Luigi Pira Barolo 2004

This is a hard wine to love right now. The nose has great notes of earth and dried berry fruits with a deep medicinal spice tone but the palate is so muscular it's tough going at the moment but there seems to be good reserves of fruit for the very long haul. A throwback wine that recalls how Barolo was made 30 years ago and probably a very good bet for the cellar and a solid value. 87pts

June 2009

This started out quite reticent with subtle menthol and balsamic notes that morphed into a wonderfully aromatic nose redolent of waxy fruits, violets and vegetal undertones. Initially this was disjointed, rich and yet cut in half by the bright acidity that highlighted the red currant and cranberry tones of the fruit. The backend was quite lean and tapered off on the finish. Air brought out the lovely, polished ripe tannins that gave this wine the texture of flannel and helped support deep, rich, chewy red fruits in a rich, tannic style of wine that hag great lingering length. This will get better and better. 91pts

July 2009