2004 Barolo

Azelia's 2004 Barolo is a super-rich wine loaded with generous black cherries and spices. It is a beautifully poised, balanced Barolo. In recent years Azelia has stepped up the quality of the Barolo by including more juice from their top vineyards, and it shows in this terrific wine which is sure to offer much pleasure over the next decade or so. I can't ask for too much more from a wine at this level.

Azelia's 2004 Barolo is a super-rich wine loaded with generous black cherries and spices. It is a beautifully poised, balanced Barolo. In recent years Azelia has stepped up the quality of the Barolo by including more juice from their top vineyards, and it shows in this terrific wine which is sure to offer much pleasure over the next decade or so. I can't ask for too much more from a wine at this level. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016. Readers looking for a first-rate Barolo producer whose pricing has remained very fair need look no further than the wines of Azelia and proprietor Luigi Scavino. These are among my favorite wines to drink, especially in restaurants, where they don't suffer from the larger markups that accompany some of the region's better known bottlings. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700, and Estate Wines, Ltd., San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 492-9411

Good healthy, dark red-ruby. Quite primary, even inky, on the nose, with aromas of black cherry and menthol. Suave on entry, then sweet and primary, with fairly supple flavors of black fruits, dark chocolate and menthol. Not yet open but the concentration is obvious. Finishes with substantial toothcoating tannins and good aromatic lift. This one was aged entirely in ovals, whereas the crus get 40% to 50% new barriques, which is actually less new wood than in the past. Proprietor Luigi Scavino is a cousin of Enrico Scavino (Paolo Scavino).