Barolo San Giovanni

The baby in the crowd at the beef Barolo dinner that's being discussed below in more than a couple of posts was from the 2004 vintage, a vintage that gets some great reviews.  The wine was the San Giovanni from Gianfranco Alessandria, a winery who Barberas, Langhes and Dolcettos I love.

This wine is over sized and full of itself.  Deep, inky dark, impenetrable and needing a lot of time.  Highly fruit driven, fully extracted, tons of oak and tannin, good acid.  It definitely makes an impression, and  mostly it's favorable.  Even at this stage it is not without  things to recommend it, primarily a lush mouth feel and properly ripe fruit.  The second day did little to soften this wine, though there was finally some bouquet coming out of that last glass.  Subtlety is not its strong suit.

Judgement reserved for five more years since there is more of this in the cellar and it won't see the light of day for a while.

14.5% alcohol and $90