2008 Conterno Fantino Barolo Mosconi

The 2008 Barolo Mosconi bursts from the glass with rich dark red fruit, smoke, licorice and tar. The Mosconi, from a south-facing site, is one of the juicier wines of the vintage. It boasts tons of inner sweetness and a layered expression of fruit. As always, the Mosconi is the most overt of the Conterno-Fantino Baroli. The southern exposure of the vineyard gives the fruit roundness and the voluptuousness of the tannin is quite attractive. This is a flat-out delicious Barolo from Conterno-Fantino. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. Conterno-Fantino is one of a handful of properties that deliver outstanding quality throughout their entire range. The 2008 Nebbioli were picked very late. The last of the Ginestra fruit did not come in until October 26. Fabio Conterno describes 2008 as a vintage marked with huge diurnal shifts towards the end of a very long growing season. Conterno-Fantino remains a leading exponent of the modern school of Barolo, but today macerations are longer than normal, casks have been added to the French oak barriques and the wines are more polished than they have ever been. The Conterno-Fantino Baroli used to be tannic beasts when young, but the 2008 Baroli are surprisingly accessible at this stage. I imagine the wines will close down at least somewhat over the coming months, but even if they do, these Baroli stand out for their finesse. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

(20% of these vines are 55 years old, the rest 12 to 15): Dark red-ruby. Blueberry and violet on the nose. Much more imploded than the Vigna del Gris, with strong minerality to the black fruit and violet flavors. Quite uncompromisingly dry and tannic and in need of long aging. This is all spine today but possesses the sheer energy to evolve in bottle for 20 years or more.