The 2007 Barolo Costa Grimaldi is fabulously rich, dense and well-balanced in this vintage. The Costa Grimaldi is made from a parcel of the Via Nuova vineyard in Barolo at 350 meters above sea level with a sheltered south-east exposure that provides respite in warmer years. This shows tons of vintage character in its racy, elegant fruit and silky tannins, along with superb depth and intensity, all of which have been achieved in a fairly restrained style. This is a fabulous effort from Einaudi. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. This is another strong set of new releases from Einaudi. This year I was particularly impressed with the Barolo Costa Grimaldi. These days the Baroli see 20-25 days on the skins. Malolactic fermentation starts in steel and finishes in French oak. The 2007s spent 16 months in French oak (30% new) followed by 14 months in 50-hectoliter casks. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

4 You’ll want to give this beautiful Barolo 5–10 more years to age in your cellar. At this early stage in its life, Costa Grimaldi shows amazing potential thanks to its aromas of big red fruit and spice. Don’t let those initial impressions mislead you. After a few minutes in the glass, the wine shows impressive complexity and endurance. ——M.L.(9/1/2011)—— 94