Andrea Oberto, Barolo (Piedmont, Italy) 2012

I have admired this producer’s wines for years on end, but this is the first vintage in which I preferred this wine from the Albarella cru to the bottling from Rocche Dell’Annunziata.  Although the wine is boldly oaked, it is also very dense and quite deep in flavor, with plenty of sweet fruit to counterbalance the wood notes.  The tannins are abundant but fine in grain and easily supported by the fruit.  Accordingly, while the wine doesn’t need time to soften, it will benefit greatly from cellaring so that its elements can integrate and harmonize.  If I’ve missed with my score on this, I’m off on the low side, but that won’t likely become apparent for another five years.