2017 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo del Comune di Verduno, Piedmont

Wild red berry, camphor, truffle and dark spice aromas form the inviting nose. Elegantly structured, the savory palate also has youthful tension, delivering ripe Morello cherry, raspberry compote, star anise and tobacco blend set against taut, fine-grained tannins. Give it a few more years to fully develop. Drink 2024–2031

94 points Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast

The 2017 Barolo del Comune di Verduno is an absolutely gorgeous wine. This is the first vintage in which the Barolo 'classico' becomes a Barolo del Comune di Verduno, in other words, a wine only from Verduno. Pliant and deep, the 2017 is striking right out of the gate. A wine of tremendous balance, the 2017 is a total pleasure to taste. Today the flavors are naturally quite primary, but there is so much to like. Bright red berry fruit, blood orange and spice punctuate the finish. Vineyard sites are Rivarocca, plus smaller pieces from Pisapola, Campasso, Rocche dell'Olmo and Boscato.

92 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Here's a new wine that reflects the enthusiasm for comune-focused wines that are now gaining much traction across the Barolo appellation. The Fratelli Alessandria 2017 Barolo del Comune di Verduno shows beautifully even in its youth and most especially after the bottle has been opened for a bit or double decanted. Like all these wines from this vintage, it needs a little extra breathing room. The results are precise and focused with a good balance of light spice, mineral and tar. Some 20,000 bottles were made.

94 points Monica Larner, Robert Parker

Nicely perfumed nose with dried wild strawberries and some chalky minerals. Medium to full body with sweet and tangy fruit flavor and a hint of vanilla growing through the palate. The tannins are firm, but under control and are starting to meld into the wine. Give it a year or two to integrate more fully. Drink from 2023 onwards.

93 points James Suckling

From the historic commune of Verduno at the northern edge of Barolo, the 2017 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo del Comune di Verduno captures a more fragrant, finely detailed expression of Nebbiolo. Fratelli Alessandria, a family estate with roots dating back to the 1800s, has become a quiet favourite among Barolo insiders for wines that emphasise purity, elegance and site transparency. Verduno’s lighter soils and slightly cooler exposures lend themselves to wines of perfume and finesse rather than sheer power, and even in the warmer 2017 vintage, that signature lift remains.

A luminous garnet with brick tinges sits in the glass. Aromas unfold with rose petal, red cherry and raspberry layered with orange peel, spice, dried herbs and a gentle earthy note. There is an immediacy to the perfume, open and expressive yet still finely nuanced.

The palate is medium bodied and beautifully poised, delivering vibrant red fruit framed by fine, chalky tannins and bright acidity. Notes of cranberry, tea leaf, liquorice and savoury earth build through the mid palate, leading to a long, persistent finish that feels both graceful and quietly structured. The warmth of the vintage brings a touch more generosity, making this Barolo approachable earlier than some, yet it still has the bones to evolve over ten to fifteen years into more complex, savoury territory.

Braised rabbit with herbs, tajarin pasta with butter and sage, or duck cooked gently with orange and spice shared as the evening unfolds. A late night shift into something timeless, Puccini arias or even a delicate string quartet, the wine moving with that same sense of elegance, emotion and quiet precision.