Community Tasting Note

NoahCap wrote:

Thursday, September 2, 2021 - Tight upon opening. Sat in the decanter 3 hrs and then leisurely consumed over the next 2.5 hrs. Perfect cork, perfect fill level, bottle in magnificent condition. Wine with just the tiniest blush of bricking, otherwise a rich translucent healthy ruby. Look just as a 25+ yr old Barolo should.

The nose is quite earthy, dark, more brooding than I'd expect. Much more tar than roses. It's very complex, with smells of leather, freshly turned earth, and hay, along with some background aromas of potpourri and black cherries. There is good amount of acidity in the mouth, as well as a moderate degree of smooth, but present, tannins. Again, the tar flavors are more prominent than the fruit, though both are present. Florals are in the background. Tar>Cherries>Roses. Finish is quite long and emphasizes a bitter medicinal note that is actually kind of nice; that particular note being reminiscent of a digestif type bitterness. Not uncommon among some Italian reds.

The bitterness becomes more prominent, and the fruits fade, as the wine sits in the decanter. For me, the sweet spot was just around 4 hrs in a wide decanter, after that, the wine heads downhill.

I'm a very big fan of nebbiolo, and I was very very excited to try this. I've had many nebbiolo-based wines, but this is the highest pedigree I've tried thus far. Admittedly, my expectations were through the roof, and while this was very good, it ultimately didn't quite live up. To me, it was a bit blocky, a bit lacking in fruit, just didn't have that je ne sais quoi of the very best of the best. Very good, and I'd be happy to drink it any day of the week, though probably not at the current price tag unless I have some unexpected financial windfall. Glad to have had it once.

Post a Comment / View NoahCap's profile
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (1,970 views)