2021 Paolo Scavino Barolo DOCG, Piedmont

Ruby with garnet tints. A fresh and appealing floral bouquet of violets and roses, with red currants and berries and dusty spice joining in. To taste, there is vibrant fruit and blood orange tang with powdery tannins and gentle spice. There is lovely flow and piquancy to this wine 27 Jan 2025 Drink 2025–2037

93 points The Real Review

Paolo Scavino is one of Barolo's great modern estates, with a family winemaking history that stretches back to 1921 in the village of Castiglione Falletto. Today, Enrico Scavino and his daughters Enrica and Elisa continue a tradition of meticulous vineyard management and thoughtful winemaking, producing wines that combine the power of Barolo with remarkable precision and elegance. Few producers have done more to showcase the diverse terroirs of the appellation through both single vineyard and blended expressions.

The 2021 Barolo DOCG is sourced from a collection of outstanding vineyard sites across Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba, Monforte d'Alba and La Morra. The vintage is already being hailed as one of Piedmont's finest in recent decades, delivering fruit with exceptional balance, aromatic intensity and structure. By blending multiple crus, Scavino creates a wine that captures the complexity of Barolo while remaining beautifully approachable in its youth.

Bright garnet red in colour, the bouquet is intensely aromatic, revealing rose petals, red cherry and wild strawberry alongside notes of blood orange, violet and sweet spice. As the wine evolves in the glass, layers of tobacco leaf, truffle, anise and forest floor emerge, adding depth and intrigue. The palate is poised and beautifully structured, combining vibrant red fruits with savoury earth, mineral detail and finely woven tannins. Fresh acidity provides energy and lift, while the finish is long, elegant and deeply expressive of Nebbiolo's noble character.

This is a magnificent partner for truffle risotto, braised beef cheeks, slow cooked lamb shoulder, porcini mushroom pasta or aged Parmigiano Reggiano. While already captivating with careful decanting, the wine possesses the pedigree and balance to evolve beautifully over the next twenty years.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2045.