2021 Mauro Molino Gallinotto Barolo Organic, Piedmont

Extremely captivating in its sensory profile, it displays notes of cherries, red plums, wild strawberries, green mandarins, lime, bergamot, wild thyme, marjoram, and juniper berries. Plenty of rosemary and chopped citron characterize the secondary notes. Full-bodied, soft, and enveloping on the palate, it displays perfectly extracted tannins and a commendably beautiful finish. The sapidity and verticality are impressive in a vintage worthy of being framed in this small hamlet of La Morra (Berri). November 28, 2024

98 points RV Winescritic

Gallinotto sits in a slightly warmer pocket, and you can feel that extra generosity coming through, though Mauro Molino still keeps things firmly in the realm of balance and detail. The family’s long history in La Morra, now combined with organic farming, gives this wine a sense of both place and purpose, and the 2021 vintage delivers that beautifully.

The aromatics open with a richer tone, ripe cherry and plum layered with rose petal, spice and a touch of liquorice. There’s still that classic Nebbiolo perfume, but it feels a little broader, a bit more immediate, with an earthy, slightly tarry note building underneath.

On the palate it sits somewhere between the finesse of La Serra and the structure of Bricco Luciani. Tannins are present but more rounded, the fruit a little more generous, and the acidity keeps everything in line. There’s a savoury thread running through it all, with hints of dried herbs, spice and a mineral edge carrying the wine through a long, steady finish.

This is a great one to play with at the table. Duck with cherries or a slow cooked lamb dish works beautifully, but it’s just as compelling with a porcini and thyme risotto, or a roasted pumpkin and sage pasta where the sweetness and earthiness meet the wine’s savoury core. Even a charred cauliflower dish with tahini and spices can bring out a different dimension.

It’s already showing nicely with a bit of air, but will reward ten to fifteen years in the cellar as those layers deepen and soften.