www.fattorialafiorita.it

Great Italian Wines That Begin With B: Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello. In each, the skyrocketing land values, lofty reputations, and fulsome press reviews have led to exorbitant prices. Of this I am sure but of other things I am less convinced. Are these the world’s greatest reds or has a degree of mass-hysteria crept into the journalists’ collective psyche? If they are that good what, exactly, should we expect for our money? And where are the library stocks of older vintages that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that these wines have the balance, the structure and the concentration necessary to sail gracefully off into the cellar?

Although I will admit to not having tasted every old vintage from every estate I represent I have, over the years, been fortunate to share many venerable bottles of Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello.  In all honesty the overwhelming majority are volatile and oxidized with too little fruit and too many tannins.  Many argue that improvements in hygiene, reduced time in wood and advances in winemaking technology have all contributed to the renaissance of the Bs.  But have they?  In my tastings many continue to be resolutely oaky.  Others have insufficient acidity.  In other words, they are still unbalanced.  Of La Fiorita I have no such reservations.  Roberto Cipresso is a Tuscan native and a consummate winemaker, not a lumberjack.  Oak always plays a supporting role and older vintages from the various estates at which Roberto has worked over the years bear witness to the wisdom of his approach.  This Brunello can be bought and cellared with confidence for at least a decade.  At this price, so it should but of how many Brunellos can one make that assertion?

La Fiorita provides the justification for this DOCG’s lofty reputation. It’s Chianti with an extra gear: more black fruit, jammy concentration, and silky tannins. There is a wealth of complexity on the nose and opulence on the palate synonymous with great red wine. Quality has always been easier to recognize than to define.

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