The organic Barale Fratelli 2019 Barolo Castellero is a firm and solid expression of Nebbiolo with fruit from the center of the appellation. That consistency of character is a common trait that I find across these wines from 2019. The wine's texture makes a nice sounding board for flavors of dried cherry, licorice, crushed flower and ginger root. You get wonderful balance, elegance and power all in one place. Only 3,700 bottles were made.

I am very taken with this new release from Barale Fratelli. The certified organic 2018 Barolo Castellero shows a hint of bright cherry that pops up from a classic or traditional bouquet with austere background notes of crushed flower, orange peel and rusty nail. I like that the wine pulls in multiple directions aromatically. This makes for a lot of movement and fluidity in terms of bouquet. This is a nicely etched and well-crafted Barolo that offers its fair share of contrasts and unexpected surprises, including an outright salty finish. Only 3,773 bottles were made, and I recommend you find one for your cellar collection.

This wine shows less aromatic clarity and a few different themes going on that kind of collide instead of finding a common groove, at least initially. The Barale Fratelli 2017 Barolo Castellero takes a few extra moments to straighten itself out in the glass, but do give it time. Dark fruit, cassis, spice, tar and campfire ash color this robust bouquet. The important fruit from Castellero in the village of Barolo gives silky structure and power to this expression.

The Barale Fratelli 2016 Barolo Castellero opens to immediate intensity with black fruit aromas that taste soft, rich and slightly overripe. This is a medium-bodied wine with a loose or open-knit texture that gives it an accessible personality. The mouthfeel is amped up with bitter cherry, blackberry and balanced spice or smoke. Fruit comes from a two-hectare vineyard at 270 meters above sea level with characteristic Sant'Agata marl soils and fossils. Fermentation kicks off with indigenous yeasts, and maceration lasts up to one month. The wine ages in traditional oak casks for three years. Some 9,500 bottles were produced.

The 2015 Barolo Castellero opens to ripe fruit aromas of blackberry and dried cherry with spice, cinnamon and tilled earth. This expression shows some of the earthy intensity of the vintage, with plenty of black ripe fruit at the back. The alcohol is registered at 14.5%, and you do feel it. However, the wine's texture is silky and fine. As far as Barolos go, this one is slightly more accessible. Serve it with a heavy tajarin, Piedmont's famous egg-yolk noodles, sprinkled with shaved truffles. Some 10,000 bottles were made.