Piedmont

IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts their recommendation for one Barolo wine worth seeking out (but which won't break the bank):

I love Barolo.  If I could only have one wine in the world to drink, it would be Barolo. It is one wine I WOULD break the bank for. Still, there are some out there that are not too expensive that are worth it. Mauro Veglio makes a basic Barolo as well as some single vineyard cru bottlings.  The basic Barolo can be found for around $30.  It drinks well young but just a few years to 10 years of ageing in the cellar brings out wonderful complexities. The wine has wonderful aromas of cherries, tar and roses. Drinking the wine shows layered nuances of each of these, more so with age. If you are going to drink it right away, I would recommend decanting. The Barolos with a named vineyard on the labeling will cost closer to $50. I would absolutely recommend storing them away in a cool cellar for at least 5 even 10 years. Your patience will be rewarded. The 2004’s are on the shelves now and are wonderful. Any vintage in the last 12 years is great though with the lone exception of 2002. Look for a lot of sales in the first quarter of 2009. A string of great vintages with a slowing economy has put a lot of wine in the pipeline that needs to be moved. - Loren Sonkin is an IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder/Winemaker at Sonkin Cellars.