2020 Damilano Lecinquevigne Barolo Piedmont 750 ml

A Barolo with 94 points from Wine Spectator stands with some absolute superstars, and the 2020 Damilano Lecinquevigne stands with monsters like the $290 Ceretto Bricco Rocche and Gaja’s $536  Conteisa.

This gorgeous bottling was harvested from Damilano’s five outstanding vineyards: Cannubi, Liste, Cerequio, Brunate, and Raviole. It’s a classic Barolo grown in a beautiful early-drinking vintage, showcasing power and elegance in equal measure. 

We discovered Damilano’s Lecinquevigne Barolo was at Massimo Camia in La Morra, where we drank it alongside a cast of locals. The cuvée’s name, Lecinquevigne, refers to the five famous Barolo crus from which it is sourced. The estate—which dates back to 1890, making it one of the oldest houses in the region—has been working with the southeast-facing vineyards of these villages for generations.

The wine is drinking perfectly right now, with firm tannins and fresh acidity highlighting every note of red cherry, wild strawberry, and dried rose petals in perfect clarity. There’s an elegance to the Nebbiolo, with fine intimations of tar, leather, and anise that complement the structured backbone. It's everything we love about Barolo, exhibiting layers of ripe red fruit, plum, and savory herbs, with a long finish that reveals subtle earthy spice—at a value only made possible by the deep roots of "one of Barolo's most historic families," writes Vinous.

Since 2008, Damilano has committed almost entirely to a traditional expression in the cellar, moving away from French barriques in favor of large, untoasted oak casks that keep the wine’s fruit front-and-center. That’s exactly what you want in a vintage like 2020, which showed immense balance and harmony right out of the gate.