2001 Barolo Bric del Fiasc

Enrico Scavino is without question one of Piedmont's most consistent producers. He just doesn't miss a beat. Scavino is ably assisted by his daughters Enrica and Elisa, both of whom are increasingly involved in the winery. Scavino's Baroli are rich, textured and very showy when young, but they have proven to be equally ageworthy. The 2001s spent one year in barrique and a second year in cask, an approach the estate adopted with the 1997 vintage. These are some of the most backward, intense wines of the vintage.

We then moved into a deep selection of vintages of Scavino's most famous Barolo, Bric del Fiasc, which was first produced in 1978. The vineyard is located in Castiglione Falletto and the wines from this plot are generally the biggest and most structured of the estate's lineup. In important vintages Bric del Fiasc requires at least several years of cellaring. Today vintages 1989 and 1990 appear to still be fresh and youthful and my guess is that recent vintages will age at least as well given that they were made from lower yields and with a much greater sense of awareness towards other factors affecting quality.

At an age where some of his colleagues are slowing down, Enrico Scavino, ably assisted by his daughters Enrica and Elisa, continues to push the quality envelope and it shows in his 2000s and 2001s. Over the last year I have been fortunate to taste virtually every single-vineyard Barolo Scavino has produced from 1985 to 2001 and in my opinion vintages 2000 and 2001 are clearly the best wines he has ever produced. While Scavino's wines often drink well relatively young, they have also proven time and again that they are capable of improving with extended cellaring. I can only conclude by saying there has never been a better time to buy and cellar the wines of Enrico Scavino. This is a superb set of 2001s.

"In terms of quality, 2001 is very good, one point higher than 2000," says Enrico Scavino. "In 2001 we had the advantage of a bit of rain in August, which really helped the nebbiolo and gave the wines a better balance than the 2000s. "Scavino's winemaking technique continues to evolve. Beginning with the 1999 vintage, he has moved his Barolos out of barriques and into large Taransaud casks after their first year of aging because he decided that two years in small barrels was too much. Scavino also noted that beginning with the '96 vintage he increased the duration of his fermentations (to seven or eight days) because he felt that his earlier vintages were too soft and did not have enough tannic support. Scavino was in the process of redoing his winery at the time of my visit, with the objectives of making more extensive use of gravity to avoid tiring the wines, gaining better control of temperature through all phases of vinification and elevage, and creating the proper environment to keep a large wine library. (Marc de Grazia; numerous importers, including Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; and Estate Wines Ltd. , San Rafael, CA)