Set for release in the fall of 2026, the 2022 Barolo pours a youthful ruby red color with a light orange tinge. On the nose, it opens with cherries, anise, and menthol. On the palate, it’s grippy and structured, revealing dry extract, orange peel, and cranberries, with warmth kept in check by a bright spine of acidity. Despite a very challenging season, thoughtful assemblage across vineyards played a key role in the wine’s success, with Canubi severely reduced in yield while Rue came closer to normal in both quantity and character. Production was down significantly, with just under normal levels bottled. There are roughly 11,000 bottles produced, which is a decrease in production by nearly 7500 bottles for them. This is not a classic vintage, but it’s a convincing and successful one for the estate’s practice of blending from across the region and their holdings. (AF) 96+

The classically crafted 2022 Barolo from Bartolo Mascarello is juicy, enveloping and surprisingly fresh given the extremely dry, scorching vintage. Fermented in large Slavonian oak vats with no temperature control and aged in Slavonian casks, the delicious, already rather accessible palate delivers ripe raspberry, wild strawberry, licorice, cake spice and mint accompanied by velvety tannins. A blood orange note lifts the finish. Due to the intense drought, grape yields were down more than 40% according to Maria Teresa Mascarello. (KO)

The 2022 Barolo is a wild, exotic wine. Ripe red-toned fruit, kirsch, blood orange, truffle, white pepper and pomegranate soar from the glass. Bold floral and citrus overtones are quite distinctive. While the flavor profile is quite unusual, the 2022 retains the classic mid-weight structure that is so typical of these wines. All of the Nebbiolo was brought in from September 20 to 23, a very condensed time frame by the estate's standards. The 2022 spent 32 days on the skins, with pumpovers twice a day but no submerged-cap maceration. This is a very beautiful, vivid wine. All it needs is time for the tannins to soften. (AG)