Barolo Again

Cool and wet early part of the day before the sun came out in the afternoon, but the morning made me thirsty for Barolo.

The result was a bottle of 2001 E. Pira & Figli, Chiara Boschis, Via Nuova, one of two bottles of this wine that has been in the cellar for some time.   Purchase records say it was purchased in 2006. 

I was expecting a newer style Barolo with redder color and fruit forward, but what I got was a brick red color with some transparency and some orange edges, and the wine was anything but fruit forward.  It was quite a mouthful for the first two hours.  I decanted half the bottle and let it sit.  There were wonderful aromas of flowers and earth and initially there was the tannic grip of death.

Four hours later when dinner, a small steak from the grill,  was ready the wine had mellowed a bit and wound up being very approachable. The fruit was at the red end of the cherry spectrum and the earth elements were really singing here.  The tannins faded to a great level that really stood up to the richness in the steak without overwhelming that flavor or the sides of the tongue.  The finish was long, dry and had just a touch of fruit sweetness at the very end.  I'm looking forward to the second half of this bottle.    And two years or more down the road I'm looking forward to the second bottle.

2001 E. Pira & Figli, Chiara Boschis, Via Nuova.  14% alcohol and $60.