2/14/24, 9:09 AM - For my palate the acidity was fine!
1/25/24, 9:07 AM - Glad to hear it François1986! I will try another bottle soon.
1/21/24, 8:10 AM - Thanks Skotto!
1/4/24, 7:17 PM - Good to know S-C-S, thanks!
12/9/23, 9:18 AM - Thank you for your kind words Sagan99!
10/21/23, 10:46 AM - Thank you Verde para Vino!
8/23/23, 6:48 AM - Two things. One: malo in bottle is a fault, full stop. People don't make wine that way. Two: malo in bottle does not only produce buttery aromas, but it also produces carbon dioxide which is trapped in the bottle. My bottle did not show any buttery aromas and it was perfectly still. I guess you had a faulty bottle. Bad luck, when there's only three hundred around.
8/23/23, 8:01 AM - Beste Joost en Tamara, I see that you have (re-) amended your comment. An earlier version added: "We will look on internet to check if CO2 is formed during malolactic fermentation. You sound like you know everything. That's dangerous." You subsequently deleted these three (added) sentences (I have a screenshot). I guess that you have found what you were looking for. I don't know much about wine, but I like to think that after 35 years of taking a keen interest in wine, I have at least the basics covered. Please don't blame me for your own ignorance and please get off my back. Het is wel goed zo. Thank you.
8/23/23, 10:43 AM - I appreciate that you want to learn, but I would also appreciate it if you cease all communication with me. It is clear that we don't understand each other, and further exchanges of comments will lead to nothing. Thank you.
8/23/23, 11:07 AM - Please feel free to make comments, it's a free world, but I will not respond. I trust that you understand. Thank you.
8/6/23, 6:07 AM - Monvigliero is an exceptional vineyard in Verduno which produces wines that are quite unique in the Barolo spectrum. The maceration at Burlotto is very long (60 days), but the high elevation of the vineyard and the sandy soils deliver unparalleled elegance and fragrance, and - especially in a vintage like 2018 - early drinkability. It has become frightfully expensive however (around Euro 400 per bottle), and I am glad to have a number of vintages in my cellar (back to 2004, still drinking well). The wines of Monforte d'Alba, Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d'Alba (in the south and east of the DOCG) are much more masculine and "beefier". With the exception perhaps of Bricco Rocche, which has more sand in its soils and delivers more perfumed wines. The permutations are endless, there is no single truth.
8/5/23, 11:46 AM - The sweet-and-sour character (also noted by Walter Speller on the Purple Pages) would never be present in a traditionalist wine. It's not something I'm very fond of. But as an early drinker with pizza this is fine.
8/6/23, 2:27 AM - Modern versus traditional is a complex theme in Barolo and Barbaresco. Much has been written about the so-called "Barolo wars" of the '80's and '90's. Using new French barriques instead of the traditional old Slavonian botti was one of the ways in which the modernists tried to achieve a more "international" style of wine with a deeper colour and softer tannins (hoping to please Robert Parker, no doubt). When I call this Barbaresco modern, it's more about the wine making process as a whole and especially the tannin management. The maceration time is short (10-12 days) to limit the phenolic extraction and the wine spends the latter part of its 18-20 months in wood in barrique (and then 6-8 months in bottle, since Barbaresco cannot be released until its 26 months old). In comparison, the Produttori del Barbaresco macerated their basic 2019 Barbaresco for 30 days at 28C with 2-3 remontages per day, and aged the wine for 24 months in botti (no barrique).The fruit was clearly harvested at full physiological ripeness (which accounts for the sweetness in the fruit), with a healthy total acidity (5.5 - 5.7 grams per litre). The result is an easy-going, fruit-driven wine with mild tannins, made for early consumption, whereas a traditional Barbaresco would be far more structured and tannic, with an equally longer life span.
8/6/23, 5:45 AM - Thanks for your comments, joostentamara. I agree that the Valeirano will probably last a decade, although I wonder if it is capable of "meaningful evolution". As a wine designed for drinking young, will it develop a structural harmony and aromatic complexities which are worth waiting for? Or will it just get older without actually improving? Trattoria Breda also had the Cichin on the wine list (and even in the enomatic, if I am not mistaken), not sure about the Elisa. Both have had short macerations too, and I guess I like my Barolo and Barbaresco a bit more robust, but I will go back to try.
8/1/23, 10:46 AM - My bottle was fine - no off aromas or flavours. Could your bottle have been light struck? When champagne in a clear glass bottle is light struck, it often develops an aroma of onion?
7/9/23, 9:56 AM - Hi sleepyhaus, I guess it is a matter of personal preference. I like to drink Barolo and Barbaresco on the younger side, hence the short drinking window. But I have no doubt that it will last longer. In fact, just last Saturday I had Bricco Boschis 1985 from Cavalotto and that was still on fine form! Cheers, Xavier
6/3/23, 10:40 AM - Yes, I would say that it is ready for drinking, it may soften with another 12 months in bottle.
5/23/23, 10:40 AM - Thanks Carlo for your very kind words! I would say that this wine is ready now, but it should last another five years with ease. Cheers!
3/27/23, 5:12 AM - I think that I would enjoy the 2020 now for its youthful brilliance, and let the 2017 sleep for a few years.
4/30/23, 5:11 AM - Definitely PnP. Do not decant. You will miss the awakening (“l’éveil”) of the young wine.
4/20/23, 8:42 AM - Hype + (perceived) scarcity = ridiculous prices. Lalou Bize-Leroy invented the concept, and she has found many followers...
4/3/23, 11:08 AM - @guillermo-: no, not really, I don't think that age will change a lot, but it may obviously soften the edges.@DantheMan123: Very interesting that our experiences were so diametrically opposed. Another person who tasted from this bottle mentioned on Instagram: "bone dry, bit rigid". Bottle difference? Will have to try again!
3/24/23, 12:00 AM - From what I can tell, there were very hot weeks in the Langhe in June and July 2019, but there was timely rainfall as well. Still, the fruit in this bottle felt a bit dried up - and perhaps it shouldn’t have. I was not sure about the second bottle either to be honest, there was a certain unevenness that seemed to come and go, but in the circumstances we decided to accept it. I did mention it to the sommelier, who said that “wines from Rinaldi are often not completely clean”, which amounted to: “now shut up and drink your wine”. We finished our meal and were glad to get out of the restaurant again. La Ciau del Tornavento was a complete waste of time and money.
3/24/23, 7:12 AM - Thank you for your kind words! 🙏🙏🙏
3/24/23, 12:48 AM - I wrote NOT decanted, but opened three hours in advance. No, I would not decant, the wine is far too delicate.
2/26/23, 11:57 AM - Agree, had the 2000 in June last year. Not as luxurious and rich as the 2005, nut exceptionally elegant.
2/25/23, 2:07 AM - Another five years at least, I would say. Anything beyond the 10 year mark is speculative.
2/12/23, 2:11 AM - Yes, I think so. I tastes like it:)
2/5/23, 1:09 AM - It certainly has the structure to age well, but I doubt that it will become more interesting aromatically than it is today. So I would say: drink or hold, but I would not expect it to improve. On the other hand: nobody knows what this will taste like in 20 years' time, as this is only Nicolas Jacob's fourth vintage. From an academic perspective it might be very interesting to let this age, but from a hedonistic point of view I would say: "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may" (Robert Herrick, 1591-1674).
1/28/23, 10:27 AM - Now?
11/7/22, 1:53 AM - It is mentioned on the back label. I have uploaded a picture. The Prädikat is also mentioned on the back labels of the 2015 and 2011 vintages uploaded here on Cellartracker.
11/16/22, 11:28 AM - @Yassine23: No, unfortunately not, I am not able to help you here...
10/15/22, 11:07 PM - Hi Sean, the wine has a lovely balance, so it will probably age reasonably well, but the tannic structure is relatively delicate and it is clearly designed to (also) drink well relatively young. My guess is that it is best enjoyed in the first decade of its life. Cheers, Xavier
9/29/22, 10:50 AM - Cheers @laissezfaire!
9/16/22, 11:47 PM - I still have the empty bottle, and the label states 15%. Lot nr. is indeed LR 16 03. I will upload a picture of the label with these details visible.
9/7/22, 9:27 AM - Hi NickA, you can drink this now with confidence, or you can keep it for a few years without risk. If you want to catch this at its peak, I would suggest waiting another 12-18 months. I think the tannins will be even more harmonious by then. But it's damn delicious already...
8/22/22, 10:32 AM - Long time ago!
8/2/22, 8:27 AM - You are right, my note was about the Mise Tardive. I have deleted the original note and re-recorded it here. Thanks for noticing!
7/15/22, 12:14 PM - Opened 1-2 hours before serving, not decanted.
5/16/22, 11:51 PM - Hi Seth, I think the difference is caused by the time the wines spent in barrel. I believe that both the 1933 and the 1954 were bottled in the 1980's, so the 1954 'only' spent about 30 years in oak. Perhaps this explains why it's less resistant to oxygen than its older brother?
5/5/22, 1:50 PM - There is huge upselling of the 2019 vintage. It’s being sold as a uniformly great vintage when it’s not. It’s very heterogeneic, the heat is a problem in many areas and spots. The Bages plateau lies inland, away from the river. You do the maths…
5/2/22, 12:01 PM - Pop ‘n pour. Completely ready to go.
4/22/22, 11:58 AM - Gracias! This is just so marvellous - and so cheap...
4/19/22, 10:28 AM - Clearly. But if it’s not in there, it will never come out.
4/2/22, 10:57 AM - Correct
3/20/22, 1:31 PM - Impossible to choose. Clinet is like a son, Canon is like a daughter. Who would you love more? I'm not kidding, it's yin and yang. They're both marvellous in their different ways.
3/3/22, 8:54 AM - Cheers!
1/17/22, 9:38 AM - How awful. I can only send you my commiserations. I know what you are going through...
1/8/22, 10:50 AM - Not sure about the fish stew. The oak tannins might clash with the chilli, and I doubt that the nutty / candied aromas in the wine would go well with the fresh herbs in the stew. I would go in a very different direction. Pair with hard cheese and crackers. Think well-matured Beaufort, Gruyere, Comté, Gouda and the like. The acidity in the wine counters the fat content of the cheese, and the flavours of the wine and the cheese match very nicely.
12/9/21, 12:08 PM - Thanks for the compliment Seth! Much appreciated 🙏👍
11/30/21, 11:09 PM - Hallo Sean, I last tasted this in 2018 when I thought it was at a closed stage and needed more time. I think I will try another bottle soon to see how it is doing. But I usually like my VP best when it is at least 25-30 years old, so I will probably keep the bulk of my remaining bottles for a few years more. Xavier
12/1/21, 1:54 AM - Same here Sean! That's why I don't buy young VP anymore. I hope that I have enough stock to keep me company in my declining years... Cheers! Xavier
11/26/21, 9:01 AM - I miss it too! It’s classic Chablis, but in a gentler vein. The acidity is not as steely and piercing, but its character remains unmistakable.
9/2/21, 8:23 PM - @dpc123: That’s an almost philosophical question. My advice would be “drink or hold”. So it’s up to you really. No need to wait unless you want to. The wine is ready to go. But sometimes anticipation is even better than the real event?
7/12/21, 10:50 PM - We paired it with steak frites and sauce au poivre. Went down a treat!
5/20/21, 6:52 PM - @forceberry: thank you for pointing this out. As you can see, this is in fact the tasting note for the Cent Bulles 2013, the white wine at that dinner. I have deleted the note, no way of knowing now what I thought of this red wine 18 months ago, although I remember that I liked the quality of the glossy red fruit.
3/28/21, 5:00 AM - @WineGuyDelMar: I like both wines very much, they are different in style because of the vintage, but the difference in quality (if any) is marginal - and certainly not a full point. In general, I prefer cooler vintages over warmer vintages - I like the precision and freshness, provided of course that the grapes have achieved phenolic ripeness at the time of harvest. This means that 2010 and 2016 are right up my street, and 2009 and 2015 perhaps slightly less so. But this is a personal preference and there are no hard-and-fast rules: I happily consumed a full case of Langoa 2003 between 2008 and 2020!
3/14/21, 9:51 AM - @Paul852. You're guessing wrong. It was Lafitte Camblanes 1947. I will upload a picture of the label.
3/1/21, 2:59 AM - @Winetofood.com: I would suggest that this is on its plateau of maturity, completely ready, probably without further upside but also absolutely no rush.
Thanks for letting us know about this problem. We will review your comments and be in touch soon with an update.
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