2006 Barolo Brunate

The 2006 Barolo Brunate is pretty, harmonious and understated. Floral aromatics lead to spices and ripe red fruit in an enveloping, expansive style. The wine reveals gorgeous delineation and a complex, multi-dimensional personality, with a round, caressing finish. It is the most accessible of these 2006 Barolos.

The 2006 Barolo Brunate is pretty, harmonious and understated. Floral aromatics lead to spices and ripe red fruit in an enveloping, expansive style. The wine reveals gorgeous delineation and a complex, multi-dimensional personality, with a round, caressing finish. It is the most accessible of these 2006 Barolos. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. I came away impressed with the wines I tasted at Ceretto this year. Like many estates in Piedmont, Ceretto is moving back towards a greater use of large casks. The 2006 Barolos were fermented 10-15 days in stainless steel, followed by malolactic fermentation and anywhere from 24 to 30 months’ aging in French oak. Beginning with the 2007s, the Barolos spent about 16 months in French oak followed by a full year in cask. I also had a chance to taste Ceretto’s new Barolo from the storied Cannubi vineyard, a tiny production of just 550 magnums per year from a parcel of a quarter of a hectare the family purchased in 2002. At press time prices for the 2006 Barolos had not been determined. Importer: Wilson Daniels Ltd, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661

(these 2006 Barolos were bottled in the summer of '09) Good full medium red. The nose shows an almost liqueur-like ripeness (this lower-altitude vineyard often communicates a warmer character, notes Alessandro Ceretto). Lush on entry, then fat and deep in the mouth, with considerably more size and dimension than the As�. This will require some time in bottle to burn off some of its baby fat. Finishes with broad, building tannins.