97 POINTS
Monica Larner - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
This wine will not be released until 2019. The 2013 Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata Riserva shows tremendous potential. The wine is bursting from within with a special level of energy and verve. The bouquet is redolent of dark fruit, spice, tar, black truffle and chocolate-covered hazelnut. It really hits home with beautifully tight and elegant Nebbiolo aromas. Moist earth and tobacco add subtle complexity at the back. The wine delivers firm but noble tannins that wrap smoothly over the palate without feeling too heavy or sharp. It will be exciting to taste this wine when it is ready for release in two years' time.
97 POINTS
Monica Larner - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2013 Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata Riserva was released in January of 2019, and once again it looks to be a top prize. Licorice and flowers dominate the bouquet, and its beautiful red fruit is generous throughout. This wine has always been a beauty and consistently has had a high price tag to reflect that quality, going back to the first vintages of the 1990s. It has regularly sold for about $200 every year for the last decade. These vines are old, some of them very old (reaching the ripe age of 60 years old in 1990s, when many of them were replanted with carefully selected clones), producing an elegance and concentration that brings intensity and a high standard of aromas. This Barolo without a doubt shows its pedigree and a quality of noble perfumes that demonstrate characteristics of the greatest Nebbiolo vintages, all delivered with excellent concentration. The magic lingers on the palate, right up to the finish.
Clear, medium dense ruby. Very clearly defined nose of ripe plums and pomegranate and hints of rose. Round and supple on the palate, vivid, juicy fruit, opens with grippy, dense tannin, firm drive on the finish.
This is high-strung and linear, showing precision to its cherry, strawberry, graphite, tobacco and grassy aromas and flavors. Firms up, yet exhibits finesse and complexity on the lingering aftertaste. Still needs time in the bottle, or decant a few hours before enjoying.
Aromas of white truffles and dried red cherries here with an earthy nuance that makes for a complex and compelling nose. The palate has a deep and dense shape and delivers a wide array of rich cherry and plum flavors. Some handy spice here, too.
94 POINTS
Kerin O'Keefe - Wine Enthusiast
Violet, iris, exotic spice and menthol aromas lead the way on this fragrant red. The firmly structured palate boasts elegance and tension, delivering cranberry, pomegranate, licorice and white pepper set against tightly knit, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. It's still youthfully austere and will be even better after several more years of aging. Drink 2023–2033.
93 POINTS
Stephen Brook - Decanter
Scavino bought a 0.5ha parcel in this celebrated La Morra vineyard in 1990 and liked the wine so much he decided to produce it solely as a Riserva. It's deep in colour and the cherry-scented nose is still reserved. Suave and very concentrated, it has polished tannins that nonetheless give a firm grip and structure. There's also a spicy, peppery character and a finish that's complex and long.
93 POINTS
Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous
The 2013 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata is powerful and dense in the glass. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2013 is going to need a few years to soften. When I think of Rocche dell'Annunziata, I think of Barolos built on perfume and elegance. I don't see much of that here, at least in the early going. This is an especially extracted style. Hints of red plum, mocha, wild flowers and spice add nuance over time, but the 2013 is not ready yet to show all of its cards.
