2021 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis, Piedmont

The organic Cavallotto 2021 Barolo Bricco Boschis shows tightness and firmness at this young age, and we can expect this pretty wine to soften and unwind slowly with bottle evolution. There are aromas of tart cherry, redcurrant, iris root and sweet spice delicately layered over a solid, medium-plus mouthfeel. However, what stands out most in the Bricco Boschis is the extreme focus and sharpness of its fruit flavors. This 7.3-hectare site has 45-year-old vines that enjoy panoramic southeast and southwest exposures at 230 to 350 meters in elevation. This wine ages in Slavonian oak casks for 36 months (both 20-hectoliter and 100-hectoliter foudre). Production is 22,000 bottles and 1,000 magnums.

95+ points Monica Larner robertparker.com

Forest floor, leather, dog rose and camphor aromas mingle with dark spice after several swirls of the 2021 Bricco Boschis. Full-bodied and still youthfully austere - a good thing for a wine that is destined for lengthy aging – the delicious palate delivers ripe Marasca cherry, black raspberry, truffle, crushed mint and star anise before a blood orange finish. I love the combination of earthiness and elegance. It’s balanced and firmly structured, with a backbone of firm, seasoned tannins and fresh acidity.

96 points Kerin O'Keefe kerinokeefe.com

From the organically farmed Bricco Boschis hill in Castiglione Falletto, this Barolo is the backbone of Cavallotto’s estate, a pure statement of traditional Nebbiolo shaped by limestone and marl. The family has treated the vineyard as a closed ecosystem for decades, farming without shortcuts and letting the site define the wine. Even in its “classic” release, the style is uncompromising, structured, savoury and built for ageing rather than early softness.

Winemaking follows a slow, old school rhythm. Long maceration extracts fine tannin and aromatic detail, and ageing in large cask refines rather than polishes. The goal is transparency and longevity, allowing the architecture of the vineyard to remain intact.

Bright garnet in colour, the aromas open with dried rose, sour cherry and cranberry, layered with liquorice, orange peel and earthy spice. There is a lifted floral perfume that signals textbook Nebbiolo. The palate is full bodied and tightly framed, with concentrated red fruit wrapped in chalky tannins and driving acidity. Flavours of cherry and mineral notes carry into a long, dry finish that grips and releases slowly.

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

This is Barolo in a pure traditional voice, firm, perfumed and deeply rooted in Piedmont.