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. — 3 months 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 — 3 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 — 4 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Very enjoyable with deep red cherry, berry fruit, lots of savory spices, orange peel, rose petal & tobacco. — 4 months ago

Chip Habegger

9.0

Pretty good but surprisingly seemed like it was starting to go past its peak. Cherry, layers, long, silky tannins. — 5 months ago

Jack Petras

9.1

This 2014 took about a half hour to shed some of its bottle funk and open up to a very lithe, whispery and extremely seductive wine. Hints of classic dried roses, with a bit of herbs and “tar”. Delicate on the verge of fading but lovely. A sunset just as it slips into the horizon. — 6 months ago

Adam Baker

9.2

Very good with Christmas Eve buffet. — 6 months ago

with Elissa

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Piazza Duomo acker — 8 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

A continuation of sharing my early impressions of the 2021 vintage in Barolo; Cavallotto is one of those benchmark producers for me, inextricably connected to Bricco Boschis, which they have farmed for nearly 100 years. Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2021 Bricco Boschis pours a brilliant garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of Morello cherry, dehydrated orange, cumin, tar, roses, talcum powder, fresh sage and fresh mint, and dried gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with structure like that of Helm’s Deep; the tannins are absolutely rippin’ and acid at medium+. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is extremely long, savory and drying, to the point that you feel it in your gums several minutes. A brilliant Barolo that has a very long life ahead. Drink now with plenty of air and patience through 2071. Pairs well with hearty lasagna and baseball. — 8 months ago

Nic Z

9.6

One of my favorite Italians — 9 years 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. — 3 months ago

Anthony Pro

9.2

Mother Wolf.

Las Vegas.

Quintarelli.

… but the Sommelier. — 3 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. — 4 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. — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2021 Classico pours a bright garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose the wine is developing with beautiful notes of ripe Morello cherry, raspberry, tart forest strawberry’s, a whole bouquet of roses, hibiscus, saltwater taffy, tar, assorted green herbs, old wood and dry dusty earth. After about an hour or so, pomegranate enters the chat. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. These are early days but I’m really excited to track how these evolve with time. Drink now through 2051. — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Damilano – Lecinquevigne Barolo – 2016
Barolo DOCG – Piemonte, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
A classic, elegant Barolo from Damilano, sourced from multiple vineyards across the Barolo commune (“Lecinquevigne” = five vineyards). 100% Nebbiolo, expressing a refined, traditional profile with precision rather than brute force. The 2016 vintage delivers clarity, balance, and aromatic purity, an excellent example of Barolo with both structure and charm.

Aromas & Flavors
Beautifully expressive bouquet of rose petals, dried cherry, tart red berries, orange peel, and subtle spice. The aromatic profile remains lifted and graceful through the glass, maintaining freshness and definition until the last sip.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and finely knit tannins. Elegant, linear, and well-proportioned. After ~45 minutes of decanting, the wine opens nicely, gaining aromatic depth and textural harmony without losing its Nebbiolo-driven tension.

Food Pairings
Ideal with braised meats, mushroom-based dishes, truffle pasta, veal, or aged hard cheeses. Also compelling with savory, umami-driven plates.

Verdict
A very well-made, classic Barolo that emphasizes elegance and aromatic finesse over power. The 2016 vintage shines here, offering balance, poise, and a clear expression of Nebbiolo’s signature “rose and tart” character.

Did You Know?
Lecinquevigne is Damilano’s interpretation of a multi-vineyard Barolo, designed to showcase the broader Barolo terroir while maintaining consistency and approachability, especially in strong vintages like 2016.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
Graceful and expressive rather than imposing. After a short decant, this Barolo truly comes alive, floral, tart, and polished. A refined take on Nebbiolo that rewards patience and attention. — 6 months ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.5

Incredible purity. Herbaceous, eucalyptus, light tannin. In a lovely spot. — 8 months ago

with Alsu

Robert Rothfield

9.3

Excellent mature Nebbiolo.....bittersweet sour cherries and coarse tannins — 6 years ago

Nico J. Snyman

9.6

Beautiful, soft tannins, quite lovely, a little dirty. — 9 years 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. — 3 months ago

Peter Rosenfeld

9.1

2016 barbaresco delicious — 3 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. — 4 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. — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Opened a couple of hours before service. The 2001 “Rabaja” pours a garnet color with a translucent core and fairly significant rim variation; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears and significant sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated, red fruit: Morello cherry, dried red flowers, truffle, old leather bound books, a mix of organic and inorganic earth and a pleasant blend of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose where there’s a bit of a Maillard reaction with the fruit showing a touch more stewed. The finish is medium+. Drink now after a couple hours in the decanter but should drink well through 2031. — 5 months ago

Alex Gordon

9.2

Incredible bouquet but took a long time to open up and for the mineral and acid to mellow. Smooth and gentle when it finally did. Would only go for cellared bottles. — 6 months ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Dark and intense. Mocha, plum, leather on the nose. Rounded and plush on the mid palate. Rich and rounded with a fine tannins — 7 months ago

with Chris, Alec and 1 other

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Piazza Duomo acker — 8 months ago

Chris Buggy

9.1

Beautiful. Nice bright cherry and dark fruit, balanced tannins. Restrained Nebbiolo, a pleasure to enjoy. — 4 years ago

Pooneet K

8.9

Way too much new oak and feels overextracted. Can’t get past the oak on the nose and hides the fruit on the palate at this point. — 8 years ago

with Michael, Allison and 1 other

Paul Costigan

Founder Courtier Wines

9.0

1998: Youthful. Broad on the palette, with tannins not far behind. This is the Barolo for CA Cab lovers, with a chewy, dense mouthfeel, yet packed with fruit and tasting brand new, rather than 17 years old. Also poured at Quince for white truffle menu. While not showing the same level of complexity as the 1971 or 1985 at the same meal, it was roundly admired, and preferred by some. — 11 years ago

with Michael