Elio Grasso, Barolo, Runcot Riserva 2016

The 2016 Barolo Riserva Rüncot is just as profound today as it has always been. Dark and almost somber in bearing, the 2016 hits the palate with waves of dark-toned fruit, spice, new leather, graphite and dried herbs. The purity of the flavors is just mind-blowing. This is one of the all-time great wines at Elio Grasso.

The ripe ruby-colored 2016 Barolo Riserva Runcot was raised for 48 months in entirely new French barriques, but the oak spice is surprisingly well-integrated. Boasting noes of baked red cherries, polished leather, savory sweet tobacco, menthol, and cigar box, it offers a plush a rounded texture on the palate, with a nicely balanced, salty, mouthwatering feel, a ripe core, and its polished oak spice perfume lasting on the finish. It’s going to drink well over the next several decades. This is a profound wine that I wish I had in my cellar.

Aromas of dried cherries and cranberries with notes of walnuts, ground nutmeg and dried mushrooms. Complex and structured with a medium to full body and a broad, dense tannin structure. Firm and chewy. Long finish. Should come together nicely in the next five years.

The Elio Grasso 2016 Barolo Riserva Rüncot is intense and powerful. However, there are a number of tertiary notes, some veering all the way to porcino mushroom and wood pile, but you also get threads of ripe black cherry, plum and even some dried prune. You can't escape a note of painters' studio with linseed oil. Bitter cacao or rhubarb also appear. This is an excellent example of an aged Barolo Riserva, but ultimately, you'll get more pleasure drinking this in the medium term without having to age it. She's ready to go.