2009 Roero Roche d'Ampsej

The 2009 Roero Riserva Roche d'Ampsej' is rich, warm and beautifully resonant. All the elements meld together in the glass with impeccable elegance. Black cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco and spice notes all flesh out in a wine that impresses for its balance and harmony. One of the challenges with Roero is that comparisons with Barolo and Barbaresco are inevitable. Well, in 2009 the Roche d'Ampsej' is clearly superior to the vast majority of those wines.

Canale. Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Dried fruit with hints of leather and oak. Sweet but a little undefined on the palate with firm tannins and with a hint of oak. Could be more expressive. (WS)