The 2005 Barolo Falletto offers up a gorgeous bouquet of red cherries, flowers, spices and menthol. This is a relatively delicate, elegant Barolo Falletto yet it offers gorgeous balance, tons of inner perfume and a long, refined finish. It is one of the overachievers in 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. Bruno Giacosa seems to be in better shape each time I see him, but on my latest visit, in November 2008, he seemed particularly energized. We spent several hours tasting through the 2006s and 2007s from barrel, along with all of the 2005s and 2004s from bottle. As www.erobertparker.com readers know, I have been following Giacosa’s 2005 Barolos for several years and I have been fond of these wines for some time, as they have always demonstrated exceptional balance. Now that the wines are in bottle they are every bit as delicious as they were from barrel. Giacosa fans will want to give these 2005 Barolos (and the Barbarescos, too) careful consideration as 2006 is shaping up to be a weaker vintage here. On the subject of the 2005 Barbarescos, they are every bit as successful as my scores suggest, if anything I may have misjudged just how great the wines will ultimately be. As for the 2005 Barolos, the wines seem to have been helped quite a bit by the southern exposure of the Falletto vineyard. Importer: A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

Offers pure strawberry on the nose, with flowers. Full-bodied, with round yet refined tannins and intense, bright fruit. Very long. Always beautiful. Best after 2012. 1,190 cases made, 200 cases imported.??–JS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barolo Select to Add