Le Cecche Barolo Bricco San Pietro 2018

If you’d love some Barolo but don’t have the patience for 15+ years of cellaring, this gem is going to knock your socks off! A single-vineyard delicacy that’s ready to open now – the real deal, straight from Piemonte. It’s a steal at $39.95, especially given the tariff situation!

We are all over this softer style of Barolo. Long live the powerhouses that are foreboding in their youth, but thank goodness for this trend of some more approachable, affordable options. Enter this 2018 made by Le Cecche. At a solid seven years past harvest, it has that classically handsome prowess that makes you feel grounded and a little awestruck – but it’s also light-on-its-feet lovely, and ready to drink up!

Bright red jammy strawberry and red currant plunge into tawny apricot and tangerine, with a seductive waft of redwood bark. A little tomato leaf and cinnamon add sweet-savory accents. The structure is sinewy yet polished, and the beauty builds to a hit of cayenne on a rustic finish. Warmth! Elegance! Intellect! Barolo is Italy’s king of wines for good reason, and it’s really not easy to find a nice one under $40. Jump on this, because we’re near the end of our stash.

Le Cecche sourced the Nebbiolo clusters from their San Pietro Vineyard, a windy spot in Monforte d'Alba in Piemonte’s prestigious Langhe region. Winemaker Piero Ballario aged the wine for 24 months in large and small French oak barrels, 30% new – all in line with Barolo’s strict DOCG regulations.

Le Cecche’s proprietors are retired Belgian doctor Jan De Bruyne and his wife, Marchioness Paola Invrea (yes, Italian royalty), who purchased the farm in 2001. We’ve met Jan and tasted with him, and the pair seem to be having a wonderful time adding vineyards like San Pietro and making this boutique winery flourish.

Be sure to order three or more for our best price. This is a very good deal for the real thing!