2006 BAROLO Cannubi Podere Luigi Einaudi

...now it is getting impossible to choose from the great Nebbiolo based wines: Sottimano’s three single vineyard Barbaresco and a riserva and three Barolo from Einaudi, all of which would repay keeping but are drinkable now, offered at fair price. But for concentration and potential opulence, ‘Nei Cannubi’ Barolo 2006, Einaudi gets the prize. The concentration is most obvious on the nose with the palate still very taut, but the luxurious length and the subtle oak accompaniment sets it apart. £44 makes it a special occasion bottle but it has the quality to match … and compared to some wines (see below) seems rather reasonable.

Good bright, deep red. Sweet red fruits, flowers and sexy oak on the nose. Silky, broad and weightless on the palate, with wonderfully clean and intense flavors of sweet red berries, cherry and flowers. Penetrating acidity and wonderfully suave, broad tannins give this beauty terrific class. Finishes with explosive fruit and outstanding breadth. Easy to appreciate today and capable of gaining in complexity with five to ten years in the bottle. This will make a worthy successor to the superb 2004 version.   93/100

The Cannubi fame shows its superiority here with a deft complex nose of smoked paprika, smoky and meaty charm. The palate holds some spicy, leathery notes with the texture of an undeniably tannic wine, but then this will hold for years to come, such is the terrific length.   93/100