Our Top 100 Barolo from 2018 to 2020

We have been professionally rating Barolos since the early 2000s and drinking them for a lot longer, and we can’t think of a better time than now to buy and drink the king of Italian wines. The dynamic duo of the 2016 and 2015 vintages have just arrived in the market and they deliver hundreds of great bottles. The superb 2015 vintage produced fantastically rich and fruity wines with a complement of ripe tannins thanks to a hot growing season, while the 2016 vintage may prove to be even better, with the same rich fruit but an additional structural dimension of tannins and acidity making these classic wines approachable now, but guaranteeing a long life in your cellar.

Check out our recent report on Piedmont that included more than 200 ratings of Barolos, not to mention Barbarescos, barberas, doclettos, and plenty of others:

PIEDMONT SHINES WITH RELEASES, ESPECIALLY BAROLO 2016

In view of this incredible opportunity to acquire so many great young Barolos, we’ve chosen 100 outstanding Barolos from JamesSuckling.com tastings over the last three years. As well as plenty of 2015s and 2016s to choose from, our list includes some late releases from the classic 2010 vintage, as well as a handful of wines from intervening vintages.

Anyone who has had the fortune to visit the Langhe area in Piedmont will know it’s a wonderland of micro-terroir that’s second to none in any wine-producing region worldwide with the exception of Burgundy and Germany. The Langhe is home to the nebbiolo vineyards that produce Barolo (as well as its neighboring sister appellation Barbaresco) and the wines in our list come from a variety of area’s villages, such as La Morra, Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga, each of which is home to vineyards whose names easily roll off the tongue of any serious Barolo fancier – Falletto, Brunate, Cannubi and many others.

Our Top 100 list of Barolos is peppered with the best. It’s hard to say we have a real favorite but it’s obvious that our palates side with some of the legendary producers including Bruno Giacosa, Giacomo Conterno, Roberto Vorezio, and Poderi Aldo Conterno. But there are so many great wines in this list from excellent producers and amazing vineyards.

#34 Marcarini Barolo “La Serra” DOCG 2016

97 Points

“A Barolo with such intense, fine-grained tannins, yet it’s so deep and poised with polish and energy. Full-bodied, yet it remains agile and layered. Strawberries, bark, hazelnuts and hints of rose petals. Give this four or five years in the bottle, at least. But a classic wine.”

#35 Conterno Fantino Barolo Ginestra “Vigna Sorì Ginestra” DOCG 2015

97 Points

“This has a very impressive nose with ripe red cherries and plums, as well as abundant notes of sweet spice. The palate delivers a very assertive, plush and fleshy impression with a core of incredibly vibrant fruit that holds super fresh. The tannins are vibrant and the length is very impressive. Try from 2023.”

#69 Einaudi Barolo “Cannubi” DOCG 2016

96 Points

“Wow. This is real Cannubi, offering sliced ripe strawberries and dried flowers, such as roses, as well as crushed raspberries. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and reserved. Stealth is a word that comes to mind. Love it. Best in a long time. Drinkable now, but better after 2023.”

#76  Conterno Fantino Barolo Ginestra “Vigna del Gris” DOCG 2015

96 Points

“Impressive aromas of ripe and rich red cherries, red plums and darker berries that are swathed in fresh and spicy oak to good effect. Orange zest, too. The palate has a soaring build of sturdy tannins that carry abundant sweet and ripe cherry flavors long and unwavering into the fresh finish. This is impressive. Try from 2023.”

#92 Conterno Fantino Barolo Ginestra “Vigna Sorì Ginestra” DOCG 2016

96 Points

“Very ripe strawberries with hints of dried flowers and incense on the nose. Some lilacs, too. A full-bodied Barolo, yet it’s tight and very well formed with precision and texture. Beautiful combination of ripe fruit and tannins. Drink after 2022.”

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by James Suckling