Reviews
Technical Details
- WinemakerDante Scaglioni
- CountryItaly
- RegionPiedmont
- Sub-RegionLanghe
- AppellationBarbaresco
- Farming MethodCertified Organic
- Alcohol14.5%
Figli Luigi Oddero Barbaresco Rombone 2019
Price drops to $39.95 per bottle when you purchase 6 or more bottles!
Figli Luigi Oddero is a titan of Piemonte – a revered and iconic producer that we’ve hyped for years! 96 points and a BEST in the USA price of under $40 on 6+ bottles – do not miss!
Cru Barbaresco under $50 has become quite the rarity these days – especially from the fantastic and historic hands of a producer like Figli Luigi Oddero. We scored ourselves a little cache of some of their best – and while it's not much – the fastest clicking and most hardcore of you Piemonte purists are gonna flip over this one.
Located in the tiny northwestern Italy-corner commune of La Morra, Figli Luigi Oddero has a wine history in the region dating back to the 1800s, when Luigi’s grandparents served as winemakers and merchants. Luigi became enamored with wine himself, enthusiastically learning all he could about growing and making world-class Piemonte wines. Since his passing in 2010, the family has continued to uphold his name and reputation – even bringing on the great Dante Scaglioni (and his 25+ years of experience at the incomparable Bruno Giacosa estate), alongside his protege, Francesco Versio, to drive the portfolio to even greater heights.
This 96-point 2019 from the Rambone Cru does just that – a monumental effort that elegantly captures the beauty of Barbaresco, with the inherent power and longevity of Rambone’s high-elevation site. The Cru’s meager soils – composed of white/grey marl atop sandy clay on sloping hillsides just outside of Treviso – make for tiny nebbiolo grapes of incredible concentration, while the cool nights ensure a long, even ripening with ample structure and acidity.
The result is compelling, with stainless steel fermentation and larger oak aging allowing the character of the site to show through – expressing myriad notes of strawberries and roses, with black pepper, tar, and waves of minty freshness and spice percolating this all at a very high frequency. Energetic stuff, to be certain, with a freshness that perseveres into a long, complex finish with plenty of silky tannins leftover to secure decades of life yet to come. One critic called this “intoxicatingly beautiful” and we’re quite inclined to agree! For under $40 on 6+?! Don’t hesitate – this 96-point beauty is sure to fly!!!
PAIRING IDEAS: On young Cru Barbaresco like this – some extra unctuousness really balances out the intensity. I’m going for creamy polenta, topped with arugula dressed in lemon, and plenty of grilled hanger steak over all! A little red wine reduction cut with cream and toasted hazelnuts takes this to the next level.