A restrained and elegant wine with aromas of citrus, leaves, dried cherries, orange peel and an enticing whiff of peppermint. The palate is graceful despite a full body, tense acidity and firm, muscular yet velvety tannins, but everything is well packed, poised and balanced. Long, lavish and bracing aftertaste. Try from 2027.

The cherry, blackberry and violet flavors are effusive, while the structure lends a dense matrix of tannins and bright acidity. Overall, this is taut and reserved, yet with a racy feel and marvelous length. Flashes of tar, black pepper spice and mineral add complexity. Best from 2030 through 2050. 435 cases made, 75 cases imported.

The estate’s first single-vineyard Barolo was introduced in 1970 – the same year that Aldo Conterno struck out on his own. It hails from a 1ha site with predominantly sandy soil, rich in magnesium and manganese. Floral top notes exhibit Nebbiolo’s classic rose scent, nuanced by brushwood, toasted hazelnut and earthy roots. The palate rings out with clarity and precision. Raspberry and rhubarb underlie the silky, finessed tannins. A warning though: there are masses of them! A truffle innuendo haunts the finish. This is a wine to forget about for a few years.

The 2021 Barolo Colonnello is a very beautiful, sensual wine. Floral overtones meld into a core of red-tinged fruit, pomegranate, blood orange, spice, iron and white pepper. The Colonnello offers a striking mix of aromatic depth and fruit intensity. I imagine it will drink well with just a few years in bottle. — By Antonio Galloni on January 2026