Good full ruby-red. Explosive, vibrant aromas of blackberry, sandalwood and musky tobacco. A very suave, juicy wine with superb cut to its black plum, blackberry and licorice flavors. Hardly an outsized wine, but its sappy acidity and smooth, broad tannins give this elegant Barolo excellent structural support.

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The 2004 Barolo Le Vigne is a phenomenal effort. Sweet, long and pure, it reveals an expansive core of perfumed ripe red fruit, flowers and spices. Despite its notable concentration it is made in a restrained style, showing remarkable elegance as well as harmony, with superb length and finessed tannins on the close. Le Vigne is made from the Ceretta, Vignane, Merli and Conterni vineyards. I have tasted the wines from these plots separately on many occasions. Curiously, I have never been particularly impressed by any of the wines on their own, yet when they are blended the results can be extraordinary, as is the case with the sublime 2004 Le Vigne.

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Aromas of dried rose, with plum and violet. Full-bodied, with fine yet big tannins and a long, caressing finish. Dense and structured. A serious young red. Strong. This is still just a baby.

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