2006 Barolo Mosconi per Cristina

The 2006 Barolo Per Cristina is a gorgeous wine that transports us back to a beautiful vintage that is already beginning to show spectacular results. The bouquet offers a distinctive balsamic character with grilled rosemary, cherry cola, licorice and fresh menthol aromas. The effect is ethereal, tightly layered and ever-changing. This Barolo presents a beautifully silky texture that lingers on the palate for many long minutes. This wine will march proudly forward for the next two decades.

Good bright, dark red. Earthier and lower-toned on the nose than the 2007, showing a slightly pruney quality to the red fruit and nutty oak aromas. Large-scaled, deep and mouthfilling, but this strikes me as a bit evolved for a 2006. Finishes with huge, palate-saturating tannins and excellent length. The Percristina gets three full years in new barriques, then a year in stainless steel prior to bottling, and is held back at the winery for further aging. Clerico told me he may release the 2007 Percristina before the 2006, which strikes me as a good idea for the 2007 but questionable for the 2006, which appears to have less of a future.

A big, bombastic wine, the 2006 Barolo Percristina bursts from the glass with an exotic mélange of dark cherries, plums, menthol and licorice. Today, the 2006 is rich, layered and intense, but frankly, I am not sure how it will age. The French oak is quite prominent as well.