2001 Barolo Gran Bussia

The Conterno family has consolidated its range of offerings in recent vintages. There is no longer a Quartetto bottling, nor is La Bussianella made any more, as the estate's very old freisa vines were producing fruit too high in potential alcohol for this style. There's also no more Chardonnay Printanie, as the vines have gotten old enough to make "serious barrique wine," according to Franco Conterno. The freisa will now go into a new wine, simply called Langhe, along with 20% cabernet and merlot, while the nebbiolo previously used for the Quartetto will go into the Favot and the barbera will be used for the Conca Tre Pile. Furthering the consolidation theme, Conterno is now working with just a single agent for sales in the U. S. According to Franco Conterno, vintage 2004 is "great across the board, very classic. " He went on: "The 2004s are less sweet than the 2001s but are velvety-rich, like a cross between '01 and '99. " The Conternos made no Barolos in either 2003 or 2002. "Two thousand three produced inelegant wines with high alcohol," said Franco, who said that the Conternos made Il Favot by picking grapes very early, in mid-September. (I should note that several other producers told me in September of 2004 that they were considering not bottling their 2003 Barolos, or at least not their vineyard-designated wines, but in the end many of them did. )