Castello di Perno
The view of Serralunga from the Castello di Perno winery.
April 2024
A second visit to Castello di Perno saw a move from the actual castle of Perno, which was certainly worth a visit, to their newly renovated winery below the village of Perno on the east facing slope along the road to Castelletto.
While the visit offered a new perspective on the operation I am happy to report that the wines, for the most part, reinforced last year’s opinion. This is a winery to watch. The Castelletto/Perno region has certainly been receiving significantly more attention recently, as of course are traditionally made wines so the combination of the two is a recipe for success.
While we tend to focus on Barolo when in the region, there are some interesting things going on here at the Castello di Perno. Sparking wine blending fruit from the Alta Langhe and Gramolere vineyards (!), Merlot (!), and another Nascetta to help broaden our understanding of this almost lost variety.
2019 Castello di Perno Numero Primo Dosage Zero Metodo Classico
10% Chardonnay, 36 months on the lees, only ss
Chardonnay from Gramolere 450m, Pinot Noir from Serravalle
Lots of fruit and drive on the nose, initially the Chardonnay is surprisingly assertive aromatically, some floral leesiness, nice feel, quite lean and fresh in style, zero dosage but with a suggestion of sweetness from the ripe fruit, very apple and and pear toned, with a fine mousse. Juicy style with a very clean finish, decent length, a touch of soapy florals, good dry soil toned anchoring notes, the finish shows more of an almost candied citrus zest, very gently leesy, fairly firm and mineral, a decidedly firm and mineral driven style unfettered, its a very lean style but complete. 92pts
2022 Castello di Perno Langhe Nascetta
Nice, definitely has a sense of delicacy to it, classic floral, dried herbs, hint of rubber band, cider apple skins, white mineral soil tones, a touch of golden currant. Rather light weight on the palate, juicy, with good acidity and a fine balance of fruit and minerality, quartz white soil minerality. Super elegant and fine, long, tense and saline through the finish with hints of delicate golden apple fruit, a suggestion of phenolic bitterness, a little leafy finale, with assuring suggestion of sweetness. 89pts
2018 Castello di Perno Langhe Nascetta
Second vintage
Gorgeous complexity with wax and incense aromas early followed by gentle tea, dried red apple and a very riesling like touch of smoke and flintiness emerging with air. This has gained weight with age, a broad, waxy character emerging with time. Deep, almost honied tones gaining depth around the edges of the palate, acidity and saline minerality is even more pronounced as the palate has gained weight and the fruit character turns sweeter, fine cut on the finale, so easy to drink, complex and nuanced but delicate and harmonious, fresh pear fruit emerges with air and shows fine persistence on the finish, really delicious and intriguing. 93pts
2023 Castello di Perno Ciama n’Aut Vino Rosso 12%
Bottled last Thursday
Whole cluster Dolcetto, foot tread
Piedmontese for wow! An expression of surprise
A wine for conviviality
More stem than fruit on the nose, a touch of sweatiness, mineral and white dusty soil tones, has the edge of raw, bitter almond Dolcetto, turns more and more Dolcetto with air. Super light and fresh, whispering tannins, juicy acidity, a fine gauze of red plum fruit, really shifts the register in which Dolcetto expresses itself. Just bottled so judged gently, this shows plenty of stemmy character, with the fruit being very reserved, it’s a playful wine, interesting, fresh, easy to drink and with some complexity but at this point in its evolution it lacks the expected fruity character. It really is very Beaujolais like, not necessarily nouveau. 84pts
2021 Castello di Perno Barbera d’Asti
65 and 80 year old planted vines
65 vines used for the
Ponteverde, 300 m outside Nizza
Nice lift on the nose with strong ivy notes early followed by a hint of ink, dark plum and blackberry fruit, a hint of cocoa with a a base of dry yellow soil. Juicy and broad in the mouth with lots of power and energy here, not too much weight but a medium plus bodied wine, acids are present but not exaggerated, lovely red fruited and mineral driven example, fine length, lacks a bit of complexity but is attractive for its length, drive, and rather delicately rendered fruit, a really lovely example with a touch of tannin lending mouth grab through the finish. 91pts
2019 Castello di Perno Nizza
Talc, brick dust, deep cocoa laced plum and black cherry fruit on the nose shows a faint hint of wood spice, with a little spearmint accent note. Shows its age. Has a touch of a relaxed character in the mouth, certainly more depth and complexity than the Barbera, but at the same time it is a little less friendly, lacks the energy of the best and doesn’t necessarily compensate for that with a richness or suave feeling, still it has some tension and remains transparent through the palate, with really good vinosity and depth on the midpalate, a touch of tannin that supports the slightly blocky finish. 87pts
2020 Castello di Perno Langhe Merlot
Sweet on the nose, shows some evolution, shoe polish, shoe leather, truffled already, black olive, a bit of black currant. Smells pretty good with some clay soil base notes. Almost feels like a sweet wine, this has loads of fruit in the mouth, is soft, supple and rich, lots of acidity, bright and juicy, quite pleasant to drink bit short and with an ordinary, finish but the fruit up front is quite tasty. 86pts
2021 Castello di Perno Langhe Nebbiolo
Gramolere, completely north 450m
8 months in barrel, then concrete
A bit reticent, a touch compact aromatically, there’s a faint carob sweetness to this, lends sweetness to the red fruit, red cherry, red plum and almost a pineapple sweet citrus tone citrus blossom note., Juicy has some weight and power but is very fresh and bright. A lovely wine with great red fruit and floral inner mouth perfumes, balsamic top note. Clean and fresh it has power and mouth grab but with enough covering flesh to be inviting and easy to drink, dusty tannins lengthen the simple, clean finish, gains florality on the nose with the finish showing more of a blood orange tone, always retains the suggestion of sweetness with a touch of warmth on the finish. 89pts
2018 Castello di Perno Barolo
Lower part of Castelletto
48 hour cold maceration followed by a spontaneous fermentation that lasts about 30 days. Aged in large Austrian oak botti for 24 months.
Rather faint but pleasant aromas of tobacco, dried middle eastern spice, dried cranberry and dried rose petal fruits greets the nose. Showing nice nice fruit on entry, bright and vivid, with incipient truffle tones, but well balanced by the sweet/tart red fruit lingonberry and strawberry toned. Juicy and tense style, not really smaller scaled though with the modest and somewhat resolved tannins of the vintage. Gains nice firmness on the finish, good length, fine cut and pretty tannin structure, rather complete, long but not overly complex but long and pure with excellent freshness. 91pts
2020 Castello di Perno Barolo
Light cherries in alcohol, sweet fruity, very talc and dusty white soil driven aromas, fine white floral tones, piquant soil tones. There’s some flesh here, not a ton but enough to lend this a rounded and sweet feel, good supporting acidity so it stays fresh in the mouth with the tannins of the vintage, abundant but ripe, has a strong citrus rind character with its inherent faint bitterness. A lovey midweight wine, rather firm for the vintage, with a delicacy to the fruit, good detail with some dried strawberry tones and a faint almost spiciness that carries a green edge to it, green fennel seeds only with a sort of szechuan peppercorn like note. Easy going after all and well balanced. 90pts
2018 Castello di Perno Barolo Castelletto
Spontaneous fermentation followed by about 35 days on the skin, then 30 months in large Austrian botti.
A step up in intensity and ripeness here, this is very nice with a hint of dried orange peel framing the core of ripe, dried cherry/plum, and fig fruit, lots of tight floral character, with lots of sweet sassafras, fragrant wood, cinnamon bark tones and some tarriness. A fine balance of delicacy, supple tannins, and juicy acidity, this is very broad on the palate with good depth and fine inner mouth perfumes, burnished fruit is backed up by a faint old wood character that leads to a finish featuring firming tannins, good length. Rather suave, a fairly rich mouthful of Barolo that remains well balanced and delicate, an imressive 2018, it lacks a bit of covering flesh on the finish but that gentle austerity lends a more traditional feel to this. 92pts
2017 Castello di Perno Barolo Perno Riserva
First vintage released
100% Michet clone
2 years in barrel 4 years in bottle
Here one has a blend of the overt ripeness of the vintage and the effects of age, lots of tertiary character, tobacco, leather, braised fennel, a powerful set of aromatics, lots of licorice. Broad but chewy, tannins are softer than I would expect, already showing a nicely knit character. The slight astringency of the vintage does show up later and remains on the fairly long finish. An interesting blend of opulence and firmness very true to the vintage, it has aged pretty well, the ripeness of the vintage is a little off putting to me at this point but I can appreciate the quality and style. It’s trying for elegance and suaveness. 92pts
A second visit to Castello di Perno saw a move from the actual castle of Perno, which was certainly worth a visit, to their newly renovated winery below the village of Perno on the east facing slope along the road to Castelletto.
While the visit offered a new perspective on the operation I am happy to report that the wines, for the most part, reinforced last year’s opinion. This is a winery to watch. The Castelletto/Perno region has certainly been receiving significantly more attention recently, as of course are traditionally made wines so the combination of the two is a recipe for success.
While we tend to focus on Barolo when in the region, there are some interesting things going on here at the Castello di Perno. Sparking wine blending fruit from the Alta Langhe and Gramolere vineyards (!), Merlot (!), and another Nascetta to help broaden our understanding of this almost lost variety.
2019 Castello di Perno Numero Primo Dosage Zero Metodo Classico
10% Chardonnay, 36 months on the lees, only ss
Chardonnay from Gramolere 450m, Pinot Noir from Serravalle
Lots of fruit and drive on the nose, initially the Chardonnay is surprisingly assertive aromatically, some floral leesiness, nice feel, quite lean and fresh in style, zero dosage but with a suggestion of sweetness from the ripe fruit, very apple and and pear toned, with a fine mousse. Juicy style with a very clean finish, decent length, a touch of soapy florals, good dry soil toned anchoring notes, the finish shows more of an almost candied citrus zest, very gently leesy, fairly firm and mineral, a decidedly firm and mineral driven style unfettered, its a very lean style but complete. 92pts
2022 Castello di Perno Langhe Nascetta
Nice, definitely has a sense of delicacy to it, classic floral, dried herbs, hint of rubber band, cider apple skins, white mineral soil tones, a touch of golden currant. Rather light weight on the palate, juicy, with good acidity and a fine balance of fruit and minerality, quartz white soil minerality. Super elegant and fine, long, tense and saline through the finish with hints of delicate golden apple fruit, a suggestion of phenolic bitterness, a little leafy finale, with assuring suggestion of sweetness. 89pts
2018 Castello di Perno Langhe Nascetta
Second vintage
Gorgeous complexity with wax and incense aromas early followed by gentle tea, dried red apple and a very riesling like touch of smoke and flintiness emerging with air. This has gained weight with age, a broad, waxy character emerging with time. Deep, almost honied tones gaining depth around the edges of the palate, acidity and saline minerality is even more pronounced as the palate has gained weight and the fruit character turns sweeter, fine cut on the finale, so easy to drink, complex and nuanced but delicate and harmonious, fresh pear fruit emerges with air and shows fine persistence on the finish, really delicious and intriguing. 93pts
2023 Castello di Perno Ciama n’Aut Vino Rosso 12%
Bottled last Thursday
Whole cluster Dolcetto, foot tread
Piedmontese for wow! An expression of surprise
A wine for conviviality
More stem than fruit on the nose, a touch of sweatiness, mineral and white dusty soil tones, has the edge of raw, bitter almond Dolcetto, turns more and more Dolcetto with air. Super light and fresh, whispering tannins, juicy acidity, a fine gauze of red plum fruit, really shifts the register in which Dolcetto expresses itself. Just bottled so judged gently, this shows plenty of stemmy character, with the fruit being very reserved, it’s a playful wine, interesting, fresh, easy to drink and with some complexity but at this point in its evolution it lacks the expected fruity character. It really is very Beaujolais like, not necessarily nouveau. 84pts
2021 Castello di Perno Barbera d’Asti
65 and 80 year old planted vines
65 vines used for the
Ponteverde, 300 m outside Nizza
Nice lift on the nose with strong ivy notes early followed by a hint of ink, dark plum and blackberry fruit, a hint of cocoa with a a base of dry yellow soil. Juicy and broad in the mouth with lots of power and energy here, not too much weight but a medium plus bodied wine, acids are present but not exaggerated, lovely red fruited and mineral driven example, fine length, lacks a bit of complexity but is attractive for its length, drive, and rather delicately rendered fruit, a really lovely example with a touch of tannin lending mouth grab through the finish. 91pts
2019 Castello di Perno Nizza
Talc, brick dust, deep cocoa laced plum and black cherry fruit on the nose shows a faint hint of wood spice, with a little spearmint accent note. Shows its age. Has a touch of a relaxed character in the mouth, certainly more depth and complexity than the Barbera, but at the same time it is a little less friendly, lacks the energy of the best and doesn’t necessarily compensate for that with a richness or suave feeling, still it has some tension and remains transparent through the palate, with really good vinosity and depth on the midpalate, a touch of tannin that supports the slightly blocky finish. 87pts
2020 Castello di Perno Langhe Merlot
Sweet on the nose, shows some evolution, shoe polish, shoe leather, truffled already, black olive, a bit of black currant. Smells pretty good with some clay soil base notes. Almost feels like a sweet wine, this has loads of fruit in the mouth, is soft, supple and rich, lots of acidity, bright and juicy, quite pleasant to drink bit short and with an ordinary, finish but the fruit up front is quite tasty. 86pts
2021 Castello di Perno Langhe Nebbiolo
Gramolere, completely north 450m
8 months in barrel, then concrete
A bit reticent, a touch compact aromatically, there’s a faint carob sweetness to this, lends sweetness to the red fruit, red cherry, red plum and almost a pineapple sweet citrus tone citrus blossom note., Juicy has some weight and power but is very fresh and bright. A lovely wine with great red fruit and floral inner mouth perfumes, balsamic top note. Clean and fresh it has power and mouth grab but with enough covering flesh to be inviting and easy to drink, dusty tannins lengthen the simple, clean finish, gains florality on the nose with the finish showing more of a blood orange tone, always retains the suggestion of sweetness with a touch of warmth on the finish. 89pts
2018 Castello di Perno Barolo
Lower part of Castelletto
48 hour cold maceration followed by a spontaneous fermentation that lasts about 30 days. Aged in large Austrian oak botti for 24 months.
Rather faint but pleasant aromas of tobacco, dried middle eastern spice, dried cranberry and dried rose petal fruits greets the nose. Showing nice nice fruit on entry, bright and vivid, with incipient truffle tones, but well balanced by the sweet/tart red fruit lingonberry and strawberry toned. Juicy and tense style, not really smaller scaled though with the modest and somewhat resolved tannins of the vintage. Gains nice firmness on the finish, good length, fine cut and pretty tannin structure, rather complete, long but not overly complex but long and pure with excellent freshness. 91pts
2020 Castello di Perno Barolo
Light cherries in alcohol, sweet fruity, very talc and dusty white soil driven aromas, fine white floral tones, piquant soil tones. There’s some flesh here, not a ton but enough to lend this a rounded and sweet feel, good supporting acidity so it stays fresh in the mouth with the tannins of the vintage, abundant but ripe, has a strong citrus rind character with its inherent faint bitterness. A lovey midweight wine, rather firm for the vintage, with a delicacy to the fruit, good detail with some dried strawberry tones and a faint almost spiciness that carries a green edge to it, green fennel seeds only with a sort of szechuan peppercorn like note. Easy going after all and well balanced. 90pts
2018 Castello di Perno Barolo Castelletto
Spontaneous fermentation followed by about 35 days on the skin, then 30 months in large Austrian botti.
A step up in intensity and ripeness here, this is very nice with a hint of dried orange peel framing the core of ripe, dried cherry/plum, and fig fruit, lots of tight floral character, with lots of sweet sassafras, fragrant wood, cinnamon bark tones and some tarriness. A fine balance of delicacy, supple tannins, and juicy acidity, this is very broad on the palate with good depth and fine inner mouth perfumes, burnished fruit is backed up by a faint old wood character that leads to a finish featuring firming tannins, good length. Rather suave, a fairly rich mouthful of Barolo that remains well balanced and delicate, an imressive 2018, it lacks a bit of covering flesh on the finish but that gentle austerity lends a more traditional feel to this. 92pts
2017 Castello di Perno Barolo Perno Riserva
First vintage released
100% Michet clone
2 years in barrel 4 years in bottle
Here one has a blend of the overt ripeness of the vintage and the effects of age, lots of tertiary character, tobacco, leather, braised fennel, a powerful set of aromatics, lots of licorice. Broad but chewy, tannins are softer than I would expect, already showing a nicely knit character. The slight astringency of the vintage does show up later and remains on the fairly long finish. An interesting blend of opulence and firmness very true to the vintage, it has aged pretty well, the ripeness of the vintage is a little off putting to me at this point but I can appreciate the quality and style. It’s trying for elegance and suaveness. 92pts
April 2023 visit
Castello di Perno
Guilio Einaudi’s home, was a center of intellectualism, until 1994
45k total production
All wines spend several months in concrete before bottling
50 hl for barolo, long maceration long aging, new view is the drinkability.
First vintage of Nizza, Bbarolo was 2017
Gianluca Columbo in 2016
2021 Castello di Perno Langhe Nascetta from Seravalle
Ss, only free run juice,
Higher elevation, white Marne soil, oldest soil, for minerality
Fragrant, delicate, white flowers, hint of apricots delicate with good typicality and recognizable, dusty very soil driven, has a little spice and autumnal character, flinty, a touch round on entry, with enough glycerin to feel it, not opulent and certainly more tense and nervous on the mid-palate where the soil imprint is quite pronounced Has a little apricot tone on the midpalate that lingers on the finish, tasting this at slightly warmer than cellar temp and it shows well at this temp. Good length, a bit of lemon oil, its really nice, precise, nuanced and very detailed style. 90pts
2018 Castello di Perno Nizza 15%
In Nizza Bricco di Nizza, 2.5 h, 80 year old vines white chalk on top, silex in the middle under top soil, 4500 plants per hectare vineyards, 1 year in tonneau, from 2019 in big bottle, stockinger barrel, 50 hl, 25 days
Has the old vine notes, briary, deep, spicy, lovely damp earthy soil tones, dark fruit, very black fruited, lovely entry, moderate richness, a bit a child of the vintage with perhaps a touch of dilution, but deep, nuanced, it holds its alcohol so well, dark berry fruit, muscular but without weight, has great length, a fine glaze of tannin lending some structure. Really well balanced, elegant and finely textured. Has fine drinkability and detail, would like to try another vintage to get more a feel of the style. 88pts
2020 Castello di Perno Langhe Nebbiolo 13.5%
3 h of Langhe Nebbiolo in Gramolere, 420 meters, in vineyard facing totally north
Organic from 2017, 2021 certification for the vineyards, organic also in the cellar, can put on the label from 2023
8 months in botte of 50hl, 20 days maceration
Very savory on the nose, very woodlands, almost autumnal, complex and aromatic and very floral, really appealing nose, very distinctive aromatics, sliced orange, complex, balsamic, has a sweetness but no obvious fruitiness. Light and fresh in the mouth, this represents a very classic take on Langhe Nebbiolo that exults the fruit but fruit that is very transparent, delicate, and nuanced, very citrusy, orange rind, dried lemon peel, fairly delicate tannin, decent length, it sacrifices body and length for complexity and drinkability, has some red fruit emerging on the finish with woodland spice and a hint of nuttiness. It is a pretty unique representation of Langhe Nebbiolo. 90pts
Decided to create two wines from the same vineyard, high part which matures more quickly due to better exposure is the cru bottling, the lower part for the Barolo di Monforte, the fermentation is the same, the cru gets one year more in a botte, lower part harvested 2 weeks later, the cru is refined for another year because the tannins are a bit more aggressive.
2018 Castello di Perno Barolo 14.5%
Nice, sweet, carob a hint of vanilla, a bit balsamic, shows some evolution with a hint of carob, nice floral notes, a bit of minty herbs, also a bit dilute, the tannins are a bit under-ripe, the acidity a bit pronounced, pleasant wine, finishes a bit short, very pleasant, , turning quite aromatic with notes of incense, old wood, damp stone, dusty tannins, dilute midpalate, pleasant raspberry fruit, pleasant juicy, citrussy rose hip finish. 86pts
2017 Castello di Perno Barolo Castelletto 14.5%
Sweet, decidedly warm climate nose but not extremely fruity and certainly not cooked fruit, dark, balsamic, cocoa, crushed stone, really tautens up quickly on the nose, lilac, really incredible soil expression, salty, white soil, clay notes, just terrific terroir, a bit broad and supple in style but bright and juicy at the same time. Good depth, savory balsamic nuance, burnished cherry fruit, a bit to the tannic end of things but not with the raw tannins so many 2017s have, decent length, laurel leaf on the nose, really like the aromatics, its a well behaved 2017, ripe if abundant tannins, a bit of dark raspberry/ blackberry extract gracing the lengthening finish. Rather poised for the vintage. 91pts
2019 Castello di Perno Barolo
Delicate ruby color, lots of fruit immediately on the nose, detailed and precise with rosebud base notes, a vague hint of quinine, lots of emerging aromatic and balsamic herbs, lively in the mouth, delicate and silky, transparent, lovely tannins really young obviously but very approachable with a classic array of flavors and aromatics, delicate, vertical, and tense through the long finish, silky and refined mouthfeel but not polished, red fruit, wild raspberry, tightens up so it definitely still needs time, saffrony aspect to the nose, has the balsamic herbal nature of Monforte. 92pts
2019 Castello di Perno Castelletto Barolo
Aromatic stemmy root, radish root, soil tones, nettle, earthy slightly spicy character, a touch relaxed, not loose but slightly more open on entry than expect then this turns tannic, not hard, retaining transparency, black cherry fruit, black raspberry, fine integrated acidity more depth and weight in the mouth, fine tension on the backend and a lovely crystalline quality that lends energy to the finish. A subtle and nuanced example offering great detail and again a sense of refinement without polish. Lovely the purity and typicity of the herbal framed fresh berry fruit, very successfully and all of the wines are true representations of their vintages. There’s a real gentle sweetness to the fruit here, very natural and typical of the fruit flavors, wild raspberry with a fine spice note emerging on the finish, 93pts
Castello di Perno
Guilio Einaudi’s home, was a center of intellectualism, until 1994
45k total production
All wines spend several months in concrete before bottling
50 hl for barolo, long maceration long aging, new view is the drinkability.
First vintage of Nizza, Bbarolo was 2017
Gianluca Columbo in 2016
2021 Castello di Perno Langhe Nascetta from Seravalle
Ss, only free run juice,
Higher elevation, white Marne soil, oldest soil, for minerality
Fragrant, delicate, white flowers, hint of apricots delicate with good typicality and recognizable, dusty very soil driven, has a little spice and autumnal character, flinty, a touch round on entry, with enough glycerin to feel it, not opulent and certainly more tense and nervous on the mid-palate where the soil imprint is quite pronounced Has a little apricot tone on the midpalate that lingers on the finish, tasting this at slightly warmer than cellar temp and it shows well at this temp. Good length, a bit of lemon oil, its really nice, precise, nuanced and very detailed style. 90pts
2018 Castello di Perno Nizza 15%
In Nizza Bricco di Nizza, 2.5 h, 80 year old vines white chalk on top, silex in the middle under top soil, 4500 plants per hectare vineyards, 1 year in tonneau, from 2019 in big bottle, stockinger barrel, 50 hl, 25 days
Has the old vine notes, briary, deep, spicy, lovely damp earthy soil tones, dark fruit, very black fruited, lovely entry, moderate richness, a bit a child of the vintage with perhaps a touch of dilution, but deep, nuanced, it holds its alcohol so well, dark berry fruit, muscular but without weight, has great length, a fine glaze of tannin lending some structure. Really well balanced, elegant and finely textured. Has fine drinkability and detail, would like to try another vintage to get more a feel of the style. 88pts
2020 Castello di Perno Langhe Nebbiolo 13.5%
3 h of Langhe Nebbiolo in Gramolere, 420 meters, in vineyard facing totally north
Organic from 2017, 2021 certification for the vineyards, organic also in the cellar, can put on the label from 2023
8 months in botte of 50hl, 20 days maceration
Very savory on the nose, very woodlands, almost autumnal, complex and aromatic and very floral, really appealing nose, very distinctive aromatics, sliced orange, complex, balsamic, has a sweetness but no obvious fruitiness. Light and fresh in the mouth, this represents a very classic take on Langhe Nebbiolo that exults the fruit but fruit that is very transparent, delicate, and nuanced, very citrusy, orange rind, dried lemon peel, fairly delicate tannin, decent length, it sacrifices body and length for complexity and drinkability, has some red fruit emerging on the finish with woodland spice and a hint of nuttiness. It is a pretty unique representation of Langhe Nebbiolo. 90pts
Decided to create two wines from the same vineyard, high part which matures more quickly due to better exposure is the cru bottling, the lower part for the Barolo di Monforte, the fermentation is the same, the cru gets one year more in a botte, lower part harvested 2 weeks later, the cru is refined for another year because the tannins are a bit more aggressive.
2018 Castello di Perno Barolo 14.5%
Nice, sweet, carob a hint of vanilla, a bit balsamic, shows some evolution with a hint of carob, nice floral notes, a bit of minty herbs, also a bit dilute, the tannins are a bit under-ripe, the acidity a bit pronounced, pleasant wine, finishes a bit short, very pleasant, , turning quite aromatic with notes of incense, old wood, damp stone, dusty tannins, dilute midpalate, pleasant raspberry fruit, pleasant juicy, citrussy rose hip finish. 86pts
2017 Castello di Perno Barolo Castelletto 14.5%
Sweet, decidedly warm climate nose but not extremely fruity and certainly not cooked fruit, dark, balsamic, cocoa, crushed stone, really tautens up quickly on the nose, lilac, really incredible soil expression, salty, white soil, clay notes, just terrific terroir, a bit broad and supple in style but bright and juicy at the same time. Good depth, savory balsamic nuance, burnished cherry fruit, a bit to the tannic end of things but not with the raw tannins so many 2017s have, decent length, laurel leaf on the nose, really like the aromatics, its a well behaved 2017, ripe if abundant tannins, a bit of dark raspberry/ blackberry extract gracing the lengthening finish. Rather poised for the vintage. 91pts
2019 Castello di Perno Barolo
Delicate ruby color, lots of fruit immediately on the nose, detailed and precise with rosebud base notes, a vague hint of quinine, lots of emerging aromatic and balsamic herbs, lively in the mouth, delicate and silky, transparent, lovely tannins really young obviously but very approachable with a classic array of flavors and aromatics, delicate, vertical, and tense through the long finish, silky and refined mouthfeel but not polished, red fruit, wild raspberry, tightens up so it definitely still needs time, saffrony aspect to the nose, has the balsamic herbal nature of Monforte. 92pts
2019 Castello di Perno Castelletto Barolo
Aromatic stemmy root, radish root, soil tones, nettle, earthy slightly spicy character, a touch relaxed, not loose but slightly more open on entry than expect then this turns tannic, not hard, retaining transparency, black cherry fruit, black raspberry, fine integrated acidity more depth and weight in the mouth, fine tension on the backend and a lovely crystalline quality that lends energy to the finish. A subtle and nuanced example offering great detail and again a sense of refinement without polish. Lovely the purity and typicity of the herbal framed fresh berry fruit, very successfully and all of the wines are true representations of their vintages. There’s a real gentle sweetness to the fruit here, very natural and typical of the fruit flavors, wild raspberry with a fine spice note emerging on the finish, 93pts