2017 Barolo
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Tasting notes
The Azelia 2017 Barolo is fine and elegant, opening to a pretty ruby color that catches the ambient light. To the nose, it offers cherry and wild rose with licorice and campfire ash. You do notice the extra heft and dryness of the tannins, especially when the wine is tasted before its ideal drinking window. Luigi Scavino's classic Barolo is a blend of seven vineyard sites: Altenasso and Solanotto in Castiglione Falletto; a part of Cerretta; the youngest vines in Bricco Voghera that are 55 to 60 years old (the fruit from the 90-year-old plants goes to the Riserva); and parts of San Rocco, Cerrati and Broglio in Serralunga d'Alba. Production stands at about 28,000 bottles.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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Sourced from seven parcels across Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d’Alba, the 2017 Barolo reveals medicinal aromatics of menthol, dried cherry, and nutmeg. The palate is angular with gripping structure and noted by cranberry cocktail, tea leaf, and orange citrus. This 2017 is classically built within the warmth of the vintage. Drink 2023-2036. Located in Castiglione Falletto, the Azelia estate was founded in 1920 by Lorenzo Scavino. Today it is led by his great-grandson, Luigi Scavino, who is also the cousin of Enrico Scavino of the Paolo Scavino winery. They work to minimize treatments in the vineyard as well as sulfur in the winery. Annual production is approximately 6,000 cases a year.
The 2017 Barolo is a gorgeous entry-level wine. Scorched earth, tar, licorice, black cherry and gravel give the Barolo an unusually dark, brooding profile in 2017. As it often is, the 2017 Azelia Barolo offers tremendous character and nuance in its peer group, or any peer group for that matter. Translucent and so expressive, the 2017 has a lot to offer.