April 6, 2024 - One of the best wines I’ve ever had. 2008 vintage. Fresh, all the wonderful traits of a top line Serralunga Barolo.
January 14, 2024 - Double decanted 10 hours before dinner. Pale garnet with watery rim. Even after this amount of air, at first it was subdued aromatically, and the palate was classically lean, acidic, mineral old school Barolo with a good dose of VA. What a difference another 90 minutes in the glass made! It gained weight and texture to reach a beautiful middle weight and glycerine mouth feel, and modestly sweet red cherry and spice emerged to complement sharper fennel tones. There is still moderately grippy tannin underneath all of this to provide backbone for further aging, but it too relaxed enough to permit delightful drinking tonight. Hardly a sumptuous wine and the aromas never soared, but genuinely excellent.
December 9, 2023 - Out of magnum and double-decanted for 5 hours. This opened and improved dramatically in the glass showing incredibly bright dark berry fruit with superb intensity and lift. Quite young for sure but towards the end of the bottle, it became beautifully layered with fabulous notes of tarpit, black fruits and slate minerals. The finish shows great intensity and complexity with firm but supple tannins. The brightness of this wine and the quality of the fruit is incredible and it’s the kind of wine I can never imagine getting tired of drinking. Wowza! 96+
November 7, 2023 - I enjoyed this much more than the last bottle, which I felt wouldn’t age for a long time. This had much more fine tannin and structure with medium fruit. My impression is that it will peak in 5-10yrs. Lacks real definition at the moment despite showing class. 93pts now but clear 95-96pt potential.
October 6, 2023 - not quite as good as prior bottle
not faulty, just not showing great
June 3, 2023 - Opened and poured small glass out about 30 mins before drinking.
Light red in colour. Very pretty and elegant on the nose. Rose water. Rose petals.
First glass was a bit austere with tannin somewhat prominent. But then it started to sing. Touch of tart/sour strawberry on the palate. A deep cherry in the background. Very light touch of balsamic on the finish.
I think I’ll open earlier next time given the evolution in the glass. Last glass was the most complete.
A delightful Barolo.
February 7, 2023 - Two bottles from the same secondary source.. both perfect corks.. both perfectly oxidized... a perfect purchase (for the seller).
February 3, 2023 - Cappellano Vertical Clay, Harlem
Double decanted in the AM. Drunk over several hours.
Terrific perfume. This has the most lift and grace of any of the noses tonight. Red fruited with a Giacosa like hard candy, tons of roses, and beautiful lofted balsamic notes. Fantastic perfume. More roses than tar. On the palate it is a wine of contrasts. Intense yet the most light weighted and graceful of the wines tonight. Power and grace coupled. This was the least overtly powerful wine of the night, but that was balanced by it being one of the most nuanced. There is a sense of fleeting mystery to this wine. Finishes long with more beautiful fruit, florals and medicinal balsamic notes. Kept growing over several hours we drank it. I love 2008 and this is another reason. Youthfully fantastic. 96
November 22, 2022 - Plum and menthol on the nose. On the palate, cherry, cranberry, and notes of rose petal, leather, and tar, with moderate tannins and fairly strong acidity on the long finish. This is more velvet glove than iron fist; it's complex, but not powerful - an elegant wine. It's early in its drinking window; the Cellartracker estimates look about right. It was a very good to excellent value at about $70.
October 4, 2022 - This was a positive surprise, and that is being stated in the light of already being positive to the wine before. But this is one of my better Barolo wine in some time. The balance is impeccable, great fruit, love the acidity and although the tannins are still there they start off quite soft before increasing their intensity. Good length on the finish. The palate is kind of maturing, but not really there yet which is a mix I love to find in a Barolo. It might get older, just about preferences, however the fruit is just to present, clean and with great depth - and that is really the core of this wine.
Would be very interesting to see this one age for a decade or two more, questions is just how to forget remaining bottles?