Hands down the best Barolo we had this year - maybe ever at Wine Spies. And the tasting panel unanimously agreed. From the moment that spellbinding aroma floats into your nose - with its mashup of cherry jolly rancher, strawberry and tangerine - you know you’re in for a treat.

Two 96 points plus a 94+ affirm that. Those reviews are however from when it was a baby, with a little more time in the bottle and some aeration, the MASSIVE FRUIT shone to jaw-dropping levels, with the iron-clad tannins singing the back vocals loud and strong throughout.

Parusso was spotlighted by Wine Spectator as “A Barolo Iconoclast: Marco Parusso’s experiments push the envelope of Piedmont winemaking” raving that *“In the 3 decades since he took over his family’s small, obscure estate in Monforte d’Alba, Parusso has built it into a noteworthy producer whose laurels include 66 wines that have scored 90 points or higher in blind tastings. ‘Marco is a person who is never quiet. He is like a volcano,’ says Giacomo Conterno, the young winemaker at Aldo Conterno, Parusso’s neighbor.”

When Master Conterno calls you a volcano, that means wines that ERUPT with depth and intensity.

This is the ultimate example of how blending 3 outstanding Cru Barolo vineyards can result in a synergy that brings all 3 forward with utmost clarity and purity while bringing the 4th element into the picture, a sort of umami if you will, that further elevates the already sublime raw materials.

The legendary Bussia provides the backbone of intensity and aromatics, with compelling classic roses and tar elements upfront, giving way to macerated wild strawberries and lacy mineral accents. Nearby Mosconi adds complexity and textural finesse, while Mariondino, a completely different animal grown on the Helvetian soils of Falletto on the northern side of Barolo’s hillsides brings in the telltale tannins and firmness that will give this beauty a long, long life, just like the seamlessly endless finish hints at. It’s a match made in heaven for the region’s richly creamy, eggy, truffled, or porcini scented dishes, leaving you wondering if Barolo can get any better. Will further bloom into profoundness given time.

Wine Spectator adds: “It would take volumes to describe all of Parusso’s practices, ranging from traditional to New Age. But among Barolo producers, he is admired as the kind of bold seeker who might influence how wines are made in the future… ‘Marco’s techniques are very unusual but smart,’ says Conterno. ‘In this moment, many Barolo producers are saying that the tannic structure and aromas of Nebbiolo could be more complex. And people are looking more and more to the experiments of people like Marco.’”

Here is how Parusso differs wildly from all others:

• He’s alone in Barolo using the Ancient Rome technique to “relax” the harvest in a ventilated room at ambient temperature for days prior to fermentation to soften tannins.
• He uses a Burgundian whole bunch ferment with wild yeasts.
• Macerations take up to 50 days.
• He adds a generous helping of a mud of sedimentary lees back to the wine in new barrels.
• Lees, or ‘Mamma’ as he calls it for its antioxidant powers, he never racks off and stirs for years!
• Uses new oak twice, that’s 200% new oak, go figure - his wines never show overt oak influence.

So, Parusso is NUTS in a good way, just like the price we were able to bring this down to. A 40% off deal on a hugely scored fresh arrival is insane, be nimble and make room in your stash!

96 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“The 2017 Barolo Perarmando is a wine Marco and Tiziana Parusso made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first vintage bottled by their father, Armando. It is a blend of the estate’s vineyards, approximately 50% Bussia, 30% Mosconi and 20% Mariondino. Absolutely stellar from the very first taste, the Perarmando is compelling. Sweet rose petal, mint, sage and red berry nuances lift from the glass. A touch of whole clusters add character without overpowering the wine’s balance, which is magnificent. This is such a glorious Barolo and one of the wines of the vintage. Drink 2024-2042.”

96 Points – James Suckling

“Very exotic Parusso Barolo as always, with dried fruit, strawberries and tangerines. Full-bodied with chewy tannins and a powerful, intense finish. This is really structured. Needs four or five years to soften. Try in 2025.”

94+ Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“The 2017 Barolo Perarmando is a new wine from Marco and his sister Tiziana Parusso, representing a salute to their father Armando who founded this estate in 1971. The wine is being released just as this estate, located on the ridge of hills between Monforte d’Alba and Castiglione Falletto, celebrates its 50th anniversary. PerArmando shows the distinctive winemaking signature that sets this house style apart from all the rest in the Barolo region. There is a concerted effort to bring about concentration, richness, tannin and fruit intensity. You might think it’d be too much in a hot vintage like 2017. However, I found this wine to be especially graceful in the context of the very robust Parusso power threshold. There is extra astringency here, so please take care to give this bottle generous aging time. In keeping in line with a wine once made by Armando Parusso, this is a blend of fruit from Bussia, Mosconi and Mariondino. Drink 2025-2045.”