A Willing Suspension of Disbelief: 2016 Barolo Is Here - New Small Producer with 2 Psychotic, Affordable Baroli

2016 Barolo
 - One of the Top Vintages of the Past Decade
 - Amidst the Chaos, A Remarkable Buying Opportunity
 - Maybe As Good As 2010

"The result is a vintage full of truly spectacular, breathtaking wines that captures all the pedigree that Nebbiolo and Barolo are capable of." - Antonio Galloni on 2016 Barolo

2016 Olivero Mario Barolo "Bricco Ambrogio"
- Only 115 Cases Made
- Nose: Stunningly Aromatic.
- Crazy, Crazy Florals.
- Sweet Pipe Tobacco
- Fresh Cut Flowers and Fresh Berries
- Palate: OMG Juicy
- Dense, Balanced, Delicios CHerry Fruit
- Wonderful Richness
- Remarkable Finesse, Harmony and Detail

2016 Olivero Mario Barolo "Vigna Unite"
- Grapes from La Morra and Serralunga
- A Stunningly, Powerful, Sense and Ageworthy Barolo
- Palate: Even More Fruit and Density
- Nose: Huge, Awesome Spice
- Sick, Sick Florals
- Detailed Fresh Flowers
- Intermingled Dried Petals
- Cuban Tobacco, Dark Cherry Fruit
- Gorgeous Palate: Stunning Red Berry Fruit,
- Sweet Leather Taste
- Grace and Power

A Willing Suspension of Disbelief
I remember learning about the concept of a wiling suspension of disbelief in high school.  It's the idea that when you are reading or watching a work of fiction, you willingly don't question that parts of it may be between highly unlikely and impossible. The hero shoots 100 bullets in a row from a pistol... no problem.  he couple runs across each other the next day in a city of 2 million people and they get back together. Sure, fine.

There are certain wines that almost require a willing suspension of disbelief. Winemaking is difficult.  The more power and concentration you have, the harder it is to get balance and a platform for secondary flavors.  You can have issues with alcohol flavors.  It's hard.

But sometimes you get wine that just nails is across the board. Big. Fruit. Rich. Dense.  Complex with oodles of secondary flavors. You almost have to pause mid mouthful and question whether this

is really happening to you. That you perceive all pleasure and no flaws. That a sip of wine could be this good.

I've only tasted this vintage from this producer. And maybe he's not quite this brilliant every year.  But this vintage of his wines is brilliant. And no one has heard of him so these wines are dirt cheap for the quality. 

One Man's Heaven, Another Man's Hell
Everyone who is not in the wine business thinks that industry tastings must be the most fun thing ever. Actually, industry tastings are amongst the worst places to taste wines in the world. Why? Because you're not controlling the bottle. You don't know how long it's been opened. It could and usually is at the wrong temperature. You get a thimbleful and can barely smell the nose. Some yahoo always needs to spit right as you are going to spit and you are polite and keep the wine in your mouth too long and almost pass out from holding your breath too long and spit it out because you're not trying to die tasting wine. Hard to get good reads on wine that way. I could go on but will spare you the curmudgeonly details.

Where I Uncover Some Gems
Having said all that I was very surprised how well the Barolo and Barbaresco tasting in NYC was laid out. It was spacious, informative and because there were so many wineries there there wasn't much of a struggle to taste as it usually is. So this was a great way to taste tons of wines I knew and didn't know. Also there were so many producers that you could spend a good amount of time with the winemaker. It was useful to taste these new and up and coming winemakers against the greats. And I found some gems. I did get an assist from an old wine industry friend who just picked them up in NYC and sent me over.

Olivero Mario
I went to Olivero Mario's table and no one was there and a youngish looking Italian man was there. Lorenzo exudes a boyish earnestness and that is the first clue the wine will be good. Braggadocio and wine usually don't go well together. He had two 2016 Baroli. I'd tasted a lot of 2016 Barbaresco at this point from my tastings in Italy to samples sent here and some before I got to the Olivero Mario table. But I had not tasted many 2016 Baroli.

Lorenzo studied winemaking in school and then started making wine at 22 years old. He works with his father Mario at the estate. His two Baroli, the Bricco Ambrogio and the Vigne Unite are new wines for Mario and his small estate. 2016 will only be the second vintage of the Bricco Ambrogio and the 2016 is the debut of the Vigne Unite.

These were a smidge behind my top 2 Baroli of any vintage at the tasting.  And I tasted dozes including some famous names (which cost more money than these for sure). 

2016 in Barolo
As many of you know the 2016 Barbarescos are maybe the finest vintage ever for Barbaresco. But 2016 Barolo might be better. The wines took my breath away. Not only were Mario's wines brilliant for being such a great winemaker and a newcomer they were from the 2016 vintage of which Antonio Galloni says the below.

I didn't taste one wine that was damaged or overoaked the entire tasting. If this in 1998 almost all of them would be except 5 or 6. Times have changed in Piedmont. It's truly like Burgundy now where everyone is using some form of oak and no one cares as there is so much talent that knows how to use it like a great chef uses salt and now it's a non issue. Who says "I don't drink DRC, Dujac or Rousseau because they use oak?" A fool I'd guess. That's where Piedmont is now and 2016 showcases more brilliant wines across the stylistic spectrum than in any recent Barolo vintage I've ever tasted.

The Wines
Up first is one of the best deals of the 2016 Barolo release cycle I will sell. The 2016 Olivero Mario Barolo "Bricco Ambrogio" for $39.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. This is just an awesome Barolo. So pure.

The nose is just stunningly aromatic. Crazy crazy florals. Also sweet pipe tobacco. Smells like the stuff my father smoked in his pipe in the den in the 80's. Comfort tobacco smell. But the florals comes back then! Like thousands of dried rose petals vaporized into a mashed paste. But also overlayed with fresh cut flowers and fresh berries. So so floral. So aromatic. Incredible spices, mint, hints of herbs and so much mineral. It's so harmonious and laced together. It blew me away. There is a tiny red and black cherry intensity to the nose as well that is just so vivid and detailed. This is only the 2nd vintage of this wine and just incredible work from Lorenzo here. He only made 115 cases of this wine which is a piddling amount.

The palate is so balanced and so juicy. Like OMG juicy which is a 2016 trademark. It's understated and gracious. Complex and tannic with stunning purity and length. Dense, rich, spectacular cherry fruit.  Stuff is just drop dead. It never leaves your palate. Insane inner mouth aromas. There is richness to this wine that is allied with masterful finesse and the the tannins age super velvety, soft and so so sweet. Remarkable finesse, harmony and detail. This is a bit too easy to drink but has the structure to age and last 10-15 years. For an everyday Barolo from a knockout vintage, this is hard to beat.

Up next is the star of the show. The debut vintage of Lorenzo's top wine and what a wine it is. The 2016 Olivero Mario Barolo "Vigna Unite" which is $49.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. What a brilliant debut. REM Murmur-like Debut. Just a brilliant, stunningly beautiful bottle of Barolo.

It is from two vineyards. One in La Morra and one in Serralunga. Both wines are made separately and after 28 months in oak and tonneau of 500-600 liters the blend is made. The 2016 Olivero Mario "Vigna Unite" is a stunningly, powerful, dense and ageworthy Barolo. This is more of a vertical wine thang the Bricco Ambrogio. More acidity, bigger tannins that are more epic and also more fruit and density. It's a big boy that needs age but is a fun drink young with a massive decant.

Just so, so, so, so, so well made. Perfect balance. The nose is really, really dense.  Dark berry fruits, tar, some chocolate and tons of Nebbiolo spice. Nose has huge, awesome spice and sick sick florals. Detailed fresh flowers with some dried petals amongst all the fresh petals. Cuban tobacco, dark cherry fruit. So many dark berries and cherries but the most perfect ones in the bowl. Huge leather and smoke. 2016 Barolo has some of the most vivid young aromas I've ever smelled in young Nebbiolo.


Gorgeous palate. Just stunning red and intense black berry fruit and a sweet leather taste. Very Northern Rhone (Fass balanced, juicy Northern Rhone). The vivid dark cherry fruit and blackberries are just stunning.  But they are like the fresh blackberries that you get off of the vines in the country with that blasting acidity that makes them so fresh. I've had wild blackberries before and there is no comparison. The blackberry fruit in this wine is so vivid and more like a real blackberry than the Driscoll's stiff you see everywhere. Amazing juiciness.So juicy and big, dense with chewy tannins that are super ultra refined. It's got energy for days and substantial structure but also unreal refinement. The grace and power is what makes a great Barolo great. The level of finesse here is just incredible. This has it spades. A real wow wine. Just a remarkable thing of beauty.

2016 Olivero Mario Barolo "Bricco Ambrogio" - $41.99 

($159.96 4-pack) 

2016 Mario Olivero Barolo "Vigna Unite" - $51.99 ($199.96 4-pack)