Eric Asimov’s column in the New York Times Wednesday (“For Barolos, the Thrill is Back“) was about the wonderful 2004 vintage of Barolo. We carry one of the top picks, 2004 Fratelli Alessandra San Lorenzo, and it is a very accessible Barolo. I’ve spent a lot of time at tastings, working my way through line-ups of Barolo which tend to be so tannic and tight they will leave your teeth permanently purple, with very little enamel left and your mouth in a pucker you can’t lose for days. Barolo is meant to age a good long time, more than ten years at least. And when you get a chance to have an aged one, it may well change your life; I know it has mine. I’ve recently had the privilege of drinking Giacomo Conterno’s 2004 Cascina Francia Barolo and I’ve never tasted a Barolo so giving in its youth. It makes you just want to drink up whatever you can get your hands on, but will definitely reward patience. There’s a couple bottles available in both stores, and though it costs $160, it’s a splurge worth making. Too much? The Manhattan store has Conterno’s 2006 Barbera d’Alba from the same vineyard. Barbera will never be nebbiolo, but this may be one of the best $53 bottles you’ve ever tasted.