2019 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric del Fiasc

With the gold label, the Paolo Scavino 2019 Barolo Bric dël Fiasc is also a bit closed on first nose. I came back to this wine (and all the others in this flight) 24 hours later to monitor the progression of the bouquet. At this young stage, you get basic primary fruit with some light spice. The tannins are a bit more etched and prominent in this wine. You feel chalky minerality on the close. Production is 12,000 bottles.

Castiglione Falletto. Deep, lustrous ruby with orange tinges. Savoury nose with salty hints and just a suggestion of oak, but not yet open. A mouthful of sour-cherry fruit with lots of gripping tannins. Long but still embryonic. (WS)

The 2019 Barolo Bric del Fiasc is the hallmark wine of the estate, and it shows. Taking on more concentration, it is pure and generous with kirsch, star anise, nutmeg, and menthol and moves impressively to the palate with ease and nobility. It offers fantastic depth while remaining true to the vintage and propels forward through an arch of acidity, while having grounded notes of Earl Grey tea, black cherry, and crushed stones as well as ripe tannins. Drink 2026-2046. Helmed by fourth generation winemaker Elisa Scavino, the estate owns and manages 30 hectares spanning eight of the 11 communes of the Barolo region and is based in Castiglione Falletto. Since 2007, they have implemented the use of a netted, submerged cap cylindrical system developed by Elisa’s father Enrico that achieves a delicate extraction during fermentation. They have moved to slower, longer fermentation periods and, as of 2018, are solely utilizing large casks. In the vineyard, they pay great attention to the compression of the soils, creating a healthy ecosystem rich in oxygen and microorganisms and a sustainable approach. Their most recent acquisitions include those of Prapo and Ravera in 2015. Having lost their contract for Cannubi, they are no longer producing what was known as the Barolo Carobric, of which the Cannubi fruit was a major component. I continue to be impressed with the direction these wines have been taking toward a more expressive and pure sense of place, with wonderful diversity across the portfolio.