Barale Barolo Castellero DOCG 2021

On the edge of Barolo village, just a few metres down and across the cobblestones of the via Roma from Cantina Bartolo Mascarello is the unprepossessing cantina frontage to one of the jewels of Barolo. It’s not as though Barale has just emerged. Still, these firmly traditional wines are now being made to the full potential of the family’s remarkable vineyards, and this unforced, traditional style is now being fully appreciated.

Barale presents a catalogue of superb, authentic Barolo and a cru Barbaresco, bell-clear Piemontese varietals, Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, along with a slight twist in the form of a wonderful metodo classico - as good a sparkler as I've ever had in Italy. Another great asset is a wonderful, typically far-sighted museum collection, an archive of the last 2 decades of Barale winemaking.

Castellero, while initially a bit reserved and unyielding, matures gracefully to reveal its intriguing character. It possesses a Burgundian finesse, with subtle earthy, root vegetable, or tobacco undertones reminiscent of Gevrey (or its nearby neighbor, Castiglione).