($105):  As my colleague Michael Franz points out, you need to select your 2015 Barolo carefully.  The warmth of the growing season resulted in some spectacular wines, while others might be a little over the top and lacking acidity if growers waited too long to harvest.  Put this one in the spectacular category.  Rocche dei Manzoni called the harvest perfectly.   The Perno from the Vigna Cappella di S. Stefano vineyard is tightly wound with appropriately firm, but not with hard nor aggressive tannins.  Floral aromas suggest greatness, which is apparent as long as you give the wine time to open.  Indeed, the wine showed even better the following night after being opened for 24 hours.  Elegant tarry and earthy elements merge with dark fruit flavors and finally emerge in a long and explosive finish.  The stature of this wine shows in the beginning — the nose — and the end — the finish.  It just needs a decade of bottle age, at least, for the grandeur of the middle to show.  This gorgeous young wine is one for the cellar.  If you love Barolo, this wine needs to be in your cellar.
96 Michael Apstein Jun 4, 2019