2015 Poderi Roset Barolo DOCG Piedmont Italy 750 ml

This classic Poderi Roset Barolo from Piedmont’s outstanding 2015 vintage is the kind of tiny-production rarity that New York’s top sommeliers snap up swiftly and dole out judiciously—and only to the proven Barolo-philes who merit the privilege. 

The rush of unlocking off-list cellar discoveries like this is why we go to New York, but with restaurants needing to get creative this year, we have a unique opportunity to deliver that thrill directly to your doorstep in the form of an incredible value find. 

A classic in the making five years after the superlative 2015 vintage, Poderi Roset’s beautifully integrated Nebbiolo walks the knife edge of power and restraint. A textbook Barolo by any lofty standards, this has all the florals and generous red berry that we crave, alongside savory dark chocolate and tobacco complexity—not to mention the firm, muscular tannins that carry such a satisfying long finish. 

Located in Verduno on the northernmost edge of Barolo’s DOCG, this wine clearly benefits from the trademark spiciness derived from the village’s unique soil—a complex mix of calcareous clay, silt, and sandstone interspersed with chalky veins. For decades, before deciding to bottle their own wines, small Verduno estates like this one only sold their grapes to larger producers. As a result, names like Poderi Roset have flown under the radar, known only to the most dedicated students of the region.  

Poderi Roset is headed by Silvio Busca, who was the original winemaker when his now father-in-law established the estate in 1993. A former hazelnut farmer with a natural winemaking talent surpassed only by his ambition, Busca fell in love with the property and the boss’s daughter, and ultimately worked hard enough to purchase one and marry the other. He’s since converted the estate to organic farming practices, ensuring the Barolos reflect nothing but the purity of Verduno’s terroir at the base of the Alps. 

It’s the kind of story you often hear tableside as the sommelier pours the inside scoop, but given Poderi Roset’s tiny grower estate and three-person family team, it’s no wonder this Barolo has never seen the light of day beyond its underground fandom of well-connected sommeliers. The miniscule number of bottles that make it abroad typically go straight to New York City staples like Tavern on the Green, Il Mulino, The Breslin, Lalou, and Del Frisco’s. Until now. 

Recent restaurant pivots and our inside line to those lists have resulted in a few one-time offers like this Poderi Roset, which would have been an eye-popping bargain for Barolo lovers even at its standard triple markup on the menu. But we nabbed the off-list price, making this is one of the most inexpensive Barolos we’ve offered in years—quite a coup given the “exceptional vintage” that critics like Jancis Robinson and the Wine Advocate reported in 2015. 

But with restaurants ready to get back to their regularly scheduled holiday programming, this rare opportunity is a one-time steal. We’ve already grabbed our cases, and highly urge you to do the same.