Community Tasting Note

JohnMcIlwain Likes this wine:

Thursday, January 26, 2023 - A throwback bottle from the Berkeley Wine Co era, when I was just a pup and the infamous Robert Chadderdon was just a fax or phone call—never an email—away. Double-decanted at 1:30 PM for dinner at 8:30. Fantino 1997 Barolo Vigna dei Dardi has a darkish (given the age) garnet robe with some bricking on the rim. The nose is backwards and a bit unforgiving upon opening. Double decanting and a bit of time wake things up. The nose offers aromas of dried rose, raspberry seed, loamy earth, and bit of balsam with some oxidative wisps and an intriguing—if faint—brothy/umami note . The palate is more overtly fruit driven with mulberry and raspberry compote on the attack, with earthy, and game/leather notes following. There’s a black soil and tarry earth character making up the core with dusty rose water and strawberry sucrosity carrying on to the mid-length finish. Good acidity and warmth rather than heat; nicely resolving and definitely ripe tannins here. Neither the end all nor it’s neighbor be all, but I have no complaints on this raw Maine evening and certainly believe this over-performed the Suckling-favored vintage. Re-buy? At less than $50 way back when, a steal. If you want brilliance or superlatives, maybe look elsewhere in 1997. That said, this is satisfying indeed.

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