Adriana Fabbro

9.1

Had high hopes as this wine/vintage was an absolute stunner 7-8 years ago when I last had a bottle but this one was a bit shagged (as my newly minted MW friend likes to say). Hoping it’s just this bottle, but maybe it’s peak has long past. Slightly maderized and very little fruit left. Thin. — a month ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

vintage 2016 | 80% nebbiolo, 15% vespolina, 5% croatina. Ten years old and fully alive and kicking. Brownish colour, tertiairy tones in smell. Very good balance, integrated tannines. I loved the bouquet: stinky in the positive way, spices, stewed fruit. A hint of manure. A Piëmonte nebbiolo that I like. Paired with a lasagne. — a month ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

10

This was perfection. Full stop. Ten points, 100, A plus, whatever scale you want to drag into the room, it all collapses under the same truth: it does not get better than this. The 2016 Ar.Pe.Pe. Sassella Rocce Rosse Riserva was so achingly beautiful, so complete, so internally right, that halfway through I stopped even trying to “evaluate” it and just gave in. What makes it unbearable, in the best way, is how nothing sticks out and yet everything glows. The wine has lift, detail, soul, delicacy, authority, all of it moving at once, all of it perfectly proportioned. It just stands there in complete command of itself, and the longer it sits in the glass the more it seems to reveal that perfection and grace are not opposites. They are partners. Words really do start to fail with a wine like this, because the whole point of the experience is that it reaches past language. — 2 months ago

Peter Rosenfeld

9.1

2016 barbaresco delicious — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Has hit its nice widow for drinking. Really good with my Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. — 3 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Balsamic notes with a trace of mint. Barely medium weight with a soft fleshy palate - red cherries, spice and sweet herbs. This palate reflects the fact that 2013 was a good to very good vintage in Barolo. Great length at the finish. The first of 3 from my cellar. — 3 months ago

Cathy Levy

9.0

Enjoyed very much…
Ciao Francesca. — 3 months ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

A winner straight out of the gate. Sweet cherries and blueberries with hints of smoke. A delight. — a month ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Upon opening, the tannins were overbearing, but after a two hour decant it opened up and softened nicely, with cherry, anise, earth, violets, and roses coming through on the nose. On the palate, the anise and floral flavors shine bright, and the finish is exquisite, with the floral notes providing a vivid, persistent finish with underlying notes of spice and earth. The wine has a smooth mouthfeel, with tannins providing astringency on the finish. Such a beautiful, elegant barbaresco that paired wonderfully with tagliatelle bolognese. — 2 months ago

Joel Lara

9.7

Such a beautifully complex, tasty barolo. Has a spectacular nose with tar, leather, burnt maple, and dark cherry. Complex aromas that seem to evolve constantly in the glass. On the palate some initial charcuterie notes quickly burn off, leaving a pure and intense dark cherry that saturates the palate with some earthy cocoa, anise, and balsamic. Mouthfeel is silky smooth. Long finish with cloves, anise, dark cherry, and dry-aged meat. So tasty. This went perfectly with parmesan crusted rack of lamb, spring herb and parmesan risotto, and roasted asparagus. Medium/full bodied with medium- acidity and fully integrated tannins. An intense garnet color with orange bricking on the rim. I’d think this is near its peak. Decanted for an hour, although I don’t think it gained much compared to an initial PnP. Day 2 update: Finished a glass that was remaining in bottle. Holding up well with little change. Still as tasty as Day 1. — 2 months ago

Raun Kupiec

9.0

Minty, tight, herbal. Limited fruit but not yet into complicated secondary flavours. Tannins not as integrated as I would have expected. Frankly, a bit disappointed. Maybe it’s just not in the right place this year. One of my favourite wine producers and this didn’t live up to expectations. Still have 5 more bottles, will try again in a year or two. UPDATE: Well, didn’t finish the bottle last night (rare occurred) and the last 2 glasses sat in the carafe overnight. Wine is much more open and floral today. Really thought an hour and a half in the decanter last night would have been enough. Obviously not. Softer and more round today, and more complex secondary flavors present. Tannins still not integrated enough, though. — 3 months ago

Jamie Amann

9.1

Had a blood red color that was consistent throughout the glass. Smelled of red fruit and tasted of cherry and had a dry feeling from tannins. — 3 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Very enjoyable with deep red cherry, berry fruit, lots of savory spices, orange peel, rose petal & tobacco. — 3 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Benito c murgiq joes dc — a month ago

KA

9.3

Idylio by Apreda Rome — a month ago

JKT

9.0

Starting to show hints of oxidative notes adding to sense of complexity so his to drink up. 13.5 ABV — a month ago

Dave

9.2

Tame is the right word. This Barolo is moving out of its wild youth, but can still age some. Soft fruit and new leather, a little sage. Tannins are mellow, decanted for 2 hours. Paired with pork medallions in a basil cream sauce. Good pairing.
Listening to Willie Nelson — 2 months ago

Anthony Pro

9.2

Mother Wolf.

Las Vegas.

Quintarelli.

… but the Sommelier. — 2 months ago

Matt Waring

9.0

Approachable after 1 hr decant. Cherry-cranberry fruit, hints of black, leathery palate. A little short and it’s not the most complex. But very good now, and for a Barolo you can buy at Costco and open that night, it’s terrific — 3 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2019 vintage. Decanted and tasted after one hour. Medium body. Vibrant and drinking great now but a decade wait might just up the ante. Tough to lay off tho. 2.20.26. — 3 months ago