2017 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Romirasco, Piedmont

Lots of floral aromas, such as lilacs and roses, with crushed raspberries and strawberries. Sandalwood, too. Full-bodied and very powerful with incredible depth of fruit and chewy tannins. It goes on for minutes. Try after 2026.

98 points jamessuckling.com 

Though well-marked by new oak, there’s a vibrant quality to this Barolo, along with cherry, raspberry, iron, tar and tobacco flavors. Supple, almost elegant, with a long, spicy aftertaste, this shows plenty of detail and energy. Best from 2025 through 2040.

95 points  Bruce Sanderson winespectator.com Inside Weekly Nov 2021

Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Romirasco is one of the most revered expressions of Barolo, drawn from a historic monopole vineyard in the heart of Serralunga d’Alba, a village synonymous with structure, depth and longevity. Romirasco sits on a south facing slope with compact limestone and sandstone soils rich in iron, giving Nebbiolo its formidable tannic backbone, mineral drive and dark, savoury intensity. These soils, combined with elevation and excellent exposure, produce wines of immense concentration and authority, yet with the clarity and precision that define the very best Barolo. Romirasco is often regarded as the most powerful of Aldo Conterno’s crus, a wine that speaks clearly of Serralunga’s noble, serious character.

Poderi Aldo Conterno was founded in 1969 by Aldo Conterno after his departure from the family estate at Giacomo Conterno, and it has since become one of Barolo’s most important reference points. Aldo blended traditional long macerations with a more refined, modern sensitivity, always believing that great Barolo should be powerful but never heavy. Today the estate is run by his sons Franco, Stefano and Giacomo, who continue this philosophy with meticulous vineyard work, low yields and patient élevage in large Slavonian oak casks. In the glass Romirasco shows a deep garnet colour, opening with intense aromas of rose petal, dark cherry, red plum, tar, licorice and crushed stone. The palate is commanding and layered, delivering dense red fruit, savoury spice and iron rich minerality framed by firm, fine grained tannins and a long, resonant finish. This is a Barolo built for the long term, pairing magnificently with braised beef, game, truffles and aged Parmigiano, and capable of evolving gracefully over thirty years or more as it develops leather, dried flowers and earthy complexity.