2003 Barolo Arborina
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Tasting notes
Corino's 2003 Barolo Arborina is deep, rich and powerful. It boasts terrific depth and volume, but time has shown what was perhaps less apparent when the wines were young. Namely that Rocche is one of the greatest sites in La Morra and Arborina is not. Not even close, actually. In the Arborina we find plenty of dark red and black fruit, smoke, incense, orange peel and spices, all in a generous, slightly bombastic style. Still, the wine's balance is impeccable, especially within the context of the vintage.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2003 Barolo Arborina reveals greater depth in its expansive sweet fruit, licorice, earthiness and menthol notes. It, too, is made in a fairly accessible style, but offers limited complexity.
The 2003 Barolo Arborina reveals an added dimension of complexity. It presents attractive flowers, spices, menthol, chocolate and red cherries with excellent length, expansiveness and inner sweetness. Despite its positive attributes, it comes across as somewhat tired and flat. Renato Corino is one of the most passionate producers I know. Always generous with his time and his wines, he embodies all of the qualities of La Morra’s finest artisanal growers. Corino’s new winery is perched atop the Arborina vineyard, just a stone’s throw from his neighbors Mauro Veglio and Elio Altare. These 2003 Barolos are the first Barolos Renato Corino has bottled under his own label. It is impossible to judge a producer from a single vintage, especially when it is as freakish as 2003, but as I note above, it will be interesting to see how the two Corino estates develop over the coming years. For now, these 2003 Barolos lack color, even for Nebbiolo, and don’t appear to be destined for long lives. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700, and Estate Wines, Ltd., San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 492-9411
High-toned nose – autumnal and haunting. Quite stern for the moment but lots of richness underneath. Broad and tarry – still pretty dry on the finish. Needs quite a bit of time. (JR)