, offers rare finesse with notes of watermelon, redcurrant, sweet violets and creamy tannins.

Chiara Boschis, the owner/winemaker of E. Pira, garners special recognition for her precision and elegance. Her Barolo Cannubi 2021 stands out with its fragrant red fruit and subtly chewy finish. The Vajra family’s crus, the entire range from Bovio and Mauro Veglio’s offerings also demand attention. Among cooperative wineries, Arnaldo Rivera demonstrates consistent excellence.

Barolo's 2021 vintage, whose offerings had an average score of 95 points in this report, is not merely about numbers. Rather, the offerings from the year are a testament to the expressiveness and depth of what a contemporary Barolo wine means. Poetically reminiscent of the legendary 1985 vintage, thanks to its snowy winter and warm summer, 2021 has secured its place as a modern classic.

– Aldo Fiordelli, Senior Editor

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated in 2024 by James Suckling and the other tasters at JamesSuckling.com. You can sort the wines below by vintage, score and alphabetically by winery name. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.