Winery

Barale


The 2020 Barolo + 2021 Barbaresco Release


Barale Barbaresco ‘Serraboella’ 2021

Nebbiolo | Neive, Barbaresco

Super vibrant and energetic with long even fruit of class and a little perfume Feels like a little more precision here in the 2021. Savoury with a lick of blood. Classy fruit an excellent wine. Refined tannins. Opens and settles beautifully in the glass. Very, very good.Tasted from cask, Barale's 2021 Barbaresco Serraboella is bold, juicy and quite expressive. I imagine more nuance will develop in time. At this early stage, the 2021 possesses notable depth and plenty of textural intensit
$136
$131ea in any 3+
$126ea in any 6+
This make 3 exceptional releases on the trot over 3 very different vintages showing the skill of the grower and maker!Dark and brooding yet with a transparency and elegance. Beautifully weighted fruit and tannins. Bold yet delicate it has immediate generosity with thirst quenching energy. The tannins here have been handled well. Perhaps just the faintest lick of oak from a new botti? If so, it is in good balance. Round and comforting fruit flow. Chalky 2020 tannins that will resolve beautifu
$136
$131ea in any 3+
$126ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Castellero’ 2020

Nebbiolo | Italy, Barolo

Lovely composition. Complex layered, transparency is there. Beautifully weighted again with edgy, playful grip. Savoury and dark. Barale's 2020's are some of the best 2020’s I’ve had and this is one of Barale's best interations of Castellero in recent years.  Superb drinking. So much going on. Damn, when these guys get it together!The 2020 Barolo Castellero is a powerful, savory wine. Dark fruit, menthol, licorice, spice and a host of balsamic notes all run through this dense, viril
$183
$176ea in any 3+
$169ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Bussia’ 2020

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Moving to Monforte at the top of Bussia we see the hallmarks of the top Bussia. The acid tannin complex is true to the form for the commune showing a playful grip. Bright red fruit with a certain delicacy combine with energetic acid.A fine Bussia with considerable depth and length. A delicate perfume over the top of a very fine transparent Barolo. Thirst quenching. Lovely red and savoury fruit. Delicate Bussia yet still with generosity, now there's a trick.  Complete refined. Delicious. Mou
$183
$176ea in any 3+
$169ea in any 6+

Barbaresco "Serraboella"


They understand the rule book so have thrown it away only to be used when they know they need to. I guess that's what 150 years of making wine can give you! The 2016 of this was a cracker. True to the vintage & site with bold yet refined structure. The 2019 is again a cracker and true to vintage. This time all grace and elegance from what is proving a classic year.Beautifully weighted, the body of this slightly warmer vineyard with the clarity and sophistication of 2019 Barbaresco. Rich
$121
$116ea in any 3+
$111ea in any 6+
They understand the rule book so have thrown it away only to be used when they know they need to. I guess that's what 150 years of making wine can give you! The 2016 of this was a cracker. True to the vintage & site with bold yet refined structure. The 2019 is again a cracker and true to vintage. This time all grace and elegance from what is proving a classic year.Beautifully weighted, the body of this slightly warmer vineyard with the clarity and sophistication of 2019 Barbaresco. Rich
$322
$312ea in any 3+
$302ea in any 6+

2019 Barolos


Barale had not bottled most of their 2019s Barolos when I stopped by in November to taste. “Harvest started on October 12,” Elenora Barale told me. “We gave the wines 15 days on the skins, as we did not think it was a year for extended macerations.” Barale has come on strong in recent years. I am looking forward to revisiting these wines once they have been bottled.

Antonio Galloni

Barale Barolo ‘Castellero’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Italy, Barolo

An excellent stepwise jump in quality commensurate with the price. Building in depth and length with a matched build in seriously good grape tannins. Again the flow and shape. Long, even, divine. Such a beautiful wine. Incredible complexity and harmony make for a seamless wine that you can’t separate the individual aromas and flavours.Wonderful fruit, savoury notes, baking spice, woody herbs tea. Every sniff reveals another perfume. This is very very good enveloping you in pleasure even at
$175
$168ea in any 3+
$161ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Bussia’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Moving to Monforte at the top of Bussia we see the hallmarks of the top Bussia. The acid tannin complex is true to the form for the commune showing a playful grip. Bright red fruit with a certain delicacy combine with energetic acid.Again a beautiful perfume with a dark mineral slatey edge. Blood orange and a little phenol. Another great example of grape first Barolo showing its part of the commune of Monforte. Like the Monrobiolo a few more years in bottle will see this resolve, build and
$175
$168ea in any 3+
$161ea in any 6+
A component that was previously blended into the Barolo del Barolo. A beautiful perfume lifts from the glass. An extra pop of perceived acidity makes for tannins with a playful edge to the mid-palate adding pleasure. Truffles, earthiness, darkness, with energy. Of the first three Barolos this will need more time to resolve. Serious gear. Winemaker’s hat on I can see why they separated. It will clearly give so much more with a few years in bottle.A presence yet sophistication of perfume a
$209
$199ea in any 3+
$189ea in any 6+

The 2018 Barolos


At a splash over $100 this is one of the best value Barolo on the market. Delicious, expressive Barolo with fine acid and gentle yet present tannins. Plush, rewarding. Umami with a long, mouthfilling core of red fruit. Savoury and nicely developed with excellent élévage, just a little lift that sits well against the generous fruit. An excellent introduction to the Barale Barolos. Hoovered a bottle with a roast chook and went to a very happy place.The fruit for this wine comes from Castelle
$114
$109ea in any 3+
$104ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Bussia’ 2018

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Oh so pretty! This is very well played. Bussia is right in the north of Monforte, which as a whole was very poorly defined during the MGA classification. It tends to produce wines of more elegance than many of the Crus further south in Monforte. Barale’s 2018s have been beautifully composed. The Bussia tannins are fine and restrained. The development and oxidative handling demands quality fruit and it has that with a solid core of red fruits layered in with savoury, earthy notes. I’m enjoyin
$166
$159ea in any 3+
$152ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Castellero’ 2018

Nebbiolo | Italy, Barolo

A Divine Expression! This builds nicely in the glass, as a young wine, and has a presence and length about it. A full mid-palate carries through with excellent persistence. The energy of 2018 is present with fine acid and a complex set of intriguing flavours, a background resinous note over savoury, truffled fruit that has been beautifully developed draws you in. There’s some clever thinking in the making here. 
$175
$168ea in any 3+
$161ea in any 6+

Museum Release 2015 'Cannubi'


Barale Barolo ‘Cannubi’ 2015

Nebbiolo | Italy, Barolo

Cannubi to the core! Savoury, dark, brooding, rich aroma with a hint of chocolate. You expect power from the nose. It comes through on the palate. Bold even tannins sit under a solid core of fruit that despite it’s generosity and richness has an elegance to itt. Something savoury layered in. Quite complete. I expect as the tannins resolve a little here and secondary development build this will be quite something. It has a certain harmony about it that rings true of great wines.
$249
$239ea in any 3+
$229ea in any 6+

Filters & Sorting

At a splash over $100 this is one of the best value Barolo on the market. Delicious, expressive Barolo with fine acid and gentle yet present tannins. Plush, rewarding. Umami with a long, mouthfilling core of red fruit. Savoury and nicely developed with excellent élévage, just a little lift that sits well against the generous fruit. An excellent introduction to the Barale Barolos. Hoovered a bottle with a roast chook and went to a very happy place.The fruit for this wine comes from Castelle
$114
$109ea in any 3+
$104ea in any 6+
They understand the rule book so have thrown it away only to be used when they know they need to. I guess that's what 150 years of making wine can give you! The 2016 of this was a cracker. True to the vintage & site with bold yet refined structure. The 2019 is again a cracker and true to vintage. This time all grace and elegance from what is proving a classic year.Beautifully weighted, the body of this slightly warmer vineyard with the clarity and sophistication of 2019 Barbaresco. Rich
$121
$116ea in any 3+
$111ea in any 6+

Barale Barbaresco ‘Serraboella’ 2021

Nebbiolo | Neive, Barbaresco

Super vibrant and energetic with long even fruit of class and a little perfume Feels like a little more precision here in the 2021. Savoury with a lick of blood. Classy fruit an excellent wine. Refined tannins. Opens and settles beautifully in the glass. Very, very good.Tasted from cask, Barale's 2021 Barbaresco Serraboella is bold, juicy and quite expressive. I imagine more nuance will develop in time. At this early stage, the 2021 possesses notable depth and plenty of textural intensit
$136
$131ea in any 3+
$126ea in any 6+
This make 3 exceptional releases on the trot over 3 very different vintages showing the skill of the grower and maker!Dark and brooding yet with a transparency and elegance. Beautifully weighted fruit and tannins. Bold yet delicate it has immediate generosity with thirst quenching energy. The tannins here have been handled well. Perhaps just the faintest lick of oak from a new botti? If so, it is in good balance. Round and comforting fruit flow. Chalky 2020 tannins that will resolve beautifu
$136
$131ea in any 3+
$126ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Bussia’ 2018

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Oh so pretty! This is very well played. Bussia is right in the north of Monforte, which as a whole was very poorly defined during the MGA classification. It tends to produce wines of more elegance than many of the Crus further south in Monforte. Barale’s 2018s have been beautifully composed. The Bussia tannins are fine and restrained. The development and oxidative handling demands quality fruit and it has that with a solid core of red fruits layered in with savoury, earthy notes. I’m enjoyin
$166
$159ea in any 3+
$152ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Castellero’ 2018

Nebbiolo | Italy, Barolo

A Divine Expression! This builds nicely in the glass, as a young wine, and has a presence and length about it. A full mid-palate carries through with excellent persistence. The energy of 2018 is present with fine acid and a complex set of intriguing flavours, a background resinous note over savoury, truffled fruit that has been beautifully developed draws you in. There’s some clever thinking in the making here. 
$175
$168ea in any 3+
$161ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Castellero’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Italy, Barolo

An excellent stepwise jump in quality commensurate with the price. Building in depth and length with a matched build in seriously good grape tannins. Again the flow and shape. Long, even, divine. Such a beautiful wine. Incredible complexity and harmony make for a seamless wine that you can’t separate the individual aromas and flavours.Wonderful fruit, savoury notes, baking spice, woody herbs tea. Every sniff reveals another perfume. This is very very good enveloping you in pleasure even at
$175
$168ea in any 3+
$161ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Bussia’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Moving to Monforte at the top of Bussia we see the hallmarks of the top Bussia. The acid tannin complex is true to the form for the commune showing a playful grip. Bright red fruit with a certain delicacy combine with energetic acid.Again a beautiful perfume with a dark mineral slatey edge. Blood orange and a little phenol. Another great example of grape first Barolo showing its part of the commune of Monforte. Like the Monrobiolo a few more years in bottle will see this resolve, build and
$175
$168ea in any 3+
$161ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Castellero’ 2020

Nebbiolo | Italy, Barolo

Lovely composition. Complex layered, transparency is there. Beautifully weighted again with edgy, playful grip. Savoury and dark. Barale's 2020's are some of the best 2020’s I’ve had and this is one of Barale's best interations of Castellero in recent years.  Superb drinking. So much going on. Damn, when these guys get it together!The 2020 Barolo Castellero is a powerful, savory wine. Dark fruit, menthol, licorice, spice and a host of balsamic notes all run through this dense, viril
$183
$176ea in any 3+
$169ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Bussia’ 2020

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Moving to Monforte at the top of Bussia we see the hallmarks of the top Bussia. The acid tannin complex is true to the form for the commune showing a playful grip. Bright red fruit with a certain delicacy combine with energetic acid.A fine Bussia with considerable depth and length. A delicate perfume over the top of a very fine transparent Barolo. Thirst quenching. Lovely red and savoury fruit. Delicate Bussia yet still with generosity, now there's a trick.  Complete refined. Delicious. Mou
$183
$176ea in any 3+
$169ea in any 6+
A component that was previously blended into the Barolo del Barolo. A beautiful perfume lifts from the glass. An extra pop of perceived acidity makes for tannins with a playful edge to the mid-palate adding pleasure. Truffles, earthiness, darkness, with energy. Of the first three Barolos this will need more time to resolve. Serious gear. Winemaker’s hat on I can see why they separated. It will clearly give so much more with a few years in bottle.A presence yet sophistication of perfume a
$209
$199ea in any 3+
$189ea in any 6+

Barale Barolo ‘Cannubi’ 2015

Nebbiolo | Italy, Barolo

Cannubi to the core! Savoury, dark, brooding, rich aroma with a hint of chocolate. You expect power from the nose. It comes through on the palate. Bold even tannins sit under a solid core of fruit that despite it’s generosity and richness has an elegance to itt. Something savoury layered in. Quite complete. I expect as the tannins resolve a little here and secondary development build this will be quite something. It has a certain harmony about it that rings true of great wines.
$249
$239ea in any 3+
$229ea in any 6+