2001 Aldo Conterno "Cicala" Barolo

“Medium red. Quintessential Barolo perfume: minerals, tobacco, underbrush, tar, licorice, gunflint. Then wonderfully rich and seamless in the mouth, with superb concentration and purity of flavor. Spicy red fruits emerged with aeration. Comes across, atypically, as less clenched in the early going than the Colonnello and strikingly complex from the outset, but this is nonetheless extremely young. Finishes with extremely suave tannins and vibrant lingering fruit. Great wine in the making. (ST)” (11/2004)

“Loads of plum, berry and licorice character with hints of new wood. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, rich finish. Beauty here. Tight and compacted. Lots going on here. Give it time.” (10/2005)

“A dark-toned hue of ruby with violet highlights, the 2001 Barolo Cicala suggests new oak and spices on the nose, then opens to reveal a very complete and multi-dimensional wine that offers sensations of ripe dark cherries, minerals, menthol, tar, licorice and violets wrapped around a structured, masculine frame. A very fresh and long finish makes this a superbly well-balanced and beautiful wine. The Cicala cru gives wines of power and intensity owing to its poorer and dryer soils which contain more iron, as well as the vineyard’s south to south-east exposure. (AG)” (10/2006)

“A single vineyard bottling from Bussia slopes. A fairly pale colour, a ripe cherry red with a pink-orange tinge. Very open and expressive nose, animal fur, spices, roast nuts and leather. Very succulent and appealing on the palate, showing integrating tannins and a good texture. Spice and animal complexity, with a real flourish of character on the finish. Great stuff, but also needs a little time. 17.5+/20 points” (11/2005)

“Nr Monforte d’Alba. Quite pale with wide pale rim. Coffee and spiced black cherry, very sweet and ripe on the nose with quite noticeable oak. First sign of undergrowth and truffles, getting stronger with time in the glass. Complex and delicious. Fresh and not overwhelmed by the oak. 18/20 points (JH)” (06/2006)