By Antonio Galloni

Earlier this year I visited the region to get a sense of what the hype surrounding the 2000 vintage was all about. In 2000 the hot weather produced wines that are round, rich and approachable when young, all qualities considered to be atypical for Barolo. As with everything Piedmont, generalizations are very tricky because there are always so many exceptions to any statements that can be made about a vintage. It really pays to taste as many wines as possible so that you can decide for yourself whether you prefer warmer vintages like 1997 and 2000 or more classic vintages such as 1996, 1999, and 2001.