"Two thousand twenty-one is a superb vintage for Barolo." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The hype has been going for some time now, but you never know just how good or great a vintage can be until the wines hit the market. Now that the 2021 Barolos are here, it's clear that the early praise and accolades are well warranted.
Apart from a few isolated weather events, the growing season was ideal by modern Barolo standards, with a long cycle and normal harvest time. Normal diurnal temperature shifts and heat patterns also contributed to the incredible overall quality that is becoming evident in the finished wines. As Galloni notes in his comprehensive vintage report, "The 2021 Barolos are finessed, elegant wines that will delight Piedmont fans."
Against this backdrop, we present a staggering array of the vintage's most compelling recent releases, over forty wines spanning entry-level gems and values for near-term enjoyment to cult-caliber cellar performers that will show the 2021 vintage in all its glory decades down the road. Names like Vietti, Vajra, and Gaja dot the landscape, as well as under-the-radar winners like Brezza, Manzone, and Elio Grasso. If this introductory list below tells us one thing, it's that the 2021 Barolo campaign is going to offer immense enjoyment for collectors and Piedmont fans as they stock the cellar with one incredible wine after another.
Complex, fruity and solidly built, this red features cherry, strawberry, rose, green olive, leather, iron and tar flavors. Succulent and beautifully balanced, with dense, assertive tannins that are well-integrated, ending with a detailed, mouthwatering aftertaste. Best from 2030 through 2050. 392 cases made, 150 cases imported.
98 points, Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator (Dec 2025)
This Barolo opens up with aromas of bright cherries, cedar and a touch of sliced mushrooms. Medium-bodied with incisive freshness. The tannins are restrained, almost timid. The wine is overall compact and solid. Very well constructed and cohesive. Needs three years to soften, but it’s really enjoyable to taste.
98 points, Jacobo Garcia Andrade, James Suckling (Jan 2025)
The E. Pira e Figli - Chiara Boschis 2021 Barolo Mosconi is structured, linear and ultimately quite mineral in character compared to the Cannubi. Its firm underlying architecture is rendered light and fragrant thanks to aromas of blue flower, grilled herb (with both rosemary and aniseed) and pulverized stone. Fruit comes from a site in Monforte d'Alba at a cool 370 meters in elevation. I came back to this bottle 24 hours after my first tasting and remarked on the elegant, chalky nature of the tannins. 9,000 bottles were produced.
97+ points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (Jan 2025)
Selected from the estate’s oldest plot within Mosconi, this is the only one of Chiara Boschis’ Barolos still aged exclusively in barriques. The cool, fresh site sees significant diurnal temperature differences typically giving a powerful wine that needs tempering and, above all, time. The 2021 harnesses that vigour and potential masterfully. A marvellous mix of sweet spice, forest roots and stony minerals evoke a palpable sense of territory. Profound in its depths, it boasts juicy acidity with plush tannins you can sink your teeth into. Long, textural and enveloping with dark cherry, plum and hints of bitter cocoa, this is a complete and compelling package.
97 points, Michaela Morris, Decanter (Jan 2025)
With a slightly deeper jeweled ruby hue, the 2021 Barolo Mosconi is more contemplative, offering layered notes of cedar, cherry cordial, Asian spices, sweet herbs, and pressed flowers. It reveals broader polished depth on the palate, with ripe, refined tannins, and a long, even-keeled finish with persistent mineral underpinnings. It is only going to improve as it leans into these more brooding tertiary layers of truffle and leather, and it will be worth waiting for. Drink 2026-2056.
96+ points, Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck (May 2025)
The 2021 Barolo Mosconi is ample, creamy and resonant in the glass in its first impression. Dark red/blue fruits, leather, lavender, spice and menthol build with some coaxing. There's plenty of Mosconi substance, but Chiara Boschis has done a terrific job in taming the tannins here. This is one of the most refined wines I have ever tasted from the Mosconi cru. Time in the glass brings out the wine's structural presence, while floral overtones and insistent tannins support the driving finish.
96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jan 2025)
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