Community Tasting Notes 99

• Bubblesearcher23 Likes this wine: 95 points

  February 24, 2024 - Decanted for a couple hours. Color is a deep brown garnet. Nose is a beautiful mix of balsamic vinegar, cherry, rose, stewed plums, vanilla, and wood shavings. On the palate, red fruits, black cherry, tawny port notes, black pepper, still grippy tannins. Enjoyed it solo and with pizza and it was a little too spicy on the finish to pair well (not the end of the world, but I like Sangiovese better with the spice of the pepperoni and acidity of the sauce). This is what I would call a meditation wine, just fantastic on its own. Really lovely if you like the aged port/balsamic notes. I will also note that while my wife prefers her wine a bit younger, she still thought this was quite aromatic/beautiful.
  
  With a few more hours of decanting, the nose really morphs into a delicious blend of spice box, tobacco, milk chocolate, chocolate covered cherries. These flavors come across to some extent on the palate, but the oxidation is making the wine a bit too acidic. I think I’d shoot for a 2-3 hours decant for this to be perfect.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

• Terroir59 wrote: 93 points

  December 30, 2023 - Opened 8 hours prior to drinking. Still very dark red color at the core but showing some browning at the edges. Very floral and fruity on the nose and palate with a definite thread of sweet oak (vanilla) throughout though not overpowering. A polished wine with no sharp edges as the tannins have softened but the wine still retains good lift from the fruit and acid; I suspect that this will continue to drink well for another 5-10 years; definitely a more "modern-styled" Barolo.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 points

  December 23, 2023 - 5 hour slow ox, then a quick strain into a decanter and back into the bottle. Consumed after a couple more hours of slow ox. Roses, red and black fruits, mushrooms and earthiness and a little sweet Oak. A rich and powerful wine. This bottle still had another 5 years of prime drinking.

  Comment

• Whitman wrote: 94 points

  November 24, 2023 - Nose first powerful with a lot of licorice, later roses, black fruit and after 1,5 hours more shy, but precise and pure like the palate. A medium bodied palate, thats quite powerful, also with a touch of sweetness, before the finish kicks in with mouth coating dryness and structure. Delicious to drink today.

  Comment

• Derek Darth Taster wrote: 91 points

  October 13, 2023 - Italian theme dinner at Highland. Tasted blind. Drank in Grassl 1855.
  Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour with garnet rim. Legs.
  Nose medium intensity, with aromas of deep red plums, black plums, black cherries, blackberries, soy sauce with air. Developed.
  On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14%), smooth structured high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of soy sauce, savoury blackberries, black cherries, dark plums. Long finish.
  Nearing end of lifespan and should be drunk up sooner rather than later. Soy sauce creeping in obviously already. Clearly modernist style.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

Pro Reviews 3

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2004
• Type Red
• Producer Conterno Fantino
• Varietal Nebbiolo
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard Sorì Ginestra
• Country Italy
• Region Piedmont
• SubRegion Langhe
• Appellation Barolo
• UPC Codes 726452006437, 726452008677, 726452008714

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 78 (3%)
• In Cellars 1,715 (61%)
• Consumed 1,018 (36%)

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