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IT Piedmont has fascinated connoisseurs and wine lovers for many decades. Wines from Barbera, Dolcetto and above all Nebbiolo are among the most thrilling the wine world has to offer. In the many single vineyards around the villages of Barolo and Barbaresco, the Nebbiolo grape yields wines that can easily hold their own against the finest in the world, while captivating with their unique character.
On this page we have brought together the vintage ratings of the most renowned journalists and wine critics, giving you an easy overview of how Piedmont’s vintages are rated. Both the comments and the vintage chart refer primarily to Barolo and Barbaresco. To see how Barolo and Barbaresco have fared since 2010 compared with Brunello, Champagne, Burgundy and the Rhône, take a look at our vintage chart for all regions.
Our Barolo producers
Our Barbaresco producers
What we currently have in stock: all available Barolo and Barbaresco at a glance.
Score bands: below 88 88–90 91–93 94–96 97+ not rated · per year: Barolo left · Barbaresco right (Parker points)
2023
JR A challenging vintage. A wet late spring and early summer brought high disease pressure. This was followed by a heatwave, with temperatures above 40 °C for ten days, causing sunburn and shrivelling. Many vines shut down in the extreme heat, which stretched the growing season to the end of October before the grapes were fully ripe. Alcohol and acidity levels are expected to be lower than usual.
RP Barolo – ; Barbaresco: 89/100
From this vintage in our range: Olek Bondonio – Barbaresco Roncagliette 2023 · Olek Bondonio – Barbaresco Starderi 2023 · Sottimano – Basarin Barbaresco 2023 · Sottimano – Cottá Barbaresco 2023 · Sottimano – Fausoni Barbaresco 2023 · Sottimano – Pajoré Barbaresco 2023.
2022
JR Piedmont’s second year of drought. Without the rain that fell in August and September, the grapes would probably not have completed véraison. Yields are therefore below average. The early ripening of the fruit worried growers, who feared unripe tannins. As neither Barolo nor Barbaresco has yet been released, it remains to be seen how good the finished wines will be.
RP Barolo:89/100; Barbaresco: 96/100
From this vintage in our range: Vietti – Barolo 2022.
2021
JR Spring frost reduced yields. Hail in June and July cut the crop further, with some producers losing 40 % of their expected harvest. A hot, dry summer concentrated the grapes. The outlook for the vintage is very good, although the wines may be slightly higher in alcohol than usual. As Barolo will not be released until 2025, it remains to be seen how much ageing potential the top wines will have.
RP Barolo: 97/100; Barbaresco: 96/100
From this vintage in our range: Chiara Boschis – E.Pira & Figli – Barolo Cannubi 2021 · Chiara Boschis – E.Pira & Figli – Barolo Mosconi 2021 · Chiara Boschis – E.Pira & Figli – Barolo Via Nuova 2021 · Sottimano – Basarin Barbaresco 2021 · Sottimano – Cottá, Barbaresco 2021 · Sottimano – Currá Barbaresco 2021 · Sottimano – Fausoni, Barbaresco 2021 · Sottimano – Pajoré Barbaresco 2021 · Vietti – Barbaresco Roncaglie 2021 · Vietti – Barolo 2021 · Vietti – Barolo Brunate 2021 · Vietti – Barolo Cerequio 2021 · Vietti – Barolo Lazzarito 2021 · Vietti – Barolo Monvigliero 2021.
2020
JR Rain in May and June led to uneven fruit set and yields just below average. A consistently warm summer brought the grapes to full ripeness, and harvest began on schedule. The fruit was healthy, and the resulting wines are elegant and aromatic, with fresh acidity and firm tannins (though not quite as firm as 2019). Excellent ageing potential.
RP Barolo: 91/100; Barbaresco: 90/100
From this vintage in our range: Chiara Boschis – E.Pira & Figli – Barolo Cannubi 2020 · Sottimano – Basarin, Barbaresco 2020 · Sottimano – Cottá, Barbaresco 2020 · Sottimano – Currá, Barbaresco 2020 · Vietti – Barbaresco Rabajà Riserva 2020 · Vietti – Barbaresco Roncaglie 2020 · Vietti – Barolo Brunate 2020 · Vietti – Barolo Castiglione 2020 · Vietti – Barolo Cerequio 2020 · Vietti – Barolo Lazzarito 2020 · Vietti – Barolo Monvigliero 2020 · Vietti – Barolo Ravera 2020.
2019
JR An unusually warm, dry winter was followed by a warm March that brought budbreak forward by about two weeks. A cold, rainy April and May delayed flowering by up to two weeks, causing uneven fruit set and loose bunches. A warm June and a few showers in a very hot July spurred vigorous growth but little disease pressure. Some sunburn on Moscato and Nebbiolo. Violent hailstorms in August damaged some Monferrato vineyards but spared most of Barbaresco and Barolo. With 15 % less volume than 2018, 2019 is regarded as a good year with several outstanding wines.
RP Barolo: 96/100; Barbaresco: 94/100
From this vintage in our range: Sottimano – Currá Barbaresco 2019 · Sottimano – Fausoni, Barbaresco 2019 · Vietti – Barbaresco Rabajà Riserva 2019 · Vietti – Barolo Castiglione 2019 (Magnum).
2018
JR A happy turnaround after a rather gloomy 2017, with large volumes of good quality across all the major varieties. The year began cool but ended hot, and the fine weather held throughout the harvest.
RP Barolo: 92/100 ; Barbaresco: 92/100
From this vintage in our range: Sottimano – Cottá Barbaresco 2018 · Sottimano – Fausoni Barbaresco 2018.
2017
JR Frost and drought hit yields across the region, and the summer heatwave shortened the ripening period. This may hold back aromatic development, although cool nights preserved the high acidity typical of the region’s reds.
RP Barolo: 92/100; Barbaresco: 88/100
From this vintage in our range: Sottimano – Cottá, Barbaresco 2017 · Sottimano – Pajoré, Barbaresco 2017 · Vietti – Barolo Riserva 2017.
2016
JR Piedmont produced excellent wines in 2016, with ripeness matching the very good 2015 but firmer tannins and higher acidity. Ideal harvest conditions allowed Nebbiolo to ripen fully, and yields were above average too. Arneis also fared well, producing precise, juicy whites.
RP Barolo: 97/100; Barbaresco: 95/100
From this vintage in our range: Sottimano – Barbaresco Riserva 2016 · Vietti – Barolo Riserva „Villero“ 2016.
2015
JR An outstanding vintage thanks to healthy berries and exceptionally even bunches. A very cold winter with plenty of snow and a long, cool, wet spring replenished the water table, which was badly needed in a July that was the hottest on record. The vintage is very promising, even if some grapes showed relatively low acidity.
RP Barolo: 93/100; Barbaresco: 91/100
2014
JR For the second year running, a wet, cool spring followed a very wet winter. Temperatures rose in mid-May, bringing an even, rapid fruit set that seemed to promise an early harvest and a generous crop. But the weather turned, becoming cool and very wet from early July, with some violent hailstorms, especially in the commune of Barolo, that dashed all hopes of a great vintage. Quality is expected to be uneven, but those who dared to delay picking were rewarded with a sound, if remarkably small, crop of Nebbiolo. It will probably be a light vintage with limited ageing potential.
RP Barolo: 89/100; Barbaresco: 90/100
From this vintage in our range: Sottimano – Currá, Barbaresco 2014.
2013
JR Incessant rain through winter and spring delayed budbreak and opened the door to fungal disease, while many vineyards were too wet for tractors. From mid-July temperatures soared and stayed high through August, though with cooler nights. September was very sunny and dry, but the growing season was still two weeks behind, making a late harvest necessary. The forecast is for a vintage of similar quality to the already legendary 2010s.
RP Barolo: 94/100; Barbaresco: 93/100
2012
JR An unusually hot summer unexpectedly produced Nebbiolos with low alcohol and high acidity. A very cold February with plenty of snow helped replenish the water table. Persistently cool weather well into April drew out budbreak by two weeks. The weather then settled, with a warm July interrupted only by several hailstorms that wiped out the crop in some vineyards in Novello. August proved exceptionally hot, with temperatures climbing well above 40 ºC, shutting the vines down and halting the growth cycle. Rain at the end of August cooled things off and got (slow) ripening going again. A dry autumn allowed a late harvest. The best wines show nervy acidity, balance and freshness. A light vintage overall, but with some excellent wines at the top level.
RP Barolo: 89/100; Barbaresco: 88/100
2011
JR A very hot year that nonetheless produced some very good, supple, ripe but not stewed wines, even if the higher alcohol (15 % and sometimes more) leaves some of them unbalanced. A very warm April pointed to a harvest four weeks earlier than usual. A distinctly cool June and July slowed the growing season considerably, but August was so hot that Dolcetto raisined on the vine. Rain in early September got ripening moving again. Cool nights kept Nebbiolo from overripening, yet the harvest still came a full two weeks earlier than usual.
RP Barolo: 89/100; Barbaresco: 88/100
2010
JR A wet spring caused uneven fruit set and was followed by a rainy early summer. While Dolcetto suffered most from the short, cool growing season, Nebbiolo proved resilient thanks to its small berries and thick skins. August turned out hot, but cool nights helped preserve acidity. Some cooling rain in early September allowed the berries to develop slowly but steadily. Uneven fruit set meant some producers had to sort rigorously at harvest, but the overall result is considered outstanding: a classic vintage with plenty of acidity, firm but ripe tannins and near-perfect balance in many wines.
RP Barolo: 98/100; Barbaresco: 95/100
2009
JR A cold winter with plenty of rain and snow delayed the start of the growing season. An unusually warm spring, however, encouraged rapid budbreak and even fruit set. June was still warm, but a wet July raised disease pressure in the vineyards and in some cases reduced yields. August was extremely hot and dry, and the weather stayed that way until mid-September. The lack of rain caused water stress and the vines shut down. All this led to wildly irregular weather patterns across the region, so that some Barbera was picked before the normally earlier-ripening Dolcetto. Malic acid levels were below average overall, while the tannins were not always fully ripe. Quality is uneven, with excellence alongside mediocrity, but hardly any of the wines show the stewed, dried-fruit aromas of the equally scorching 2003 vintage.
RP Barolo: 95/100; Barbaresco: 94/100
2008
JR Overshadowed by the opulent wines of 2007, the austerity of 2008 was not immediately recognised as the stuff great vintages are made of. Although growers faced their share of challenges, a long, cool growing season produced healthy, thick-skinned Nebbiolo grapes full of extract and high sugar levels, balanced by great acidity. Although the tannins are still unyielding in most cases, these powerful wines have all the ingredients to gain significantly in complexity and depth over the coming years.
RP Barolo: 91/100; Barbaresco: 90/100
From this vintage in our range: Sottimano – Barbaresco Riserva 2008.
2007
JR Hail and drought made for a low-yielding year, but with good fruit quality.
RP Barolo: 95/100; Barbaresco: 93/100
2006
JR A cool summer was followed by an Indian summer interrupted by two downpours, but the grapes were healthy enough to withstand them. Promising.
RP Barolo: 97/100; Barbaresco: 95/100
2005
JR A reduced crop of decent but unremarkable wines for medium-term drinking.
RP Barolo: 93/100; Barbaresco: 91/100
2004
JR Very promising, with few weather extremes and well-balanced wines.
RP Barolo: 95/100; Barbaresco: 93/100
From this vintage in our range: Roagna – Barbaresco Crichët Pajé Riserva Etichetta Nera 2004.
2003
JR As elsewhere, the heatwave shrivelled the grapes and led to some unbalanced musts, although the oldest vines in Barolo and Barbaresco withstood the weather and produced some exceptional wines.
RP Barolo: 83/100; Barbaresco: 82/100
2002
JR Piedmont’s run of good to great vintages was finally broken by catastrophic hail in parts of Barolo, rot, unripeness and unusually cool weather. Thin-skinned Barbera suffered most in this small vintage.
RP Barolo: 73/100; Barbaresco: 70/100
2001
JR Excellent quality (and quantity) from an early vintage, closer to the opulent style of 1999 and 1997 than particularly long-lived. No shortage of ripeness or structure, but an occasional one of acidity.
RP Barolo: 96/100; Barbaresco: 96/100
2000
JR Very good, partly thanks to a prolonged heatwave from mid-August to mid-September. The Dolcettos were relatively simple, but both Barbera and, above all, Nebbiolo were outstanding, with excellent acidity as well as ripeness and great aromatic expression. For the long haul.
RP Barolo: 95/100; Barbaresco: 94/100
1999
JR Once again very good quality for Nebbiolo-based wines and for Dolcetto, which did much better than the later-ripening Barbera. Opulent Barolo and Barbaresco reminiscent of 1997.
RP Barolo: 95/100; Barbaresco: 92/100
1998
JR More structure and potential than 1997, and some very fine, elegant wines.
RP Barolo: 92/100; Barbaresco: 92/100
1997
JR A hot growing season produced record ripeness, but also worryingly low acidity.
RP Barolo: 93/100; Barbaresco: 93/100
1996
JR Outstanding Barolo and Barbaresco for keeping.
RP Barolo: 97/100; Barbaresco: 97/100
1995
JR A hail-reduced crop of deeply coloured wines from grapes that benefited from a sunny autumn. Probably a notch below 1989 and 1990.
RP Barolo: 87/100; Barbaresco: 87/100
1994
JR Sugar and acidity levels adequate despite persistent September rain. Does not match Tuscany’s performance.
RP Barolo: 77/100; Barbaresco: 77/100
1993
JR Nebbiolo and Barbera never really ripened before the rain came. Could be similar to 1988.
RP Barolo: 91/100; Barbaresco: 89/100
1992
JR A large crop, generally lacking weight and power.
RP Barolo: 74/100; Barbaresco: 74/100
1991
JR A small crop of light to medium-bodied wines for early drinking.
RP Barolo: 76/100; Barbaresco: 76/100
1990
JR With colossal power and big flavours, these are very exciting wines that have rewarded extended bottle ageing.
RP Barolo: 96/100; Barbaresco: 96/100
1989
JR A great, healthy harvest. Top Barolos are thrilling and reward patience.
RP Barolo: 97/100; Barbaresco: 97/100
1988
JR Overrated at first, these are attractive, soft, full-bodied examples.
RP Barolo: 90/100; Barbaresco: 90/100
1987
JR —
RP Barolo: 86/100; Barbaresco: 86/100
1986
JR —
RP Barolo: 90/100; Barbaresco: 89/100
1985
JR A few are still impressive, but excessive yields made some fade early.
RP Barolo: 95/100; Barbaresco: 95/100
1984
JR —
RP Barolo: 65/100; Barbaresco: 65/100
1983
JR —
RP Barolo: 75/100; Barbaresco: 75/100
1982
JR Strangely similar to Bordeaux: glorious in their youth, they have shown they have the weight and balance to last.
RP Barolo: 96/100; Barbaresco: 96/100
1981
JR —
RP Barolo: 80/100; Barbaresco: 80/100
1980
JR —
RP Barolo: 88/100; Barbaresco: 88/100
1979
JR —
RP Barolo: 90/100; Barbaresco: 89/100
1978
JR Formidable, even aggressive wines that have evolved at a snail’s pace.
RP Barolo: 97/100; Barbaresco: 97/100
1971
JR Classic Barolos: rare, but worth tracking down the great names.
RP Barolo: 94/100; Barbaresco: 94/100
1970
JR —
RP Barolo: 93/100; Barbaresco: 93/100
Frequently asked questions
Was 2020 or 2021 the better year for Barolo?
On our scoreboard 2021 is clearly ahead: 97 to 91 Parker points. 2021 is the classic, structured vintage for the cellar; 2020 the more charming one, approachable sooner.
How old can a Barolo be?
In great years, astonishingly old: the chart above goes back to 1970, and vintages such as 1978, 1989 or 1996 still drink superbly today. Average years usually have their window between ten and twenty years after the harvest.