Review: 2005 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga d'Alba
Rating: Shamefully young, but promising, sophisticated Barolo in a squat bottle. $30
The Rest of The Story: Discovered at the charming Just Vino wine bar in Buffalo, this wine comes in an eye-catching and efficient 500mL bottle. Cool, in a squat Darth Vader kind of way. And who doesn't love a place that pours Barolo by the glass?
Besides the new take on bottle sizing, the good people at Fontanafredda make a really nice bottle of wine.
Unlike most tastings we do, this one was at a bar where the cork had been pulled immediately before tasting, so this Barolo barely had a chance to open up before impatience won and the glass was empty.
Still, first impressions can give an idea of potential. Shamefully young for a Barolo, its flavors were initially blunt. Same goes for the nose. But even within 30 minutes it evolved and the flavors start coming at you in waves.
The fruit is mysterious, like an Italian woman...a dark-haired, olive-skinned, revealing-yet-coy woman with a throaty laugh. She wears expensive underwear and Ferragamo heels. Acids, like her temper, are simmering just beneath the surface.
Saratoga Wine Exchange, a terrific store with a booming mail order business, has this for $28. And while you're getting a third less than a regular sized bottle, it's still a hell of a deal for quality Barolo.
Rating: Shamefully young, but promising, sophisticated Barolo in a squat bottle. $30
The Rest of The Story: Discovered at the charming Just Vino wine bar in Buffalo, this wine comes in an eye-catching and efficient 500mL bottle. Cool, in a squat Darth Vader kind of way. And who doesn't love a place that pours Barolo by the glass?
Unlike most tastings we do, this one was at a bar where the cork had been pulled immediately before tasting, so this Barolo barely had a chance to open up before impatience won and the glass was empty.
Still, first impressions can give an idea of potential. Shamefully young for a Barolo, its flavors were initially blunt. Same goes for the nose. But even within 30 minutes it evolved and the flavors start coming at you in waves.
The fruit is mysterious, like an Italian woman...a dark-haired, olive-skinned, revealing-yet-coy woman with a throaty laugh. She wears expensive underwear and Ferragamo heels. Acids, like her temper, are simmering just beneath the surface.
Saratoga Wine Exchange, a terrific store with a booming mail order business, has this for $28. And while you're getting a third less than a regular sized bottle, it's still a hell of a deal for quality Barolo.