Annual Pilgrimage to Piedmont - 2023 Edition

Our Annual event! 2023 Edition

• NV Deutz Champagne Brut Classic 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  (10/20/2023)

  By the glass at Langosteria Cafe, Milan. freshly opened.
  Bright fresh and energetic but also with a round and polished feel. Elegant wine , soft toast and more of an aperitif in style and just worked so well without being presumptuous in any way. 90

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• 2020 Ottella Lugana Riserva Molceo 88 Points

  Italy, Lombardia / Veneto, Lugana

  (10/20/2023)

  By the glass at Langosteria Cafe, Milan. freshly opened.
  Nice little surprise, Green stone fruits, touch firm, open and welcoming. Blind we would have gone with good vermentino as it had those aromatics . Good 88-89 and very happy to have crossed paths with it.

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• 2020 Château Jouvente Graves Blanc 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves

  (10/20/2023)

  By the glass at Langosteria Cafe, Milan. freshly opened.
  Also a joy to be reminded of the understated quality that Bordeaux whites have. Well round, lush, fatty, touch bitter edge too but mostly polished and with a good helping of soft toast oak that actually works very well. A very solid 89-90 wine and great value too. Drinks very well now.

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• 2008 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  (10/20/2023)

  Delivers what it promises and very nice to cross paths with it at this younger and brighter stage. We always worry with ageing Bollinger but this has no issues and felt it would live another 10 years easily .
  Round , rich but with firm structure too and actually some found it a touch too sharp vs the expected round and rich that Bollie RD usually is. Soft toast , big and bold champagne and really a very solid one. Maybe among the most promising of its kin we have crossed paths for a long time. Well it is a 2008 after all and what a testament/hommage to the vintage this is. 93-94 for now but with promise.

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• 2014 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/20/2023)

  Decanted for a good 30 minutes and served blind.
  The wine has a magnificent nose and at this stage the nose is far superior to the palate as one might expect. Bright, expressive, soft elegant dark fruit, lightest dark feel almost a smoky/tar touch that just adds a solid dimension. The wine it self is still young but very much welcoming and the sort of vintage 2014 is delivers a more early approachable wine than the buttoned down bigger siblings of it. Beautiful 95 now and with a lot of more potential to follow.
  
  On account of nose beating palate and the propensity of our friend who chose this for Monfortino we went with young Monfortino off vintage, like 2008 or 2012 ( albeit later we found out there was none made in 2012).

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• 2006 Roagna Barolo Riserva Pira 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/20/2023)

  Decanted for a good hour and then served blind.
  The nose is pretty but the palate of this wine was really singing. We went with Gaja from the 1990s such well developed and elegant the wine was but also with a lot of fruit still around.
  The wine is really the best we have tried from Roagna and came to silence Andreas like a slap from Will Smith as he usually runs away from the pricy hype. This was majestic as a wine, rich and elegant well developed fruit , dark fruite yes but ever so elegant light dark fruit, light tar, no sight of oak ( maybe this should have pushed us away from Gaja but hey blind tasting is a tough mistress) . A superb wine , 96 and with a lot more capacity to develop and gain further.

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• 2004 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Asili 97 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  (10/20/2023)

  Decanted for a good hour and served blind.
  This is a cruel mistress of a wine to serve blind especially with our a long decant. The nose on first serving was touch medicinal, rich and not a Piedmontese aromatics at all to the point we thought maybe an old soft amarine style wine… but then it opens, hits its full stride and delivers something magical. As elegant as wines come from the is region barring the King Monfortino, soft, perfectly ripened grapes in full balance , and a subtle ever so one needs to search to appreciate Burgundian style nose. Pointless to go on here a magical wine and at peak now.97+
  
  Now why did we sell ours a few years ago….

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• 1995 Marolo Grappa di Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/20/2023)

  A lovely touch to finish our dinner at Il Centro , Priocca in Piedmont.
  Well polished, dangerously welcoming grappa , soft almost, very polished and just a masterclass. Superb.

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• 2004 Dom Pérignon Champagne 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  (10/21/2023)

  It’s been a year since we have had this and granted the location gave it home advantage to excel ( The magical wine cellar of La Ciau del Tornavento) , this is probably the best of it we have had. A wine we have followed for a good 10 years in a dozen or so tastings came full circle. To the point we will deliver ours from storage as this is now drinking at peak.
  Effortless elegance and beauty, balance, focus and with a round rich mousse and lots of depth of flavour. Impressively vibrant and this is what a super cuvée is all about and Dom is Dom. Pointless to say much more. Magnificent 95

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• 2012 Cantina Terlan Terlano Terlaner I Grande Cuvée 95 Points

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano

  (10/21/2023)

  A wine we haven’t had for a few years and then in the last few months happily crossed paths twice. On this occasion from a beautiful magnum sourced from the dreamland of a wine cellar at La Ciau del Tornavento.
  Albeit a touch more evolved than the one a few months ago ( Papies 97) this was every bit the magnificent wine. Well evolved fruit, secondary and more but ever so alive and vibrant, granted the freshness is not there but the wine sings through and though , soft honey, light citrus and grassy edge. Magnificent and an easy 95

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• 1998 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/21/2023)

  Decanted and served and unfortunately did not have much time to observe this evolve as it was one bottle among a few of us. Still though the wine sings from the start on the nose. Divided us if this was a great example of a well aged Barolo or if this was past. For sure it has seen better years. Still the fruit was there, bottle was healthy and had an elegance to it. Just you were left with the feeling why didn’t we meet lovely friend fine years ago… Andreas 94 / Nicol 90 > 92

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• 1996 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/21/2023)

  What an experience this wine, shooting through the bottle to remind us the Barolo boys made exceptional wines among the experiments ( last year we had a Clerico Per Cristina 1995 that made us cry) and this is a testament to that. For us the wine of the day for sure.
  Earthy, savoury wine, well evolved but ever so healthy, bright on the nose , earthy, mushroomy notes, sort evolved fruit and had this persistence that great wine have even in the a sense of power and rich fruit. Leather , soft roderiez fruit and a symphony of beauty. Grande Luciano! 96

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• 2012 E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Barolo Mosconi 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/21/2023)

  Our friends met Chiara Boschis earlier in the day and she told them “ Ask Edgar a Tornavento to go for an old Mosconi” . Unfortunately the oldest they gasped was this 2012 and was a bit too young at this stage and definitely needs its time. Especially framed by the magnificent Sandrone Le Vigne 1996 ( Papies 96) was playing off the wrong side of the pitch.
  Ripe and young, punchy fruit at this stage and firm tannin. Full on black cherry, big tannin still and need time to shed the puppy fat and roll into the great drinking years. Granted we prefer our wine more evolved hence this baby was a bit not here yet for us but one cannot argue with quality there especially in a poor vintage like 2012. 91-92 for now and with hope for the future

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• 2015 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Arione 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/21/2023)

  A top end wine from a top vintage yes but ever so young now and we had no time to decant. Was just punchy rich and ever so buttoned down too as this really needs another 10 years to hit its stride. Nothing if to fault it and the fruit had that rich young feel across of a great vintage and for sure we could see the potential. Just at this stage the wine is a mere glimpse of what can happen given time to age. 91 for now but unfair to it to open it now.

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• 2006 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Riserva 10 Anni Fossati Case Nere 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/21/2023)

  Albeit classicists in our wine the soft modernity of Voerzio is our pefprfect balance of the blend of the two worlds in Barolo. And this was no exception. Decanted and served and wished we had a magnum of it!
  Nice use of oak, soft spice, rich but is well balanced with the rest of the elements and properly aged. Young at heart too in a way that albeit ever so welcoming now this has another 15 years of easy development and will continue to perform. We both were unanimous on this being a favourite of the Ciau event and what a great wine. 95 for now but with more to come over the years.

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• 1988 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 96 Points

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

  (10/21/2023)

  “We have done something too bokou, but we had to” our friend and all around wine guru told us and at that point we knew something great was coming.
  Decanted and served and this was an experience to cherish as rarely Amarone of this age and development comes into our lives let alone from top provenance like the exceptional cellar of La Ciau del Tornavento.
  The well is fully matured and evolved but it is still an amarone and thus very much alive and kicking, bright and energetic on the palate albeit soft for the style and with a mellow feel on the palate. This is like meeting a 60yr old linebacker, still strong but also the years have mellowed him down to a calm and composed presence that doesn’t want to push you out of the field. Earthy in a way we have not see in an amorphe, soft kiss of a spice/ medicinal at times even a hint of liquorice we felt. Magical and an easy 96

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• 1989 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice 94 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vin Santo di Montepulciano

  (10/21/2023)

  Two beautiful half bottles here.
  Dark and dense, molasses texture and density, bright acidity, that keeps the wine in balance , juicy dense black cherry. We were worried on getting VA but none here and the acid is where fully polished albeit theirs must have enough acidity to melt steel given how in balance this was even though it was rich and dense . Impressive and with a magnificent long finish. Testament to its beauty is that it came to close a magnificent line up of wines and the wine stood up and held its own in our mined and memories. Impressive 94

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Cheeky top up dinner post Ciau

• 2004 Paolo Scavino Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/21/2023)

  A good 8 years since we had this last ( Papies 90) and albeit a beautiful bottle it’s left us wanting more. The pedigree, the terroir and the vintage should have delivered a lot more than a 92-93 and granted this is youngish still , still it should have been a lot better. We would suggest one ages this a bit more as for now the wine only delivers but a glimpse of what we wanted it to . The wine is pretty good but at this level we wanted so much more. Andreas 91 / Nicoletta 93 > 92

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• 2013 Domenico Clerico Barolo Aeroplan Servaj Serralunga 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/21/2023)

  A very young wine and the richness of the 2013 vintage still needs time to develop. We decanted it too but little effect as the wine is still too primal, not angular or austere but still buttoned down as is really a baby for Barolo standards. The modernity of Clerico comes out but in all but a great way and this is a wine full of promise for the future. 91-92 for now and patience ( like a decade) will be rewarded.

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No better way to finish

• 2021 Gaja Langhe Rossj Bass 88 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  (10/22/2023)

  Young and at the moment a wall of wood. Really the oak here is full on dominant and overshadows the fruit. The wine is good but just one dimensional for now. Patience here is needed and maybe some hope. 88 for now

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• 2011 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/22/2023)

  Such a nice surprise that this was open for business.
  The modernity here in the Clerico style helps and as with the wines of the last 2 decades or so is in check and the oak use is so complementary that makes the wine welcoming even at this young age . Round , polished , bright dark cherry , soft tar edge. Such a beautiful wine for the age . 92 and with also hope from the future.

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• 2013 Renato Ratti Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (10/22/2023)

  Young and needs a bit more time. The nose shows it, tight and soft medicinal
  , worryingly so but we have seen this before where in young Baroli this is so at the start of their life. Give this more time in the cellar and really a shame to open it this young. 91 for now but with a future

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