The estate’s 2004 Barolo Parafada is the most accessible of these 2004 Barolos. It possesses a fat, unctuous texture, with superb ripeness, poise and balance. A note of sweetness from the French oak lingers on the finish. In 2004 the Parafada is aged in a mix of 40% cask , 30% 500 liter barrels and 30% 225 liter barrels. The use of French oak gives this wine its full-bodied, soft, fruit-driven texture. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. Brothers Franco and Roberto Massolino have a top-flight set of wines with their 2004 Barolos. The wines are fermented in cement, then undergo malolactic fermentation in a combination of cement and steel prior to being racked into large Slavonian oak casks for roughly two and half years. The Parafada is the only Barolo that sees French oak. Readers who want to learn more about the estate can re-visit my recent feature on www.erobertparker.com. mporter: Domaine Select, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799

Very ripe strawberry and milk chocolate aromas follow through to a full body, with ultrafine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Silky and refined. Shows balance. Best after 2011. 415 cases made, 150 cases imported.??–JS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barolo Select to Add

Very ripe fruit nose, spices and flowers. Powerful, but voluptuous, long red fruits, fragrant, spicy, flowery. Very complex, very good.