Elio has never been one to release his wines too early, and his 2019 Barolo Perno is, in short, magnificent! It’s a beefy, brawny wine packed with fruit (and tannin!) yet screams the elegance, finesse and power of the 2019 harvest.
Vinous, 92 points: The 2019 Barolo Perno is a gorgeous, delicate wine. Aromatic and light on its feet, with lovely complexity, the 2019 is a total delight. Orange peel, dried herbs, mint, spice, sage and kirsch are all finely cut in this haunting, ethereal Barolo. The acid profile and tannins are those of a Barolo that needs at least a few years in bottle to be at its finest. Drink 2029 – 2044.
Elio Sandri makes some of the most idiosyncratic wines in all of Piedmont. The decidedly old-school cellar is a throwback to simpler, less prosperous times when things were much more rustic than they are today. Sandri’s firm, massively structured Barolos will delight readers who admire virile, potent wines. At a time when so many Barolos are approachable with minimal cellaring, these remain wines that demand cellaring.
