Barolo en primeur is back, a project that has raised and donated over €3.3 million in four editions

The tasting of the 2024 vintage barrels from the Gustava Vineyard, located on the slopes of the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, which belonged to Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, and is the heart of the “Barolo en Primeur” project, gives a clear picture of a complex but fascinating vintage. A vintage that required attention, moderation, and great sensitivity both in the vineyard and in the cellar, and which today translates into defined, subtle, elegant wines. More than power, precision emerges. More than density, vibration. This was highlighted by the technical tasting involving journalists and professionals organized in Fubine, at Enosis Meraviglia, the headquarters of oenologist Donato Lanati, who has been involved in this charitable project since its inception. The 2024 vintage will be the protagonist of the fifth edition of the project, which was launched in 2021 as a collaboration between Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo, Fondazione Crc Donare Ets, and Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani. In four editions of the charity auction, which takes place in the historic Castello di Grinzane Cavour and is linked to London, New York, Montreal, and Hong Kong (scheduled for October 24, 2025, when Christie’s will be the auctioneer), has already raised and donated over €3.3 million to cultural, social, educational, and welfare initiatives.
In the technical tasting of the 2024 vintage, as described by Antonio Galloni, world-renowned wine critic and CEO of Vinous, the 2024 vintage of Barolo from Vigna Gustava reveals itself, through the tasting of individual barrels vinified separately, to be an exercise in finesse and precision, made even more interesting by the complex climatic conditions that characterized the year. Constant rain during the growing season and even during the harvest required careful choices in the vineyard and in the cellar, with careful selections and shorter, more delicate vinification processes, strategies that are clearly reflected in the wines.
“What emerges strongly”, explains a note, “is a stylistic consistency: the wines are ethereal, subtle, luminous. They reveal a Nebbiolo that is more fragrant than powerful, more floral and citrusy than fleshy, with lively acidity, well-balanced tannins, and an elegance that seems tailor-made for those seeking depth rather than muscle. The entire project of separate vinification in barriques, in addition to offering a multifaceted portrait of “Barolo en primeur”, also allows us to grasp the real influences of exposure, altitude, age of the vines and soil characteristics”. In particular, the barriques from the old vines on the mid-slope hillsides, for example, are among the most interesting. Here, lighter and more transparent expressions, dominated by notes of dried flowers, blood orange, and wild strawberries, alternate with deeper and more earthy ones, with accents of leather, incense, and tobacco. The plant-by-plant selection has made it possible to isolate different souls within the plot, revealing how much altitude, exposure, and age of a plant can make a difference. In the lower part of the vineyard, where the south-southwest exposure should favor more generous ripening, the wines are very fragrant and graceful, but less structured. These barriques are fascinating for their immediacy and their ability to convey the lightness of the vintage without ever seeming thin or disjointed. The heart of the vineyard, facing south-west, offers the most complete and promising interpretations. This is where the power of Vigna Gustava is concentrated: intact, ripe fruit, well-designed structure, balance between strength and grace. “Some barrels - such as number 10 - show intense energy, still raw, but with a bright future. Others, such as 11 and 12, combine elegance and tension in an exemplary way. The last barrels, the result of a final selection, return to expressing a more subtle style. Here the language is one of lightness, transparency, and citrus. But there is no shortage of surprises, as in barrique 14, which breaks the mold with a balsamic and spicy, almost alpine profile, demonstrating a vintage of depth and character. Finally, the tonneau produced with grapes not selected for the main barriques confirms the overall quality of the vineyard. Here too we find balance, freshness, and a clear and gentle profile that sums up the characteristics of the vintage, which could be remembered as one of the most fascinating for those who love transparency, verticality, and the truth of the territory”, was explained after the tastings.
“The Barolo produced by Vigna Gustava confirms itself, also for the 2024 harvest, as a wine of great quality, capable of being appreciated by an increasingly wider audience of enthusiasts”, says Giuliano Viglione, president of the CRC Donare Foundation, “thanks to the great professionalism of Donato Lanati and the fruitful collaboration between the institutions that have supported this project from the beginning. For the fifth consecutive year, “Barolo en primeur” has confirmed itself as a unique initiative on the national scene, capable of stimulating donations and supporting projects of great social value thanks to a product that represents our country and our territory throughout the world”.
“Barolo en Primeur” is not just a wine project, “but a declaration of intent for the future of Barolo. What strikes me about the 2024 vintage”, explains Sergio Germano, president of Consorzio Tutela Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba Langhe, and Dogliani, “is its elegance and finesse, with tannins that are nonetheless ripe and sweet. Despite the difficult weather conditions, the professionalism of the winegrowers and the high quality of the terroir have produced a wine that will amaze with its drinkability and frankness. It will be a vintage that will attract many palates to Barolo, even those less accustomed to this wine, who will find it appealing and capable of arousing the desire to discover it in depth. The differences between the various municipal territories will be evident, making it intriguing to compare the various facets that result from them. If we were to express this vintage in images, it could be compared to a painting with soft colors, bright and rich in nuances that never tire the eye”.
To reinforce the collaborative nature of the project, the municipal lot catalog returns again this year: 65 local wineries join forces to offer, under the name of their municipality, special selections - including large formats - whose proceeds will go to support the Alba School of Enology and other initiatives in the area.