2016 - Barolo Baudana, Luigi Baudana

The Luigi Baudana 2016 Barolo Baudana opens to a saturated and dark garnet color. Of these three Baroli from Luigi Baudana, this is perhaps the most complete and round. It shows the mineral signature that we got in the Cerretta (also from Serralunga d'Alba) with a bigger fruit profile, complete with sweet cherry and blackberry preserves. In fact, this wine feels a bit riper, sunnier and sweeter than the others in this grouping. Last year, in the 2015 vintage, this was my favorite wine. But in this tighter and more linear 2016 vintage, I prefer the Cerretta by a very small margin. Both wines are excellent. Only 3,500 bottles were released.

The 2016 Barolo Baudana is laced with sweet red cherry, floral overtones and silky tannins, all of which make it one of the more refined, sensual Serralunga Barolos readers will come across. In this tasting, the Baudana impresses with its haunting aromatics and transparent expression of Nebbiolo. Like all of these wines, it needs time in bottle but it is super impressive, even in the early going.

Serralunga d'Alba. Tasted blind. Mid ruby with orange tinges. Beautiful, spicy fruit nose of great depth. Quite solid on the palate and the fruit hesitates to come out. The finish shows a finely balanced whole of ripe, sour-cherry fruit and finely chiselled, long tannins. (WS)