Tasting Barolo from Monchiero and Fenocchio, 2025 Releases

Barolo is the famous wine from the eponymous region in Piedmont, Italy, where this 100% nebbiolo production has earned the moniker, “the king of wines.” And while Barolo has a reputation for being dense and austere — and only good for drinking after a decade in the cellar — our recent tasting of wines from two producers show that Barolo can vary wildly from vintage to vintage, producer to producer, and vineyard to vineyard.

Recently, we received a large collection of current releases from two top-tier Barolo producers, Fratelli Monciero and Giacomo Fenocchio — all drawn from either the 2019 or 2021 vintages.

We’ll consider each producer’s wines in turn.

Monchiero was founded in 1954, and today it farms 12 hectares of vines, which average 25 to 30 years old. Annual production is 40,000 bottles.

2021 Monchiero Barolo Del Comune di la Morra DOCG – A rarity made from estate fruit from the La Morra commune, and as such it is not easy to find. Arguably my favorite wine in the Monchiero lineup, this wine threads the needle between vibrant fruit and austere tannins, the former tempering the latter with a smear of raspberry jam, nutmeg, and cherry compote. Youthful but expressive and wholly enjoyable today, the experience evolves slowly to fold in notes of cloves, rosemary, and light touches of anise. Plenty of grip on the finish, evoking years of cellarability. A / $140

2019 Monchiero Barolo Pernanno Riserva DOCG – Firing beautifully, this Barolo is aging perfectly (though it still has plenty of life ahead of it). The cherry compote notes are bright and lively, tempered by touches of rhubarb — then a significant herbal complement: rosemary, thyme, and a surprising pop of pepper, almost jalapeno in tone. Still youthful but vibrant and quick on its feet, the wine shows off a deft balance with loads of acidity that temper the lightly gritty, underlying tannins. This wine has years of life ahead of it, but a decanter will get you on your way today. A / $91

2021 Monchiero Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto DOCG – Surprisingly bright and light in color, this wine has an initially intense depth, but remains bright with fruit — blueberries and raspberries, then layers of rhubarb and baking spice. The earthiness of the wine is impossible to miss, but the experience never feels heavy, and as it lingers in glass those earth tones rise up nicely, melding with the fruit to create something with more complexity and a bolder extraction. Light touches of licorice and nutmeg linger on the finish. A- / $47

2021 Monchiero Barolo Rocche di Castiglione DOCG – Just a bit richer, with notes of turned earth and anise more dominant, but still plenty of vibrant fruit — cherry, then rhubarb and cranberry making a significant dent in things, leading to quite a tart presentation as the wine develops in glass. The palate is fresh and herbal, with enduring notes of rosemary and thyme. Notes of orange peel dust the finish, which never lets go of the licorice whip that is evident from the start. Tight now; I’d recommend holding this at least three years before uncorking. A- / $71

2019 Monchiero Barolo Montanello DOCG – A more classic construction of Barolo, deeper and richer, with both more forceful fruit and a tannic depth, evoking notes of graphite and a slight touch of creosote. Elements of green herbs mix with underbrush and a tight note of anise to give the finish a more pastoral vibe. Today’s tannin is taking the wine to a place that’s a bit pruny, but this fades with time in glass and on the palate. This wine probably has 10 years of runway ahead of it, but in 3 or 4 it’ll probably be close enough to hitting its prime to merit cracking open. A- / $67

Fenocchio dates back to 1864, but its operations didn’t spread beyond selling to the local market until the 1960s. The operation now farms 10 hectares of fruit, producing 45,000 bottles per year.

2021 Fenocchio Barolo Villero DOCG – Excellent mix of earth and fresh fruit here, cherries and raspberries feeling ripe and vibrant, but tempered by lighter notes of underbrush and saddle leather. Gently drying plums add a richer note to the wine as it develops, followed by a substantial baking spice character, while a slathering of licorice candy on the finish adds just a touch of sweetness. Very well-balanced and versatile, hard to put down. A / $96

2021 Fenocchio Barolo Castellero DOCG – Another surprisingly light Barolo, coming across with an almost Burgundian flair, floral and cherry-laced up front, then fading into notes of anise, potpourri, and a hint of rye grain. This is a soft, delicate wine, thoroughly challenging expectations of young Barolo, its finish lightly layered in baking spices. Again, quite versatile and wholly approachable. A- / $81

2021 Fenocchio Barolo Cannubi DOCG – Brighter fruit notes exemplify this expression, with touches of strawberry playfully tempering the core of cherry and a little cranberry. The tannic profile isn’t shy, offering a substantial and chewy character that is ringed with anise and dark chocolate. Blackberry compote informs a very lengthy and somewhat gritty finish. It’s a youthful wine that still has plenty of growth ahead of it, suggesting an ideal drinking window that is probably years off. A- / $100

2019 Fenocchio Barolo Bussia 90 di DOCG – “90 di” refers to the ancient tradition of submerging the cap for 90 days before the wine is racked. One of the darkest and richest wines in this collection, this is a weighty exploration of nebbiolo, hearty and beefy with a ton of tannin still holding the line. Tight as a fist right now, this is one of the few wines in this lineup that really needs some cellaring to show off its best features, and another decade of mellowing wouldn’t be out of line. Herbal notes cling tight — heavy on sage and thyme — until the wine turns toward anise and lastly a thick layer of fresh-poured asphalt. Hold. B+ / $70

2021 Fenocchio Barolo Bussia DOCG  – A very tart and tannic expression of Barolo, this is one of the most underdeveloped wines in the lineup. I don’t mean that from a winemaking standpoint; rather, it’s just got a massive road ahead before its true charms to come full circle. The cherry notes here are underripe, while a heavy rhubarb quality adds a significant bitterness — almost sour at times. If the wine opens, it’s really all in the service of evoking notes of green herbs, both fresh and dried, en route to finishing layers of creosote and anise. While unbelievably tight and closed-off today, it’s clear it’s a wine with a beautiful life ahead of it, once all the tannin settles down. Could be a decade, though. B+ / $70

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