Excellent classic Cascina Francia. Fuller bodied, smooth with classic CF characters. Tar, roses , cherries, tobacco, licorice. Awesome. Can drink now or hold a long time. I didn't decant, but opened an hour before and drank slow as was the 3rd wine of Thanksgiving dinner. Not as massive as the 06 but closer in style than 04 or 05.
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Giacomo Conterno Barolo Francia 2008. Kongen av Barolo leverer nydelig vin. Begynt å åpne seg noe med fortsatt en svært ung vin. Strålende frukt og struktur. Lang. 93p+
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Very Conterno - everything clean and proper, but almost a little too buttoned up. Great depth on the palate but still quite a bit of structure. Don't think it would hurt to hold this for a few more years.
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Barolo 2008 (My place): In the Serralunga flight this showed more power, but less elegance. A few of the group preferred it, but most enjoyed the more elegant expression of Brovia. To me this gave a sense of being in a developing phase, with a palate of pure strength and tarry and earthy notes but a bit difficult to approach. Day two showed that it just needed more air to express itself and find a balanced expression of power, with a palate which is deeply mineral, almost salty, and finishes on a licorice note.
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I tried this right out of the bottle and then again 5 hours later… huge improvement over that time. Really nice wine, definitely young and needs a bit of air to show well, but drinking well.
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OCG’s Burlotto dinner (67 Pall Mall): A wonderful, spicy, perfumed nose, with smoked meat and tar. Clean and silky on the palate - especially by contrast to the Vietti alongside it - with prominent acidity (reflecting the vintage?). An attractive combination of elegance and power.
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One Variety -- 3 Price-Points, Blind (Los Olivos, CA): Served blind in a flight of three of the same grape variety: one inexpensive, one, mid-range and one high-end. I double-decanted this bottle, and it needed every bit of the eight hours of air it received, if not more. Pure class, somehow both concentrated and weightless. Notes of plum, licorice and tobacco leaf. Not the most muscular Conterno I have had, but everything was in very fine balance, with prospects for future evolution very high, too.
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Wine Dinner #182 - The Cousins Conterno, Harveys, Fortitude Valley. This wine was defined by a lightness of touch yet intensity that recalls great Burgundy and Mosel Riesling in their finest expressions. The colour was a clear red cherry and the nose a lifted and scented array of redcurrants, red and white cherries, white peach and rose. There are touches of tar and dried thyme that add further complexity. The palate has a lovely weightlessness that dances across the taste buds and leads into a long and persistent finish.This is a classy and very fine glass of Barolo where finesse wins over weight.
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Casual BBQ Wines: Highly aromatic, red berries, licorice, cherry and spice. Rich and ripe on the palate, with delicious red fruit throughout. Love the intensity of the flavour paired with the silken mouthfeel. Delightful.
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Double decanted about 2 hours before dinner. Open this because I was curious and it seemed like a night when one bottle wouldn't quite do it (Stanko Radikon was right about 1 liter being the right serving size). An interesting contrast to the open and generous 1998 this was beautiful, but statuesque and coldly unattainable. Everything was chiseled from marble and perfect in it's form and admirable to behold. All the right aromas and flavors were there in perfect concert and it was enjoyable enough though it became more dense and closed as the night wore on. In size, this is a middleweight but coiled like a boxer. We left about 20% in the decanter and I came back to it over DAYS and it remained a defiant bulwark against oxidation that was remarkable in a throwback way. I think this may turn out to be a great Francia Barolo. I only have a couple more bottles, so I think I'll wait at least 5 years to try the next one. I wish I had bought more at $130 (which seemed high at the time) but won't be buying more at $300.
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Piedmont gang lunch at Solo Ristorante. Opened 3+ hours in advance. Drank in Grassl Cru. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with initial aromas of beguiling exotic perfumed sandalwood, classic tar and roses, earth, dried red cherries, blue plums, balsamic herbs. At the lunch, this seemed to become more youthful with scents of licorice, ripe dark red cherries and dark stony minerals. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with a cascade of complex flavours of concentrated dried red cherries, sweet dark plums, sweet herbs, earth, potpourri. At the lunch after 3+ hours of air, this had taken on more youthful touches of licorice, darker red cherries, interesting orange peel and minerality also. Long finish. Last small remaining pour 10 hours later was the best - most harmonious. Fine sediments. A classic this is. Can only get better with more age.
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Opened 4 hours before drinking. Ruby core with slightly brown tint. Sinuous aromas of mostly savory elements at first-licorice, wet earth, bark, and tobacco. Then, with more air, the fruit begins to emerge in the form of cherry and orange peel. Soft, subtle, and earthy in the mouth with faded tannins and moderate acidity. Lovely feel and gentle sweetness that comes with time. Seductive in every way. It's funny to see that I've tasted this every 4 years, and that in both 2012 and 2016 I marveled at how open and relatively evolved it seemed. Thankfully, any concerns I had about its early demise were misplaced. It continues to be gorgeous, and if anything has fleshed out and deepened over the years. Is this undergoing some sort of mysterious reverse aging process?
During the initial PnP the wine is a deep ruby at the core of the Riedel Sommelier's Burg glass. Initial scents are elegant with some tar & floral notes followed by dried red fruits. The first taste was just so smooth and then notes of dried fruits, chewing tobacco, and sour cherry. Now more than 3 hours into the wine has opened up into a lovely wine that is more floral and lifted on the nose when the palate is showing more of the tannic structure as they follow the acidic cut leading into the mid palate like a wall. They're there and holding everything together nicely, but also seem to indicate that this will have a long life. Outstanding!!!
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Decanted 2 hours. Alluring nose - tar, earth, florals, cherry, tobacco. Medium bodied, with elegant and fine tannins that carry the flavours so long. Burgundian. Excellent balance, structure and texture.
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Excellent. The nose is floral and earthy and the palate is fresh and bright with great concentration and depth. Impressive complexity and length. THis is angular and young, with characteristic tar and tobacco, but not particularly surly. Surprisingly elegant, in fact. A lovely young Barolo that has a long life ahead but is quite nice now.
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Nez puissant sur les fruits noirs, la résine, les épices. La bouche est superbe avec de la densité, du volume, un très joli grain de tannin et de l'allonge. Très longue persistance.
Encore jeune mais on se fait déjà plus que plaisir après un peu d'aération dans le verre
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This was surprisingly approachable. What a beautiful and aromatic nose of cherry, balsamic, Hawthorne, pine notes. Long long finish. Beautiful and definitely has decades left. One of the best young barolos I’ve ever tasted
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2008 Barolo Retrospective (Blind tasted) (The North End Grill): The nose showed crushed strawberry, with dusty sweet florals, fleshy ripe plum, licorice and floral undergrowth. On the palate, I found silky textures with gorgeous sweet spices, cool-toned ripe cherry and zesty acidity, as inner floral tones and hints of light tannin coated the senses. The finish was medium-long with hints of saturating tannin, inner rose and minerals. In all honestly, I was disappointed when the Cascina Francia was revealed in this blind tasting, as I had hoped for more from this bottle.
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Tasted in this vertical... different from the 2007, less opulent, more linear and straight, but with impeccable tension and balance. Beautiful aromatics of dark plum, tar, tobacco leaf, minerality, some cedar wood too. It's medium-full bodied, with high acidity and high but ripe tannin providing tension and structure. Excellent.
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Deep translucent ruby. Interesting nose of ripe strawberry, cherry, tobacco, pine and leather. Takes some time to open up. Seems very young and tight still. Impeccable balance, ripe but good acidity to bring freshness. Lots going on in the palate, still quite closed and young there too. Will last for ages and lots of upside improvement from here. Picked this up at an average of $120/bottle but getting expensive if the latest auction prices are anything to go by. Beautiful and thought provoking wine.
It is a very savoury wine with notes of menthol, tar, leather, tobacco and earth. The fruit is all cherry and cassis and becomes more perfumed with air. It is full and complex, with the tart acidity of the vintage and some gentle dryness from the tannins.
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Followed over 8 hours and was most enjoyable at the end. Nose was beautiful but more subtle than some other vintages. The X factor with this wine is the palate. Smooth and suave with a seductive texture that I normally find only in burgundy. Will be interesting to watch its development with more age.
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Muddled red throughout. Ah, the aromatics! Sinuous rose, tobacco, and ripe red fruit. Lovely light feel with ever more sap as it goes, gently sweet fruit, and herbal/tobacco leaf complexity. Sound but certainly not high acidity. Surprisingly resolved with low tannins and ready now. Just delicious and very seductive.
Strawberries, blood orange and roses on the nose. Smooth and relatively open at this point, with a long, tannic finish. Precise and elegant. 14.5% abv.
Dark, animale and surly. It really breathed up in the decanter and showed some licorice, tar, decaying rose and graphite. It is a wine of immense power with impeccable balance and proportion. It has so much drive to the finish and is one of the most deliciously savoury wines you could hope to encounter.
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Restaurant Fred (Rotterdam, Netherlands): Dark, rich and concentrated nose, followed by deeper powerful flavors of tar, licorice and intense dark fruit. A fascinating Barolo to follow over the coming years and decades.
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On recommendation of Hotel Chef Auriga. Too young. Comes with time and becomes more powerful on the palate. But still seems reduced. Lots of strawberry. Should be better in 5 years or so.
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Still very young and full of integrated tannins. Leather, cigar box and sour cherrry. A beautiful and balanced wine with a very long finish. Decanted for 3 hours.
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Lovely, pretty, pure nose. Palate is dry, lots of fruit, but the fruit is submerged currently. Lovely purity and grace, but needs much time. Huge acidity. Great purity here. Acker auction, Marea.
Dry red and black fruits with notes of tar and coal dust. An underlying earthiness mixed with dry savory herbs. Slight tannic grip. Consumed with tagliatelle and white truffles. 30 minute decant, consumed over 1 hour. I felt the wine could have benefited from more air time. 92+
Explosive aromatics of tobacco, dark red cherries, tar, some flowers, licorice, cedar, also some red berries. It's full bodied, dense but not heavy, with high but top-quality tannin, medium-high acidity. Great length. A fantastic Cascina Francia of the very highest level. It combines power with elegance and silkiness. Day 2: More structured on day 2. What a great, dark and classic Barolo.
Barolo from Traditional Producers (Portland, OR): The nose is primarily dark and earthy. A bit of cherry scents show, but they’re underneath stronger asphalt, charcoal, and plums. There’s an edge of raisin to the nose as well. The raisins show quickly on the palate, along with dark plums with the skins intact. The tannins start out nicely, and they get quite big on the mid palate. Cherries show on the mid palate as well, but the tannins are dominant. Later in the evening, the fruit shows more complexity in the center, but the structural elements are still overwhelming late.
The goal: Traditionally produced profound Barolo in classic vintages (My House (Portland, OR)): This wine received a 4 hour decant prior to the event. Immediately upon smelling this wine many of us detected Ethyl acetate and not much else on the nose. Much was discussed as others who have had this wine recently don't recall this fault. There was no doubt it was here, though, making the aromas not very enjoyable. The palate was seemingly rather shut as well, and while soft in texture and offering some pretty fruit as well, still felt a little awkward and out of balance. Puckering and hugely acidic (in a good way) on the finish, but then again developing quite a bit of awkwardness. This is my first time with this vintage so I'm unsure if this is common or not. If I were to score this as is, it'd be 89.
A nice wine to be sure but didn't fall in love with it. A nice level of tarry sweet fruits with a raw grape character that slightly detracted from things a bit. As I get older I'm noticing that a bit with Nebbiolo in particular and it's making me less enamored with it. It did follow an awesome bottle of Chave so maybe I'm being a bit unfair? This was a nice but simpler wine and not because it was too young either. This is my favourite producer so expected more but maybe older age is causing a declining interest in the style as it was more of a wrestle than a priviledge.
VERTICALE CASCINA FRANCIA (WINETIP): Subito profondo, cupo e scuro, necessita di 45min nel bicchiere per impressionare le platee. La sensazione iniziale è di un vino austero, rigoroso e sicuro di sé. Da principio sono l' etereità balsamica e allo stesso tempo chimica e la mineralità asciutta che fanno da tappeto agli aromi già quasi adulti. Il frutto è glassato, ma completamente diverso dalla dolcezza soave dei vini di Giacosa. Con il tempo si schiude e arrivano i fiori e una tostatura dolce che abbraccia il frutto. L' ingresso bocca ha un' acidità sostenuta, il frutto è molto dry e il tannino già elegantissimo. L' etereità fa da vettore per l' esposione di fiori che con il passare dei minuti rivelano un vino di classe superiore. Il legno è ancora in parte da amalgamare, ma è un vino sexy e femminile, a cui non manca un finale salino che rinfresca il sorso e lo rende complesso e cangiante. Fuoriclasse assoluto
Per chi cerca profumi, sensualità e sensazioni tattili aromatiche, consiglio di lasciar perdere il troppo osannato Monfortino e di spendere meglio ( e meno) soldi, per Cascina Francia. Consiglio di non aspettare più di 5 anni a berlo, per godersi questa macedonia dei sensi!!
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Tried alongside 2008 versions of Clerico Ciabot Mentin, Oddero Villero, Scavino Cannubi and E. Pira Cannubi. This showed, without a doubt, at the top. The length and richness really differentiated it from the pack. A bit rough at first, took about 45 min before all the elements came into the picture. Wish I had a couple cases of this, as it's validated my benchmark for what is the epitome of barolo and nebbiolo.
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Barolo: (degustato alla cieca) Scoglio, colatura di alici, balsamico, metallo, fiori. un naso meraviglioso. Bocca allucinante con un rincorrersi di sensazioni retro olfattive che copre abbondantemente tutti i sapori che riesco ad immaginare. un vino della madonna. fuoriclasse.
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Barolo Wine Dinner (Metropolitan wine cellar, HK): Enticing aromatics filled with roses, fresh cut grass and red fruits. Fabulously structured, with solid, dense taste notes of stone, red fruits, yet the touches on palate is breath taking, elegant, plush, smooth. Tannins are prominent but superbly refined and tasty. WOTN for me, you can't get enough of it. And it will only get better and better with time!
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Lovely red color. Looks light. An airy nose, that is extremely elegant and persistent. Red fruit and roses comes flying out. Light structure yet very firm tannins and a sparkling acidity that made me think of chambolle. It is as easy as it is complex and charming. It is long and the broad array of flavours just goes on. What a wine.
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2008 Barolo Tasting at Antonio Galloni's La Festa del Barolo (Del Posto Restaurant, NYC): Hands down wine of the tasting. Black fruit, licorice, and a gorgeous perfume with an appealing touch of dirt in the nose. Very earthy and structured. If it puts on weight, as I expect it will, it may rival the 1989. Certainly reminds me of that great wine. 96-98 points.
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Funny. I left one open for three days and then drank it. The palate was soft and supple, the perfume was muted but incredibly complex. Then, I opened an bottle and straight away pounded it. Had almost the exact same experience. Not sure what this means. I keep thinking that this wine is going to a "blockbuster" "powerhouse" "big boy" and instead what I get is quiet harmony, with dark fruit and earth tones, everything in its place, nothing being rushed, but also feeling like its not givin' it all up to me. I'll have to put away my 2008 stash for 10 years I guess.
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This is my first exposure to a Giacomo Conterno Barolo. At 5 years old this is relatively young for when I typically open Barolos, but I wanted to try it now to see if I should buy more. I was impressed. Even in its youth this wine was very drinkable. The color was a beautiful deep red. The bouquet leaped out of the glass -- a pleasant floral sent carried by alcohol fumes. There was a nice balance of fruit and tannin. We did not decant the wine so it might have been fuller with decanting. I will buy more and try to let it sit for 3 or four years. But it is drinkable now so it may be hard to wait.
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Medium to lighter ruby with slight cloudiness. Surprisingly complicated aromatics with faded red fruit, earth and herbs. Again, very approachable on the palate, essentially soft with low tannins. One to drink unusually young, as it is very pleasant and quite advanced now. How could this be the case at just 4 years of age?
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Very dark and dense wine. Just by looking at the colour you sense that there's a monster in the glass. A powerful and expressive nose with e.g. licorice, eucalyptus and a hint ripe peach. An explosion of flavours on the palate yet very compact and intense wine with loads of potential. Interesting to taste now but way too young. Massive tannins - a bit rough now. 95+++.
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11/23/2023 - tropa56 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Excellent classic Cascina Francia. Fuller bodied, smooth with classic CF characters. Tar, roses , cherries, tobacco, licorice. Awesome. Can drink now or hold a long time. I didn't decant, but opened an hour before and drank slow as was the 3rd wine of Thanksgiving dinner. Not as massive as the 06 but closer in style than 04 or 05.
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8/16/2023 - Jens DT Likes this wine: 90 Points
Synes den manglede noget. Gættede Barolo med det samme. Så gammel skal dem ikke være.
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3/25/2023 - JOsgood wrote: 90 Points
Good but didn't wow like the last bottle. Needed more fruit or perhaps this was just better young.
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2/20/2023 - hajoha wrote: 93 Points
Giacomo Conterno Barolo Francia 2008.
Kongen av Barolo leverer nydelig vin.
Begynt å åpne seg noe med fortsatt en svært ung vin.
Strålende frukt og struktur.
Lang. 93p+
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1/9/2023 - Vas19 wrote: 91 Points
Very Conterno - everything clean and proper, but almost a little too buttoned up. Great depth on the palate but still quite a bit of structure. Don't think it would hurt to hold this for a few more years.
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11/19/2022 - rlove wrote: 92 Points
Plum, licorice, and wild herb, particularly thyme. Soft and regal with vibrant acidity. Good length to the plummy finish. Very good.
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1/22/2022 - gilrbo Likes this wine:
Barolo 2008 (My place): In the Serralunga flight this showed more power, but less elegance. A few of the group preferred it, but most enjoyed the more elegant expression of Brovia. To me this gave a sense of being in a developing phase, with a palate of pure strength and tarry and earthy notes but a bit difficult to approach.
Day two showed that it just needed more air to express itself and find a balanced expression of power, with a palate which is deeply mineral, almost salty, and finishes on a licorice note.
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10/29/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 94 Points
I tried this right out of the bottle and then again 5 hours later… huge improvement over that time. Really nice wine, definitely young and needs a bit of air to show well, but drinking well.
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8/21/2021 - B Paul wrote:
Lots going on here. Red fruit, spice, tar and even some smoky/meaty notes. Very silky and elegant. Drinking well now but will have a long life.
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6/9/2021 - NickA wrote: 95 Points
OCG’s Burlotto dinner (67 Pall Mall): A wonderful, spicy, perfumed nose, with smoked meat and tar. Clean and silky on the palate - especially by contrast to the Vietti alongside it - with prominent acidity (reflecting the vintage?). An attractive combination of elegance and power.
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3/22/2021 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
One Variety -- 3 Price-Points, Blind (Los Olivos, CA): Served blind in a flight of three of the same grape variety: one inexpensive, one, mid-range and one high-end. I double-decanted this bottle, and it needed every bit of the eight hours of air it received, if not more. Pure class, somehow both concentrated and weightless. Notes of plum, licorice and tobacco leaf. Not the most muscular Conterno I have had, but everything was in very fine balance, with prospects for future evolution very high, too.
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3/10/2021 - drjb Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wine Dinner #182 - The Cousins Conterno, Harveys, Fortitude Valley. This wine was defined by a lightness of touch yet intensity that recalls great Burgundy and Mosel Riesling in their finest expressions. The colour was a clear red cherry and the nose a lifted and scented array of redcurrants, red and white cherries, white peach and rose. There are touches of tar and dried thyme that add further complexity. The palate has a lovely weightlessness that dances across the taste buds and leads into a long and persistent finish.This is a classy and very fine glass of Barolo where finesse wins over weight.
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11/14/2020 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
Casual BBQ Wines: Highly aromatic, red berries, licorice, cherry and spice. Rich and ripe on the palate, with delicious red fruit throughout. Love the intensity of the flavour paired with the silken mouthfeel. Delightful.
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11/6/2020 - vulgar little monkey wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted about 2 hours before dinner. Open this because I was curious and it seemed like a night when one bottle wouldn't quite do it (Stanko Radikon was right about 1 liter being the right serving size). An interesting contrast to the open and generous 1998 this was beautiful, but statuesque and coldly unattainable. Everything was chiseled from marble and perfect in it's form and admirable to behold. All the right aromas and flavors were there in perfect concert and it was enjoyable enough though it became more dense and closed as the night wore on. In size, this is a middleweight but coiled like a boxer. We left about 20% in the decanter and I came back to it over DAYS and it remained a defiant bulwark against oxidation that was remarkable in a throwback way. I think this may turn out to be a great Francia Barolo. I only have a couple more bottles, so I think I'll wait at least 5 years to try the next one. I wish I had bought more at $130 (which seemed high at the time) but won't be buying more at $300.
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10/17/2020 - DBenke wrote: 97 Points
Outstanding. Mushroom/earthy nose. Great fruit. Great acidity. Will go for years
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10/11/2020 - MWiking wrote: 98 Points
Klockrent vin på så många sätt.
Tuffa tanniner men med luft så är detta en pärla redan idag. Bästa på mycket länge
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9/24/2020 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 94 Points
Piedmont gang lunch at Solo Ristorante. Opened 3+ hours in advance. Drank in Grassl Cru.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with initial aromas of beguiling exotic perfumed sandalwood, classic tar and roses, earth, dried red cherries, blue plums, balsamic herbs. At the lunch, this seemed to become more youthful with scents of licorice, ripe dark red cherries and dark stony minerals. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with a cascade of complex flavours of concentrated dried red cherries, sweet dark plums, sweet herbs, earth, potpourri. At the lunch after 3+ hours of air, this had taken on more youthful touches of licorice, darker red cherries, interesting orange peel and minerality also. Long finish.
Last small remaining pour 10 hours later was the best - most harmonious. Fine sediments.
A classic this is. Can only get better with more age.
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3/11/2020 - drwine2001 wrote:
Opened 4 hours before drinking. Ruby core with slightly brown tint. Sinuous aromas of mostly savory elements at first-licorice, wet earth, bark, and tobacco. Then, with more air, the fruit begins to emerge in the form of cherry and orange peel. Soft, subtle, and earthy in the mouth with faded tannins and moderate acidity. Lovely feel and gentle sweetness that comes with time. Seductive in every way. It's funny to see that I've tasted this every 4 years, and that in both 2012 and 2016 I marveled at how open and relatively evolved it seemed. Thankfully, any concerns I had about its early demise were misplaced. It continues to be gorgeous, and if anything has fleshed out and deepened over the years. Is this undergoing some sort of mysterious reverse aging process?
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4/21/2019 - Kirk Grant wrote:
During the initial PnP the wine is a deep ruby at the core of the Riedel Sommelier's Burg glass. Initial scents are elegant with some tar & floral notes followed by dried red fruits. The first taste was just so smooth and then notes of dried fruits, chewing tobacco, and sour cherry. Now more than 3 hours into the wine has opened up into a lovely wine that is more floral and lifted on the nose when the palate is showing more of the tannic structure as they follow the acidic cut leading into the mid palate like a wall. They're there and holding everything together nicely, but also seem to indicate that this will have a long life. Outstanding!!!
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2/24/2019 - fizz wrote:
Decanted 2 hours.
Alluring nose - tar, earth, florals, cherry, tobacco. Medium bodied, with elegant and fine tannins that carry the flavours so long. Burgundian. Excellent balance, structure and texture.
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12/6/2018 - rc@ughey wrote: 93 Points
Excellent. The nose is floral and earthy and the palate is fresh and bright with great concentration and depth. Impressive complexity and length. THis is angular and young, with characteristic tar and tobacco, but not particularly surly. Surprisingly elegant, in fact. A lovely young Barolo that has a long life ahead but is quite nice now.
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12/5/2018 - Marc C Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nez puissant sur les fruits noirs, la résine, les épices. La bouche est superbe avec de la densité, du volume, un très joli grain de tannin et de l'allonge. Très longue persistance.
Encore jeune mais on se fait déjà plus que plaisir après un peu d'aération dans le verre
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12/3/2018 - Jeanda wrote: flawed
Forte acidité volatile qui dénature le vin.
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10/8/2018 - Rechrom wrote: 95 Points
No detailed notes but excellent on a weekend in Maine. Great balance, full palate, clean finish. Still very young but entering well worth opening now.
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7/20/2018 - theriffraph Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was surprisingly approachable. What a beautiful and aromatic nose of cherry, balsamic, Hawthorne, pine notes. Long long finish. Beautiful and definitely has decades left. One of the best young barolos I’ve ever tasted
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5/28/2018 - JOsgood wrote: 96 Points
Totally off the charts. Just a fantastic young Cascina Francia. So much depth of flavor.
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5/27/2018 - the godfather wrote:
Love this vintage, this was a sexy sexy beast, everything you’d want in a great conterno (converter)
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2/27/2018 - Eric Guido wrote: 92 Points
2008 Barolo Retrospective (Blind tasted) (The North End Grill): The nose showed crushed strawberry, with dusty sweet florals, fleshy ripe plum, licorice and floral undergrowth. On the palate, I found silky textures with gorgeous sweet spices, cool-toned ripe cherry and zesty acidity, as inner floral tones and hints of light tannin coated the senses. The finish was medium-long with hints of saturating tannin, inner rose and minerals. In all honestly, I was disappointed when the Cascina Francia was revealed in this blind tasting, as I had hoped for more from this bottle.
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2/27/2018 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
Double decant, followed by 7 hours of slo-o. What a beautiful bottle of wine. Firing on all cylinders tonight
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1/20/2018 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted in this vertical... different from the 2007, less opulent, more linear and straight, but with impeccable tension and balance. Beautiful aromatics of dark plum, tar, tobacco leaf, minerality, some cedar wood too. It's medium-full bodied, with high acidity and high but ripe tannin providing tension and structure. Excellent.
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10/19/2017 - dchain Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep translucent ruby. Interesting nose of ripe strawberry, cherry, tobacco, pine and leather. Takes some time to open up. Seems very young and tight still. Impeccable balance, ripe but good acidity to bring freshness. Lots going on in the palate, still quite closed and young there too. Will last for ages and lots of upside improvement from here. Picked this up at an average of $120/bottle but getting expensive if the latest auction prices are anything to go by. Beautiful and thought provoking wine.
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10/8/2017 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
It is a very savoury wine with notes of menthol, tar, leather, tobacco and earth. The fruit is all cherry and cassis and becomes more perfumed with air. It is full and complex, with the tart acidity of the vintage and some gentle dryness from the tannins.
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5/1/2017 - Sixchips600 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Followed over 8 hours and was most enjoyable at the end. Nose was beautiful but more subtle than some other vintages. The X factor with this wine is the palate. Smooth and suave with a seductive texture that I normally find only in burgundy. Will be interesting to watch its development with more age.
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11/26/2016 - drwine2001 wrote:
Muddled red throughout. Ah, the aromatics! Sinuous rose, tobacco, and ripe red fruit. Lovely light feel with ever more sap as it goes, gently sweet fruit, and herbal/tobacco leaf complexity. Sound but certainly not high acidity. Surprisingly resolved with low tannins and ready now. Just delicious and very seductive.
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7/31/2016 - DrakkarNoir Likes this wine:
Strawberries, blood orange and roses on the nose. Smooth and relatively open at this point, with a long, tannic finish. Precise and elegant. 14.5% abv.
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4/24/2016 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Dark, animale and surly. It really breathed up in the decanter and showed some licorice, tar, decaying rose and graphite. It is a wine of immense power with impeccable balance and proportion. It has so much drive to the finish and is one of the most deliciously savoury wines you could hope to encounter.
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2/14/2016 - Barry Rothof wrote: 96 Points
Restaurant Fred (Rotterdam, Netherlands): Dark, rich and concentrated nose, followed by deeper powerful flavors of tar, licorice and intense dark fruit. A fascinating Barolo to follow over the coming years and decades.
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1/29/2016 - Burgaddict wrote: 93 Points
Leiden in Rotterdam at Fred: Very powerfull wine, still a bit young. Concentrated dark fruit, intense, charcoal, cedar.
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1/13/2016 - jusuf Likes this wine: 93 Points
On recommendation of Hotel Chef Auriga. Too young. Comes with time and becomes more powerful on the palate. But still seems reduced. Lots of strawberry. Should be better in 5 years or so.
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1/8/2016 - El_Toro Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still very young and full of integrated tannins. Leather, cigar box and sour cherrry. A beautiful and balanced wine with a very long finish. Decanted for 3 hours.
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10/17/2015 - Pknut wrote:
Lovely, pretty, pure nose. Palate is dry, lots of fruit, but the fruit is submerged currently. Lovely purity and grace, but needs much time. Huge acidity. Great purity here. Acker auction, Marea.
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10/1/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dry red and black fruits with notes of tar and coal dust. An underlying earthiness mixed with dry savory herbs. Slight tannic grip. Consumed with tagliatelle and white truffles. 30 minute decant, consumed over 1 hour. I felt the wine could have benefited from more air time. 92+
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9/24/2015 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 97 Points
Explosive aromatics of tobacco, dark red cherries, tar, some flowers, licorice, cedar, also some red berries. It's full bodied, dense but not heavy, with high but top-quality tannin, medium-high acidity. Great length. A fantastic Cascina Francia of the very highest level. It combines power with elegance and silkiness.
Day 2: More structured on day 2. What a great, dark and classic Barolo.
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8/8/2015 - subtlet Likes this wine: 87 Points
Barolo from Traditional Producers (Portland, OR): The nose is primarily dark and earthy. A bit of cherry scents show, but they’re underneath stronger asphalt, charcoal, and plums. There’s an edge of raisin to the nose as well. The raisins show quickly on the palate, along with dark plums with the skins intact. The tannins start out nicely, and they get quite big on the mid palate. Cherries show on the mid palate as well, but the tannins are dominant. Later in the evening, the fruit shows more complexity in the center, but the structural elements are still overwhelming late.
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8/8/2015 - David Paris (dbp) wrote:
The goal: Traditionally produced profound Barolo in classic vintages (My House (Portland, OR)): This wine received a 4 hour decant prior to the event. Immediately upon smelling this wine many of us detected Ethyl acetate and not much else on the nose. Much was discussed as others who have had this wine recently don't recall this fault. There was no doubt it was here, though, making the aromas not very enjoyable. The palate was seemingly rather shut as well, and while soft in texture and offering some pretty fruit as well, still felt a little awkward and out of balance. Puckering and hugely acidic (in a good way) on the finish, but then again developing quite a bit of awkwardness. This is my first time with this vintage so I'm unsure if this is common or not. If I were to score this as is, it'd be 89.
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6/12/2015 - AJ72 wrote: 91 Points
A nice wine to be sure but didn't fall in love with it. A nice level of tarry sweet fruits with a raw grape character that slightly detracted from things a bit. As I get older I'm noticing that a bit with Nebbiolo in particular and it's making me less enamored with it. It did follow an awesome bottle of Chave so maybe I'm being a bit unfair? This was a nice but simpler wine and not because it was too young either. This is my favourite producer so expected more but maybe older age is causing a declining interest in the style as it was more of a wrestle than a priviledge.
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1/22/2015 - galenico Likes this wine: 95 Points
VERTICALE CASCINA FRANCIA (WINETIP): Subito profondo, cupo e scuro, necessita di 45min nel bicchiere per impressionare le platee. La sensazione iniziale è di un vino austero, rigoroso e sicuro di sé.
Da principio sono l' etereità balsamica e allo stesso tempo chimica e la mineralità asciutta che fanno da tappeto agli aromi già quasi adulti.
Il frutto è glassato, ma completamente diverso dalla dolcezza soave dei vini di Giacosa.
Con il tempo si schiude e arrivano i fiori e una tostatura dolce che abbraccia il frutto.
L' ingresso bocca ha un' acidità sostenuta, il frutto è molto dry e il tannino già elegantissimo.
L' etereità fa da vettore per l' esposione di fiori che con il passare dei minuti rivelano un vino di classe superiore. Il legno è ancora in parte da amalgamare, ma è un vino sexy e femminile, a cui non manca un finale salino che rinfresca il sorso e lo rende complesso e cangiante.
Fuoriclasse assoluto
Per chi cerca profumi, sensualità e sensazioni tattili aromatiche, consiglio di lasciar perdere il troppo osannato Monfortino e di spendere meglio ( e meno) soldi, per Cascina Francia.
Consiglio di non aspettare più di 5 anni a berlo, per godersi questa macedonia dei sensi!!
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11/20/2014 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
Tried alongside 2008 versions of Clerico Ciabot Mentin, Oddero Villero, Scavino Cannubi and E. Pira Cannubi. This showed, without a doubt, at the top. The length and richness really differentiated it from the pack. A bit rough at first, took about 45 min before all the elements came into the picture. Wish I had a couple cases of this, as it's validated my benchmark for what is the epitome of barolo and nebbiolo.
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10/25/2013 - paolonardi wrote:
Barolo: (degustato alla cieca) Scoglio, colatura di alici, balsamico, metallo, fiori. un naso meraviglioso. Bocca allucinante con un rincorrersi di sensazioni retro olfattive che copre abbondantemente tutti i sapori che riesco ad immaginare. un vino della madonna. fuoriclasse.
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9/28/2013 - Cheungtp Likes this wine: 94 Points
Barolo Wine Dinner (Metropolitan wine cellar, HK): Enticing aromatics filled with roses, fresh cut grass and red fruits. Fabulously structured, with solid, dense taste notes of stone, red fruits, yet the touches on palate is breath taking, elegant, plush, smooth. Tannins are prominent but superbly refined and tasty. WOTN for me, you can't get enough of it. And it will only get better and better with time!
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7/13/2013 - Vintjener Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely red color. Looks light.
An airy nose, that is extremely elegant and persistent. Red fruit and roses comes flying out.
Light structure yet very firm tannins and a sparkling acidity that made me think of chambolle. It is as easy as it is complex and charming. It is long and the broad array of flavours just goes on.
What a wine.
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4/27/2013 - kenv Likes this wine: 97 Points
2008 Barolo Tasting at Antonio Galloni's La Festa del Barolo (Del Posto Restaurant, NYC): Hands down wine of the tasting. Black fruit, licorice, and a gorgeous perfume with an appealing touch of dirt in the nose. Very earthy and structured. If it puts on weight, as I expect it will, it may rival the 1989. Certainly reminds me of that great wine. 96-98 points.
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4/20/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Funny. I left one open for three days and then drank it. The palate was soft and supple, the perfume was muted but incredibly complex. Then, I opened an bottle and straight away pounded it. Had almost the exact same experience. Not sure what this means. I keep thinking that this wine is going to a "blockbuster" "powerhouse" "big boy" and instead what I get is quiet harmony, with dark fruit and earth tones, everything in its place, nothing being rushed, but also feeling like its not givin' it all up to me. I'll have to put away my 2008 stash for 10 years I guess.
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4/2/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Big and massive, svelt tannins, long integrated finish. Not exactly giving it up right now though. I would hold on, it needs time.
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1/25/2013 - dssmith Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is my first exposure to a Giacomo Conterno Barolo. At 5 years old this is relatively young for when I typically open Barolos, but I wanted to try it now to see if I should buy more. I was impressed. Even in its youth this wine was very drinkable. The color was a beautiful deep red. The bouquet leaped out of the glass -- a pleasant floral sent carried by alcohol fumes. There was a nice balance of fruit and tannin. We did not decant the wine so it might have been fuller with decanting. I will buy more and try to let it sit for 3 or four years. But it is drinkable now so it may be hard to wait.
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12/21/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium to lighter ruby with slight cloudiness. Surprisingly complicated aromatics with faded red fruit, earth and herbs. Again, very approachable on the palate, essentially soft with low tannins. One to drink unusually young, as it is very pleasant and quite advanced now. How could this be the case at just 4 years of age?
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11/5/2012 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Kelly and Kevin’s excellent adventure before WWS 2012; 11/4/2012-11/11/2012 (La Morra): Almost yellow fruits, light caramel, rapsberrry, raisin and tar. Beautifully detailed, mineral, polished and according to Roberto very complete. Not a powerful wine but beautiful and perhaps a mini Monfortino.
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10/23/2012 - Rubinstein wrote: 95 Points
Very dark and dense wine. Just by looking at the colour you sense that there's a monster in the glass. A powerful and expressive nose with e.g. licorice, eucalyptus and a hint ripe peach.
An explosion of flavours on the palate yet very compact and intense wine with loads of potential. Interesting to taste now but way too young. Massive tannins - a bit rough now. 95+++.
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