2016 Brandini Comune di La Morra Barolo 750 ml

Our Master Sommelier, Sur Lucero, is an absolute Barolo fanatic, and he visits the Brandini estate in La Morra every time he sets foot in Italy. But despite the fact that he’s friends with proprietor Giovanna Bagnasco and her husband Carlo Mondavi—and even flew out for their wedding—we’ve never had the chance to offer one of Brandini’s spectacular wines.

Until now. Sur’s connections have paid off, and we’ve got Brandini’s 2016 Comune di la Morra, a rock-solid Barolo from one of the most historic villages in the region. 

“Structured and powerful. Really well done.” That’s how James Suckling summed up this 2016. Grown in a season that Wine Advocate rated 97 points—making it one of the best vintages in two decades—the wine’s 94-point score puts it alongside triple-digit bottles from Bruno Giacosa and Vietti.

The village of La Morra is packed with famed terroirs like Annunziata and Brunate—not to mention collector-favorite estates like Poderi Oddero, Roberto Voerzio, and Marcarini—making it one of the most storied and sought-after comunes in the Barolo zone. 

It’s hard to imagine a year with more perfect conditions than 2016 in Barolo. With moderate temperatures and dry days, the start of the season crept slowly, but then the heat turned up in July and kept going through August and September. Showers occasionally broke up the sweltering summer and kept temperatures in fine balance. The cooling end before harvest meant that picking started five days later than average—and when all was said and done, the critics praised the vintage to the skies. 

Cellared at the estate since release, the 2016 is gorgeous now yet boasts the muscle and energy to age another decade.