The 2008 Barolo is a beautiful wine. Super expressive, knock-out aromatics lead to expressive layers of fruit. The 2008 shows gorgeous richness and depth within the context of the year. Tar, smoke, licorice and crushed rocks wrap around the finish. This is a striking, elegant Barolo from Aldo Conterno. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028. My tasting at Aldo Conterno was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Piemonte. The 2008s are super-classic wines that will thrill Barolo lovers. The harvest took place at the end of October, quite late by modern-day standards. The Conterno brothers continue to lengthen macerations. In 2008 the Granbussia saw 40-45 days of skin contact, the longest ever. Speaking of Granbussia, Conterno has cut production on their flagship wine by a whopping two-thirds in order to bottle only the best juice under their top label. This also frees up juice for the Romirasco bottling, which is now a permanent part of the lineup, rather than a wine that is only made when there is no Granbussia, which was the case until just a few years ago. The unexpected success of the Romirasco bottling is one of the many positive things that have taken place at Aldo Conterno recently. The Conterno family embodies so many of the human values that make Piemonte such a special place. It’s great to see them back at the top of their game. Importer: Massanois Imports, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 470-6769

The next Granbussia is the 2005, which will be released in 2012. Conterno’s 2007 Barolo impresses for its sense of harmony and freshness. The wine has firmed up nicely since I first tasted it in November 2010, boding well for its development in the cellar. In 2007 the Barolo possesses an extra degree of richness and generosity than is typically the case, never a bad thing for an entry-level bottling. In a few years, the soft, supple fruit should be at the height of its expression. This is a jewel of a wine and a huge outperformer in relative terms. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027. This is a gorgeous set of wines from Aldo Conterno. The estate’s continued pursuit of low yields in the vineyard has paid off handsomely over the last few years. The 2007 Baroli spent 29 months in oak and were bottled in September 2010. Unfortunately 2007 was a difficult vintage at Aldo Conterno. There will be no 2007 Romirasco or Granbussia because of damage to the fruit caused by hail. Importer: Massanois Imports, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 470-6769