2005 Barolo Sarmassa
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Tasting notes
Slight cork taint which affected the vibrancy of fruit, however, a pleasant subtle liquorice note came out, as did more sweet spice amidst the muted dark stoned fruit. Chewy tannins lend structure to what quite clearly should be a top-class, multi-layered wine.
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A wild, powerful wine, the 2005 Barolo Sarmassa packs a serious punch. Cedar, smoke, tobacco, game and a host of dark fruit open up in the glass. Big, powerful and imposing, the 2005 might need as much as another decade to fully soften. Hints of tar and licorice add nuance to the wine's explosive personality.
Barolo. Balsamic and quite earthy on the nose but not particularly marked by tertiary aromas. Still quite youthful, succulent fruit and with grainy, drying tannins. Fine fruit aroma on the finish and big tannins clinging to the palate. Warm vineyard = advantage in 2005? (WS)
Deep red. Rich, vibrant aromas of black cherry, tobacco and flowers. Large-scaled, sweet and rich, with a firm tannin/acid spine giving a lively quality to the middle palate. This builds impressively in the mouth and on the aftertaste, finishing with broad, chewy, harmonious tannins.