Oddero, Barolo Villero, 2004

Castiglione Falletto muscle from one of Barolo's oldest families. Oddero, founded in 1878 and run today by Mariacristina Oddero, has farmed across the appellation for generations, and their Villero parcel is the heart of the lineup. Acquired in 1989, this 0.8-hectare plot at 240 meters sits on the compact, clay-rich soils that make Villero Barolos some of Castiglione's most spiced, balsamic and structured. The great 2004 vintage was classical and powerful, ideal for this cru's profile. Twenty-one years on, the wine is comfortably in its drinking window: tannins resolved into velvet, fruit deepened into dark cherry and balsam, that Villero spice fully unfurled. Drink now through the next several years.