Piemonte (Barolo & Barbaresco) tasting (at my home): excellent nose Color: Deep garnet with some bricking at the rim. Aroma: Notes of red fruit (cherry, plum), dried flowers (rose, violet), licorice, spices (pepper, clove), leather, tar, and earth. Palate: Full-bodied, with firm but integrated tannins and balanced acidity. Flavors may include red fruit, dried fruit, spice, earth, and leather. The finish should be long and persistent. still at peak, alive and hedonistic!
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Wow. Hard to believe this was 25 years old. I would have guessed more like 2005 vintage. Silky smooth with medium dark fruits of cherry, rose and strawberry with some herbs and tar too. Medium finish and great mouthfeel. Great bottle and better than expected.
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Still very fresh for 24yrs. Red fruit that came forward quickly. No decant, just 10 mins or so swirling in a large Reidel sommelier glass. Very nice, much better than many of the older Barolo I own. Saved half for tmrw…
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Garnet color with brown hues. Subtle nose of roses and earth. Cherry flavors mid palate that persist on moderate length finish. Some tannins still present. Elegant and refined with still some life ahead. Thanks K & K for sharing.
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Deep brownish red color. Aromas of red fruits, earth and rose petals. Medium bodied fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length and well-integrated oak. Surprisingly fresh and tannic for a 20 year old wine. Nicely grainy and complex on the palate. Perhaps a touch too robust for my wife's excellent veal roast with goat cheese mushroom sauce.
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Dark slightly cloudy brick red-brown. Started out tight with a woody nose mixed with tar and dark fruit and hints of rose. Medium bodied with a mouthful of flavor focused on dark tart cherries, blackberries, tar and earthy vanilla, and some cinnamon spice. The wine changed with the tar and cherries jumping out as the clock ticked - more sweet/tart on the finish later as well. My only real disappointment with the wine was the lack of balance (emphasis wood not fruit). Could maybe be a 95-96 for me if the amazing fruit being masked wasn't so new world "barrique" influenced. Appears this wine can handle quite a bit more time in the bottle...
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Lazer's LI Blind (Pine Hollow Country Club): In addition to a total lack of terroir, this missed hitting on any cylinders. Seemingly well made from quality fruit, I was thinking this might be Cabernet Franc or non-traditional Rioja.
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Decanted for 6 hours. Darker brick color. Nose of musky strawberry, tar in spades, vanilla, earth, licorice. Autumnal but still kicky darker plum and strawberry fruit layered with underbrush and asphalt, shot through with oak notes which somehow avoid being a distraction. Lower acidity and moderated tannins. Long finish with a lash of concentrated sweet currant fruit, grip, and tar right at the end which obligates another sip. Impressive wine which might have soared higher without so much oak influence.
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Dark purple, clear. Giant nose of soy, leather, cherry, mushrooms. Moderate acodity and medium tannins. Chewy mouthfeel, with lots of red fruit, moderate oak, beef broth. Long finish. This is awesome - refined and balanced and complex.
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At Scalini Fedeli, Barolo dinner organized by Jay. This had probably 45 minutes of air before drinking. Opned nicely and drank even better as the night progressed...
Medium red color. Big nose, earthy and dark fruits. Some tasters picked up "band-aid", at first seemed unflattering but captured some of the nose profile...not bad. Palate of black fruits, cherry, truffles, earth/dirt, some smoke.
Balanced and probably right in its zone at the moment, would drink over next 5 years. This was my #3 for the evening...
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A nice harmonious effort from Clerico, at peak drinking right now. Medium red to slightly dark with good brick on the rim, this wine offers nice sweet tannins along with a telltale nose of dried flowers, nutmeg, spices and cherry. Still has some grip, though as I suggested, I don't think it has, say, 10 years left in it. 1997 was a very ripe vintage, this wine is holding up surprisingly well, I don't think a well stored bottle of the Pajana would disappoint at any level.
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Provided a striking nose. More subtle than the taste which had a wonderful balance of dark cherry and earthiness. Continued to develop in the glass. Perhaps a decanting would have opened it up even more. Another tasting in five years would be fascinating.
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 9/20/2013 (The Westgate Room, Westgate Hotel): Clear medium ruby-brick red. Wonderful notes of bright red cherries, with a preserved/stewed quality yet somehow retaining their freshness. Welcome supporting notes of mint, leather, incense, evergreen underbrush. With air, eventually picks up some evolved notes of roses and tar. Gripping, mouth-coating tannins off-putting for some. Others remarked "needs meat" or "not a sipping wine." Tied for THIRD PLACE tonight.
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Complex and open nose with roses, tar, cellar and leather. Still tight, but highly drinkable. Rich and concentrated with great texture. Very long almost sweet finish with pleasant acidity.
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App: medium brick red Aroma: ripe cherries, tar, roses, earth, leather, licorice Full-bodied with excellent acidity and fine grained tannins. Velvet like texture, but with nice balance. Great concentration, complex and big barolo. Great length.
Needed two hours in the decanter.
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Nose: opulent sweet aromas of almond, roses, tar and licorice. Taste: balance still a little tilted to the tannins advantage. Texture somewhat rough yet not in an unpleasant way. Perceived alcohol level - above average. Very nice sweetness on the palate, flavours of cherry and roses. Long pleasant finish.
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Decanted for about 90 minutes before drinking with braciole. Aroma of meat/salami and mint at the beginning, but as it went on, the mint seemed to dissipate and some plum and forest floor smell showed. Taste is extremely smooth, yet not terribly complex - it has pure plum flavors. Still had some pretty decent tannins on the finish, so it should last for at least a few more years.
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Pretty light, amber/red color with some copper bricking. Nice, classic Barolo nose or tar, roses and menthol. Lots of acidity. A little shallow on the mid palate, with cherry, spice and menthol carrying through on the palate. Did I mention lots of acidity! Decent amount of tannins left. I question if the fruit will hold up long enough for this to ever totally integrate. Good and nice to drink, but was expecting better.
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Much different than my last experience just a year ago. A wilder, leather and earthy note is out front, while not typical still interesting and much more expressive and alive. More in common with a Thackery field blend than a Barolo at the moment, with an unusual confluence of plum, cherry, pit fruits and earth. Pleasant but caveat for traditionalists. I had been concerned about aging potential but I now recant. I think this has some legs and will likely develop more interest in the coming few years.
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1997 Barolo Retrospective (3 wines) (New Buffalo, Michigan): Opened by Mark. I was expecting more from this wine based upon the expert scores (WS94, WA93, IWC93). Dark red color. The darkest of the 3 1997 Barolo opened. A round texture with rich fruit and notes of lavender, roses and cherries. Medium bodied. This was a modern styled Barolo which could use some additional aging. 91-92 points.
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Very low acid. Tough call on this one. While I don't think it's sufficiently developed, I'm also not completely confident laying these down for an extended period.
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This wine (unlike many 97s) didn't appear ready but also didn't appear to have what it takes to develop into anything nice. Angular, very dark (doesn't look like Nebbiolo) and definitely not my style of Barolo.
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At Quattro, Miami Beach w Bob Muraro and Delia McDonald. Followed the 64 Conterno, also from Monforte d'Alba, and the 97 Ciacci Piccolomino Brunello. Really interesting to contrast a 10 year old Barolo with a 44 year old version from the same commune. The similarities were striking, although the younger Clerico was clearly more intense with sweeter tannins, and a longer finish. Decanted for an hour before travelling to Quattro. My first impression was skeptical, but we allowed it to breathe in bottle for an hour+ at dinner, and by the time we got to it, it began to show its stuff. This wine neeeds air and time. Will hold my remaining Clerico's for a few more years, before trying again.
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Wow, pitch black color. Blind I be would have guessed this to be Victorian Shiraz. Something like Euroa Creek or Giaconda. Its a delicious drink but is it Barolo. Think and viscous on the palate with teeth staining tannins. The wine lacks acid but who cares, this is fun wine. This is a wine that would make a purist blush.
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Served with balsamic-rubbed pork tenderloin on pasta. Dark ruby hue. Nose was brilliant - absolutely packed with bing cherry, strawberry, asphalt, and pine needle scents. Palate was equally intriguing, if less overt, with layers of cherries, tar, cinnamon, and leather all present. Fair amount of glycerin. Sweet, integrated tannins and lovely finish. This wine is just entering its drinking window and will be even more fantastic in 3 to 5 years. Great effort.
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2/1/2024 - Yagil wrote: 94 Points
Piemonte (Barolo & Barbaresco) tasting (at my home): excellent nose
Color: Deep garnet with some bricking at the rim.
Aroma: Notes of red fruit (cherry, plum), dried flowers (rose, violet), licorice, spices (pepper, clove), leather, tar, and earth.
Palate: Full-bodied, with firm but integrated tannins and balanced acidity. Flavors may include red fruit, dried fruit, spice, earth, and leather. The finish should be long and persistent.
still at peak, alive and hedonistic!
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6/4/2022 - Sperls Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. Hard to believe this was 25 years old. I would have guessed more like 2005 vintage. Silky smooth with medium dark fruits of cherry, rose and strawberry with some herbs and tar too. Medium finish and great mouthfeel. Great bottle and better than expected.
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11/4/2021 - wa2ofd Likes this wine:
Still very fresh for 24yrs. Red fruit that came forward quickly. No decant, just 10 mins or so swirling in a large Reidel sommelier glass. Very nice, much better than many of the older Barolo I own. Saved half for tmrw…
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7/9/2020 - KSWinegeek wrote: 94 Points
Garnet color with brown hues. Subtle nose of roses and earth. Cherry flavors mid palate that persist on moderate length finish. Some tannins still present. Elegant and refined with still some life ahead. Thanks K & K for sharing.
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3/13/2020 - hsacks Likes this wine: 90 Points
A touch less fresh than the 9/22/19 bottle.
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9/22/2019 - hsacks Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar to the 6/24/17 bottle except a touch less fresh and intact. Delicious with Cacio di bosco al tartufo cheese. Drink up!
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6/24/2017 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep brownish red color. Aromas of red fruits, earth and rose petals. Medium bodied fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length and well-integrated oak. Surprisingly fresh and tannic for a 20 year old wine. Nicely grainy and complex on the palate. Perhaps a touch too robust for my wife's excellent veal roast with goat cheese mushroom sauce.
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2/28/2017 - bacchusonwine wrote: 93 Points
Dark slightly cloudy brick red-brown. Started out tight with a woody nose mixed with tar and dark fruit and hints of rose. Medium bodied with a mouthful of flavor focused on dark tart cherries, blackberries, tar and earthy vanilla, and some cinnamon spice. The wine changed with the tar and cherries jumping out as the clock ticked - more sweet/tart on the finish later as well. My only real disappointment with the wine was the lack of balance (emphasis wood not fruit). Could maybe be a 95-96 for me if the amazing fruit being masked wasn't so new world "barrique" influenced. Appears this wine can handle quite a bit more time in the bottle...
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11/7/2016 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
3rd time. Similar notes as before. 93 points.
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1/31/2016 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Mark. 2nd time I have had this with similar notes. However, this bottle seemed fuller with darker fruit notes. Going strong. 94 points.
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1/30/2016 - mnoljo wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well medium body very well balanced notes of cherries and hints of earth and tar
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12/13/2015 - ttriant Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark brown color and beautiful aromas of berries and prunes.
Intense flavors, cherries and black berries.
Long finish.
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12/4/2015 - VDLT Wine Does not like this wine:
Lazer's LI Blind (Pine Hollow Country Club): In addition to a total lack of terroir, this missed hitting on any cylinders. Seemingly well made from quality fruit, I was thinking this might be Cabernet Franc or non-traditional Rioja.
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10/10/2015 - ttriant Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark red with hints of brown. Intense nose, sweet mushrooms?
Big cherry flavors, lead, pencil. Long finish.
Drinking well right now.
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3/1/2015 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 6 hours. Darker brick color. Nose of musky strawberry, tar in spades, vanilla, earth, licorice. Autumnal but still kicky darker plum and strawberry fruit layered with underbrush and asphalt, shot through with oak notes which somehow avoid being a distraction. Lower acidity and moderated tannins. Long finish with a lash of concentrated sweet currant fruit, grip, and tar right at the end which obligates another sip. Impressive wine which might have soared higher without so much oak influence.
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2/13/2015 - mhauser Likes this wine:
Dark purple, clear. Giant nose of soy, leather, cherry, mushrooms. Moderate acodity and medium tannins. Chewy mouthfeel, with lots of red fruit, moderate oak, beef broth. Long finish. This is awesome - refined and balanced and complex.
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10/28/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
At Scalini Fedeli, Barolo dinner organized by Jay. This had probably 45 minutes of air before drinking. Opned nicely and drank even better as the night progressed...
Medium red color. Big nose, earthy and dark fruits. Some tasters picked up "band-aid", at first seemed unflattering but captured some of the nose profile...not bad. Palate of black fruits, cherry, truffles, earth/dirt, some smoke.
Balanced and probably right in its zone at the moment, would drink over next 5 years. This was my #3 for the evening...
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8/28/2014 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 93 Points
A nice harmonious effort from Clerico, at peak drinking right now. Medium red to slightly dark with good brick on the rim, this wine offers nice sweet tannins along with a telltale nose of dried flowers, nutmeg, spices and cherry. Still has some grip, though as I suggested, I don't think it has, say, 10 years left in it. 1997 was a very ripe vintage, this wine is holding up surprisingly well, I don't think a well stored bottle of the Pajana would disappoint at any level.
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3/10/2014 - Bbaldinger wrote: 92 Points
Provided a striking nose. More subtle than the taste which had a wonderful balance of dark cherry and earthiness. Continued to develop in the glass. Perhaps a decanting would have opened it up even more. Another tasting in five years would be fascinating.
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9/20/2013 - Javachip wrote: 93 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 9/20/2013 (The Westgate Room, Westgate Hotel): Clear medium ruby-brick red. Wonderful notes of bright red cherries, with a preserved/stewed quality yet somehow retaining their freshness. Welcome supporting notes of mint, leather, incense, evergreen underbrush. With air, eventually picks up some evolved notes of roses and tar. Gripping, mouth-coating tannins off-putting for some. Others remarked "needs meat" or "not a sipping wine." Tied for THIRD PLACE tonight.
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5/1/2013 - larsrog wrote: 92 Points
Complex and open nose with roses, tar, cellar and leather.
Still tight, but highly drinkable. Rich and concentrated with great texture.
Very long almost sweet finish with pleasant acidity.
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4/26/2013 - guitarkim Likes this wine: 93 Points
App: medium brick red
Aroma: ripe cherries, tar, roses, earth, leather, licorice
Full-bodied with excellent acidity and fine grained tannins. Velvet like texture, but with nice balance. Great concentration, complex and big barolo.
Great length.
Needed two hours in the decanter.
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1/31/2013 - JohnFalstaff wrote: 93 Points
Nose: opulent sweet aromas of almond, roses, tar and licorice. Taste: balance still a little tilted to the tannins advantage. Texture somewhat rough yet not in an unpleasant way. Perceived alcohol level - above average. Very nice sweetness on the palate, flavours of cherry and roses. Long pleasant finish.
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12/24/2012 - Brunellobuddy wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color - Strong, could go a few more years.
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12/31/2011 - Wine Sparty wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about 90 minutes before drinking with braciole. Aroma of meat/salami and mint at the beginning, but as it went on, the mint seemed to dissipate and some plum and forest floor smell showed. Taste is extremely smooth, yet not terribly complex - it has pure plum flavors. Still had some pretty decent tannins on the finish, so it should last for at least a few more years.
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8/28/2010 - cadamson wrote: 89 Points
Pretty light, amber/red color with some copper bricking. Nice, classic Barolo nose or tar, roses and menthol. Lots of acidity. A little shallow on the mid palate, with cherry, spice and menthol carrying through on the palate. Did I mention lots of acidity! Decent amount of tannins left. I question if the fruit will hold up long enough for this to ever totally integrate. Good and nice to drink, but was expecting better.
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11/23/2009 - JScott wrote: 92 Points
Much different than my last experience just a year ago. A wilder, leather and earthy note is out front, while not typical still interesting and much more expressive and alive. More in common with a Thackery field blend than a Barolo at the moment, with an unusual confluence of plum, cherry, pit fruits and earth. Pleasant but caveat for traditionalists. I had been concerned about aging potential but I now recant. I think this has some legs and will likely develop more interest in the coming few years.
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3/27/2009 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
1997 Barolo Retrospective (3 wines) (New Buffalo, Michigan): Opened by Mark. I was expecting more from this wine based upon the expert scores (WS94, WA93, IWC93). Dark red color. The darkest of the 3 1997 Barolo opened. A round texture with rich fruit and notes of lavender, roses and cherries. Medium bodied. This was a modern styled Barolo which could use some additional aging. 91-92 points.
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1/29/2009 - JScott wrote: 90 Points
Very low acid. Tough call on this one. While I don't think it's sufficiently developed, I'm also not completely confident laying these down for an extended period.
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12/7/2008 - Rinaldo Piemonte wrote: 86 Points
This wine (unlike many 97s) didn't appear ready but also didn't appear to have what it takes to develop into anything nice. Angular, very dark (doesn't look like Nebbiolo) and definitely not my style of Barolo.
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1/4/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
At Quattro, Miami Beach w Bob Muraro and Delia McDonald. Followed the 64 Conterno, also from Monforte d'Alba, and the 97 Ciacci Piccolomino Brunello. Really interesting to contrast a 10 year old Barolo with a 44 year old version from the same commune. The similarities were striking, although the younger Clerico was clearly more intense with sweeter tannins, and a longer finish. Decanted for an hour before travelling to Quattro. My first impression was skeptical, but we allowed it to breathe in bottle for an hour+ at dinner, and by the time we got to it, it began to show its stuff. This wine neeeds air and time. Will hold my remaining Clerico's for a few more years, before trying again.
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12/9/2007 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 92 Points
Wow, pitch black color. Blind I be would have guessed this to be Victorian Shiraz. Something like Euroa Creek or Giaconda. Its a delicious drink but is it Barolo. Think and viscous on the palate with teeth staining tannins. The wine lacks acid but who cares, this is fun wine. This is a wine that would make a purist blush.
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1/21/2006 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Served with balsamic-rubbed pork tenderloin on pasta. Dark ruby hue. Nose was brilliant - absolutely packed with bing cherry, strawberry, asphalt, and pine needle scents. Palate was equally intriguing, if less overt, with layers of cherries, tar, cinnamon, and leather all present. Fair amount of glycerin. Sweet, integrated tannins and lovely finish. This wine is just entering its drinking window and will be even more fantastic in 3 to 5 years. Great effort.
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