2006 Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo-Ravera

The 2006 Barolo Cannubi/S.Lorenzo-Ravera is surprisingly rich and opulent in this vintage. Sweet red cherries, menthol, spices and flowers emerge with gorgeous inner perfume and great body. This shows incredible power and richness through to the round enveloping finish, where sweet roses and cherries in liqueur linger for an eternity. Readers who are used to squeaky-clean wines might take issue with the volatile acidity here, but with time in the glass all of the elements come together beautifully, suggesting all the wine needs is time. This is one of the most impressive vintages of the Cannubi/San Lorenzo I can remember tasting. I could smell this all day. It is a knockout! Anticipated maturity: 2021-2036. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907

Barolo. Pale-ish ruby with the beginning of age. Reductive with sweet sour fruit notes. Needs lots of air. Sweet and must have seen some oak. But there is complexity too, and acidity pushing the palate forward. Very slow. (WS)

Reduced nose hints at liqueur-like dark fruits and leather. Then broad, sweet and silky, with a dominant flavor of raspberry liqueur. In a somewhat decadent style, like a wine from Bonneau. Finishes with substantial ripe but slightly dry tannins. (ST)