2016 - Barolo Cannubi, Comm. G.B. Burlotto

Rose petal, verbena flower and lilac open the spectacular bouquet of the Comm. G.B. Burlotto 2016 Barolo Cannubi. This wine is aromatically stunning. It shows fluid movements and deep inner sensuality, wrapping carefully over the palate with delicate softness and silkiness. Incredibly, I kept this open bottle in my cellar for days, and it revealed a beautiful new side every time I came back to check on its progress. There is a touch of chalkiness on the tannins, but the wine finishes with length and impressive persistence. It is fermented in open oak casks and aged in botte grande. Dried cherry, cassis, plum, apricot, spice and blue flower add to the wine's aromatic intensity. This is one of the most beautiful wines to emerge from Italy in the last decade, and tragically only 4,000 bottles were made.

A breathtaking, positively riveting wine, the 2016 Barolo Cannubi brings together all the elements of the Burlotto house style. Rich, ample and deep with stunning intensity, the 2016 has so much to offer. All the elements are wonderfully fused together. The 2016 is a Cannubi of uncommon depth, but also has a certain darkness that gives it a feeling of great power and intensity. Bright saline notes add to its explosive energy. Fabio Alessandria vinified the Cannubi with manual pumpovers and punchdpowns, after which the wine spent a total of three weeks on the skins. The 2016 is a total turn-on - that's pretty much all there is to it.

Barolo. 7,500 bottles produced. Mid to deep ruby. Beautiful nose of cool, ripe raspberry. Concentrated yet understated and the most mineral of the G B Burlotto wines of this vintage. Very compact yet pure. High acidity buffered by fruit. Fine yet long tannins. This will age gracefully. A little mouth-watering on the finish. (WS)