2009 Barolo Vigna Rionda

Again, this wine is typically released ten years after the harvest, and so in the case of the 2009 Barolo Riserva Vignarionda, we are right on time. Balsamic notes and lovely shades of spearmint lift from a bouquet that offers so much green and herbal intensity. This is a delicate and ethereal expression and a very special wine that has little primary fruit or secondary aromas left. The bouquet has moved fully into the tertiary realm with those fleeting and ephemeral perfumes that rise so gently. This vintage does not have the same density and darkness that you get in the similarly warm 2011 edition, and that won't be missed. I prefer this wine to the 2011 vintage, but I would also suggest a shorter drinking window here. Note that Vignarionda will not be a Riserva in the 2014 edition.

This has deeply rich, dark berries and cherries in a complex mode, also delivering savory, spiced earth and aged meat notes. The palate has a sense of depth and detail with a long and flavorful core of succulent tannins. Ripe, dense and majestic. Drink or hold.