The 2001 Barolo Riserva Runcot has aged beautifully. Dark plums, cherries, new leather, spices, French oak and mint are all woven together in a rich tapestry of undeniable class. The Runcot is the only Barolo Grasso aged in 100% new French oak barrels. It’s hard not to think the 2001 spent too much time in barrel, as the fruit shows faint signs of drying out. I much preferred the 2000 for this style of Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2021. These are three fine Baroli from the Grasso family. Personally, I think the wines improved markedly after 2004 or so, but the 2001s have nevertheless aged nicely. Various American importers, including: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808; Langdon Shiverick Imports, Cleveland, OH; tel. (213) 483-5900; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA; Admirality Beverage Co. Columbia Distributing Company, Portland, Oregon; tel. (503) 289-9600