2013 E. Pira e Figli-Chiara Boschis, Barolo, Mosconi, Piedmonte, Italy.
Chiara Boschis has crafted a legendary wine in this 2013 Mosconi Barolo, it’s far more concentrated and muscular than the elegant and open 2012, a wine I loved too, but without question this 2013 is a thrill to the senses and a Barolo for the ages, less hard and glacial than the 2010 with impressive fruit density and satiny/firm tannins. The cliche, much over used, iron fist in a velvet glove, though somewhat trite does seem to fit and while you can open this bottle even now and find a wonderland of Nebbiolo pleasure and be seduced by it’s raw sex appeal, it will certainly gain more subtle charm and detail with another 5 to 10 years in the bottle. Grown at over 1200 feet above sea level on Monforte d’ Alba’s Barolo limestone(Marl) and sandy tuft in Cru Mosconi with vines that are over 50 years old, which makes for an intense and complex wine, Boschis crafted a beauty, she allowed a two week fermentation with good, but not aggressive extraction and then raised the 2013 Mosconi in lightly toasted French oak, one third new and the rest of various levels of used to tame the tannins without getting too much of an oaky presence, an approach that seems to achieved all expectations in this vintage, it saw 24 months in the barrels and an additional year in bottle before release. The nose is lovely with a mix of dark flowers with rose petal and black violets adding a sweet perfume to the earthy tones, spice and mineral elements along with kirsch and mulberry leading to a rich and full palate of cherry, damson plum, cranberry and raspberry/strawberry leading the core of red fruits along with salted black licorice, dried lavender, porcini, chalk/stone, blood orange and light vanilla. This vintage really pumps out opulence and energy from start to finish and promises to just get even better with cellar time, Chiara has gifted us a great Barolo and this is one to cherish, now available nation wide from Skurnik Wines, drink from 2020-2034.
($100 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive
