Sandrone’s 2003 Barolo Cannubi Boschis reveals smoke, tar, licorice and dark plums with superb balance and a vibrant, engaging personality. Made in a sweeter, richer style than Le Vigne, its notable depth and well-integrated tannins make it one of the vintage’s successes. I have a slight preference for Le Vigne over Cannubi Boschis today but both wines are among the finest in this vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019.Luciano Sandrone is one of the leading lights in Piedmont. No grower has managed to so brilliantly reconcile modern and traditional approaches in making wines that are soft, supple and approachable when young, but also capable of aging beautifully. I have been following Sandrone's 2003 Barolos since just after the harvest. Over the last few years they have developed remarkably, and today are among the most successful Barolos of the vintage, particularly for the softness of their tannins, something which few producers were able to achieve. Both the Cannubi Boschis and Le Vigne were perfectly fresh and intact when I re-tasted them after 48 hours had passed. "Clearly 2003 was a challenging vintage. We used less of the fruit from our warmer microclimates for Le Vigne, although obviously we didn't have that luxury with Cannubi Boschis. In a sense it is a return to the past in that multi-commune Barolos had an advantage over single-vineyard wines. We did everything we could to maintain as much freshness as possible in the wines. We fermented using lower temperatures and bottled earlier than normal." Importers: Vintus LLC, Pleasantville, NJ tel. (914) 769-3000; Lauber Imports, Somerville, NJ; tel. (908) 725-2100

Very tight and focused for the vintage, with subtle aromas and flavors of strawberry, mineral and cherry. Full-bodied, chewy and very fresh. Best after 2008. 740 cases made. -JS