Ripe, almost jammy, offering plum, blackberry and black cherry notes tinged with mineral. This picks up some grip on the finish, where it shows fine length and balance. Best from 2013 through 2027.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barolo Select to Add

Offers bright, rich fruit, with milk chocolate and ripe berry. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and lots of fruit. Long and beautiful. Fruit-forward. Best after 2010. 1,000 cases made, 500 cases imported.??–JS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barolo Select to Add

The 2005 Barolo La Villa is a decidedly darker, firmer wine packed with black cherries, French oak, new leather, tar, menthol, licorice and spices. Here the tannins clamp down on the authoritative finish with notable force. Patience is required, but this, too, is shaping up to be a strong effort from Fontanafredda. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. These 2005s are the finest Barolos I can recall tasting here. The estate seems to have toned down the super-ripe style of recent years and the results are striking. As I have written here before, Fontanafredda owns some of the most prized vineyards in all of Piedmont, and clearly has potential for making important wines of the highest level. Importer: Domaine Select, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799

The 2004 Barolo La Villa initially comes across as more restrained than the La Rosa. It possesses notable delineation in its aromas and flavors, with lively notes of minerality that frame the ripe dark fruit and French oak. This medium-bodied Barolo offers outstanding balance, if not the level of excitement I had hoped for in the 2004 vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022. Despite having changed its ownership structure recently there is sadly little reason to hope that Fontanafredda will ever right its ship as the estate is saddled with legacy issues that make it very difficult to compete in today’s environment. This is an underwhelming set of wines, especially considering the superb vineyards the estate owns. Importer: Domaine Select, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799

Very spicy, with hints of chocolate and berries. Full-bodied, with loads of new wood and chewy tannins. I find it a bit too much because the vanilla character dominates, but an interesting wine. Best after 2007. 1,250 cases made, 300 cases imported.??–JS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barolo Select to Add