Michele Chiarlo’s Barolo Cerequio 2018 is a single-cru Barolo DOCG from the celebrated Cerequio vineyard, an amphitheater-shaped site between La Morra and Barolo. It is 100% Nebbiolo from Chiarlo’s roughly 3-hectare holding on calcareous marl clay soils, and it follows the estate’s long-aging regimen: at least three years of maturation, including two years in oak, before further bottle refinement. Alcohol is listed at 14%. The producer notes that Cerequio is made only in excellent vintages and in very limited quantities.

Critical reception for this 2018 is excellent, led by two standout 96-point reviews. Decanter (96 points) calls it “extremely expressive on the nose,” highlighting “rich, nuanced cherry and raspberry aromas” alongside “rose, caramel and cola.” On the palate, Decanter emphasizes “a crystalline texture and purity of flavour,” with “juicy red fruits” and tannins that are “plump, plush” and “silky, then velvety,” while the finish stays “lifted with such freshness.” Decanter also notes a cooling thread of “liquorice, mint” plus “soft wood spice and toasty caramel notes.”

Wine Enthusiast (96 points) likewise praises both perfume and structure, citing “forest berries, underbrush, rose and menthol aromas,” and describing the palate as “a stunning combination of structure and finesse.” Reviewer Kerin O’Keefe specifically points to “the vineyard’s iconic minty accents framed in silky tannins,” with “licorice” lingering on the finish, and recommends drinking it from 2025–2035.

Taken together, the reviews portray a Cerequio that is aromatic and detailed, with ripe red-fruit depth, site-typical mint/menthol notes, and tannins that are polished rather than aggressive—built for near- to mid-term cellaring, with the balance to go longer.