James Suckling – Vivid aromas of strawberries, oranges and peach skins with some cherries and cedar. Medium body, tight and firm with a fresh and vivid finish. Needs time to soften.
Wine Enthusiast – Capturing the freshness and finesse of the vintage, this has classic varietal aromas of rose petal, forest berry, camphor and underbrush. Reflecting the nose, the vibrant, focused palate delivers ripe red cherry, crushed raspberry, wild mint and star anise set against taut, refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it balanced. While you won't have to wait years before enjoying this, it will also age at least another decade or more. Best 2024–2033.
Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – The Cavallotto 2018 Barolo Bricco Boschis (a certified organic wine) is a lovely expression with fruit from one of the most beautiful sites in Castiglione Falletto, measuring 7.3 hectares. The wine is streamlined and tight with forest berry, blackcurrant and spice. It is taut and silky, showing fruit that has been shaped by cool nights and warm days. Bricco Boschis always delivers a special sense of sharpness and focus. Best After 2024 - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
James Suckling – This shows notes of spiced cherries, dried strawberry bush, chocolate, ground cloves and moist earth. Full-bodied, compact and steady with chocolaty texture and a firm grip of finely polished tannins. Lingering finish with earthy undertones. Better after 2025.
James Suckling – 97 "Tasting this Vigna Rionda is such a sensual experience, with the complexity you’d expect from the top-level Barolo, showing hints of iodine, dark mussels, walnuts, dark stones to the fleshy dark cherries and plums. Then it turns a little “bloody,” minty and tarry on the nose. “Dark” and full-bodied with a massive amount of small-grained tannins seamlessly knitting the fruit on the palate, driving it to a very long, mineral finish. Very tight and powerful now, yet seductively rich and full of flesh, too. Shows lots of potential ahead." - 97 Points, James Suckling"Tasting this Vigna Rionda is such a sensual experience, with the complexity you’d expect from the top-level Barolo, showing hints of iodine, dark mussels, walnuts, dark stones to the fleshy dark cherries and plums. Then it turns a little “bloody,” minty and tarry on the nose. “Dark” and full-bodied with a massive amount of small-grained tannins seamlessly knitting the fruit on the palate, driving it to a very long, mineral finish. Very tight and powerful now, yet seductively rich and full of flesh, too. Shows lots of potential ahead. Much better from 2025. It should hold well for the next 20+ years." jamessuckling.com
Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – “Packaged with a special black label, the Massolino 2016 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is only released in the best vintages. Showing the power and the determination of Serralunga d'Alba, the wine is redolent of dried berry, lots of rusty earth and fragrant red rose. These are the typical aromas of this vineyard, and this wine presents them with impeccable integration. To the palate, this Riserva remains open-knit, tightly structured and broad in scope." - Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate
The Wine Front – “Bright red cherry, mint, potpourri, new leather, liquorice root. So fragrant. Fresh, very fine, tannin has a succulence, and they sit so well within the wine, melting through its core. Red fruits (strawberry in particular), tea and blood orange, and a superb long finish of precision and freshness. A beautiful expression of Vigna Rionda, and one that belies the heat of the vintage.” - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – Outer quote mark The Cavallotto 2016 Barolo Riserva Vignolo is an organic wine that shows superb balance and great intensity. Elegance and power are in fact the twofold hallmark of this iconic vintage. This is a polished and silky wine with an almost glossy or latex-like quality to its tannins (that I love, by the way). This 5,333-bottle production hails from a two-hectare vineyard with 40-year-old vines. It has southwest exposures at a breezy 220 to 310 meters in altitude. (ML) Inner quote mark (6/2022)
James Suckling – ‘Aromas of ripe raspberries and dark spice follow through to a medium-to full-bodied palate, with some fine, fruit and spice-coated tannin and a medium finish that firms up at the end.’– James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – ‘This wine consistently delivers one of the greatest values to be found in Italian wine. The G.D. Vajra 2018 Barolo Albe has all its cards in play as an immediately enjoyable and extremely food-friendly Nebbiolo. This really is the top of the category in that sense. With straightforward winemaking (fermentation is in steel and aging in large Slavonian oak casks), the wine offers bold cherry, wild plum and plenty of fragrant blue flower and violet. This vintage has the added benefit of softly textured richness.2023-2037’– Monica Larner, Wine Advocate,
Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – This is certainly one of the most popular and versatile wines made in Italy, and deservedly so. The well-priced G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Albe shows some ripe fruit and softness with cherry, dried raspberry and crushed rose. This vintage is similar in character to the 2016 release in that both vintages offer a linear style with good structure at the back. The mouthfeel is polished and long, affording accessibility and complexity too.
Nebbiolo's name is believed to be derived from the Italian word "nebbia", which means fog. This is fitting, as the Piedmont region, where it primarily grows, is often blanketed in a thick mist during the harvest season. The grape has a long history in Italy, with written records mentioning Nebbiolo dating back to the 13th century.
The grape is known for its distinct tannins and high acidity, characteristics that give Nebbiolo wines their structure and longevity. The wine's unique aroma profile often encompasses rose petals, tar, cherries, and dried herbs. These nuances can vary depending on the exact location of the vineyard and the winemaking techniques employed.
Though primarily associated with Piedmont, some winemakers in other parts of the world have taken on the challenge of growing Nebbiolo, intrigued by its unique profile and winemaking potential. However, its true home remains the rolling hills of Piedmont, where it expresses its character most authentically.
Nebbiolo is one of the most illustrious Italian red grapes. Although Nebbiolo can produce attractive everyday wines, it is better known for the masterpieces created with it — wines coveted by wine lovers and collectors alike and worthy of any cellar. Nebbiolo is native to Piedmont, in Northern Italy, and it shares the spotlight with a few other red grapes, Barbera and Dolcetto. Still, for structured and age-worthy red wines, Nebbiolo is everyone’s grape of choice. Let’s talk about Nebbiolo and the wines made from it. Nebbiolo might just be one of the most exciting grapes on the planet.
Although grape growers tend Nebbiolo vines worldwide, the vast majority are in Piedmont, specifically around the town of Asti and Alba along the Tanaro River. The most popular Nebbiolo wines are, without a doubt, Barolo and Barbaresco, two DOCG-level wines made exclusively with the grape — authentic collector’s items. Other popular wines made with Nebbiolo include those labelled as Langhe or Roero. The grape also goes by different names in neighbouring regions, where it’s known as Spanna, Picoutener and Chiavennasca. Since Italian winemakers rarely mention the grape varieties to their labels, knowing the essential appellations for Nebbiolo pays off.
Nebbiolo is an exciting varietal that produces pale-coloured red wines with high alcoholic warmth, acidity and plenty of gritty tannins. The wines are full-bodied, bold and age worthy. There aren’t many types of wine made with Nebbiolo, but each appellation using the grape has its classification. Barolo, for example, if aged for thirty-eight months, is labelled as Barolo, but if aged for stunning 62 months, it becomes a Barolo Riserva. We could also classify the types of Nebbiolo depending on their provenance. Although most wine made with the Grape is Piedmontese, there are exciting expressions of the grape made elsewhere, mainly in Australia.
Nebbiolo is a finicky grape that only ripens where the conditions are right. That’s why it is not the most planted despite being the most popular grape in Piedmont. This means Nebbiolo wines are somewhat rare, and with rarity comes a higher price. The reputation of appellations such as Barolo and Barbaresco and the fame of the producers also increases the wine’s price. The best Nebbiolo is expensive, but you can still find affordable expressions of the grape. Expect to pay a premium for memorable, age-worthy wines, but you’ll find adequately priced wines suitable for everyday enjoyment.
For authentic Piedmontese Nebbiolo and other exciting specialties, such as Australian Nebbiolo and even a couple of pink wines made with the grape, browse our selection at World Wine. Your source of fine wine in Australia. The best Nebbiolo wines can be pricey, but there’s immense pleasure in more affordable examples. With Nebbiolo, the more expensive the wine, the more age-worthy. Still, not all wines are meant to age for decades — some are ready to be enjoyed today. That’s Nebbiolo’s magic. The grape is exceptional whether young or well-aged.
We aim to have all wines be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock and you note you would like that particular vintage, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
Delivery Times
To be able to supply such a unique & extensive range of boutique wines, we don't hold much of the inventory. So with us, there is the added step of receiving the wine from our local suppliers before it is dispatched to you. Most orders are dispatched within 3-6 working days.
Quality Guarantee
Replacement or refund offered if bottles are faulty or damaged. All our deliveries are insured against loss, however you must notify us in a reasonable amount of time.
Sending a Gift
If you would like to include a gift message with your order, please enter that in the order instructions section. We'll print your message in a lovely font on A5 paper. We also won't include the invoice. Tracking will be sent to the email on file.
We aim to have all wines be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock and you note you would like that particular vintage, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
To be able to supply such a unique & extensive range of boutique wines, we don't hold much of the inventory. So with us, there is the added step of receiving the wine from our local suppliers before it is dispatched to you. Most orders are dispatched within 3-6 working days.
Replacement or refund offered if bottles are faulty or damaged. All our deliveries are insured against loss, however you must notify us in a reasonable amount of time.
If you would like to include a gift message with your order, please enter that in the order instructions section. We'll print your message in a lovely font on A5 paper. We also won't include the invoice. Tracking will be sent to the email on file.