2014 Paolo Scavino Barolo

Scavino's 2014 Barolo is a soft, forward wine to drink now and over the next few years. There is not much depth to the fruit in this supple, somewhat vanishing Barolo.

The 2014 Barolo represents a selection of fruit from seven individual vineyard parcels spread across Barolo's major townships. Fruit from those sites is vinified separately, and once each barrique is tasted, the final assembly is created. Barrels of wine that do not live up to the estate's quality standards are sold off as bulk wine. This is a beautiful wine that opens to cherry and blackberry flavors with elegant tones of crushed stone, smoke, licorice and tar. This is an excellent near or medium-term Barolo with accessible characteristics and lots of varietal purity.

The 2014 Barolo Carobric is a real stunner. I had been less convinced by recent past vintages of Carobric, but to my great surprise and delight, I found this vintage—a difficult one at that—to show classic, well-balanced lines. Fruit is sourced from three crus, Rocche di Castiglione, Cannubi and Bric del Fiasc, with Rocche di Castiglione representing the biggest part of the blend. This wine takes us to the very heart and soul of the Barolo appellation. It represents seamless unity between three extraordinary vineyards: the Rocche di Castiglione fruit evidently gives the wine structure and depth, Cannubi and its sandy soils adds the floral and fruit fragrances and the fruit from Fiasco lends color and density. Carobric gives it all. Jun 2018, www.robertparker.com