2005 Barolo Castellero

This was my first visit to Brezza, located right in the center of the town of Barolo. For a time my experiences with Brezza's wines were mixed, but the quality of several recent releases as well as two monumental bottles the estate's 1978 Barolo Riserva Speciale intrigued me, so I went to see for myself what was happening in these cellars. Proprietor Enzo Brezza is a reserved, soft-spoken man. His Barolos seems to reflect that personality in their understated expression. These are quiet, mid-weight wines made in a classic, traditional style that at their best offer very fine drinking. Brezza ages his Barolos in cask, using the younger barrels (5-10 years) for the first part of the aging, and then racks the wines to older casks (10-15 years) where they finish their time in barrel. The casks are replaced after 15 years. Brezza is definitely an estate to keep an eye on, and readers should give these fine wines very careful consideration.