2008 Barolo Runcot Riserva

The 2008 Barolo Riserva Runcot is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Smoke, tar, licorice, menthol, plums and spices form a tapestry of undeniable class. The sweet, perfumed fruit typical of the 2008s here is evident in the glass. A rich, sumptuous wine, the 2008 Runcot is fabulous. The 2008 spent 45 months in new French oak, all of which it has handled with superb grace. Even though the Runcot is one of the few Barolos that handles new French oak this well, once again I wonder what it might taste like if aged like the rest of the Grasso Barolos. Dark red/black fruit, spices, new leather and smoke add the last nuances of complexity.

(aged for 46 months in new barriques): Good full, deep red. Deeply pitched aromas of red berries, mocha, violet and dried flowers, with a suggestion of roasted plum. Big, plush and very ripe but also classically dry, with subtle floral, spice and licorice flavors complemented but not overshadowed by deep oak. Finishes very long and spicy, with a repeating note of roasted plum and building sweetness. Very impressive but I'm still of two minds on leaving this so long in new barriques. Grasso told me he vinified his 2008s and 2010s with wild yeasts, and the longer maceration times (two months in the case of this Runcot) gave very dry wines. The Runcot Riserva is made with very little sulfiting, and Grasso barely racks his wines, preferring simply to turn the barrels on their sides.

This is an absolutely fabulous red, with incredible concentration but polish and refinement. It’s full-bodied, with wonderful depth of fruit and length. Complex, with minerals, dark fruits, plums and currants. Speechless. It sends chills up my spine. What a wine. It goes on for minutes. Hard to believe that it’s better than the 2007, but it is. Better in 2020 but so amazing now. Available in February 2015. Oct 2014, www.jamessuckling.com