2016 Barolo Collector's Case, Arnaldo Rivera - 6 Cru Barolo, 1 great vintage and 1 unknown producer

April 5, 2022

2016 Barolo Collector's Case, Arnaldo Rivera

6 Cru Barolo, 1 great vintage and 1 unknown producer

£245 per 6 bottle case in bond

Ever heard of the wines of Arnaldo Rivera? I doubt it.
Ever tasted them? This is perhaps more likely.

Arnaldo Rivera was the founder of a cooperative in Barolo, called Terre del Barolo. This cooperative, which was founded in 1958, counts over 300 different growers as members, who collectively farm over 600 hectares of vines. They are responsible for a huge proportion of entry level Barolo sold all over the world in supermarkets and convenience stores. A number of UK supermarkets list their generic Barolo at £19.99 on the shelf and, qualitatively, it is fair enough – basically well-made for a bulk production wine. It is worth remembering that there is great skill in making a successful, large-scale blend – it could be argued that it is a more complicated exercise than focusing on one small vineyard and a very limited production. A number of cooperatives have essentially transcended the level of quality expected of a cooperative of growers. Think of La Chablisienne or Produttori del Barbaresco for two outstanding examples.

Six years ago, Terre del Barolo’s leadership decided to embark on a new project making use of the vineyard access that their membership allowed. After all, Terre del Barolo is the only producer to farm vineyards in all of the 11 Barolo communes, counting nearly all the top Cru or sites within their reach. Until this stage, all of their production was blended – that meant that fruit from great Barolo vineyards such as Vigna Rionda, Rocche di Castiglione and Monvigliero was essentially lost in a far broader, more all-encompassing blend, as mad as that might sound when you consider how each of these vineyards is revered today. The new project commemorates their founder, Arnaldo Rivera, using his name as the new brand for their top wines, a range of limited production, individual Cru, all crafted by one single winemaking team.

When I heard that the 2016 Arnaldo Rivera Barolo were to be released in a specially mixed case containing one bottle of each of their finest six Cru, I was intrigued. It is rare to have the chance to compare such sites where the only thing that differs is the source of the fruit, not the winemaking style. Given the standing of the 2016 vintage, which is undoubtedly a great, great year, I wondered if there could be some interesting results. I wasn’t disappointed…I found the wines clearly showed the hallmarks that we associate with their vineyards and all showed good purity and ripeness as befits a year like 2016. It is worth stressing that the production volumes here stretch to little more than two or three thousand bottles, so they are a world removed from the ‘normal’ Terre del Barolo wines in terms of both approach and results. What is more, they offer exceptional value for money; we are able to offer this mixed case of six Cru in the 2016 vintage at just £245 per 6 bottle case in bond. So, while I am not suggesting that these wines will register alongside the greatest Barolo you have ever tasted, they won’t disappoint. They are very well-made, and it is clear the 2016s mark a strong starting point for this project, which I expect to go from strength to strength.

I have included Monica Larner’s notes from robertparker.com below in full. When you consider that her scores range from 91 to 94 points, I think it gives you a good indication as to where these wines sit qualitatively. I would, however, add that her tasting notes date back to 2020, whereas I had the chance to taste last week. With that in mind, I have added some one liners of my own to add a bit of recent colour, but to avoid too epic an email!

A limited number of these mixed cases were made, and we are delighted to have made a good purchase for Atlas clients. This is, after all, an unusual opportunity to compare and contrast some great Barolo vineyards in a great vintage at a very reasonable cost. And, moreover, it shows that quality comes from the vineyard; the winemaking skill is there to harness what the vineyard has to offer.

2016 Barolo Collector’s Case, Arnaldo Rivera
£245 per 6 bottle case in bond
Containing one bottle of each of Rocche di Castiglione, Vigna Rionda, Ravera, Bussia, Monvigliero and Castello

1. ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE
Deep with dark, bold, ripe fruit. Quite full, lovely texture, though the structural tannins inherent to this site are present. Smoky, minty, tangy and savoury nuances lend fine complexity. This is shaping up very well indeed. (SL)

94 points, Monica Larner
With only 2,400 bottles made, the Arnaldo Rivera 2016 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione represents the smallest production in this wide-reaching collection of single-vineyard Baroli. Fruit comes from Castiglione Falletto, one of the best-performing comuni in the classic 2016 vintage. The grapes are harvested from vines that were planted from 1977 to 1990, and you feel the extra richness and concentration of old wood as a result. This expression is reserved and closed at this young stage, requiring extra cellar time before it unfolds. The fruit is tight and compact with wild berry, cola, blood orange and iron rust. It will hit the market in September 2020. 2024-2045.

2. VIGNA RIONDA
Deep and brooding with dark fruit and spice, beautifully ripe. Has that glossy, textural tannin quality typical of Rionda. Velvety. Fine purity here and all the components in harmony. Impressive. (SL)

93 points, Monica Larner
The Arnaldo Rivera 2016 Barolo Vignarionda comes from a single parcel in Serralunga d'Alba planted at 330 meters above sea level. The vines are relatively young, planted in 2003. The bouquet is both spicy and savory with a long list of aromas that span from dark fruit, cherry liqueur, cola and balsam herb to earthy licorice root. The aromas are tangy and almost exotic in character. Thanks to that robust fruit weight, the tannins feel consequently softer and better integrated in this wine. A mere 3,400 bottles were made. 2024-2040.

3. RAVERA
Showcasing Ravera’s typical austerity in youth; coolly ripe fruit, with notes of dark cherry, wild mint and spice. Savoury nuances emerge to the finish. Currently taut in structure, needing time. Classy. (SL)

93 points, Monica Larner
The Arnaldo Rivera 2016 Barolo Ravera is actually a blend of fruit from six vineyards located within the cru, planted at various stages from 1963 to 1968, 1970, 1991, 1992, 1997 and 1999 to 2002. The winemaking approach is the same as the other single-vineyard wines in this series, which see 32 months of aging in tonneaux and botte grande. The bouquet offers dark fruit and savory spice with tilled earth and cardamom pod. The Ravera also shows a meaty tone with bresaola or cured ham, but this is only a very light accent. The mouthfeel is tight and linear, with dusty tannins on the close. Some 5,600 bottles will hit the market in September 2020. This is one of my favorites in the series. 2023-2040.

4. BUSSIA
Captures that deep brooding fruit of Bussia, with dried citrus peel and a moderately firm tannic frame. Fuller, gently mouthfilling with fine depth of fruit. (SL)

92 points, Monica Larner
The Arnaldo Rivera 2016 Barolo Bussia is actually a blend of two sites located within Bussia at about 410 meters above sea level. The vines were planted in 1969, with more plantings between 1981 and 2003. Starting with the 2018 vintage, a third site in Bussia Gabutti adjacent to Romirasco will be added to the blend. This vintage boasts a dark and nicely saturated appearance with bold cherry, blackberry, tar and licorice. I also get a distinct aroma that reminds me of bitter almond or toasted hazelnut. The tannins are slightly astringent and textured, requiring more bottle age until they subside. Some 4,500 bottles were released. 2023-2040

5. MONVIGLIERO
Fragrant, elegant, showing fine purity. Attractive red and black fruits, blood orange too, with a distinctive, mineral undertow. Very graceful, sleek tannins and persistent fruit. (SL)

91 points, Monica Larner
The Arnaldo Rivera 2016 Barolo Monvigliero represents a blend of fruit from three sites located within the celebrated Monvigliero cru. The vines were planted between 1948 and 1972 in one site, in 1950 in the second and in 2002 in the third. On average, the vineyards are located at 260 meters above sea level. Extended fermentation occurs over three weeks in stainless steel with malolactic fermentation in oak. The finished wine ages in tonneaux and botte grande for 32 months. The character of this wine is savory and earthy, with some truffle essence spread over black fruit and licorice. Like the other wines in this series from Arnaldo Rivera, I think better work could be done with the management of the tannins, which are a bit too rough and bitter at this young stage. Some 5,000 bottles will be released in September 2020. 2023-2040

6. CASTELLO
More forward than the other Cru, supple in contrast, small dark fruits, elegant underbrush notes, menthol too. Appealing and shows charm at young stage. (SL)

91 points, Monica Larner
This wine sources its fruit from youngish vines in Grinzane Cavour planted in 2003. With only 5,000 bottles made, the Arnaldo Rivera 2016 Barolo Castello is an open-knit and accessible expression. The bouquet produces aromas of dark berry, plum, tilled earth and licorice. The wine shows depth and power, with good complexity, making it a fine partner to grilled meats. This vineyard site is located at 250 meters above sea level at the foot of the Grinzane Cavour castle (a UNESCO heritage site), and fruit from this vineyard has been fermented by this co-operative winery since 1973. 2022-2035

So, there you have it, a fascinating selection that showcases the quality of the vineyard holdings within the cooperative and clearly points the way to greater future interest. I look forward to seeing how this project develops as the components for success are clearly present.

Please let us know of your interest.

All the best,

Simon

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After our Big Barolo Bash held at Salisbury House, EC2M, on Wednesday 4th December 2024, I thought I would share a few thoughts as it is not often that you get the chance to compare 42 different Barolo spanning vintage 2011 to 2019.The wines shown were grouped by vintage rather than by grower. The aim was to encourage an understanding of vintage characteristics. We also felt this would spare clients the significant challenge of moving from a softer, lighter vintage to a richer, more tannic one and then back again in a repeated cycle through all producers. Deciding on a tasting order is never easy, even more so with a variety like Nebbiolo, known for its bright acidity and structural tannins. Our buyer, Seb Agnello, manned the 2018 and 2019 table. These two vintages show distinctly different styles. 2018 was a more mixed vintage, still with some notable successes. It is a lighter expression of the Nebbiolo variety, but by no means a poor vintage. It has always been our view that it was a misunderstood vintage; wines from this year have shown appreciably better after a little time in bottle, having been difficult to read when very young. From the wines shown, the Barolo Prapo from Ettore Germano impressed clients with its cherry red fruit – for a Barolo from Serralunga d’Alba, a commune known for richness and power, this is an incredibly pretty example, vintage in, vintage out. Chiara Boschis’ blended Barolo, Via Nuova, drawn from various crus from the across the region, received plenty of praise from clients, too. Perhaps the wine that impressed most from this selection was Vietti’s Cerequio 2018, which showed blue fruit touches, a fine freshness and those slightly rounder tannins that are common to La Morra. The 2019s were a last-minute addition and were the two single vineyard wines of Andrea Bosco which offered an opportunity to compare a Barolo from the lighter soils of Verduno with a richer wine from La Morra; respectively, the wonderfully refined Agostino Bosco, Barolo, Neirane and the darker, brooding Agostino Bosco, Barolo, La Serra. Clients seemed interested in how these two most recent vintages would shape up in time. While the 2019s are the product of hot year, these showed how that vintage manages to show a certain classicism. They will warrant 8 to 10 years in bottle before showing in their prime. In contrast, the 2018s, with their lighter accent, are already starting to show well, even if some of the leading examples will still demand 4- or 5-years patience before really starting to sing. The 2017 table was, for me personally, one of the most fascinating. Not only were some of the region’s most notable growers featured in this line up, but it showcased a vintage that I fear has been a little overlooked. 2017 was a hot and dry vintage and in an earlier era I don’t believe the wines would have come through as well as they have. Growers have had to adapt to modern day conditions in Barolo; whatever way you cut it, this is down to climate change. As I remarked to various clients, in the 1990s there were perhaps three notable vintages which delivered ripe fruit and fine structure, other vintages in which many growers lost precision and freshness in their wines but a greater number of years in which it proved tough to ripen Nebbiolo fully. Leaf-plucking became routine to expose the fruit to the sun and allow aeration. Rolling the clock forward, between 2010 and 2020 we have not had a bad vintage. There have been challenging conditions, but we have had four great vintages - 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019. Then there have been some more mixed years, but ones in which good growers have nevertheless excelled. Today it is more about providing some protection to the fruit, as opposed to exposing it. This is quite an incredible switch around to have occurred in just 20 years. Growers have needed to learn fast – to learn how to prepare their vineyards for the modern-day challenges of heat and drought, when not so very long ago, the challenge was inclement weather. 2017 is a successful hot vintage, particularly given there were four months in the growing season without any rain. The cooler weather at harvest really assisted in providing freshness to the aromatics and brightness to the fruit; this was notably evident in the selection of 2017s at the tasting. The two wines from Brovia were just beautiful; both the Brea ‘Vigna Ca Mia’ and the Villero were way ahead of the quality that a reading of the vintage reports might suggest possible. Instead we found pure fruit, refined tannins, glossy textures and a complex amalgam of fruit nuances and tertiary notes. Equally compelling were the duo from Poderi Oddero. In the amazingly graceful Vigna Rionda, from one of the region’s finest terroir, Oddero has crafted a genuine beauty in 2017 and I would suggest it isn’t far removed from the quality they delivered in the tremendous 2016 vintage; this should be a wine on your watch list if you a fan of the finest Barolo. The Bussia Vigna Mondoca showed in a similarly impressive manner; Bussia, in Monforte d’Alba, is a controversially large cru but when you taste wines of this calibre, there is no doubting that it has the potential to rank highly, depending on the exact location of the vines within the . Very rich, with a deep damson, plum quality to the fruit and hints of spice, this rich Barolo will demand patience, even in a year like 2017 where some wines are starting to drink. In this latter category, we would place Vietti’s reliable Castiglione blend and, surprisingly, Vajra’s 2017 Ravera, which seems to show very little of the austerity that is more typical of this cool, elevated Novello cru. The 2016 table certainly drew considerable attention, as clients were aware that this vintage is considered to be one of the all-time greats. The 2016 vintage represented the perfect growing season with no excesses or problematic weather. These wines have such appealing fruit and fine tannin that a number show that they are already approachable though even the humblest from this vintage have ageing potential. The table was manned by Atlas’ Nick Pitcher, who commented that clients were impressed by the 2016 Barolo del Comune di La Morra from Renato Corino on account of its expansive, rounded fruit. Renato has always made rich, softly textured wines and his entry level Barolo, principally made from young vines in Rocche del’ Annunziata, has always been considered by Atlas to be something of a bargain; the 2016 is no exception in this respect. Brovia’s Barolo 2016, from across their holdings, also impressed, making for an impressive showing on the night for this traditional producer when you consider how well their 2017s showed. The Brovia and Corino 2016s offer great value, a point borne out by client purchases! Parusso’s lesser known Mariondino from Castiglione Falleto also won favour with its intense fruit, with the touch of oak adding tobacco and vanillin notes, one of the few wines in the room to be aged in that manner. Nick also showed the component wines of Arnaldo Rivera’s Collector’s Case, as Nick said what a vintage for the cooperative of Terre del Barolo to launch a premium mixed case. Clients were fascinated to taste six different crus, each from one of six of the different communes of Barolo, all from the same producer, and from the same vintage. As one client commented ‘A great dinner party experience to be had tasting single cru Barolo at a bargain price!’. It is hard to argue with that. While the Arnaldo Rivera wines aren’t in the Premier League of Barolo, they are well made, approachable and provide a good introduction to understanding the single cru vineyards and the communes that make up the patchwork that is Barolo. Unsurprisingly, the lighter tannins and juicy red from on the Monvigliero impressed various tasters as did the richer, Vigna Rionda. The inclusion of the 2016 Neirane from Agostino Bosco sparked interest too, with many clients returning to the 2019 to refresh the comparison; the 2016 is just starting to drink as this vineyard possesses lighter soils with an element of sand, whereas the 2019 will need more patience. Then finally, we had a mixed table spanning the vintages from 2015 back to 2011, manned by Atlas’ Toby Herbertson. This table was a real draw as it allowed clients some insight into how Barolo ages; this was very much needed as some clients weren’t particularly familiar with the region. Some clients started tasting here, which might not have made it easier to move onto younger wines thereafter. The ability to compare wines from the same growers in 2011 and 2012 fascinated people and both vintages impressed. 2011 is one of those vintages that is starting to drink really well – it was a hot vintage, by the standards of that point in time, but it was wonderful to see how, if anything, the wines seem to have picked up a little more precision as they have aged. Both the Sandrone Cannubi Boschis 2011 and the Vietti Ravera 2011 found favour. The 2012 Sandrone, Le Vigne, shows just how well Sandrone adapt to vintage conditions. The 2013 Cappellano Pie Rupestris was very popular on the night; clients were impressed by the complexity and quality, though some struggled to spot the value in contrast to other wines shown. The conversation surrounding this table focused on when Barolo tannins start to soften and when wines come on stream for drinking. The lighter framed 2014s were up against it, sandwiched as they were between the more tannic 2013s and the bolder, richer 2015s. That said, many clients commented on the attractive nature of Vajra’s 2014 Ravera, which, like the 2017 of the same wine, showed in a forward drinking manner with a dark, glossy fruit, floral aromas and hints of spice. Indeed, all Vajra’s wines were complimented for their accessibility and the purity of the fruit. Finally, the two 2015s proved fascinating to taste. Giovanni Rosso’s Cerretta shows just why there is excitement brewing about this estate. 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