The 2008 Brolo Campofiorin Oro is like a Riserva version of the Ripasso-inspired Campofiorin. This is a gorgeous wine that nails that difficult balance between power and elegance. The bouquet is chiseled and linear with etched notes of crushed granite and smoke that open to softer tones of ripe fruit, wet earth and porcino mushroom. The wine is densely textured and layered with soft tannins that wrap around the finish. Drink 2014-2020.
Winemaking excellence should be consistent, but it must never be static. This is a lesson I learned at a recent tasting spanning five decades of Masi’s wines including the 1967, 1973, 1979, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2003 and 2007 Amarones Classico, Riserva, Vaio, Campolongo and Mazzano. Sandro Boscaini and his team of technicians have been tinkering with their signature style for many decades. Like a New York cab swerving between traffic lanes, they’ve veered into more oak, less oak, more extraction and less extraction. Despite the manic maneuvering, they never venture far from the centerline.
Importer: Kobrand Corporation, www.kobrandwineandspirits.com