When it’s all said and done there is a reason why the ‘great ones’ are great. Attention to detail, passion, and a commitment to excellence (no OaklandRaider jokes, please) are required to produce world-class wine in the vintages that are less than ideal. In 2003, a very difficult vintage given the heat and terrain of the top Piedmont properties, Enrico Scavino did a masterful job. What record-setting heat wave? Wouldn’t know there was one from tasting his Bric del Fiasc, one of the candidates for Barolo of the vintage. Words don’t do this wine justice when one considers the unheard-of conditions that Scavino had to fight. His 2003 is a ripper as Bric del Fiasc’s more compact soils helped to retain the necessary freshness so all those black cherry, currant, tar and mineral flavors could crest on the palate and echo on the 60 second finish. What a wine!
Wine Spectator notes: Wonderful aromas of licorice, fresh mushroom and blackberry. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Goes on and on. Solid and enticing. Excellent for the vintage. Best after 2010. 750 cases made.
Wine Advocate writes: Scavino’s 2003 Barolo Bric del Fiasc is without question the most balanced of these 2003 Barolos as it has more than enough fruit to stand up to the wine’s structural components. A big, dark, brooding wine, this richly-textured, sumptuous Barolo is packed with sweet dark fruit, chocolate, menthol, smoke and spices that coat the palate with superb intensity. Not for the faint of heart, it is an over the top, extreme Barolo that captures the freakishness of this vintage. That notwithstanding, this wine has an enviable track record and with bottle age it will likely develop into an outstanding Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. "In 2003 we worked with slightly lower temperatures in order to avoid over-extraction. We also used less of the press wine, which typically has the hardest tannins. After fermentation the wines were racked into French oak barrels (1/3 new) for a year, and then moved into casks for the second year of aging," says Enrico Scavino.
