M. Marengo Barolo Bricco della Viole 2016 (750ML)

96 WA / 96 JS / 95 WS / 17+ JR

Speaking from the heart, this is probably my favorite wine from M. Marengo. The 2016 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is a wine that always stands out in my tastings thanks to its very special bouquet. I am reminded of flowers, with hints of rose hip, lavender and, of course, violets, after which this cru site is named. Fruit comes from a one-hectare plot in the comune of Barolo at about 420 meters above sea level (a slightly higher and cooler site). You can almost taste the cool, calcareous soils here thanks to those delicate and fragile aromas. This 2016 vintage offers a bit more power and density, and that floral signature is slightly downplayed in favor of red fruit and wild berries. This vintage offers just a tad more concentration and darkness, with the textural tightness that beckons for many more years of cellar aging. With time, those beautiful fruit flavors will become more relaxed and polished. There's that hint of crushed white pepper again, which we saw in the classic Barolo. It pops up in this wine like a little sparkle at the very end. Some 6,100 bottles were made. - Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

Wow. Fantastic purity of fruit and ripeness with sweet strawberries, white pepper, limestone and dried flowers both on the nose and palate. Full-bodied with layers of fruit and firm, chewy tannins. Very transparent wine. Needs two or three years to soften. Try after 2023. - James Suckling

This vibrant red is rich and harmonious, offering cherry, raspberry, menthol, wild herb and tar flavors that are nicely integrated into the solid structure, extending with a persistent aftertaste of fruit and savory elements. Best from 2022 through 2045. 400 cases made, 200 cases imported. - BS, Wine Spectator

Enticing aromas of alpine herb, blackberry, blue flower and white pepper shape the alluring nose. The palate is densely concentrated, opening with fleshy Marasca cherry, licorice and hazelnut before the heat of evident alcohol and assertive, close-grained tannins leave a grippy, drying finish. Drink 2024–2031. - Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast

Barolo. Tasted blind. Mid to deep ruby with orange tinges. Perfumed nose of huge depth and with hints of garden herbs. Supple, elegant fruit and juicy acidity with layers and layers of sandy tannins. Long finish with depth and tannic chew. - WS, Jancis Robinson