2016 Paolo Scavino Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata

Wow! There’s so much going on here. The nose presents an intense mix of dried cherry and red-berry fruit and rose petals, together with mild spice, Mediterranean herbs, tobacco dried apricot and dried and fresh nuts. Much more if you dig in. Full-bodied, super-relaxed palate that is the perfect display case for all the complex fruit character. The tannins are dense but seamless, never displaying any angular edge. Super-long and super concentrated, this is hard to fault. Yet, despite all the seeming extravagance, it remains a composed red with a long life ahead of it. Drink at your leisure.

The 2016 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell’Annunziata is done in a much more nervy, taut style than Scavino fans have come to expect over the years. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but there is no question the 2016 represents a pretty significant stylistic shift from the past for this bottling. Whether that is unique to the 2016 or an approach that will carry through in coming vintages remains to be seen. Objectively the 2016 feels a bit clenched and lacking the inner sweetness the Riserva has shown in the past. Crushed flowers, mint, rose petal, sweet red cherry and orange zest lend nuance to this taut, classically austere young Barolo from Scavino.