Paolo Scavino "Bussia Vigna Fantini" Barolo 2021

Kerin O'Keefe : 98 Points

(2/2025) The newest addition to Paolo Scavino’s already impressive Barolo lineup, the 2021 Bussia Vigna Fantini another drop-dead beauty from the estate. Hailing from a vineyard the family purchased in 2018 where the previous owner had planted different clones of Nebbiolo including the Rosé variety, it’s intense and fragrant, opening with heady scents of rose, iris, cake spice and menthol. Full-bodied but boasting a weightless concentration, the enveloping, delicious palate doles out raspberry compote, ripe Morello cherry, licorice and vanilla before a minty close. Velvety tannins provide seamless support while fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Drink 2031–2041.

Wine Spectator : 95 Points

(8/31/2025) This red starts out round, showing density, with flavors of plum, black cherry, earth, tobacco and eucalyptus. Assertive, chalky tannins emerge as this builds on the palate, leaving the finish dry and tactile. Backward and will need at least five years to come together. Best from 2030 through 2053. 350 cases made, 100 cases imported.

James Suckling : 98 Points

(1/9/2025) A super-fresh and elegant Barolo with leafy lightness, red currants, watermelon, licorice and a touch of sweet violets on the nose. Slight sweetness on the palate, with a lot of minty flavors, a full body, fresh acidity and quite firm yet velvety tannins. Great overall harmony, with a savory aftertaste and a lavish finish. Approachable even now, but will age nicely.

Jeb Dunnuck : 95+ Points

(5/1/2025) The 2021 Barolo Bussia Vigna Fantini leaps from the glass with a layered cologne of menthol, dried cherries, toasted sage, cigar box, and blood orange. The palate is compact, with good concentration and a more chiseled and linear feel, a bright spine of acidity, mouthwatering salinity, angular tannins, and a stony finish. Bringing a good deal of tension forward at this tasting, It demands more time in the cellar. Drink 2027-2047.

Wine Advocate : 96 Points

(1/30/2025) The Scavino family bought this site in Monforte d'Alba in 2019, and this is the newest wine added to the portfolio. The Paolo Scavino 2021 Barolo Bussia Vigna Fantini has a lot of fruit freshness with raspberry and wild blueberry. From a cool site at 370 meters above sea level with southwest exposures, the soils are rocky with loose sand. The family describes this as their 'botanical garden' becauase it is a vineyard that sees a lot of experimentation with clones and rootstocks. They say that the learning curve with Bussia was great and they needed a few years to understand how to best draw out its character (fruit from leased vineyards in Bussia previously was blended into the classic Barolo). This wine delivers a floral bouquet with violets and lilac. The tannic structure of this wine is different in that it results in full-bodied, rich and velvety sensations. Drink Date: 2026 - 2045.

Wine Enthusiast : 97 Points

(11/1/2025) Dark plum and blackberry roll in first, layered with violet, licorice, and a cooling thread of mint. It's the kind of wine that fills the room before you even take a sip. The palate is rich and enveloping, yet a streak of acidity and savory lift keeps it agile. Tannins are firm but polished, offering structure without weight. From a newly bottled voice in Bussia, Vigna Fantini arrives not with hesitation but with confidence, showing the kind of layered complexity that suggests it's been part of the conversation all along. A bold, beautiful opening chapter. Drink from 2027.