2008 Barolo Bricco Viole

The 2008 Barolo Bricco Viole shows the personality of the vintage and freshness of the site. Sweet red berries, flowers, mint, sage and herbs are some of the nuances that emerge from this chiseled, finessed Barolo. The cool weather personality of the year comes through in this vibrant, wiry Barolo. The Bricco Viole is a wine that needs to be served at the dinner table, where its energy and vibrancy will shine brightest. In 2008, the Bricco Viole is pure elegance.

The 2008 Barolo Bricco Viole shows the personality of the vintage and freshness of the site. Sweet red berries, flowers, mint, sage and herbs are some of the nuances that emerge from this chiseled, finessed Barolo. The cool weather personality of the year comes through in this vibrant, wiry Barolo. The Bricco Viole is a wine that needs to be served at the dinner table, where its energy will shine brightest. In 2008, the Bricco Viole is pure elegance. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028. This is another outstanding set of wines from Marco Marengo. Most people will flock to the Brunate because of the vineyard’s reputation, and the Vecchia Vigna delle Brunate, Marengo’s old-vine Brunate bottling, because it is highly allocated. Let them. The smart money is on the Bricco Viole, which is without question one of the most elegant and complete wines of the year. Fans of Marengo’s Brunate bottlings will be happy to know that beginning with 2012 production will go up slightly as Marengo is no longer supplying Elio Altare with some of his fruit. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including: de Grazia Imports; tel. (417) 732-4200; Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 492-9411, Robert Houde Wines, Elk Grove Village, IL; tel. (847) 430-3887

(from a vineyard situated at over 400 meters): Good deep red. Raspberry, flowers, truffle and a distinctly flinty, crushed stone minerality on the nose. Structured and serious in the mouth, with excellent energy and cut, plus a faintly exotic aspect, to the slightly saline flavors of raspberry and flint. With its mineral energy and solid backbone of building tannins, this is almost austere today and should probably be forgotten for seven or eight years. Should turn out to be the best vintage to date for this wine. This vineyard, which is vulnerable to hail, used to produce wine one year out of three, but did not miss a vintage from 2004 to 2008.