2017 Casalcomignoli by Carlin de Paolo Barbaresco Piedmont 750 ml

Barbaresco is synonymous with big-name, big-money wines: Collectibles like Gaja fetch $300 to infinity, under-$100 bottles are rare, and under-$50 bottles are like hens’ teeth. That’s why we jumped at the chance to claim as much as we could of the 2017 Casalcomignoli by Carlin de Paolo.

“To have this at this price is insane,” said our Master Somm, who at any given time has a bottle of Barolo or Barbaresco open on his kitchen table. “The level of complexity and nuance here is astonishing.” 

Barbaresco is known for its incredible aromatics, and this one—from the producer behind our #1 Piedmontese wine of all time—is awash in smashed red fruit, rose petals, and orange peels, and dusty rocks. The palate has a core of red fruit, with peripheral notes of tan tobacco, resinous herbs, a touch of dried mint, and licorice. It’s all carried on a detailed structure of fine, beautifully integrated tannins. 

This is Nebbiolo in all its modern glory, grown in the dramatic hills around Cuneo and Treiso. The four brothers behind the wine—Giancarlo, Davide, Lorenzo, and Paolo—are constantly fusing traditional methods in the vineyard with modern techniques in the cellar.

The wine hails from vines with an average age of 30 years. It was vinified in 25–30 hectoliter tonneaux for 18–20 months, and that stint, plus several years in the bottle, makes for a bottle that’s delicious now—no need to wait, as you must do with most Barbaresco. It’s peaking, and will drink beautifully until the early 2030s.