Press
Robert Parker
Una guida ai migliori produttori italiani e ai loro vini
BAROLO DOCG VIGNARIONDA RISERVA 2013
- Year: 2020
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 95
- Note: The Oddero 2013 Barolo Riserva Vignarionda is a gracefully aged expression with some dusty characteristics behind dried cherry fruit, spice and crushed mineral. The wine is pinned tightly together by a long succession of elegant and linear tones. The tannins are tucked in at the back and seamlessly absorbed into the mid-weight texture of fruit from Serralunga d'Alba. This is a very precise and linear expression. The idea behind this Riserva was to present a late release 10 years after the harvest. But Mariacristina Oddero and her family decided that it made more sense to time each release according to the qualities of the vintage. This 2013 shows beautiful results now, but it still holds back today in order to give you more tomorrow.
BAROLO DOCG VIGNARIONDA RISERVA 2014
- Year: 2020
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 95
- Note: The Oddero 2014 Barolo Riserva Vignarionda graces us with a slender and delicate frame and plentiful aromatic nuances that bloom before your senses. This wine has a lot of pent up energy with blood orange, wild cherry, rose, lavender, dried clay, campfire ash and rusty nail. The soils of Serralunga d'Alba consist of thicker clay, and these conditions add to the intensity and structure of the wine. However, the graceful nature of the cool 2014 vintage gives this Riserva a special sense of uniformity and equilibrium that can't be achieved with the same precision in the hotter growing seasons. This wine hits that proverbial nail on the head.
BAROLO DOCG ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE 2016
- Year: 2020
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 95
- Note: The Oddero 2016 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione draws its fruit from Castiglione Falletto from a site with 70-year-old vines. True to the characteristics of this vineyard, the wine shows enormous precision, balance and attention to detail. The bouquet is vivid and bright with wild berry, grilled herb, cola, crushed mineral and candied orange skin. The aromas are played out with pretty and lasting equilibrium. Like the other Baroli in this collection from the Oddero family, beautiful work has been achieved in terms of tannin integration. The results are firm, but silky nonetheless.
BAROLO DOCG BRUNATE 2016
- Year: 2020
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 97
- Note: This wine falls within the more structured side of the spectrum if you consider the various single- vineyard expressions made by Oddero. Their 2016 Barolo Brunate is lavish and dense with beautifully articulate and expressive aromas. Black cherry, dried blackberry, spice, tar, tilled earth and a touch of truffle oil add to the complexity of the bouquet. The wine boasts a dark garnet color with vivid color saturation. The tannins are well managed, silky and even glossy, and there is enough solid fruit weight to carry this Barolo far as it completes its long aging trajectory.
BAROLO DOCG 2016
- Year: 2020
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 94+
- Note: Oddero's classic 2016 Barolo delivers everything you seek in this beautiful vintage. The wine is linear and tight, precise and focused, showing vivid fruit, wild berry, rose hip, aniseed and grilled herb. These aromas are delivered with carefully intensity, in which you can make out each characteristic and no one element is masked or covered. Fruit is drawn from three vineyard sites: Bricco Chiesa and Capalot both in La Morra, and Fiasco in Castiglione Falletto. The balance is spot on, and so is the wine's value price.
BAROLO DOCG VILLERO 2016
- Year: 2020
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 95+
- Note: The Oddero family suggests tasting their single-vineyard Baroli in this order: Villero, Rocche di Castiglione, Brunate and Bussia. Starting off with the 2016 Barolo Villero, you get an open-knit but very precise expression in which the Nebbiolo grape is able to show its delicate nuances of wild cherry, rose hip, pressed violet and cola. The wine is silky and graceful. This Villero hits all the magic spots in the classic 2016 vintage. It should be exciting to chart its progression over time.
BARBARESCO DOCG GALLINA 2017
- Year: 2020
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 93
- Note: The Oddero family makes this one Barbaresco with fruit from a 1.9-hectare site in Neive. Their 2017 Barbaresco Gallina is an elegant wine that successfully downplays any excessive heat or ripeness that you might expect to find in this vintage. The wine shows bright freshness and soft or powdery tannins, all backed by cherry, wild berry and aromas of crushed mineral or limestone. Those aromas come together with pretty unity and carefully measured intensity. These are impressive results.
BAROLO VIGNA RIONDA RISERVA 2009
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 96
- Note: Again, this wine is typically released ten years after the harvest, and so in the case of the 2009 Barolo Riserva Vignarionda, we are right on time. Balsamic notes and lovely shades of spearmint lift from a bouquet that offers so much green and herbal intensity. This is a delicate and ethereal expression and a very special wine that has little primary fruit or secondary aromas left. The bouquet has moved fully into the tertiary realm with those fleeting and ephemeral perfumes that rise so gently. This vintage does not have the same density and darkness that you get in the similarly warm 2011 edition, and that won't be missed. I prefer this wine to the 2011 vintage, but I would also suggest a shorter drinking window here. Note that Vignarionda will not be a Riserva in the 2014 edition.
BAROLO VIGNA RIONDA RISERVA 2011
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 95+
- Note: The idea behind this wine was to present a Riserva released ten years after the harvest. But the Oddero family realized that setting a fixed time (ten years) doesn't make much sense in the variable world of winemaking. For that reason, it was deemed that the 2011 Barolo Riserva Vignarionda was ready to be released now, when it is showing its best. Both the 2011 and 2009 (released at the ten year mark) come from hot vintages. This one is beautifully evolved and elegant, with so much muscle and power for a wine that has already reached early middle age. Vignarionda fruit can be very rigid by nature—closed and tight—and generally needs many years to reach peak maturity. But as always, it's up to you to decide when that time has come. As far as I am concerned, this vintage is already relaxed, and the primary fruit is still there. So unless you're a gambler by nature, the best bet is to uncork this bottle within the next 10 years.
BAROLO BUSSIA VIGNA MONDOCA 2013
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 96
- Note: This is an instant classic, and that may be because of the smart decision to harvest later than usual. The 2013 Barolo Riserva Bussia Vigna Mondoca is elegant and profound with lots of beauty at every stage of its depths. The Vigna Mondoca is located more or less in the middle of the expansive Bussia cru, which has very thin and light soils that ultimately aid in the quick ripening of the fruit. Historically, this has resulted in super fruit intensity and delicious black fruit flavors. In this edition, we also get more tilled earth and stunning mineral tones. This is a beautiful Barolo Riserva.
BAROLO VILLERO 2015
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 94
- Note: Oddero did not make this wine at all in 2014. They experienced hailstorms that year, and Villero suffered the most damage, becoming the only wine to be skipped over in their portfolio. They bought this parcel, located in Castiglione Falletto, in 1989 and have rarely had a sub-par vintage since. The 2015 Barolo Villero is one of the better ones on record, marked by an enormous structure and power to its classic profile of dark berries and currant. You could give it plenty of time to evolve in the cellar, or open it in the short-term to breathe next to a platter of prosciutto, culatello and mild cheeses.
BAROLO ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE 2015
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 95
- Note: This is the family's historic vineyard cru, located in Castiglione Falletto at the border with Monforte d'Alba, and the Odderos have been making wine from this site since 1982. This is a thin little snake of vineyard land that shows unique and different characteristics in its wines. In the 2015 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione, those start with a strong mineral, almost salty element you taste right at the get-go. This wine is robust and tight in the mouth and should relax over the next two or three years. It's another wonderful effort from Oddero.
BAROLO BRUNATE 2015
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 95
- Note: I tasted theses single-vineyard Barolos in this order: Villero, Rocche di Castiglione, Brunate and Bussia. So the 2015 Barolo Brunate could be considered second to last in a list of increasing power and intensity. It is even more impressive than the previous expressions. Make no mistake, this is still a tight and compact expression that needs to unwind. It really needs some time to relax in the cellar, but when it does unfold to its true potential, this Barolo will be a real prize.
BAROLO 2015
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 93+
- Note: This is a blend of three vineyard sites: Bricco Chiesa, Capalot (both in La Morra), and Fiasco (in Castiglione Falletto). This was a warm and dry summer by all accounts, but there is no evidence of jammy flavors here because the roots had access to good water reserves. The 2015 Barolo is a generous and accessible wine with lots of dark fruit and soft, succulent fruit flavors. Its signature leather and tobacco notes will likely develop with time. This "classico" Barolo is always a good match for red meat.
BARBERA D'ASTI SUPERIORE NIZZA 2016
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 91
- Note: Starting with the 2014 vintage, this wine is now part of the Nizza appellation. Legally speaking, it is Superiore Nizza, but in the future it will be called Nizza for simplicity's sake. (I have recorded the wine here exactly as the appellation name appears on the front label.) The 2016 Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza is treated as a single cru, although it is not identified as such. The wine shops out plump sweetness and a dark fruity concentration that makes it a contender for any red-meat ragù pairing. The difference between Barbera from Asti and that from Alba is that Alba expressions tend to be more elegant, whereas Asti is more faithful to Barbera, and maybe a bit more rustic too. They harvest fruit in Asti about one week before they do in Alba.
BARBERA D'ALBA SUPERIORE 2016
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 92
- Note: This is the first vintage in which this wine has become a Superiore. The fruit for the 2016 Barbera d'Alba Superiore is a blend from vineyard sites near La Morra and Castiglione Falletto, respectively. This is a genuine and authentic wine with depth. The Oddero family is extremely proud of this effort, saying it is perhaps the best vintage they have ever made. The Barbera grape needs rain at the right time, and that's what it got in 2016. (The Dolcetto grape suffered more in this growing season). Any new oak used here comes as 4,000- to 6,000-liter casks. Slavonian oak is used, as is Austrian: Oddero has been a faithful customer of Franz Stockinger for more than 20 years. Once those oak casks are used and become more neutral in flavor they are moved over to use with Barolo.
BARBARESCO GALLINA 2016
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 92+
- Note: Dusty and salty mineral notes characterize this interesting expression of Nebbiolo, derived from the sandy soils for which this vineyard site is known. Specifically, the fruit for the 2016 Barbaresco Gallina comes from 1.9 hectares of southern-facing terrain that is leased from the local church. They harvested this vintage a bit earlier than their peers in order to gain in elegance as well as those distinctive mineral tones. The Oddero family says they are not looking for power or concentration in this wine, but rather delicate perfumes and the territory-specific nuances of slate and chalkboard.
BAROLO VIGNA RIONDA RISERVA 2008
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 94
- Note: The 2008 Barolo Riserva Vignarionda was held back at the winery to be released commercially ten years after the harvest. The fruit is sourced from 50-year-old vines that benefit from organic farming. You feel the robust nature of the Serralunga d'Alba village, with heat, structure and power at the back. It is a classic but powerful Nebbiolo, with earthy tones, sweet spice and dark chocolate. This wine is moving beautifully along its aging trajectory. Bravi. Only 2,000 bottles are available.
BAROLO BUSSIA VIGNA MONDOCA RISERVA 2012
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 94+
- Note: The 2012 Barolo Riserva Bussia Vigna Mondoca shows delicate intensity and long staying power. This is a classic Barolo that opens to delicate and pristine fruit aromas. This graceful wine should age well, preserving its ethereal and fragile elegance. Only 3,500 bottles were made.
BAROLO ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE 2014
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 92
- Note: The 2014 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is broad and simple, with less depth compared to recent vintages, but it is still accessible and fresh. I enjoyed the dried fruit, pressed violets and blue flower aromas. There is sophistication here, for sure, but it is delivered with comfortable ease. Only 2,000 bottles were made. The vines used to make this wine are 70 years old, on average. Historically, this was the first single-vineyard wine made by Oddero.
BAROLO BRUNATE 2014
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 93
- Note: A direct line of bright fruit shoots out from the bouquet, with flashes of candied cherry and raspberry and some cherry cough drop along with earthier tones at the back. I liked the sharp intensity of the 2014 Barolo Brunate with its pretty aromas of rose hip and flowers. This wine should age for a good 10-20 years. The fruit comes from 60-year-old vines. Some 2,000 bottles were released.
BAROLO 2014
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 90
- Note: This dark-colored 2014 Barolo is a lot more articulate than some of the other expressions I tasted from this vintage. The wine has good richness and depth in terms of aromas, backed by a lean mouthfeel. The mid-weight finish is compact and thin. Some 22,000 bottles were made. This is a good value Barolo.
BARBARESCO GALLINA 2015
- Year: 2019
- Guide: Robert Parker
- Score: 91
- Note: Reining back on the hot vintage ripeness, the 2015 Barbaresco Gallina is elegant and precise. The aromas are direct and clear, with earthy tones and licorice at the back. This is a relatively new addition to the Oddero portfolio. The first vintage made was 2004.
BAROLO RISERVA BUSSIA 2009
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 94
- Note: The 2009 Barolo Riserva Bussia is a gorgeous expression that has just stepped into the first leg of its long drinking window. If you have a bottle you should continue to wait of course, but already at this point the wine is showing deep and profound black fruit with savory spice and campfire ash. The tannins have reached a splendid moment of polished silkiness.
BAROLO VILLERO 2011
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 90
- Note: The 2011 Barolo Villero is a very distinctive wine with a vein of inner sweetness and plumpness that may not appeal to everyone. This expression offers more to debate and analyze. The bouquet opens to dark fruit, black currant and dark plum. Sweet notes of cinnamon snaps and baking spice emerge from the bouquet. That oak-driven sweetness is evident. This wine needs extra time to integrate and find balance.
BAROLO ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE 2011
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 93
- Note: This wine has returned to its single vineyard name. The 2011 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a terrific and beautifully generous expression. The wine presents an irresistible medley of dark fruit, licorice, tar and aromas of grilled rosemary sprig. There is fullness and opulence here, especially in terms of the wine's textural impact. The wine's various elements come together in seamless fashion.
BAROLO BUSSIA VIGNA MONDOCA RISERVA 2011
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 94
- Note: This is a beautiful wine that respects the long-standing classic traditions of the Barolo appellation. The 2011 Barolo Riserva Bussia Vigna Mondoca is a reflective and elegant wine that moves in slow motion across the senses. It is in no hurry and nor should it be. The bouquet imparts a slightly riper and softer quality of fruit. As the wine evolves in the glass it reveals more nuances of subtle spice and smoke. All those qualities wrap delicately over the palate with lasting intensity.
BAROLO BRUNATE 2011
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 92
- Note: The 2011 Barolo Brunate is a poised and elegant wine that uses the warmth of the vintage to its advantage. The bouquet opens to distinct and complex layers with dark fruit, moist earth, black truffle and pressed violets. There are subtle contrasts as well with sweet spice pitted against savory rosemary sprig. The wine is austere and firm with good tannic integration.
BAROLO 2011
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 91
- Note: Oddero has successfully managed the unexpected twists and turns of this warm and comparatively shorter growing season. The 2011 Barolo does indeed offer a fuller and more generous disposition, but it does so within those narrow and beautifully aligned parameters allowed by the Nebbiolo grape. Dark fruit nuances segue to mild spice and cinnamon. This is one of those rare wines that will drink well in the near term but that promises to improve with age.
BAROLO VILLERO 2012
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 91+
- Note: Slightly darker in color and consistency, the 2012 Barolo Villero is a sturdy and muscular wine. The quality of fruit from this Barolo cru shines through despite any difficulties associated with the vintage. Careful fruit selection has obviously paid off. Like the other new release from Oddero, this wine offers a very polished and careful mouthfeel that exhibits elegance, length and a silky texture. The finish is moderate in terms of intensity but long in persistence.
BAROLO ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE 2012
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 92
- Note: From the Castiglione Falletto township, the 2012 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a full and generous wine with dark fruit and cassis that segues to tar, smoke and licorice. It shows classic Nebbiolo lines without too many extra bells and whistles. The traditional and consistent style achieved by the Oddero family gives these wines great potential for a happy aging evolution. The finish offers smoothly polished and silky tannins.
BAROLO 2012
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 90
- Note: The 2012 Barolo is a classic wine with firmly stitched aromas of wild berry, toasted spice, licorice and mild tobacco. This was a warm vintage and the wine shows a slightly more generous inner fiber and looser texture as a result. But it comes together with focused intensity in the mouth and this quality will certainly carry it through the next decade (or more) of cellar aging.
BAROLO ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE 2013
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 94
- Note: The Rocche di Castiglione vineyard extends to both Monforte d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto, but Oddero farms a parcel in the latter. The vines at this site are up to 50 years old. The 2013 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione shows impressive linearity and focus with tight berry and spice aromas. Those tones will undoubtedly flesh out and take on more volume with time. This elegant Barolo promises a long aging future ahead.
BAROLO 2013
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 93
- Note: Oddero's 2013 Barolo is a beautifully delicate and nuanced expression of Nebbiolo from a balanced vintage. This edition offers a solid, firm and complete nature that translates to both the bouquet and the mouthfeel. The finish is polished, long and silky. I've always loved Oddero's base Barolo and this happy wine generously illustrates that preference.
BAROLO RISERVA VIGNA RIONDA 2007
- Year: 2017
- Guide: RobertParker.com
- Score: 95
- Note: This wine is released ten years after the harvest, giving consumers the opportunity to buy an older vintage of Barolo that has been stored carefully back at the winery. Older-release wines like this are becoming ever more popular in the Langhe. The 2007 Barolo Riserva Vignarionda is a powerful and exuberant expression that shows the density and the inner energy of Serralunga d'Alba. Blackberry and dark cherry lift from the bouquet to reveal pretty undertones of spice, leather and savory tobacco. Only 2,763 750-milliliter bottles, 200 magnums and 20 jeroboams were produced. This wine offers a very special taste of Nebbiolo.
BARBARESCO GALLINA 2010
- Year: 2014
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 90
BAROLO BRUNATE 2010
- Year: 2014
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 93
BAROLO ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE 2010
- Year: 2014
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 95
BAROLO VILLERO 2010
- Year: 2014
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 92
BAROLO 2010
- Year: 2014
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 91
BAROLO 2009
- Year: 2013
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 92
BAROLO BRUNATE 2009
- Year: 2013
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 94
BAROLO VILLERO 2009
- Year: 2013
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 94+
BAROLO ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE 2009
- Year: 2013
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 93
BAROLO VILLERO 2008
- Year: 2012
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 91
BAROLO ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE 2008
- Year: 2012
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 90
BAROLO 2008
- Year: 2012
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 90
BAROLO BRUNATE 2007
- Year: 2011
- Guide: The Wine Advocate
- Score: 93
BARBARESCO GALLINA 2007
- Year: 2010
- Guide: The Wine advocate
- Score: 90
- Note: Issue 192 closing date: 12-23-10
BAROLO 2006 ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE
- Year: 2010
- Guide: The Wine advocate
- Score: 92
- Note: Issue 192 closing date: 12-23-10
BAROLO 2006 VILLERO
- Year: 2010
- Guide: The Wine advocate
- Score: 94
- Note: Issue 192 closing date: 12-23-10
BAROLO 2004 VIGNA RIONDA
- Year: 2010
- Guide: The Wine advocate
- Score: 94
- Note: Issue 192 closing date: 12-23-10
