The 2003 Barolo Cannubi appears to have been especially affected by the scorching heat of the vintage, which is no surprise given the higher percentage of sand in the vineyard. All the classic Cannubi notes are here - from the perfumed aromatics to the soft, sweet fruit - but ultimately the wine’s balance is compromised by the presence of excessively hard, green tannins which abruptly clip the finish. I have tasted this wine on numerous occasions from barrel, tank and bottle and it has always presented essentially the same qualities. Bottle age may help, but only to a limited extent. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2018. This set of new releases from Enrico Scavino is representative of the vintage. Because Scavino produces Barolos from so many different sites, including four single-vineyard wines as well as two blends, his Barolos make for a particularly fascinating analysis of the 2003 vintage. Scavino has decided to release his 2003 Rocche dell'Annunziata as a Riserva, so we will have to wait a few years to see that wine. My early tastings of that wine suggest it is not up to Riserva-level quality, but this is a vintage with many surprises, so it will be interesting to follow its development in bottle. "In 2003 we worked with slightly lower temperatures in order to avoid over-extraction. We also used less of the press wine, which typically has the hardest tannins. After fermentation the wines were racked into French oak barrels (1/3 new) for a year, and then moved into casks for the second year of aging," says Enrico Scavino. I tasted a number of promising Barolos from the 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages, including the first wine Elisa Scavino is making on her own. It is a 2006 Barolo from the Via Nuova vineyard in Barolo that was fermented with manual pumpovers and punchdowns and aged in 100% new Taransaud oak. It will be fascinating to watch the evolution of this passionate, emerging winemaker. 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

The 2003 Barolo Cannubi appears to have been especially affected by the scorching heat of the vintage, which is no surprise given the higher percentage of sand in the vineyard. All the classic Cannubi notes are here - from the perfumed aromatics to the soft, sweet fruit - but ultimately the wine’s balance is compromised by the presence of excessively hard, green tannins which abruptly clip the finish. I have tasted this wine on numerous occasions from barrel, tank and bottle and it has always presented essentially the same qualities. Bottle age may help, but only to a limited extent. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2018. This set of new releases from Enrico Scavino is representative of the vintage. Because Scavino produces Barolos from so many different sites, including four single-vineyard wines as well as two blends, his Barolos make for a particularly fascinating analysis of the 2003 vintage. Scavino has decided to release his 2003 Rocche dell'Annunziata as a Riserva, so we will have to wait a few years to see that wine. My early tastings of that wine suggest it is not up to Riserva-level quality, but this is a vintage with many surprises, so it will be interesting to follow its development in bottle. "In 2003 we worked with slightly lower temperatures in order to avoid over-extraction. We also used less of the press wine, which typically has the hardest tannins. After fermentation the wines were racked into French oak barrels (1/3 new) for a year, and then moved into casks for the second year of aging," says Enrico Scavino. I tasted a number of promising Barolos from the 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages, including the first wine Elisa Scavino is making on her own. It is a 2006 Barolo from the Via Nuova vineyard in Barolo that was fermented with manual pumpovers and punchdowns and aged in 100% new Taransaud oak. It will be fascinating to watch the evolution of this passionate, emerging winemaker. 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

Very ripe strawberry and spices on the nose. Full-bodied, chewy and very rich. Layered and powerful. Fantastic for the vintage. Better than the 2001 and close to the 2000. Best after 2011. 225 cases made, 100 cases imported.??–JS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barolo Select to Add