2007 Cascina Val del Prete Roero

The 2007 Roero bursts from the glass with an explosion of dark red fruit, French oak, spices and licorice. This is one of the most extroverted, full-throttle Roeros I have ever tasted. Today the French oak is quite prominent, so a few years of cellaring seems like a wise bet. It will be fascinating to see how this wine develops over the coming years. That said, I can't help thinking that with a little more subtle use of oak this could be more than an outstanding wine, it could be truly extraordinary. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022. Proprietor Mario Roagna has already established himself as one of the stars of Roero. It will be interesting to see if he is able to make the jump beyond regional and national acclaim into the realm of worldwide recognition. The French oak in some of these offerings, the high-end bottlings in particular, is a bit overdone, but if Roagna can find a more refined sense of balance between fruit and oak, these could be far more interesting wines. Importer: Vinity Wine Company, Emeryville, CA; tel. (510) 601-6010