Roberto Voerzio Rocche dell' Annunziata Torriglione - a 100 pointer?

At first, I need to come back to the 2000 Altare Barolo Brunate. It did not show well, but I have previously had an excellent experience with this wine. At first I did not pay attention to the signs, but I now think this had to do with bottle variation. The cork had lifted maybe 1mm, and it was saturated to 80% by wine.There was no cork taint, but I think what happened was that there was considerable oxygen exchange with the outside world. I have to call it like it was, but normally this wine should not have aged as much as it did.

Now to the 2000 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Rocche dell' Annunziata Torriglione. This wine had received 100 points by Wine Spectator on its release. Roberto Voerzio achieved fame with the 1997 vintage. I was in Piedmont shortly after the vintage was released and observed how the prices of this not so well known producer went up, almost on a weekly basis. His meticulous treatment of the fruit in vineyard and winery had produced stunningly elegant and intense wines.

The colour of this 2000 wine showed more depth than is typical for Barolo - a good sign. The bouquet is quite pronounced. There is beautiful blackberry and blueberry fruit on the palate, evenly experienced on the front and back palate. This is a concentrated, but feminine wine. The structure is solid with firm tannins, yet the flavours are smooth and complex. This is a remarkable wine, but I shy away from giving it 100 points. The mouthfeel does not seem to be totally perfect despite the balanced nature of the wine.

Score: 98/+++

The experience of drinking these four Barolos from 2000 has been terrific. Had the Altare bottle been good, all wines would have scored  95 points or above. Which other region in the world can achieve this? Plus these wines are utterly unique with their aromatic yet intense characteristics.

Often, the point for an ultra premium wine is made that one could have bought half a dozen very good bottles instead. In this case, I would like to make the opposite case: Instead of buying three good bottles with expected qualities, why not buy one bottle of a great Barolo for a unique experience?