Vintage Retrospective: 2004 Barolo & Barbaresco

“Two thousand four confirms its status as one of the all-time great vintages for Barolo,” writes Antonio Galloni . How are the 2004 Barolos tasting today, as well as their neighbors in Barbaresco? Galloni shares his insights in these excerpts from the Vinous Vintage Charts . Barolo: 98 Points – Drink or Hold Two thousand four confirms its status as one of the all-time great vintages for Barolo. The wines have aged well, cementing 2004's status as a superb vintage. At the time, 2004 was a late ripening vintage, but since then, several other vintages, namely 2008, 2013 and 2014 have ripened around the same time or later. The long, moderate growing season and late harvest produced a set of beautifully perfumed, layered Barolos that are built on class and finesse. One of the key attributes of 2004 is that both quality and yields are high, two characteristics that don’t always go hand in hand. After the torrid 2003, during which the vines ceased vegetative development in order to conserve energy, the more temperate conditions of 2004 led plants to unleash all of their stored energy, which in turn produced a large crop. Diligent growers reported making several passes in the vineyard in an attempt to restrict yields, but there is only a certain amount man can impose on nature. A few wines have put on additional weight in bottle, but those are largely Barolos that already hinted at considerable volume when they were younger. Barbaresco: 94 Points – Drink A cool, late-ripening year produced refined, exquisite Barbarescos of notable class. Yields were very high, which required considerable green harvesting in the field, something only the most diligent growers carried out. Today, most 2004 Barbarescos are in or approaching the early part of their plateau of maturity. The best 2004 Barbarescos are wonderfully complete, with the sweetness of the 2000s and the greater aromatic complexity, detail and finesse of the 2001s.