Barolo is a wine worth devoting yourself to… Traditional “Old School”, cherries, roses, cedar, violets and tobacco with a typical hint of tar and a long finish. Still rather young, but accessible — imposing and delicious, drinking nicely right now. (Drink 2018–2030.) Why is Barolo so special? Why is it considered the king of Italian wines? The Italian Stallion of red wines? The answer is deceptively simple: it’s a matter of terroir and each winemaker’s specific style of wine-making. Barolo is one of the world’s most stern, tannic, full-flavored wines, offering aromas of road tar, leather, bing cherries, tobacco, and dried herbs. Massive and intensely fragrant, it can easily last for 20–30 years. Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grape grown on the steep hillside vineyards situated south and southwest of Alba, the area’s largest town. The thick-skinned Nebbiolo grape of Barolo is one of the most delightfully aromatic of red grape varieties and for that reason sometimes co...