2018  Vigna Valferana

Vigna Valferana ---- "The 2018 Gattinara Valferana is explosive right out of the glass. Supporting veins of tannin carry a core of red fruit, cinnamon, rose petal, blood orange, mint and white pepper. The Valferana is complex and wonderfully deep from start to finish. Valferana is the cooler of the two single vineyard Gattinaras that are bottled separately here. The 2018 is a special wine." - 96pts Vinous

2018  

"What a delight it is to taste Oddero's 2018 Barolo Brunate. A glorious wine, the Oddero Brunate is one of the very few wines in this vintage that possesses real mid-palate depth and notable textural intensity. It is the smallest production wine here. I imagine that the slightly smaller cask used for this wine was an advantage in giving the 2018 a bit of extra flesh that is missing in this vintage. What impresses me most about the 2018, though, is its freshness and the primary intensity of the fruit. Iron, smoke, tobacco, dried herbs, chalk and a whole range of savory accents develop over time, rounding things out in style. What a wine!" - 95pts Vinous ---- "Always a standout wine, the Oddero 2018 Barolo Brunate is a complete wine, and I use that word specifically because it shows balance, freshness, length and structure. It has all the basics of an age-worthy Nebbiolo that promises to increase in complexity and depth with more cellar age. At this young stage, the bouquet is singing with dark fruit, cherry, spice and sweet earth." - 95pts WA

2017  

"Ripe-plum, candied-strawberry and white-mushroom aromas follow through to a full body with round, soft tannins and plenty of fruit. Lots of transparent fruit in the center palate. It firms up at the end with a fine, chewy texture. Try after 2026." - 96pts James Suckling

2018  

Grapes are harvested from the municipalities of Castione Andevenno and Sondrio. Each vineyard site is harvested and vinified separately. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine ages in 25 hl and 56 hl oak barrels for about 20 months and then rests in steel tanks for 2 months before bottling. Bottle aging in dark and cool cellars for 6 months before release. Sassella comes from the Italian word "sasso", which means stone - this area is the rockiest sub-zone of the Valtellina Superiore DOCG. Ruby red color. Delicate bouquet with a prevalence of mineral and iron notes, hints of spices and dried flowers. On the palate the wine is harmonious, velvety and vibrant.

2019  

"The 2019 Barbaresco Marcarini (a certified organic wine) produces an elegant playlist of Nebbiolo aromas with wild berry, rusty earth, candied violets, lilac and licorice. This vintage is tonic and nicely firm in texture with a smooth and polished mouthfeel that is stitched together with a subtle tannic backbone. The wine is medium in length, but it would make a good near-term Barbaresco." - Wine Advocate

2016  

85% Nebbiolo, 15% Neretto and Ner d'Ala Red wine obtained from the best exposed vineyards with pergola and espalier raised on terraces. The first vintage was 2016. It is made up of 90% Nebbiolo “Picotendro” and the remainder of the more mature clusters of Ner d'Ala and Neretti. The grapes are heated under the sun to ensure a quick start of fermentation which takes place in steel and wood. Each vineyard is vinified separately. Maceration lasts an average of 90 days. The refinement, always separated by vineyard, is carried out in used wood (500 and 225 liters). Not filtered.

2006  

The wine is created from two vineyards: the Preda vineyard, planted in 1965, which is predominately clay marl and produces rich perfume and elegance, and the Sarmassa vineyard, planted in 1973, rich in sand and clay, yielding strong character, full body and structure. Intense ruby red in color, the wine is all kinds of red fruits enveloped in vanilla on the nose. Dry, full, and rich in body and structure, this wine is interesting young, with a great potential for aging.

2016  

Sarmassa is yet another historic cru located in the comune of Barolo, and the Virna 2016 Barolo Sarmassa moves the drinking window forward for those who don't want to wait many years before popping the cork. Sarmassa is often distinguished by a burst of power and richness, and you get both of those qualities in this classic vintage that calls for some kind of rabbit pasta or other game dish. Showing dark fruit nuances with a soft and open-knit quality of fruit, there is a fruity, succulent or even meaty quality to this wine that can't be missed in this release. - 94+pts Wine Advocate ---- This has a fascinating nose with ripe pomegranate, boysenberries, dried raspberries, tea leaves and dried spices. Full-bodied and dense, but the tannins are quite seamless and the acidity is agile and flowing throughout. Long and persistent on the finish. - 95pts James Suckling