Bright, deep ruby red with a hint of purple; aromas of black cherry, plum and black mint. Medium-bodied, this is nicely balanced and straightforward with ripe Cabernet flavors and moderate tannins. Enjoy over the next 2-3 years.

Italian Wine Report

Tom Hyland

Bright ruby red; aromas of charcoal, black cherry and mace. Medium-full, this is very ripe with rich black spice notes, balanced acidity and good persistence. There is
evident oak and the charred flavors dominate; still this is a flavorful, spicy red that will
please many. Best to let it sit a year, enjoy over the next 2-3 years.

Italian Wine Report

Tom Hyland

Bright, medium yellow; delicate aromas of pear, melon and yellow flowers. Mediumbodied, this is straightforward and clean, with modest varietal character, but lacks much complexity. Drink over the next 12-18 months.

Italian Wine Report

Tom Hyland

Bright, delicate yellow; faint aromas of lemon juice and yellow flowers. Mediumbodied, this is clean and well-rounded, but it lacks complexity and much in the way of varietal character, so it needs to be consumed over the next 12-18 months.

Italian Wine Report

Tom Hyland

Bright, medium deep ruby red; aromas of morel cherry, currant, thyme and dried brown herbs. Medium bodied, there is good ripeness and acidity, with medium-weight tannins and good persistence. Straightforward, this is pleasant, though a bit simple. Drink over the next 2-3 years.

Italian Wine Report

Tom Hyland

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Luca Maroni

Luca Maroni

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Luca Maroni

Luca Maroni

So much dried mushroom with bark, tea and dark berry character here. Full body, dense and tannic. Monster wine. Impressive. Love it. Drink or hold

JamesSuckling.com

James Suckling

It shines in the glass and thrills at first glance in the devastating sensorial progression of the symphony orchestra of currant, raspberry, cassis, cherry, magnolia blossom, hibiscus blossom, rose petal and pink grapefruit juice. In the background, the sweet energy of Williams pears combines with lime and jasmine to describe a gentle secondary structure with feminine features. Graphite binds all the notes described, wrapping and creating a complexity that is difficult to replicate. Medium-full body, silky tannins that caress the palate, acidity perfectly fused in the vibrant and austere matrix at the right point and a solid and compact finish that makes radiance a strength and commendable workmanship. Wow! Better from 2022.

WinesCritic.com

Raffaele Vecchione

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Luca Maroni

Luca Maroni

Intriguing, complex and sophisticated is the sensory profile of a thoroughbred with a thousand sensory nuances, which touches the emotional sphere in the different describable colors. The red flowers blend with notes of currant and raspberry, meeting dark and opulent notes, slightly tinged with black plums, black tea leaves, unripe blackberries and incense. The dark features still prevail in the secondary scene in the shades of black pepper, juniper and lots of chinotto. Medium-full body, tannins perfectly polymerized in the vineyard and integrated into the matrix constitute the fragile but solid backbone at the same time that binds to a balanced and luminous finish in the brilliant closure in the harmony of the taste of beauty. Better from 2022.

WinesCritic.com

Raffaele Vecchione

Platinum Award-An immensely powerful wine with huge yet refined, tightly wound tannins and great elegance and beauty. Richly layered black fruit, prune and tobacco leaves with hints of tea. Concentrated and grippy, this will go on and on

Decanter

Stephen Brook

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Gardini Notes

Luca Gardini

Aromas of licorice, rose petals and berries. Full body, chewy tannins and lots of fruit. It's tight and polished, and there's so much going on. Very cool. Best ever from this vineyard. Try in 2022

JamesSuckling.com

James Suckling

Different and exciting in the sensorial profile, this young Barolo shows notes drawn in dark tones that strongly recall blackberries, black tea leaves, sweet licorice and bergamot peel. The precision of execution is masterful and speechless. A secondary matrix emerges fearlessly to tell of wet rosemary and white musk. What an essence! Full body, ripe tannins of remarkable enveloping quality and perfectly polymerized and a broad finish with a voluminous trend but which does not detract from the progression of the top players in the Langa. Better from 2022.

WinesCritic.com

Raffaele Vecchione

Delicate in the sensory manifestation, it excites by touching the emotional sphere in the quality of the fruit that reveals in the glass the notes of indomitable beauty of cherries, wild strawberries, geranium flowers, hibiscus flowers, peppermint and eucalyptus leaves. Still in the background, the balsamic trait is shown in the solid trace of the chopped green tea leaves and merged into the lively notes of the main matrix. Medium-full body, immense in the drinkability of a structured but light and performing matrix in progression. The sweet and perfectly ripe tannins give the hoped-for three-dimensionality of great vintages. The closure is light and of evident quality in one of the most interesting MGAs of recent years in the Langa. Better from 2022.

WinesCritic.com

Raffaele Vecchione

Aromas of cherry pith and antique roses are the love-at-first-sniff impression. Chalky, dry tannins are coated with plum spice. Rose petals are powdered with cocoa. Elegance presides with a flourish of balsamic and fennel. Graceful to the finish.

The Tasting Panel Magazine

Meridith May

Decadent and wild with sliced-berry and mushroom aromas, as well as dried bark. It’s full-bodied with lots of tannins and new wood to the ripe fruit at the end. The purity of fruit and forest-floor character is very special. Big wine, which will come around with age. Better after 2023

JamesSuckling.com

James Suckling

Less intense than usual yet elegantly focused on wild strawberry and chestnut earthiness, this Parafada shows an intoxicating fresh orange peel flavour that you can't spit, perfectly woven with lifted acidity and just a bit of warming alcohol. The tension keeps it going with a tight liquorice and cherry kernel finish. Great concentration for the 2018 vintage. Drinking Window: 2020 - 2038

Decanter

Aldo Fiordelli

Aromas of cedar, balsamic and roses with some chocolate and toffee undertones. It’s full-bodied,
tight and rich with a succulent palate and a long, beautiful finish. Plush is a nice descriptor here. Drink after 2023,
but so delicious now.

JamesSuckling.com

James Suckling

Refined, elegant, and upright. Dark chocolate cherries are threaded through crushed stone. Juicy plum and jasmine arise mid-way, with savory grilled herbs and a distinct minerality. Lines are well defined with black raspberry and new leather whispered on the finish.

The Tasting Panel Magazine

Meridith May

Bright ruby, floral nose, sleek and luscious with bright raspberry and roses, racy acidity and pure, focused style; elegant and deep with amazing finesse; long and stunning

The Tasting Panel Magazine

Anthony Dias Blue

Fabulous aromas of dark berries, plums and spice with hints of dried tea and mahogany. Full-bodied, very tight and focused with a solid core of fruit and a long, flavorful finish. So well-integrated. De-stemmed by hand. 125 magnums made. Drink in 2022

JamesSuckling.com

James Suckling

Extremely perfumed and floral here. Hints of honeysuckle and rose petals with pretty fruit. Full-bodied yet tight and polished with a focused center palate and a flavorful finish. Fine tannins, yet powerful. Very long. First year for this new wine

JamesSuckling.com

James Suckling

My records indicate that I was fortunate to taste and score this wine “blind” in Alba on January 25, 2019, but a lot of water has passed under the proverbial bridge since then, so I didn’t recall that when I was again fortunate to taste a press sample of it last week. Despite that, my scores from the two tastings were identical, despite very different circumstances and 18 intervening months. Indeed, the main elements in my review from the blind tasting (which I just looked up as I write this) correspond perfectly to how the wine tastes now, after shipment to the USA. It shows marvelously expressive aromas immediately after the cork is pulled, with very heady scents of ripe fruit intermingled with multiple savory notes recalling cured meat and wild mushrooms. It is almost as quick out of the starting block in terms of flavor, displaying both red and black fruit tones as well as balsamic and spicy accents. The tannins are abundant but very fine in grain, lending shape to the ripe fruit flavors but without impinging on the wine’s very long, beautifully proportionate finish. One last thing: Many Barolo lovers deserted the “Riserva” category because many of the wines were criminally over-oaked during the “modernist” period that began in the 1990s before receding around 2005. Some modernist wines became very good with age, but the worst of the barrique-blasted Riservas started blunt and hard with wood tannins, stayed hard, and scared away a lot of wine lovers who had paid big money for them. This wine is a wonderful case in counterpoint, and although it will probably get better in the years ahead, it is totally ready to rock right now

Wine Review Online

Michael Franz