2004 Azelia Barolo San Rocco

The 2004 Barolo San Rocco is in a gorgeous place right now. Expressive savory and floral notes open up in a lifted Serralunga Barolo endowed with superb underlying depth and textural richness. Ample, layered and beautifully expressive through to the finish, the 2004 is just as impressive today as it was from barrel. The 2004 spent two years in French oak barrels, 20% new. (AG)

Castiglione Falletto, barrique 24 months. Fragrant and leathery red fruit. Attractive sweet cherry and a touch of liquorice and vanilla. Firm but smooth and dense. Sweet spicy oak is evident but doesn’t dominate the fruit. Powerful and long. (JH)

The 2004 Barolo San Rocco, from a vineyard in Serralunga, is an explosive, structured wine bursting with black cherries, violets, menthol and tar. Full-bodied and ample on the palate, it possesses outstanding balance and an utterly engaging personality that makes it an absolute joy to taste. The San Rocco is always the most complete of the Azelia Barolos, and it is a wine I seek out in nearly every vintage. A recent bottle of the 2003 was also superb. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2024. Readers looking for a first-rate Barolo producer whose pricing has remained very fair need look no further than the wines of Azelia and proprietor Luigi Scavino. These are among my favorite wines to drink, especially in restaurants, where they don’t suffer from the larger markups that accompany some of the region’s better known bottlings. 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