2001 Barolo Vigna La Rosa

The 2001 Barolo Vigna La Rosa emerges from the glass with sweet rose petals, spices and dried red cherries. It, too, has aged nicely, even if it is not as fleshy as La Villa. The 2001 is very pretty, but it is also a touch faded, and needs to be enjoyed over the next handful of years.

The 2001 Barolo Vigna La Rosa emerges from the glass with sweet rose petals, spices and dried red cherries. It, too, has aged nicely, even if it is not as fleshy as La Villa. The 2001 is very pretty, but it is also a touch faded, and needs to be enjoyed over the next handful of years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. I was not a big fan of Fontanafredda’s 2001 Baroli when they were first released. I thought the wines were excessively dark, heavy and ponderous. They were clearly wines made in the style that was popular at the time. Now, some years later, the truth is that the wines have aged beautifully, and far better than I ever imagined. So, what does that really mean? Locals often say Fontanafredda owns most of the very finest sites in Serralunga. Perhaps that is the key lesson to take away from tasting the 2001s. As outstanding as the wines are, it seems amply clear the estate was just scratching the surface of its potential. Today, Fontanafredda’s majority owner is Oscar Farinetti, the charismatic and hugely successful entrepreneur behind the Eataly high-end food and wine emporiums. The wines are still made by Danilo Drocco, but in a much more classic-leaning style. The Lazzarito and La Villa (recently rechristened as Vigna Paiagallo) are now part of the Casa Mirafiore brand that Farinetti spun out of Fontanafredda, one of the more genius decisions I have seen in a long time in Italian wine. Importer: Palm Bay International, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 362-9642

Serralunga d'Alba. Dark, medium-concentrated ruby. Subdued nose with notes of leather. Crowd-pleasing sweetness but strikes a surprising balance with very polished tannins and good levels of acidity, which save it from banality. (WS)