2001 Barolo La Serra

The 2001 Barolo La Serra is beautiful. It has also held up very well in this vintage. The firm La Serra tannins are still quite evident, while the wine’s aromatic profile retains plenty of freshness to match the big fruit and equally imposing underlying structure. Layers of fruit build effortlessly to the rich, textured finish. This is an incredibly fine Barolo for a vineyard that is not one of La Morra’s grand crus. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027. Contrary to the vast majority of growers, Roberto Voerzio has always maintained that 2000 was a better vintage for him than 2001. After having tasted both vintages extensively over the last few years, its pretty clear Voerzio is right. The 2001s haven’t held up as well as the 2000s I reviewed last year and are developing at a faster pace. Not surprisingly, both of the Baroli Voerzio bottles only in magnum have developed particularly gracefully. A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

The 2001 Barolo La Serra opens with a deep, potent nose of sweet dark cherries and cocoa. The most structured of the Voerzio Barolos, it is also the most weighty and concentrated, featuring massive amounts of dark, backward fruit, great length and the more substantial tannins that are typical of the vineyard. La Serra is usually one of the last wines to reach maturity.

The 2001 Barolo La Serra opens with a deep, potent nose of sweet dark cherries and cocoa. The most structured of the Voerzio Barolos, it is also the most weighty and concentrated, featuring massive amounts of dark, backward fruit, great length and the more substantial tannins that are typical of the vineyard. La Serra is usually one of the last wines to reach maturity. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021. Importer: Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620