2021 Barolo Bric del Fiasc

Enrico Scavino’s passing in early 2024 was a huge loss for the world of wine. He was a giant. Starting in the late 1970s, Enrico Scavino helped make Barolo relevant to a wide audience at a time when the region and most of its producers were struggling. I had many memorable tastings with him at his winery in Castiglione Falletto. Daughters Enrica and Elisa were always by his side. While many top estates are run by women today, Scavino was among the very first wineries in Piedmont where women had highly visible roles.

I remember visiting Scavino’s Bricco Ambrogio vineyard in the early 2000s, before he released his first wine from this site. He loved the vineyard, despite its lack of pedigree relative to his other holdings. Scavino released his first Bricco Ambrogio with the 2002 vintage, a year in which many wines weren’t even bottled. It was a sign of his conviction. Even in his later years, Scavino possessed a sense of boyish enthusiasm and genuine excitement about his many projects.

But my favorite memory from all my tastings at the winery was after a large survey of forthcoming releases about 15 years ago. Scavino asked me if I had any advice. I said simply, “Buy all the vineyards you can.” Enrica and Elisa Scavino gave me a scowl I will never forget; they thought they had far too many vineyards as it was. But the future of Piedmont seemed pretty clear. Land prices have tripled since then.

Scavino fans will find a lot to get excited about in these new releases. The entry-level bottlings offer tons of immediacy, while the Barolos are among the finest in Piedmont. Perhaps just as importantly, even after all these years, Scavino remains a very relevant winery in Piedmont.