2007 Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo-Ravera

Tasted from a bottle directly from the cellar, the 2007 Barolo Cannubi S. Lorenzo - Ravera was graceful at my tasting, handling the heat of the vintage with a soft touch. The aromatics certainly show evolution, though they capture and retain sunny fruit, with a well-balanced feel to its notes of baked cherries, potpourri, autumn leaves, and sweet tobacco. Supple and rounded, it floats on the palate with velvety tannins and a weightless feel. For those lucky few who have a bottle or bottles in proper cellars, it still offers a good deal of fruit. Drink 2024-2030.

Good medium red. Reticent nose shows a bit less fruit today than the Brunate-Le Coste; smells softer and broader. Then much more horizontal on the palate than the 2008 version, with a strong flavor of cherry liqueur but not quite the sweetness of the 2007 Brunate-Le Coste. Best today on the very long finish, but the serious tannins will require extended aging.

The 2007 Barolo Cannubi/S.Lorenzo-Ravera emerges from the glass with sweet dark cherries, crushed flowers, menthol and spices. It is pure seduction, with effortless layers of fruit that blossom beautifully on the mid-palate and finish. I especially like the radiance and depth of the fruit. The Cannubi/S.Lorenzo-Ravera is a touch more marked by the vintage than the Brunate-Le Coste. Still, it is a striking Barolo from Giuseppe Rinaldi that won't need too long in the cellar to offer its finest drinking.