2019 Gianni Voerzio Martini Barolo 750 ml

Most people breeze right past Wine Advocate’s footnotes. But that’s where we pay the most attention.

The footnotes are where the Advocate’s eminent critics uncork their most honest feedback, and it’s where we read their effusive praise for the Barolo of Voerzio Martini: “These are some seriously beautiful wines from a producer that often goes overlooked. These new releases from the classic 2019 vintage set a new bar for Mirko Martini and his team.”

Voerzio Martini shares a name, family relations, and a style with Robert Voerzio, one of the most expensive producers in Italy. They’re proudly modern producers, following in the footsteps of Fecerica and Mirko Martini’s cousin, Robert Voerzio, whose $250+ Barolos are some of the most coveted collectibles in Italy. The through-line for both of their works is a desire to produce Barolos that are sumptuous early in their aging, but don’t sacrifice an ounce of profundity or complexity—and they’ve succeeded wildly.

In the case of the 2019 Voerzio Martini Barolo, the tannins are refined through gentle micro-oxygenation and precise temperature control. The wine is then carefully transferred into French oak barriques, the traditional barrels of Burgundy and Bordeaux, whose smaller size smoothes tannins and polishes the wine for earlier drinkability. They use 60% new oak, which builds structure and adds a discreet layer of vanilla and cacao notes to the powerful wine.

The result—especially in the outstanding 2019 vintage—is a wine that’s Barolo through and through, but with a texture and drinking window that’s more in line with great Bordeaux or Napa Cabernet. We love it with an hour in a decanter now, and it’ll drink beautifully for a decade plus.