2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Ovello (museum release)

As in 2005, the 2004 growing season was fairly cool and rainy, particularly at the beginning of the season. A relatively late harvest in October allowed the grapes to reach full maturity. Nonetheless, Vacca believes the wine has always had a green, vegetal character. It packs a fair amount of intensity in its medium frame, and though firm, the tannins have smoothed out suitably over the years and should carry the wine for another eight years. Very defined and precise, it wears its notes of pepper, compost, moss, mushroom and dried sage wonderfully. (MM) (6/2018)

The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is deep, dense and incredibly primary. Although the wine clearly possesses remarkable stuffing, there is very little tertiary development here. With air, suggestions of menthol, pine, spices and licorice gradually emerge, but this remains a wine in need of serious bottle age. Lingering notes of sweetness resonate on the long finish. This austere, but beautiful Barbaresco is destined to develop beautifully in bottle and should offer glorious drinking down the road. (AG) (10/2008)

The 2004 Ovello from the Produttori is a stunning young vintage of this cru, with all of the purity and depth of this fine vintage on display on both the nose and palate. The excellent bouquet offers up scents of red and black cherries, licorice, complex soil tones, fresh oregano, orange zest and incipient notes of bonfire in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and nicely transparent down to the soil, with excellent focus, ripe, firm tannins and lovely length and grip on the closed and tangy finish. This wine needs a good six to eight years in the cellar to fully blossom, and it should prove to be a stellar vintage of Ovello at its apogee. (8/2009)

This has nice freshly sliced plum and peach character. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins, a long finish and an impressive backbone of tannins. (JS) (12/2008)