Howard Ripley Old World New Wines tasting

Bridewell Hall
Tasted Tuesday, May 23, 2023 by Joshvoulters with 125 views

Flight 1 - Piedmont (6 Notes)

  • 2022 Diego Conterno Langhe Nascetta 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

    Hazelnut, peach, apricot. Broad and textural palate, ripe and mineral with good clarity and depth. Would be very happy to drink a large quantity of this...

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  • 2021 Diego Conterno Langhe Nebbiolo Baluma 91 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

    Loving every '21 nebbiolo I've encountered so far. Fruity, bouncy and balanced - cherry and strawberry, pepper giving a spicy edge. Pleasant floral notes on the nose. Great intensity of fruit without weight on the palate, juicy acidity and a subtle tannic frame. Tasty stuff

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  • 2019 Diego Conterno Barolo 88 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Pretty easygoing for a young Barolo from this vintage: red apple, mid-weight body, a slight tarry edge. Quite accessible- nice enough but not a lot standing out.

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  • 2019 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo del Comune di Verduno 89 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Hot and ashy on the nose: red apple and herbal notes too. It's quiet and contained on the palate right now but there's lovely depth. The tannins are fiery but the flavour profile is delicate and refined. Will be really interesting to watch this develop

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  • 2019 Fratelli Serio and Battista Borgogno Barolo 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    This is as good as a Barolo 'normale' as I've had from the '19 vintage. Very complete- expansive but balanced. Clean red apple, cherry and eucalyptus. Tannins and acidic bite need time to mellow of course but they're in balance. Fantastic on the palate - a touch of earth, tar, leather and a mineral note frames, rather than dominates, the ripe and concentrated fruit. Excellent

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  • 2019 Diego Conterno Barolo del Comune di Monforte d'Alba 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Spicy depth, very well managed tannins: they're very much present but not obtrusive even at this early stage. Drinkable now with the right food. Floral, vegetal, strawberry and apple notes. Really nice. I liked this a lot.

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Flight 2 - Tuscany (6 Notes)

  • 2021 Casavecchia alla Piazza Sangiovese Buondonno Toscana IGT 82 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

    Offputting reduction, a funky edge. Slightly sweet and confected morello cherry and raspberry on the palate. Acidity juts out sharply. No.

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  • 2020 Casavecchia alla Piazza Chianti Classico Buondonno 86 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

    A rich style of Chianti - maybe a bit clumsy. Clove, vanilla and mint - thick and dark fruit. A lot of structure - tannins fine and present, acidity sharp. There's dark cherry, mint, leather and some vibrancy to the fruit on the palate. Kind of charming if not all that classy.

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  • 2020 Casavecchia alla Piazza Chianti Classico Riserva Buondonno 86 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

    Rather compact, tight and concentrated: dark cherry, blackberry, earth, spice, leather, violet, vanilla. So there's quite a lot going on - and all the usual suspects present and correct - but it's dead on the palate right now - maybe this comes out of its clenched phase and becomes more compelling: I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt.

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  • 2019 La Sala Chianti Classico 88 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

    Really nice entry level Chianti Classico: rich fruit, eucalyptus and liquorice. Friendly and drinkable with notes of strawberry, raspberry and cherry with some richness and polish. A nice savoury presence too. Medium body and a shortish finish.

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  • 2018 La Sala Campo All'Albero Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT 92 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT

    Very 'IGT' - heady and saturated, this runs all the way through the red fruit spectrum and while ripe it's never jammy. Violets, spicy clove notes. Quite sweet and heady - all Tuscan sunshine. Real tannic grip, powerful acidity and general deliciousness. Looks like really good value especially given the clear ageing potential.

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  • 2019 Caccia al Piano Bolgheri Superiore 86 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore

    Not really to my taste: incredibly woody (not oaky) nose - almost overpowering. Vegetal, green pepper notes, green pickled chilli and blackcurrant. Quite fruity and spherical (yeah I said it) on the palate, retaining that woody/ capsicum edge. Tannins are a bit spiky, acidity is mouthwatering. It's interesting but I don't much want to drink it.

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Flight 3 - Switzerland (4 Notes)

  • 2021 Gantenbein Pinot Noir 96 Points

    Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland, Graubünden, Fläsch

    Wowow. Mindblowing nose: hugely pronounced earthy, rocky, smoked and gently spiced Pinot character. Some violet and milk chocolate notes. It's simultaneously powerful and delicate. Extremely balanced on the palate - from the nose you expect a hammer blow but it's subtle and delicate, superb definition. Structurally it's totally balanced. Magnificent.

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  • 2021 Gantenbein Chardonnay 94 Points

    Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland, Graubünden, Fläsch

    A touch of struck match, chalky minerality, wet stone and some deeper lemon notes. It really comes alive on the palate: the balance and sophistication are supreme, so alive. Contained ripeness, crystalline clarity, excellent length on the finish and wonderful acidity gently framing and freshening the whole affair.

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  • 2021 Donatsch Pinot Noir Tradition 85 Points

    Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland

    Inward, contained nose. Some Pinot soars, this hunkers down. Dark and earthy with a hint of morello cherry. On the palate there's a touch of sweetness and spice, juicy tart acidity and the fruit profile is ripe but inward. Others will like this, I didn't much.

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  • 2020 Donatsch Pinot Noir Passion 87 Points

    Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland

    Clearly a well-made wine that will have appeal to many, but it's not my thing: too dark, earthy and inward. Medium body, dark fruited with a persistent spice. Good concentration and length.

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Flight 4 - Hungary (3 Notes)

  • 2015 Pincészet Lenkey Hárslevelű Holdvolgy 93 Points

    Hungary, Tokaji

    Incredibly powerful nose, pungent and reminiscent of botrytis. Saffron, organge, apricots, smoke. Clean and dry on the palate, full bodied with bracing acidity. Very interesting!

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  • 2015 Pincészet Lenkey Furmint Bomboly 92 Points

    Hungary, Tokaji

    Strutting, powerful, confident nose. Smoky notes with green apple, lemon, herbs and blossom - but all turned up to 11. Dry, mineral and bracing on the palate, the sharpness offset by a lovely weight and ripe clarity. What a superb producer.

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  • 2006 Pincészet Lenkey Hárslevelű Kishegy 91 Points

    Hungary, Tokaji

    Just so characterful. Nose of lime pickle, marmalade, apricot and smoke. Overall dry - maybe a touch of residual sugar - with clear, vibrant acidity cutting through beautifully ripe fruit. Mouthwatering, full-on, and not like anything I've tried before.

    I was less impressed with the second bottle - and it may just have been down to it needing more air - but it felt a little more pinched, less exuberant.

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