Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno Barolo Cannubi Riserva 2019

A structured and age-worthy Barolo Riserva from the renowned Cannubi cru, this wine opens with aromas of dried rose, red cherry, plum, tobacco, leather, and sweet spice. The palate is full-bodied and layered, offering concentrated red and dark fruit, savory earth, and mineral complexity supported by vibrant acidity and firm, refined tannins. Deep and powerful, it finishes long with notes of spice, dried flowers, and persistent minerality.

Food Pairing: Braised beef, osso buco, truffle risotto, roasted game, and aged Parmigiano Reggiano.

97 Points - Decanter

A recurrent question with amply aged Italian classic reds like Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino is whether or not the extra ageing stipulations in place for the Riserva categories are truly necessary; it can often seem as if younger versions have the edge on older, ‘grander’ wines, since they show brighter fruit structures. This 2019 Riserva illustrates the benefits of extra age. It’s pale, now, with some gentle bricking at the meniscus; the aromas are refined and harmonious, packed not just with red fruits but with autumnal warmth and oak-copse charm, as if the wine was evoking the landscape in which it came into being. On the tongue, it’s still quite grandly structured and clearly has further development ahead; look behind those succulent if ample tannins, though, and you’ll find beautifully articulated fruit supported by deft redcurrant acidity. Grand Barolo from this outstanding vintage.