Barolo Riserva Bricco Voghera, Azienda Agricola Azelia 2013

I have not tasted this Riserva since the 2007 vintage, so it's a great delight to sample the Azelia 2013 Barolo Riserva Bricco Voghera today. In the bottle with the gold and white label, fruit comes from a tiny and little-known site on the east-facing slope opposite Lazzarito. The vines are 95 years old on average, although some are as old as 120. They produce just two or three clusters per vine. This is another vineyard site with closed conditions and cool air currents that produce very firm, compact and age-worthy wines. Hence the Riserva designation. Tasted now 10 years after the harvest, you get a delightful expression with budding tones of evolution with black licorice and camphor ash. It ages in oak casks for five years, with another five years in bottle. You feel the tannins at the back, but they are soft and silky. This is a gorgeous wine that rewards those who drink it now. Only 3,100 bottles exist.