2006 Dolcetto d'Alba

According to enologist Alberto Cordero, who now runs this estate with his sister Elena, the 2004 Barolos are less concentrated than the 2003s but more representative of their area. And he reports that the estate's 2005s will be like the 2004s: ripe, complex and well-balanced. The latter vintages will be slow to evolve, whereas the 2003s "were perfect at bottling. Of course, 2003 was also a delicate vintage that required careful treatment. We began with an early harvest and then extracted gently to avoid getting overly tannic wines. " Cordero noted that the estate did a double green-harvest in 2004 and still had yields a good 20% higher than average, as both the clusters and the individual grapes were large in '04. "Yet somehow we made great wines with finesse and elegance. This is the vintage for quality, quantity and complexity; it's up there with 2001, 1996 and 1989 despite the fact that we had 30% more crop than in 2001. " The family owns 28 hectares of vines in Monfalletto, including 11 of nebbiolo for Barolo. Needless to say, there are numerous separate vinifications done here each year. As Cordero puts it, "the spicy lots go into barriques while the more delicate ones are aged in larger casks. "