2004 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Vigneto Loreto
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A powerful, brooding wine, the 2004 Barbaresco Loreto presents a more linear personality than the Brich Ronchi tasted alongside it. An exotic mélange of game, smoke, licorice, tobacco and cured meats add nuance to a core of dark red cherry and plum fruit. The 2004 keeps getting better and better with time in the glass. My only regret is not having been able to follow it over more time.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright medium red-ruby. Classic, pure aromas of black cherry, tobacco and menthol, complicated by marzipan and rose petal. Sweet and quite suave, with a fine-grained texture and lovely lift to the clean flavors of red fruits, flowers and minerals. The long finish features substantial fine tannins and a lingering note of menthol. I find this more even classic and fine than the excellent 2001 version.
The cask-aged 2004 Barbaresco Sorì Loreto presents gorgeous, expressive aromatics and a nuanced personality with notable depth as well as detail. Sweet dark fruit, menthol, spices and minerals all flow from this gorgeous, firmly structured Barbaresco. Made in a more linear style than the Bric Ronchi, the Sori Loreto reveals greater complexity as well as nuance. It is a terrific effort.
The cask-aged 2004 Barbaresco Sori Loreto presents gorgeous, expressive aromatics and a nuanced personality with notable depth as well as detail. Sweet dark fruit, menthol, spices and minerals all flow from this gorgeous, firmly structured Barbaresco. Made in a more linear style than the Bric Ronchi, the Sori Loreto reveals greater complexity as well as nuance. It is a terrific effort. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019. Rocca is among the producers who has been scaling back the use of small new oak barrels in favor of medium-sized 20 hectoliter casks. His wines today are less explosive, but far more elegant. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700, and Estate Wines, Ltd., San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 492-9411