We all know that the prestigious Barolo, the King of Italy, is a high-priced wine in a league of its own, but seasoned wine consumers should never write it off for value. Even though Barolos can be legendary wines that at their best are on par with the finest of Burgundy, they also sometimes come at a fraction of the price.

The grape nebbiolo, which is not so different from pinot noir, is one of the finicky grapes that excels in places where it is just warm enough to ripen the fruit, hooking the palates of wine aficionados with elements that at first glance seem contradictory where paler hues, scented berry fruit and nuance could go hand in hand with power, structure and fine austerity. While Barolos are ultimately built for the cellar, the more contemporary releases are also getting more approachable at youth, with the help of Mother Nature.

A great trilogy of vintages – 2015, 2016 and the most recent, 2017 – should be given credit for expanding on the great-value options for Barolo. Of the trio, 2017 has the most early-stage appeal. (James has just finished tasting almost 460 Barolo samples, and he is writing up a report that will be published very soon.)

Despite being a very dry and warm harvest, most Barolo 2017s we tasted were lively and nervy with the restrained, dialed-in exuberance of the fruit. Many winemakers harvested early and pulled it off, resulting in a fresh yet cohesive fruit-coated palate with tight but smoother tannins, giving more vitality and substance to the wine and making it drinkable now. The producers have also fine-tuned their viticulture to adapt to the increase in temperatures and sunlight.

TASTING AZELIAS: Fifth-generation winemaker Lorenzo Scavino on the 2017 vintage.

BAROLO VALLEY SPECIAL: A conversation with Pietro Ratti, owner of Renato Ratti Winery in Piedmont.

Meanwhile, you could easily come across plenty of classically structured and scented 2016 Barolos on the market. 2016 is a vintage more reminiscent of the excellent 2010, which some consider one of the best vintages ever, but it certainly deserves more time in the cellar. And that leaves us with 2015 – an equally classic year but with a little more fruit opulence than the ‘16s. Having spent a few years in the bottle, we believe you could start drinking them now.

While most bottles under $50 are straight-up “Barolos,” without getting into the specific provenance of grapes, the “Excellent Value Zone” is now crowded with cru bottlings, and a blend of some of the more prestigious crus (sometimes younger vines) increasingly fall within this price range.

Parusso’s tribute to Armando, Parusso Barolo Perarmando 2017, blends its parcels in the large Bussia with Mosconi and Mariondino vineyard and makes a very intense and complete Barolo. Damilano Barolo Lecinquevigne 2016 comes from five vineyards, as the name implies, which are all located in the Barolo area and Grinzane Cavour.

Pecchenino Barolo Le Coste di Monforte 2016, a site-specific wine, shows the broadness and depth of flavors from the more southerly exposure found in Le Coste vineyard. Diego Conterno Barolo Ginestra 2015 comes from Monforte d’Alba’s relatively large but well-respected Ginestra cru, where wines are known for their upright tannin structures and delicate spiciness.

The following selection of 10 Barolos under $50 shows how great value uncoils from the top vintages. Rated 94 points and up, these Barolos are great reference points for their affordability today. Although the 2015s and 2017s should be very drinkable soon, along with some 2016s, they will all benefit from lengthy bottle aging. But it’s best to read the drinking recommendations in the endnotes and decide if you are buying for the cellar or want to pull out the corks today. For now, all we can say is that Barolo’s great value beckons louder than ever.

– Zekun Shuai, Associate Editor