2020 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis, Piedmont

Opening to a dark Nebbiolo color, the organic Cavallotto 2020 Barolo Bricco Boschis is a little richer in this vintage. The quality of aromas also takes on a bigger profile with dried blackberry, licorice and earthy black truffle. This apparently comes from the fruit but is also shaped by the wine's long aging regime that sees 36 months in Slavonian oak casks. As a result, the delicate mineral and floral nuances that are an important feature of this wine are less prominent in 2020. This is a release of 18,582 bottles.

94 points Monica Larner robertparker.com

From the historic Bricco Boschis estate in Castiglione Falletto, this Barolo is the core expression of Cavallotto’s philosophy, traditional, organic and unapologetically structured. The family has farmed these slopes since the 1940s, treating the vineyard as a single living ecosystem. Limestone and marl soils give Nebbiolo both power and perfume, while organic farming preserves clarity and tension in the fruit. Even in its “classico” form, this is a wine built around longevity rather than early softness.

Winemaking follows time honoured methods with long maceration and ageing in large cask. The intention is to refine tannin through patience, not to polish away character. The result is a Barolo that feels grounded and architectural, unfolding slowly with air.

Bright garnet in colour, the aromas open with rose petal, red cherry and cranberry layered with liquorice, dried herbs and earthy spice. There is a lifted floral edge that marks classic Nebbiolo. The palate is full bodied and firm, with concentrated red fruit wrapped in chalky tannins and driving acidity. Flavours of cherry, orange peel and mineral notes carry into a long, dry finish that tightens with grip and energy.

It pairs beautifully with braised meats, mushroom dishes, truffle and aged cheeses. While approachable with extended decanting, it will cellar confidently for twenty years or more, developing leather, tobacco and forest floor complexity.

This is Barolo in a pure traditional voice, structured, perfumed and built for the patient drinker.