Barolo 'Bricco Fiasco'

Score

96

"Of the four single-vineyard wines presented by Azelia, this is the only one that draws its fruit from Castiglione Falletto. The other three see fruit from Serralunga d'Alba. It makes sense then that the 2016 Barolo Bricco Fiasco marches to the beat of its own drum when compared to its siblings in this portfolio. This wine is set apart by the precision of its aromas and not by the overt power that you get in Serralunga d'Alba. Instead, you get linear and direct aromas of wild cherry, dried blueberry, smoke, licorice and crushed limestone. This Bricco Fiasco is beautifully assembled, elegant and laser-focused. Luigi Scavino's grandfather planted this vineyard in the 1940s, and the average age of the plants is 85 years old today. The site has more sand in its soils compared to Serralunga d'Alba, and this explains the bright fruity and sometimes floral characteristics of the wine. This is a 5,800-bottle release."

Score

96

"The 2016 Barolo Bricco Fiasco is a glorious wine. Sweet red cherry, mint, iron, rose petal and blood orange are some of the many aromas and flavors that grace this exquisite, beautifully layered Barolo. A wine of subtlety, nuance and grace, the 2016 has so much to offer. I don't remember ever tasting a Bricco Fiasco with this level of finesse and nuance. Two thousand sixteen is the first vintage in which the Bricco Fiasco is aged part in cask and part in barrique. All I can say is: Wow!"

Score

95

"Attractive red-cherry and spiced red-plum aromas, surrounded by nuances of tar and cedar. The palate has brisk acidity married with upright tannins, creating a juicy red-cherry surge through the finish. Good potential here. Try from 2022."

Score

92+

"The 2015 Barolo Bricco Fiasco is another attractive, perfumed wine in this range. Iron, smoke, blood orange, kirsch and orange peel are all nicely delineated throughout. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2015 has enough drive, depth and sinewy tannin to support two decades of very fine drinking. Time in the glass allows the fruit to emerge, but the 2015 remains reticent and in need of time to be at its very best."

Score

94

"The 2015 Barolo Bricco Fiasco is made with fruit from 80-year-old vines that were planted by Luigi Scavino's grandfather. This vineyard in Castiglione Falletto has more sand in the soil compared to Serralunga d'Alba, resulting in floral and fruity aromas. I love the deep inner intensity of this wine plus the pretty fruity contours that give it so much lift and buoyancy. The wine is immediately bright and forthcoming. Dusty mineral tones with integrated tannins appear on the long finish. The wine spends 24 months in mostly neutral barrique. Some 5,800 bottles were made"