2021 Casalcomignoli by Carlin de Paolo Barbaresco Piedmont 750 ml

Barbaresco is synonymous with big-name, big-money wines. Collectibles like Gaja fetch $300 to infinity, under-$100 bottles are rare, and under-$50 bottles are like hens’ teeth. That’s why we jumped at the chance to claim as much as we could of the 2021 Casalcomignoli by Carlin de Paolo.

“To have this at this price is insane,” said a Master Somm friend, who at any given time has a bottle of Barolo or Barbaresco open on his kitchen table. “The level of complexity and nuance here is astonishing.”

Barbaresco is known for its incredible aromatics, and this one—from the producer behind our #1 Piedmontese wine of all time—is awash in ripe red berries, roses, and a whisper of mushroom. The palate is finely structured and quietly powerful, with bright red fruit woven through firm, polished tannins, and nuances of black tea, tobacco leaf, and dried herbs adding depth. A persistent mineral thread—almost saline in character—runs from start to finish.

This is Nebbiolo in all its modern glory, grown in the dramatic hills around Cuneo and Treiso. The four brothers behind the wine—Giancarlo, Davide, Lorenzo, and Paolo—are constantly fusing traditional methods in the vineyard with modern techniques in the cellar.

The vines average 30 years of age. The wine was vinified in 25–30 hectoliter tonneaux for 18–20 months, and that extended élevage, combined with four years in bottle, has produced something that’s genuinely ready to drink right now—no decanting required, no waiting.