2016 Guinigi Barolo $60
Classic brick color with a translucency clearer than most pinot noirs, this Barolo bathes languidly in the glass, with long, slow legs. The nose cleanly delivers dried fruit and exotic spices at the treble end of the spectrum while the orange-hued fruit emerges coyly the slender mid-palate, wanting for more air, more time, and more patience. On the long finish is where the bass begins to emerge. A pretty wine - inside and out - made in the Old World style, it emphasizes place and grape over extraction and power. This is most represented by the acidity, which is precise and proudly Italian with slightly brackish tannins and an unapologetic rusticity. Young at 6 years from harvest, and should have the potential to age for a decade or more. For an inaugural release - and a negociant-sourced one at that - the pricing is in league with many storied producers in the region, and, therefore, brave. 91 points (Sample)
