2004 Barolo Mosconi
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The 2004 Barolo Mosconi is a powerful, direct wine built on a serious core of fruit. Although a bit one-dimensional next to the other 2004s here, there is little question the Mosconi has aged exceptionally well. Mocha, espresso, licorice and dark fruit meld into the sumptuous finish. Of the three Conterno-Fantino Barolos, the Mosconi is the best suited to aging in French oak because of the inherent textural richness of the fruit from this south-facing site.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Monforte d'Alba, barrique and botti 24 months. Marked spice and coffe aromas but with a lovely floral note still appearing. Complex and seductive and ripe. Rich and dense and chewy but all the components are there for a promising future. (JH)
The 2004 Barolo Mosconi is the first release from this south-facing vineyard in Monforte, which the estate controls through a long-term lease. It is an impressively endowed, full-bodied Barolo with a multitude of tar, smoke, mocha, vanilla, mint and sweet dark fruit flavors that coat the palate with superb depth and persistence. As is usually the case with Barolos from this, site, the wine is made in a distinctly powerful style that emphasizes fruit at the slight expense of aromatic complexity. That notwithstanding, it is a compelling Barolo. In 2004 the Mosconi only contains fruit from the oldest vines. A parcel the estate replanted will be added to the wine in forthcoming vintages.
The 2004 Barolo Mosconi is the first release from this south-facing vineyard in Monforte, which the estate controls through a long-term lease. It is an impressively endowed, full-bodied Barolo with a multitude of tar, smoke, mocha, vanilla, mint and sweet dark fruit flavors that coat the palate with superb depth and persistence. As is usually the case with Barolos from this site, the wine is made in a distinctly powerful style that emphasizes fruit at the slight expense of aromatic complexity. That notwithstanding, it is a compelling Barolo. In 2004 the Mosconi contains fruit from only the oldest vines. A parcel the estate replanted will be added to the wine in forthcoming vintages. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. I have long enjoyed the Conterno-Fantino Barolos but in recent years Claudio Conterno and Guido Fantino have taken their wines to an entirely new level. These Barolos can often be massively structured and difficult to evaluate at an early stage yet the 2004s have incredibly sweet, ripe tannins that makes them a pure joy to taste. Simply put, this is a superb collection of 2004 Barolos. “We harvested most of our fruit on October 5 and 6,” says Guido Fantino. “We did 6-8 days of fermentation after which the wines went into French oak (100% new). The malos were very long and weren’t completely finished until January.” Importer: Empson USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900