Barolo Cicala, Poderi Aldo Conterno 2021

A super-intense and perfumed Barolo, graceful and powerful, with aromas of Parma violets, citrus, leaves, lush cherries and yellow stone fruit. Full-bodied on the palate, it shows a velvety texture, ripe tannins despite the extraction, tight-knit acidity and graphite flavors. Long, lavish finish.

There is a bass note here that is buried deep in the terroir of this historic vineyard. This is a giant of a wine that is still sleeping, and yet I have to wake it if only for a fleeting glimpse into its soul, even though this is a mere months into its life. There is no primary fruit here whatsoever. There is only the primary earth. This is as introverted and as menacing as any Conterno wine I have tasted, and yet the density, completeness, and majesty are staggering. This is, without doubt, the finest Cicala I have ever tasted. This is so fabulous and stunning, it blows my mind. As it opens in the glass, there is a beat, perhaps thousands of drums, sounding rhythmically and in perfect syncopation. It is a tour de force for this vineyard and a wine that will age for 20 – 30 years with ease. But, regardless, it is epically balanced and refreshing as well as unfathomably deep. It is a legend in the glass.