2019 Barolo, San Rocco, Azelia, Piedmont, Italy

The 2019 Barolo San Rocco is an attractive wine that captures the mysterious, nuanced personality of Serralunga in the understated style that runs through all these wines. Dark cherry, plum, blood orange, exotic spice, cedar and tobacco are nicely delineated. I admit I miss the San Roccos of the past, but the 2019 is undeniably attractive.

Drink 2025 - 2034

San Rocco is a small MGA located on the northern side of Serralunga d'Alba with steep slopes that open toward Cerretta with clay and limestone. The 2019 Barolo San Rocco with 7,300 bottles made) benefits from tighter space and a protected microclimate to produce powerful wines. However, this vintage certainly needs more time in bottle and is nowhere near expressing its full potential now. The bouquet is rigid and unyielding at this time. This is a characteristic of San Rocco.

I tasted six Barolos from Luigi Scavino's Azelia: five from 2019 and a Riserva from 2013. The Riserva is a special wine that sees an outstanding five years of aging in oak casks and another five years in bottle before its commercial release. The vines range from 95 to 120 years old.

Drink 2025 - 2045

Fermented with its indigenous yeast and macerated for 40 days with a submerged cap, then aged in large oak casks for 24 months. The fruit is restrained, cherry kernel-like, with sweet violet, balsamic hints and rhubarb minerality. Savoury on the palate, it shows velvety tannins of significant extraction with long-lasting acidity. A wine focused on the roots rather than on the fruits; restrained, mineral and of great austere elegance.

Drink 2023 - 2050

Lemon blossom with cherry and sliced strawberry aromas that follow through to a medium body, with firm and lightly austere tannins and a bright finish. Cedar and orange peel to the fruit. Needs time to soften.

Better after 2027