The 2016 vintage in the vineyard
The vegetation cycle in 2016 was certainly one of the longest in recent decades.
Already at the beginning of the season there were signs of an extremely long vegetation cycle. Relatively mild temperatures and low rainfall in January and early February confirmed the trend that had already emerged in the first part of winter.
From late February through March, temperatures dropped and rainfall was plentiful, giving the soils good water reserves. Spring then began with a great deal of rain, but given the stage in the vegetation cycle that had been reached, this did not cause any damage from plant diseases. The average temperatures were not very high, which was mainly due to the low night temperatures..
This phenological delay continued until the end of the summer, which also started slowly but dragged on until the end of September. Important: All grapes were healthy up to this point! The harvest of the grape varieties began in early September with the white grape varieties, then the red grape varieties followed, and the harvest then lasted well into November. During the harvest, the red grape varieties were in excellent condition. In terms of sugar accumulation, it was a very good vintage for the Dolcetto, but even more so for the Barbera, which, during a long period of good weather, achieved excellent sugar levels while maintaining the good acidity typical of the grape variety. Nebbiolo was harvested in the classic order: first Barbaresco and Nebbiolo d'Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo then Barolo. The result of this vintage were perfectly ripe and totally healthy grapes. This fact is also confirmed by the small amount of malic acid in Barolo, which is an important indicator of aging.
The late development at the beginning of the year was caught up again in August and September. In particular, the second half of September was crucial for the components that will determine the structure of the wines, especially for the accumulation of phenolic substances. From an analytical point of view, we can look forward to wines with excellent balance, great bouquet and elegance. These 2016 Barolo wines show exceptional potential for long aging in the wine cellar. So we can look forward to exceptional wines that will be comparable to the 2001 and 2010 vintages.
Here are the 2016 Barolo wines
How experts rate the 2016 Barolo vintage
The trade magazine Weinwisser
"2016 was definitely a top year for Barolo and is in a row with 2010, 2004 and 2001. The Baroli of 2016 are characterized by a powerful appearance, lush tannins are offset by plenty of extra sweetness. Many wines appear first compact and complex, but after aeration they have enormous charm and a drinking flow that emphasizes the fruit with a delicacy that makes you click your tonguedt.
The Barolo 2016 is not to be missed!"
The Italian magazine Spirito di Vino
"One of the aspects that has amazed Barolo experts around the world is the fact that this vintage, still very young, has an excellent freshness that makes it easy to drink, a pleasant novelty for a wine , which is usually celebrated for its severity.
"Add to this the classic elegance and consistently exceptional aging potential of a very classic vintage of the old school".
"The innate qualities of this wine can be expected to reach their full potential in the years to come. Peak drinkability is expected to be reached after 15 years in the bottle, but also after 20-25 years of aging in the cellar you can still enjoy exceptional wines."
Wine Plus
"2016 is an exceptional vintage in the Langhe. The Barolo combine power with elegance and finesse, as we - apart from absolute top winemakers - only experience so clearly in exceptional years. The best wines also have freshness , life and a suppleness that make them alluring and deceptively approachable even in their youth. Yet they offer enough depth, structure and complexity necessary to evolve positively over years, often decades."
Vinum
"Opulence, elegance and finesse and great potential for expansion - all of this is expressed almost perfectly in this century vintage."
