Roberto Voerzio, Barolo Sarmassa 2003

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

2003 Barolo Sarmassa—An incredible level with which to start this tasting of 2003s. The Sarmassa has been my favorite of these wines over the last six months and looks to be one of the wines of the vintage. At once delicate and powerful, it offers an incredibly elegant nose followed by an explosion of sweet red fruit, rose, licorice, and mineral flavors with great finesse and well-balanced tannins. I came back to this wine at the end of the afternoon and it was every bit as impressive at is has been in the past. (94-97), 11/05 Roberto Voerzio has been excited about the quality of his 2003s for some time, saying “I consider 2003, along with 1997 and 2000, to be my best vintages since 1996.” While few producers would list 2003 as a top-quality vintage, it is hard to disagree with Voerzio when it comes to his wines. I have tasted these 2003s twice over the last six months and they are simply magnificent Barolos of the highest level. They capture the ripe, exotic quality of the vintage, but without the hard tannins that are typical of so many wines. Several of these Barolos are likely to be among the vintage’s top wines when they are released. That said, 2003 proved to be a challenging vintage here. In 2003 Voerzio’s yields were his lowest ever, 500 grams per plant, which is about a third less than his normal, already miniscule, yields. At harvest time sugar levels were very high, and as a result some of the wines did not complete their fermentations. Voerzio chose to sell his Dolcetto, Langhe Merlot and Barolo La Serra in bulk rather than tinker with them in the cellar, a significant financial sacrifice especially given that he did not release single bottle of wine in the 2002 vintage. More recently the ultra-perfectionist Voerzio has told me he is not sure whether he will release his Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata. However, the 2003s that he will bottle are nothing short of breathtaking. I also tasted several 2004s, including Rocche, Cerequio, Sarmassa and the Langhe Merlot, but they are maturing very slowly and the individual vineyard characteristics are not quite as evident today as the wines are still clearly marked by oak.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

Voerzio’s 2003 Barolo Sarmassa possesses knockout aromatics and superb delineation in its sweet roses, cocoa, spices, raspberries. This is not an especially complex Barolo in this vintage, but it does offer superb purity and gorgeous length that puts it in a class with few peers. The magnum format appears to be very beneficial in a vintage in which preserving freshness has been a major challenge. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2018. Roberto Voerzio is one of the very few producers who has always been enthusiastic about his 2003s. His wines are beautiful even if they have shut down considerably since I last tasted them in tank a few months prior to their bottling. Voerzio’s passion for the vintage notwithstanding, 2003 presented an extremely challenging set of circumstances. Some of the wines never fully completed fermenting their sugars. Voerzio refused to use the additives that could have helped, saying that would have compromised the wines’ naturalness. In 2003 there is no Barolo La Serra or Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata. Voerzio also decided not to bottle his Langhe Merlot. There will be a new Barolo Riserva made from his newest holdings in Fossati/Case Nere, of which Voerzio says “this will be my Monfortino.” Curiously, Voerzio is often lumped in with producers of the modernist school, yet the Piedmont wines he is most passionate about are those of Bruno Giacosa and Giacomo Conterno, both of whom are heavily represented in his own cellar. Importer: Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

vinous94

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

Voerzio's 2003 Barolo Sarmassa possesses knockout aromatics and superb delineation in its sweet roses, cocoa, spices, raspberries. this is not an especially complex Barolo in this vintage, but it does offer superb purity and gorgeous length that puts it in a class with few peers. The magnum format appears to be very beneficial in a vintage in which preserving freshness has been a major challenge. Only from magnums.