2005 Barolo Brunate

The 2005 Barolo Brunate is sweet, round and generous, with superb balance and gorgeous inner perfume. The 2005 doesn’t quite have the complexity or multi-dimensional personality of the 2004 yet it possesses remarkable density and richness in a richly-textured style packed with dark red fruits, spices, flowers and minerals. Elegant tannins frame a long finish, rounding out this classy Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. There is mixed news this year from Roberto Voerzio. The not so good news is that Voerzio decided to bottle just four of his eight 2005 Barolo selections. The better news is that, as is often the case, his Barolos are among the finest of the vintage. Unfortunately the wines will be especially hard to come by this year. There are no Barolos from Sarmassa, Capalot or Rocche dell’Annunziata as the wines did not meet Voerzio’s exacting standards of quality. Small defects that are common in cool vintages could have been addressed with the use of commercial yeasts and other additives, but Voerzio eschews anything that gets in the way of his stripped-down, non-interventionalist approach in the cellar. Voerzio also had hail damage from hail in the upper reaches of La Serra, and his wine from that vineyard was enough to fill one measly 12-hectoliter tank. As partial compensation, there will be a Riserva from Fossati/Case Nere which will be released somewhere around 2015. In today’s business-first world it is a sign of a serious commitment to quality when a producer consciously chooses to not bottle wines over putting a less than perfect product on the market. Voerzio’s wines are never inexpensive, but over the last few years they have rarely failed to deliver the goods. A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

(just three barrels made due to hail) Good bright medium red. Musky aromas of raspberry, cedar and brown spices, with tobacco and mineral nuances adding complexity. Silky on entry, then minerally and firm in the middle, with racy acidity framing the flavors of tobacco and brown spices. Finishes with serious mouthcoating tannins that are less soft than those of the Cerequio but not quite as strong as those of La Serra. "This wine was ready to drink at the beginning but may be shutting down today," notes Davide Voerzio, who describes 2005 as "a good year that lacks a bit of structure and grip."

The 2005 Barolo Brunate is sweet, round and generous, with superb balance and gorgeous inner perfume. The 2005 doesn't quite have the complexity or multi-dimensional personality of the 2004 yet it possesses remarkable density and richness in a richly-textured style packed with dark red fruits, spices, flowers and minerals. Elegant tannins frame a long finish, rounding out this classy Barolo.