| 2007-10-26 01:11 |
WA: 2003 Barolo Bric del Fiasc—The Bric del Fiasc is noticeably deeper and richer, with notes of sweet dark fruit, tar and scorched earth. Made in a big, bold style, this is a powerhouse of a wine that has enough fruit to balance the tannins, although it is not for the faint of heart. “As opposed to Cannubi which has loosely packed, sandy soils, at Bric del Fiasc the soils are more compact and thus retain water better, which helps give this wine a little more freshness,” says Scavino. (90-93), 11/05 With his boyish enthusiasm it is hard to believe Enrico Scavino has a full 50 vintages under his belt. “I started working at the family estate when I was a young boy,” says Scavino. “I remember the 1958 vintage in particular. We had a very cool spring and many vineyards were affected by peronospora (a fungal disease that can affect the vines). Flowering was irregular and the plants carried very little fruit. We made a rich, concentrated Barolo that year that was a huge hit with our customers. It was a great way to start, and I’ve been hooked ever since.” Scavino has turned out an excellent set of wines in both 2003 and 2004, although I give the edge to the 2004s, which offer more nuance and better balance. I did not taste the normale or the Carobric, both wines that are made from a blend of various parcels. |
| 2007-10-26 01:11 |
IWC: By Ian D'Agata
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Oct 07
($125) Medium bright ruby. Highly aromatic nose combines ripe red cherry, minerals and spicy oak with intriguing notes of gunflint and cinnamon. Sweet and ripe on the palate, with excellent intensity to the red cherry, smoky plum and mocha flavors. Quite ripe and rich but avoids heaviness thanks to bright acids. Finishes rich and broad, with extremely smooth tannins. 92 points |