2014 - Barolo Gramolere, Giovanni Manzone

The 2014 Barolo Gramolere is the darkest and richest of the three 2014 Barolos I tasted. Black cherry, spice, menthol, licorice and dried herbs, along with a kiss of new oak, all meld together. Deep, creamy and beautifully expressive, the Gramolere is another impressive Barolo from Manzone.

The Gramolere cru is in Monforte d'Alb surrounded by Bussia, Perno and Castelletto. Only a handful of producers farm here, with the largest parcels belonging to Giovanni Manzone. The 2014 Barolo Gramolere is therefore the estate's signature wine, and it shows its unique definition as a result. There fruit is saturated and dark, with dense fruit layers of cherry and blackcurrant. The wine is structured and firm, and the tannins taste like they come from both the fruit and the oak.

10–15% new oak, 29 days on the skins, yield only 60% of average. A producer who is very respected locally with his son and daughter now working in the business. From 35-year-old vines. Limestone with lots of stones. They started a programme to protect bees in 2012.Bright translucent ruby. Quite a pinch of dry tannin on the end; this is more like stereotype Barolo. Without the luscious layers of the Roagna, La Pira Vecchie Viti 2014 tasted alongside. Acidity is a bit prominent at the moment. A little skinny. (JR)