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

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

The 2005 Langhe Nebbiolo is made from vines in San Francesco and Fontanazza, two lesser-known sites in La Morra. The wine reveals attractive super-ripe cherries, raspberries, flowers and spices on a medium-bodied frame. There is good length and persistence, even if this bottling doesn’t quite have the level of delineation it has in top vintages. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015. I remember visiting Roberto Voerzio’s Dolcetto vineyards in 2006 just before the harvest. Those plots were tended with just as much care as Voerzio lavishes on his Barolo vineyards, with tiny bunches per plant.A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

Shows dried blackberry and blueberry aromas, with hints of vanilla. Full-bodied, with layers of ripe tannins and incredible fruit. This is an amazing young wine, with loads of fruit concentration and a long finish of ripe tannins. Mind-blowing. Best after 2013. 220 cases made, 50 cases imported.??–JS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barolo Select to Add