Barolo Bussia – 2021

Vibrant and spicy wine, full of licorice, oak bark and potpourri, red cherries and a whiff of rhubarb root. Full-bodied with firm, velvety tannins, refreshing acidity and a savory, nicely woven finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.

Crafted from vines planted in 1960, the Bussia opens promptly with engaging tobacco, cedar forest and cinnamon scents. Those sweet spice nuances reverberate on the well padded palate, infusing the ripe plum and rhubarb compote fruit. The tannins present as plush initially but become firmer as they take hold, offering plenty of structure and substance for a solid stint in the cellar. It finishes with a savoury, rusty tang. Gian Piero’s three daughters all play an active role in the winery. The youngest, Valentina took on the role of winemaking in 2006. 2027 – 2041

Deep bright red-ruby. Pungent aromas of black cherry, pine cone, menthol, and chocolate with a hint of resin. Clean and very precise flavours follow, showcasing red and dark cherry flavours of lovely energy and focus. Lingers impressively on the forest floor- and spice-accented finish. There’s no doubt in my mind that these vines must have something special about them, because independently of the Marrone family’s talent, it is really uncanny how many excellent Barolos they have made, year after year and in all vintage conditions, from this site. So good for them. 2031 – 2040

Time slows when you encounter Marrone’s 2021 Bussia. Opening with aromas of sassafras and star anise that weave through sweet vanilla, drawing you deeper into the glass. As the wine develops, waves of dried Morello cherries and black plums mingle with forest floor, while the palate unfolds into dark fruit preserves. Beneath lurks something more pro found, whispers of tobacco and earth that remind you this is serious Nebbiolo. Drink now–2045. Cellar Selection.

A little more oaky than the other Marrone Barolos. There’s a wedge of sandalwood and raw cedar through the gloriously pretty fruit, but it’s not oak out of whack – it very much feels as if this will settle and seam in over time. The structure is so refined and the energy of the wine is a composition in beautifully modulated vibrato contralto. It just needs more time. 2029 – 2038

The Marrone sisters’ Bussia bottling is made from their oldest vines, having been planted in 1960. Their grandfather chose to plant a pair of clones of nebbiolo here, Michet and Lampia. The wine is raised similarly to the other Barolo bottlings here, with two and a half years aging in botti and tonneaux. The 2021 Bussia is a stunning young Barolo, offering up a superb bouquet of red and black cherries, gamebird, coffee bean, a complex base of soil tones, red curry, fresh oregano, woodsmoke and just a hint of oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off stunning depth of old vine fruit at the core, with great soil signature and grip, ripe, beautifully integrated tannins, superb focus and balance and a very, very long, very promising, complex finish. Once this wine is ready to drink, it is going to be stunning! 2041 – 2100