Ah, what a blessing to work in wine. Yesterday's Barolo tasting, organized by Pietro Ratti of the Renato Ratti winery for the Wine Media Guild, was tops: tightly focused (25 cru from 2005), coherent (organized by communes), with a mix of marquee and obscure names. Out of the 25 Barolos presented, the following were my five personal favorites (listed by winery, single-vineyard name, commune, US importer):

2005 BAROLOS

• Marcarini, Bricco Rocca; La Morra (Empson)
• Aurelio Settimo, Rocche; La Morra ( Masciarelli Wine Co.)
• Renato Ratti, Rocche; La Morra (Dreyfus Ashby)
• Fratelli Alessandria, Monvigliero; Verduno (Artisan Wines)
• Cordero di Montezemolo, Enrico VI; La Morra (Omni Wines)
• Aldo Conterno, Cicala; Monforte (Sorting Table)

Seek them out, and enjoy!