2003 Barolo

Medium ruby. This second bottling of Voerzio's 2003 Langhe Nebbiolo is markedly different from that reviewed in Issue 6. Its label is differentiated only by the bottling date, indicated by the numbers “01-06” on the bottom of the label as opposed to the “03-05” that appeared on the previous release's label. The wine opens with a beautiful, floral nose and offers plenty of clean, focused fruit, with accompanying notes of minerals and menthol on a medium-bodied frame with excellent length and structure. It comes across as a Barolo in miniature, although the wine's freshness is more in keeping with a vintage like 2004 than 2003. Although Voerzio won't say what the exact composition of this wine is, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it is most likely a blend of barrels that didn't meet his exacting quality requirements. Unfortunately, this wine will not be available in the US, but will be available in Canada and Europe. Those lucky enough to locate bottles should not hesitate to secure them, as this is one of the greatest values to come out of Piedmont in a long time. It should drink well to at least age 12, and perhaps beyond.