Poderi Aldo Conterno’s Barolo Vigna Cicala 2022 is a single-vineyard Barolo D.O.C.G. from the Bussia cru in Monforte d’Alba, one of the estate’s three flagship Bussia bottlings alongside Romirasco and Colonnello. Fruit comes from the Cicala vineyard, a south–southwest exposed site on clay-limestone soils described as “clayey-calcareous…rich in calcium carbonate and iron,” a combination that often underpins Barolo’s tannin and drive.
According to the producer’s technical details, the blend is 100% Nebbiolo, specifically the Michet and Lampia biotypes, with Lampia the main planting in Cicala. Vines are about 40–45 years old, with replanting over time. Harvest is manual with selection in the vineyard, typically in mid-October. In the cellar, the estate uses extended maceration—“30 days of skin contact in stainless steel vats”—with fermentation temperatures that can peak at 32°C. The wine is then “decanted several times” before it goes to oak casks for aging and refinement; general estate references note long aging in large Slavonian oak (commonly cited as roughly 28–30 months), consistent with the house’s traditional-leaning style.
Professional, vintage-specific reviews for the 2022 Cicala were not available in the material provided, so there are no confirmed scores to report for this release. For context on the wine’s established level, Vinous rated the 2021 Barolo Cicala an excellent 95 points, calling it “packed with dark fruit, iron, gravel, incense, tobacco, dried herbs and chocolate,” and describing it as “decidedly rich, ample” yet “very nicely balanced” (Vinous). That note suggests what Cicala can deliver at its best: depth, savory complexity, and a full frame.
The broader 2022 context in Piedmont was shaped by severe heat and drought, with reports of mixed results in Barolo. In a structured, single-cru wine built on long maceration and cask aging, that vintage profile may translate into earlier approachability while still aiming for the firm, age-worthy profile associated with Bussia and the Conterno name.
