The 2006 Barbera d-Alba Superiore Sorito Mosconi is a beautiful, generous wine loaded with ripe dark fruit, licorice, flowers and French oak. This sumptuous, full-bodied Barbera offers excellent length in a polished, refined style. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. This is an impressive set of new releases from Rocche dei Manzoni. The 2005 Barolos are especially of note. As I mentioned in my reviews of the estate's 2004s last year, toast levels have come down in a meaningful way, which has resulted in Barolos that feel much more classic than was the case just a few years ago. The heavy toast, sweetness and volume of past vintages is gone, and what has begun to emerge are superb, sculpted Barolos that combine the best elements of modern and traditional schools. For the 2005 Barolos fermentation/maceration lasted about 21 days. The wines then went into 100% new French oak barrels, where they completed malolactic fermentations. The wines spent three years in French oak prior to being moved into large neutral oak, where they spent an additional eight months. The wines underwent a light fining with egg whites but were not filtered prior to being bottled. In 2005 proprietor Rodolfo Migliorini used the grapes he picked before the rains for his single-vineyard Barolos, while parcels that were picked after the rains went into the Barolo Rocche. Unfortunately in 2005 there is no Riserva Madonna Assunta La Villa or Pianpolvere Soprano, but otherwise readers can look forward to the full range of Barolos, a vintage Migliorini is excited about. These wines are all highly recommended.Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 332-4999

The 2004 Barbera d’Alba Sorito Mosconi is an impressive wine endowed with notable clarity in its dark red fruit, spices, flowers, licorice and toasted oak. Medium in body, this refined Barbera d’Alba Sorito Mosconi offers superb balance in a compelling, harmonious style. As always this is one of Piedmont’s most elegant French-oak aged Barbera and in 2004 it is a truly special wine. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2014. Proprietor Rodolfo Migliorini has endured a series of personal tragedies that no one should ever have to experience. The separate losses of his mother, father and brother in just over a year is truly saddening. Hopefully Migliorini might find some small comfort in knowing that this is the finest set of wines his estate has ever produced. The 2004 Barolos are particularly impressive from top to bottom. The wines possesses more transparency than I have ever seen here. The estate still favors 100% new French oak but prior to bottling most of the wines spent 6-12 months in 2-3 year old larger French-oak casks, which has given the wines an extra dimension of transparency. The Santo Stefano, Vigna d’ la Roul, Riserva 10 Anni and Pianpolvere Soprano Barolos all spent or will spend some time in cask, while the Big ‘d Big is now the only Barolo to be aged exclusively in barrique.Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 332-4999