2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalletto 750 ml

We aren’t the only ones in awe of the 2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalletto. 

“Wow,” wrote Antonio Galloni of Vinous, calling Monfalletto “a gorgeous wine that shows just how fabulous the year is.” With its 95-point scores from Galloni and James Suckling, this blockbuster sits shoulder-to-shoulder with mainstays like Ceretto’s $165 Prapo and Massolino’s $114 Parussi Barolos—and we’ve got it today for just $50. 

This is our first Barolo of the 2016 vintage, and your first chance to claim a bargain from that epic season. Barolo doesn’t often pack this kind of elegance, power, and complexity at this kind of price, so we claimed every bottle we could. We recommend you do the same—you can’t do your cellar or yourself any bigger favor.  

Intense garnet in color, the nose shows perfectly blended tobacco, cherries, cocoa, and fresh raspberry highlights. The palate is rich, full-bodied, and elegant, with a mineral-laden texture that’s perfectly integrated with the tannin structure and red-fruit core. It’s a super-savvy pickup for the cellar, or you can let it breathe for an hour before serving it young. Either way, it’s a 95-point Barolo steal from what looks to be one of the top vintages of the decade. 

The Cordero di Montezemolo family boasts a deep tradition in Piedmont, the Spanish clan having settled there seven centuries ago. First distinguishing themselves in the printing and typesetting field, they rose to diplomatic roles in the Royal House of Savoy, eventually becoming one of the most important families in the region. Today, the property is entirely family-run, with Giovanni Cordero di Montezemolo at the helm along with his children Elena and the lovely Alberto.

For 19 generations now, the family has presided over one of the most picturesque properties in all of Piedmont, a historic parcel in the iconic Barolo village of La Morra. Their hilltop is marked by an ancient Lebanese Cedar tree that can be spotted from miles around. 

Rows of Nebbiolo vines radiate down from the tree, and the grapes for Monfalletto come from 15-50-year-old plantings on the organically farmed estate’s south-east and south-west exposures. The vines dig deep into clay and calcareous soils that impart gorgeous elegance and complexity to the berries. Separate lots are aged in both French and Slovenian wood for 18-24 months, before blending, bottling, and another year of cellaring. 

Now, the 2016 Monfalletto is ready to go, and it’s starting off our access to an epic Barolo vintage with a bang. We’ve loved this estate’s overperforming Barolos for years, and there’s no better bottle to show why.