2005 Barolo Vigna Rionda

Saturated deep red with ruby highlights. A black hole of a nose, hinting at extremely primary aromas of black cherry, violet, tar, minerals and cedar. Silky, dense and suave, with a sweetness that's accentuated but not at all overwhelmed by the considerable percentage of new barriques This impressively broad 2005 really saturates the entire mouth with flavor. Here the tannins are nicely buffered by the wine's density of material, and the very long aftertaste conveys a powerful impression of soil tones. A terrific showing today.

The 2005 Barolo Vigna Rionda is another wine where the balance is threatened by an excessive use of oak. The Rionda reveals pretty fruit and good depth, with a long, polished finish, even oif the tannins are super-sized. It would be nice to see more vineyard character, considering Vigna Rionda is one of the most hallowed sites in the world of wine.

The 2005 Barolo Vigna Rionda is another wine where the balance is threatened by an excessive use of oak. The Rionda reveals pretty fruit and good depth, with a long, polished finish, even if the tannins are super-sized. It would be nice to see more vineyard character, considering Vigna Rionda is one of the most hallowed sites in the world of wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. Giampaolo Pira produces some of the most extroverted wines in Barolo. In 2005 his wines reveal a lovely purity to their fruit but because of their relatively modest structures, the wines seem to be dominated by an excessive amount of French oak. 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