2001 Barolo Lazzarito

The 2001 Barolo Lazzarito has aged quite well. Smoke, tar, incense and iron are some of the many notes that emerge from this powerful, intense wine. The Lazzarito shows considerable density and muscle, both of which will allow it to age gracefully. During this period Lazzarito was the wine that saw the greatest amount of French oak, and those notes, while present, are also nicely integrated. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. These 2001s were made during a transitionary period in Vietti’s history. I was quite pleased to see the wines show so well after the more mixed 2000s I tasted last year. As good as these 2001s are, it is also pretty clear Vietti has since moved comfortably into the upper echelon of Barolo producers, something that wasn’t the case a decade ago. In a lot of ways, the 2001s are the vintage that marks Vietti’s ascension to superstar status. I remember first tasting these wines when they had been bottled, but weren’t yet released. They were impressive then and they are just as impressive today. Vietti fans might also be interested in a recent vertical of the flagship Villero Riserva, which includes my thoughts on the 2001, and that we recently posted on www.erobertparker.com Importer: Dalla Terra, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-5405

The 2001 Barolo Lazzarito is the darkest of these wines. It opens with a penetrating nose of toasted oak, cherries in liqueur, menthol, minerals and tar. The Lazzarito is a beautifully conceived wine that combines dark backward Serralunga fruit and a very modern approach into a convincing whole, with excellent length and persistence on the palate. There is noticeably more extract in the fruit here to support the oak.

Medium red. Complex aromas of redcurrant, plum, cedar, licorice, spices and underbrush, with a superripe suggestion of chocolate. Big and round but dry; a huge, mouthfilling, plush wine that somehow avoids heaviness, thanks in part to its underlying minerality. Finishes with substantial, thoroughly ripe tannins. Currado notes that this wine is typically Chateauneuf du Pape-like in terms of its ripeness and dark fruit flavors.