Barbaresco
Stephen Brook has singled out 2016 as a five-star vintage for Barbaresco, so it’s perhaps no suprise to see three wines awarded 94 points and above – even more than the two from the similarly five-star rated 2015 vintage.
Equally, it seems that the latest-release Barbaresco Riserva 2014s have outperformed last year’s Riserva 2013s. Bruno Giacosa’s Asili Riserva 2014 even tops the ranking, one of the two 2014s achieving 94 point and above.
Barolo
Meanwhile for Barolo, five 2015 releases have been awarded 94 points and above, compared to three in 2014. Aldo Conterno’s Romirasco has topped the charts in both years, marking it out as a top buy, with Stephen Brook noting that it’s the most structured of the Monforte d’Alba estate’s wines and is built to last.
When it comes to Barolo Riserva, no 2013s achieved over 93 points, of which there were six wines. Four 2012 Riservas were awarded 94 points and six were awarded 93 points, and so may be the better vintage if you’re after top-end wines for ageing.
Stephen’s top scorers from his Piedmont report: