2005 Barolo Gran Bussia

"The 2008 Barolos are saline and long, but they're not powerhouses," noted Giacomo Conterno. "They're less rich and powerful than 2009 and 2007 but elegant and fine." The Conternos found the '08s to be rather delicate and thus bottled them without filtration for the first time, as they didn't want to subject them to undue stress. They also did longer skin contact with the '08s, 40 to 45 days for the Colonello and Cicala and 55 for the Romirasco. Since 2004 the Conternos have been thinning their vines in June, after the flowering, "to capture all the micro-elements in the soil," according to Giacomo. "We really can't afford to wait until August." Yields for their crus are now in the low 35-hectoliters-per-hectare range, vs. about 50 in the late '90s. Conterno is already very high on 2009, which he describes as "classic but rich, similar to 2001, with a lot of everything, including alcohol and acidity." The 2007s, with alcohol in the 15% range, have the sweetness of the 2004s, he went on. "They're charmers; everyone likes them."