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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.8 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 56 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by danielito on 2/12/2022 & rated 92 points: Floral, midweight. Has that elegant wine "clarity" that I adore. Tannins are moderate and appropriate for nebbiolo. Acids, tannin, and fruit balance nicely. (390 views) | | | Tasted by Pinotfanbg on 7/17/2020 & rated 89 points: Drank with Annie at home. Balanced, a bit modern in style. Nice perfume. Opens with good fruit and density. Finishes with a bit of grip. (621 views) | | | Tasted by Andrew Beckett on 8/4/2019 & rated 84 points: Too much candy; probably better in a few years, but still overpriced (910 views) | | | Tasted by il_diavolo on 1/3/2019 & rated 91 points: Well aged, still a deep ruby colour. Nose of dark cherries. Palate shows some sweet licorice indicating some modern winemaking - but while the wine cannot be described as ethereal, it is quite nice. Well stored bottles can surely go another 5-10 years no problem. (919 views) | | | Tasted by Andrew Beckett on 6/27/2018 flawed bottle: Slightly corked. Annoying as probably otherwise a 90. (1318 views) | | | Tasted by danibus on 3/26/2018 & rated 92 points: Delicious. Cherries and roses. Still fresh acidity bodes well. (1000 views) | | | Tasted by jayw on 4/14/2017: Stewed fruit and bitter tannins. Kept getting worse the longer it was open. (1269 views) | | | Tasted by ctbob on 4/2/2017: Light to the point of being thin. Initially barely drinkable, and while after an hour or two it came into focus, still wasn't anything memorable. (1060 views) | | | Tasted by cse on 11/30/2016 & rated 94 points: Glorious! Still very young, needed a good 1.5 hour decant, but then it soared. Fabulous rose-petal aromatics, great length and energy, interesting tarry element on the finish. Wish I had a lot more! (1247 views) | | | Tasted by Pknut on 10/11/2015: In line with my past tasting notes, in that I was expecting an older, somewhat faded wine, and to my surprise, this wine again performed like a young stallion. Indeed, this was the wine of the night among some solid others. Deep, dark cherry fruit core with menthol notes and still firm tannins. Surprisingly deep and dark, but also with a power that is both youthful yet also tempered by a bit of age. A solid performance. No degradation overnight. Edgemont guys, my place. (2119 views) | | | Tasted by Teast on 9/1/2015 & rated 88 points: Needed an hour or so to decant (1882 views) | | | Tasted by GraemeBell on 7/25/2015 & rated 90 points: Bricking and looking a little stewed. Vibrant nose of tea, beef, cherries and raisins. Smooth and integrated on the palate with a touch of heat on the finish. Seems fresh but secondary characteristics are very much to the fore. (1610 views) | | | Tasted by Rezy13 on 5/15/2015: Friday Night Double Blind $35-$50 (Bin 75): Crimson, clarity, rusty rim, Nebbiolo; caraway, spicy, intense rose, soil, anise, medicinal, tea, slight bitter orange; intense palate, firm tannin, medicinal, cedar, classic Nebbiolo, sandalwood, dried cherry, copper penny, iron; showed a ton of character like Valmaggiore; delicious. (1940 views) | | | Tasted by Pknut on 7/24/2014: Surprisingly robust and youthful on the first night, with vibrant and precise cherry fruit, violets, menthol and herbs, and tannins that are still thick but soft. Really enjoyable. The second half of the bottle, which I had poured into a .375 and corked as soon as the bottle had been opened, did not last; brown and dry. (2456 views) | | | Tasted by BklynNeophyte on 5/15/2014 & rated 87 points: Not wowed. (1731 views) | | | Tasted by CamWheeler on 1/20/2014 flawed bottle: Club Lunch #1 - 2014: Bacon, smoke and a stewed character. Alcohol sticks out - this is probably not right? (2268 views) | | | Tasted by Pknut on 9/19/2013: I found a stash of these bottles while cleaning up the cellar. Bought years ago, I think from Garagiste. I thought it would be a pleasant, village level wine that would be at peak and ideal for current drinking. I found a much more structured, darker and youthful wine than I expected. Good core of cherry fruit with some mossy forrest notes. On the first night, very dry tannins, in need of air to open up and soften. I didn't get back to this wine until the third night (I was at the Winebow/LoCascio tasting on the second night). On the third night, no degradation, no oxidation, with a deeper, more focused core of dark cherry fruit and now grainy tannins. Surprisingly robust and youthful still. (2469 views) | | | Tasted by dougsmith on 2/19/2013 flawed bottle: Badly corked. (2724 views) | | | Tasted by il_diavolo on 2/13/2013 & rated 91 points: Double decanted, drank over 4 hours. Cork was 50% soaked through but no impact i think. Colour is ruby, with mild bricking (less than would be expected). The aromatics are great - cherry and tar wih flowers - a 93/94 nose. The palate is finesse and balance but not as complex as nose may imply. A tiny bit of oak but way less than 4 years ago and it is integrating nicely. Chalky tannins attack your teeth at the end, telling me this could be better in 2-3 years time. Certainly has not peaked. (2121 views) | | | Tasted by Herschel Krustofski on 12/17/2012 & rated 88 points: A decent Barbaresco. Decanted 2 hours. Smooth, balanced, ready now, but no hurry. Performance on the second day is ok although with a dry finish. Essential to accompany it with food. Worked well with a goulash.
Note: cork was 50% soaked, but the wine was unaffected (?). Would the cork have lasted a few more years? I don't know. Didn't want to take the chance. (2159 views) | | | Tasted by dougsmith on 12/10/2012 & rated 90 points: Medium deep ruby color. Pretty flavors of focused red berries and spice. Very pleasant and friendly. (2216 views) | | | Tasted by Tom Warden on 10/7/2012 & rated 88 points: Good...but a bit drier than I had hoped for. (2074 views) | | | Tasted by spo on 10/5/2012 & rated 87 points: Smooth, dry and strong with lots of fruit in the finish. Cool evolution; honey, cinnamon, cocoa, tar. Sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, still sort of astringent. When it all settles down cherry and plum fruit is dominant, the rest is still there but eclipsed. Just barely entering its drinking window at best.... years off from being truly mature? (1218 views) | | | Tasted by fsr2007 on 10/2/2012 & rated 90 points: Nicer then first bottle and easy to drink but simple
The wine looks Violet colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like and Black Pepper. The body is Light/Medium. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Medium. (1841 views) | | | Tasted by ctbob on 6/25/2012: Still tightly wound -- more so than last bottle. Will wait for the next. (1894 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, A Look Back at the 2004 & 2005 Barbarescos (Jun 2016) (6/1/2016)
(Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, September 2008, Issue #21
(Renato Vacca Cantina del Pino) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2007, IWC Issue #135
(Cantina del Pino Barbaresco) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Piedmont Report (Oct 2007)
(Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jon Rimmerman
Garagiste (8/14/2007)
(Cantina del Pino Barbaresco) 2004 Barbaresco Dear Friends, I’ve been working on this for what seems like an entire year (since the 2003 came out) and this one needs to be acted upon pretty quickly. I rarely say that but the 2004 vintage in Barolo and Barbaresco has people doing strange things with allocations and pricing (see: 2005 Burgundy) and I had one chance to grab this at last year’s price before it goes up a full margin (Galloni’s review last year of the 2003 brought much attention to this wine but it did not help things from a pricing perspective. This normally well-priced wine now has its intentions squarely on the big time (and big time pricing) but its niche was always been value for money so it makes my job far more difficult. I’m still traveling today so I will try to be succinct (probably not), but If there was ever an area that your wine dollar was safe to invest, it’s 2004 Barbaresco and Barolo. From one of the most anticipated vintages since 1989, the 2004 version of this wine is like the 2003 Felsina Rancia vs. the 2004 - it’s just not even in the same league. The 2003 Cantina del Pino Barbaresco was lovely but the 2004 is, well, 2004. After negotiating with a multitude of producers and insiders in Piedmont over the anticipated 2004 stable from the region, I can say with an educated hand - this is one of the lowest prices you will see for a 2004 Barbaresco of quality. Renato Vacca (the proprietor of Cantina del Pino) used to sell his grapes to the Produttori del Barbaresco but decided in the mid 1990s to start bottling his own wine as the quality of fruit justified the decision (his grapes were the source for some of the Produtorri’s most classic bottlings circa 1989-1990). From a melange of Barbaresco’s cooler sites, Vacca’s intent with this bottling is to express the terroir in a quasi-traditional way with delicate color and flavor extraction circa 2007. The style is cleanly made and the focus is on the freshness and depth each vintage carries. This wine is usually vinified in a combination of older barrels, a few new barrels and stainless to give him the ultimate painter’s palate to work with (it changes in each vintage). In 2004, the Barbaresco is about one thing - ageing ability. The natural acidity and impact of the vintage may only be rivaled by 1978 and 1989 and the clarity of rosewater on the palate is more than memorable. Like 2005 in Burgundy, the vintage made the wine and the best producers simply sat back and allowed nature to express her glory. This wine is on its way directly from the cellars at Cantina del Pino and will arrive with perfect provenance at the end of September. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a one-time shot at value in a vintage that is shaping up to be the most expensive in history. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at this price (we will have a second shipment in December with price dependant on exchange rates): 2004 Cantina del Pino Barbaresco Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy7560 |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and The World of Fine Wine and Garagiste. (manage subscription channels) |
| Cantina del Pino Producer website
A tribute to Barbaresco grower-producer Renato Vacca
{Aug. 26, 2022: The text below is freely available online, not behind a paywall. Click the link above to see photos of the man and his vineyards.}
MARCH 24, 2020 BY KERIN O'KEEFE
A tribute to Barbaresco grower-producer Renato Vacca
On March 14, Barbaresco lost one of its most passionate winemakers, Renato Vacca. Owner of the boutique winery Cantina del Pino, Vacca was one of the denomination’s most respected and liked producers. He was 51.
Renato Vacca made stunning wines that conveyed their unique growing zones. I visited him several times while writing my book Barolo and Barbaresco, and after following him around his vineyards, I learned a great deal about Nebbiolo cultivation and Barbaresco’s greatest growing areas. I will always be grateful.
A graduate of Alba’s Scuola Enologica, Vacca worked for five years in the cellars of Barbaresco’s famed cooperative cellar, I Produttori del Barbaresco before taking over his family’s firm in 1997. Acquired by his great-grandfather, the small estate was once owned by Domizio Cavazza, who is hailed as the Father of Barbaresco and who was the first director of Alba’s Royal Enological School.
Named after the pine tree Cavazza planted after the birth of his son, Cantina del Pino is located on the famed Ovello hillside, one of the greatest vineyard areas in the denomination. Renato hailed from generations of grape growers, and his father and uncle were among the founding members of I Produttori. After he joined the firm in 1997, Cantina del Pino bottled its first wines.
One of the true believers in making terroir-driven wines with character and personality, Renato Vacca believed in guiding his wines, never forcing them. In the vineyards, which include old vines planted by his grand-father, he carefully tended to his vines, shunning harsh chemicals and chemical fertilizers. In the cellars, he was a scrupulous non-interventionist. He also believed that Nebbiolo should not be entirely destemmed, but allowed 10-15% of perfectly ripe stems in the fermentation-maceration process to impart noble tannins that gave his wines another dimension.
One of the most experienced growers in Barbaresco, Vacca had a profound knowledge of the denomination’s best vineyard areas, and over the years he acquired property in Neive. While Ovello is known for its elegance and fragrance, Vacca’s Albesani from Neive is more structured with richer fruit. Just a few years ago, Vacca also began making a Gallina Barbaresco that beautifully combines precision, body and finesse.
Despite his success, Renato Vacca was always modest and respectful, and as the Italians say, gentile. He will be missed by all knew him and by all who enjoyed his breathtaking wines.NebbioloNebbiolo is a red grape indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy in the Northwest. The grape can also be found in other parts of the world, though they are not as respected.
Nebbiolo is often considered the "king of red wines," as it is the grape of the famed wines of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG. It is known for high tannins and acidity, but with a distinct finesse. When grown on clay, Nebbiolo can be very powerful, tannic, and require long aging periods to reach its full potential. When grown on sand, the grape exhibits a more approachable body with more elegant fruit and less tannins, but still has high aging potential.
"Nebbiolo" is named for the Italian word, "nebbia", which means "fog", in Italian and rightfully so since there is generally a lot of fog in the foothills of Piedmont during harvest.
Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety that does best in a continental climate that boasts moderate summers and long autumns. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is normally harvested in October.
More links:
Varietal character (Appellation America) | Nebbiolo on CellarTrackerItaly Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorPiedmont Vignaioli Piemontesi (Italian only)
On weinlagen-infoLanghe Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero | Union of Producers of Albese Wines (Albeisa)Barbaresco Geographical details of the DOCG down to single vineyards. The vineyards belonging to the comune Barbaresco can be found here |
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