November 10, 2023 - This is a wine that is fully mature and based off my last few bottles, slowly on the decline at this point. There has also been a fair amount of bottle variation, not too surprising for a 25 year old wine.
Today, the wine has an Autumnal feel to it, with earthy cherry fruit on the nose. Lighter-bodied on the palate, pleasant enough, but probably a wine that should be considered “drink soon/over the near term”.
April 12, 2023 - Pretty similar on the nose to the '99 Scavino Carobric I just tasted, with maybe a hint of smoke to differentiate the two wines.
This is lighter-bodied on the palate, though, and also shows more red fruit. On opening, pre-dinner, I prefer this wine.
December 30, 2022 - A 4-top at Broders: Slow o'd for several hours. The nose is tar, tobacco and gravel. The palate is lackluster, not giving much. After several more hours open, the wine started to indicate that it was past peak, sour cherry and slightly vinegary. This wine earned its points on the fantastic nose. It's a little surprising that this wine is so mature already.
January 8, 2021 - The cork basically disintegrated on opening, so I had to decant this. My last note from 2018 mentioned a hint of prune, and that aspect of the wine has continued to evolve on the nose, a combination of macerated cherry, tar and prune.
Seamless on the palate with decent persistence through the finish - so the wine is clearly fresher and more lively on the palate than the nose. I still have a few of these in the cellar, so I'll put another in the "drink now" queue to see if that confirms this wine's current trajectory, but off this bottle I would say the wine needs to be consumed sooner as opposed to later.
March 28, 2020 - Wine in the time of Corona Virus - Quarantining in NYC & NH; 3/7/2020-9/1/2020 (NYC/NH): Opened for the first of our zoom on-line/off-lines with friends. 3rd of 3 (375) bottles purchased from Chambers St. The first was corked the second was lovely, this was was not flawed but not great. Decanted for sediment and held for about an hour before drinking. Kind of musty and tired, leather but not much else going on. Would probably avoid this vintage if I saw it come up for sale again.
March 15, 2020 - Eric Guido nailed it. This was the same as my previous bottle. Richard Jennings scored it 75. I'm not into numbers, but this reflects the overall sentiment.
February 1, 2020 - Popped and quickly decanted - but no sediment. Was worried this might be corked after opening the first bottle from this batch of 375's - happily no - this bottle was on. Mature and drinking very nicely - red fruits but perhaps a bit more rustic than I think of Roagna. Seemed very fresh after some of the older wines in today's tasting line up.
February 1, 2020 - Q1 Wine Club - Aged Barbaresco (The Apt): From a half bottle. A bonus bottle after a long barbaresco tasting. This was drinking really nicely and I think could have competed quite well with the broader tasting that we had going on (although only a half bottle to have. Bit more grip and earthiness to it than some of the Roagnas (seems that might be more something that Luca does than that existed in his father's wine), but there is also this great balance to the wine. Well made.
January 23, 2020 - Sadly this was horribly corked - just reeked of TCA
December 17, 2019 - Bottle was carefully cellared. Cork was very good. Sour cherry, spice, dusty. A little astringent, was expecting a fuller wine.