Edizione 2009

Barolo Vigna Gattera 2006: 93
Good deep red. Cherry, red berries, menthol and a whiff of marzipan on the nose and palate. Firm, harmonious acidity gives this wine lovely vinosity and elegance, with an enticing minerality adding complexity. This is riper and sweeter than the 2005-more glyceral-but has excellent energy. In fact, it's still a bit youthfully compressed. Carlo Revello noted that the estate increased the quality of its crus by declassifying a good bit of fruit in '06, but that this move was done "due to the market." This is the only Barolo here that's made in larger barrels.

Barolo Vigna Conca 2006: 92
Bright, deep red. Dark fruits, licorice and tobacco on the nose. Sappy and sweet, with lovely ripe acidity giving the palate a penetrating quality. Distinctly suppler and less tannic than the Giachini. Finishes with subtle, earthy soil tones.

Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 2006: 94
(14.8% alcohol, with 5.23 g/l acidity and a pH of 3.55) Deep, bright ruby-red. Brooding, pure aromas of black cherry, licorice and sweet spices. Then almost surprisingly lush and sweet in the mouth, with a very fine-grained texture to the complex flavors of black cherry, spices and soy sauce. Offers impressive volume without weight, with the impression of ripeness and thickness building as the wine opens in the glass. Finishes very suave, sweet and long. This big boy hasn't shut down yet.

Barolo Vigna Giachini 2006: 90
Deep red-ruby color. More chocolate and coffee from the oak to go with aromas of black fruits and licorice. Then densely packed but a bit clenched, with the 50% new barrique element quite apparent today. Intriguing hint of marzipan. Less obviously sweet than the Gattera, and finishing with a stronger impression of oak tannins. There was a bit of hail in this vineyard in 2006.

Barolo 2006: 90
Good deep red. Aromas of black cherry, tobacco and marzipan. At once silky and lively on the palate, with an almost candied quality to the strawberry and violet flavors. Firm acidity and a balsamic nuance give this wine good lift and energy. Aged entirely in barriques, 20% new. A very successful basic Barolo.

Barolo Vigna Gattera 2005: 92
($60; aged in a blend of 20-hectoliter Austrian casks and tonneaux; the rest of the Revello Barolo crus are aged in barriques, about 40% new) Complex nose melds cherry, plum, tar, coffee, mocha, cedar and tobacco; like an essence of Barolo. Then silky, sweet and nicely balanced, with a distinctly velvety middle given definition by good energy. Finishes with very suave tannins and lovely grip.

Barolo Vigna Conca 2005: 91
($75) Good bright, dark red. Sexy, soil-driven aromas of raspberry, minerals, coffee and underbrush. Rich but youthfully unforthcoming, hinting at a slightly exotic quality to its dark plum and floral elements. Finishes with serious toothdusting tannins and lovely persistence. This needs time but should reward patience.

Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 2005: 93
($105) Good deep red. Sexy, subtle perfume of strawberry, raspberry, underbrush, coffee and minerals complemented by nutty oak. Lush and silky but at the same time delineated and vibrant; this boasts impressive inner-mouth aromatic lift for such a ripe, sweet wine. Just as lush and seamless on the back end, which features suave, ripe tannins and captivating lingering sweetness. (Marc de Grazia; numerous importers, including Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville, IL; and Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael, CA).

Barolo Vigna Giachini 2005: 90
($70) Good deep red. Less primary and fruity on the nose than the Gattera, showing coffee, mocha and chocolatey oak. Sweet on entry, then more closed in the middle, with youthfully subdued flavors of plum and chocolate; I don't yet find the floral quality typical of this bottling. Finishes with broad, building tannins but also very good breadth and sweetness.

Barolo 2005: 89
($46; done in barriques, 20% new) Moderately saturated medium red. Plum, mocha and nutty oak on the nose. Sweet, pliant and accessible, but with the inner-palate energy and lift of the better 2005s. An enticing raspberry flavor carries through to the finish, which shows rather gentle tannins and good persistence. This is mostly from younger vines, averaging about 20 years of age.