Community Tasting Notes (41) Avg Score: 94 points

  • An excellent but so very young SGR. The fruit is down right delicious with sweet cherry and plum, spice, florals and smoke. Plenty of fruit richness to absorb and cloak the tannins, so drinkable, but the best is yet to come as this sheds its primary character. Upside from here.

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  • Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VIII (Chicago, IL): Too young. This is a wine of potential right now, but it is definitely impressive. On the darker side of nebbiolo, with the fruit showing most prominently right now. Tons of tannin as well; definitely one to hold.

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  • With Flannery steaks. Decanted about an hour before dinner, could have used more, poured into Sensory stems. Deep garnet color, fully saturated, no noticeable bricking. Nose a little less expressive than I might have expected, but showed deep notes of violets, leather and tar, some earth and spice. Medium to full body, with richness and persistence. Beautifully integrated, still some grip, still some youthful (but not young) fruit. There is a long life ahead on this, with upside for sure. Drinking so well now, though, it's really just a matter of what you like. It was a magic combination with the rich fat of well aged rib steak, cooked over wood coals.

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  • Raisin-licorice; powerful; rustic; coarse; evolving; sharp finish.

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  • Tasted blind next to the 1999 Bartolo Mascarelo. Darker and more tannic, less elegant than its counterpart. Purple fruit, high acidity and very structured. A little on the austere side and I’m not sure it will balance out completely. VG but was outclassed by the Bartolo.

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  • This was a classic but powerful Barolo. Decanted just before serving. It was chewy and persistent, with fat tannins. On the nose rather opulent, with notes of violets and old leather. In the mouth a mix of red and black fruit, rich yet balanced. Very good now though will continue to be great for quite a few years.

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  • Raisin earth nose; elegant yet robust; balanced smooth sweet light cherry and raspberry; long textured finish.

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  • (at Vito's - Baltimore) Classic traditional Barolo. Spice and Worcestershire. Medium bodied and very tight. Lots of tannin on the back end. Will try again tomorrow - lots to like but a bit disjoined this evening. (92+?) This bottle has really benefitted from being opened for a few days. The nose retains its stanch rustic, traditional character. While still youthful, the tannin has integrated a bit and things are much more together. Soulful and a bit wild. If you are in the mood for old school Nebbiolo, this is a good bottle to open. Just make sure to open it far in advance. I think ten years will be beneficial. (93++)

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  • Return to Piemonte!; 11/25/2021-12/4/2021 (Castello di Sinio, Alba, other various locations): Ok - not the producer we expected to be drinking this afternoon, but a quality one nonetheless less and fun to get to have something that I’d say might be right in the drinking window perfectly. I was a bit surprised, this wine was heavier than I expected it to be. Darker berries. More weight in general. It’s drinking well, but it was the entree back in and surprised me a bit.

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  • Everyone loved it, super interesting and plenty of fruit for a traditional style Barolo.

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  • Nose: This was just gorgeous from the outset as it filled the glass with red cherries, herbal spices, raspberries, leather, earth notes, violets, savory herbs, dark red berries, licorice, leather, and tobacco notes. There was great depth and perfume that really drew you in and savor the moment.

    Taste: The feel was Full bodied with tart, high acidity and silky, high tannins. The structure is showing some resolution as the tannins are clearly there, but they aren't the dominant feature. The feel is elegant and deep with red cherries, raspberries, dark red berries, licorice, savory herbs, leather, tobacco notes, and violets.

    Overall: This is firing on all cylinders. What a treat as this hits the levels that really get me going with San Giuseppe. While this will certainly last many more years to come, it is really in its zone right now and it's a thing of beauty.

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  • 30 minute decant brought forth a cherry nose and mouth, with notes of prunes. There is still tanic structure which gives good acidity and a long finish. Drinking very well but with years to go.

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  • couple hr decant, great nose of dark cherry; at first pour seemed a bit of VA coming thru, tasting is full of chewy tannins and good fruit, this never changed with the less than elegant nature I would have expected. Overall a disappointment for me.

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  • This seems young and more structured than the Vignolo next to it. Deep, dark and layered, this is showing notes of dark red and dark fruit, balsamic notes, cedar wood, some tar and dark minerality, as well as licorice. This is full-bodied, imposing and powerful, with medium-high acidity and medium-high tannin that is still pretty present. Long finish. A deep and powerful Barolo that will still need a few more years. Tonight the Vignolo wins this battle on a very high level. (93+)

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  • Here we go atruffling... (aka Piedmont... and Veneto); 11/16/2018-11/30/2018 (Alba, Guarene, Modena, Barolo, La Morra, Lake Garda .....): Since we very much enjoyed our visit to Cavallotto when we were there we were very interested to try a wine that was a bit more 'ready' from them. When we saw this one available in a store in La Morra last week we picked it up and popped the cork last night. This wine is just rocking. Should note - it takes a bit of time to open up. If we'd had a decanter prob would have used that. The beginning it's still a touch tight and maybe a bit tannic. But with some time in the glass it's sweet blackberries and lovely minerals and very balanced and elegant and delicious. Look forward to drinking more of these wines.

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  • This wine has always performed so well, for as long as I've been acquainted with it. Last night, we pulled the cork on one at home (no transport) and decanted immediately off minimal sediment. Served in Riedel Sommelier burg stems, for fun. Nose was deep and dark, almost suggesting a new world ripeness, which did not materialize on the palate. All the right classic Barolo notes chimed in. In the mouth, the richness continued, with terrific balance and persistence. A slight dustiness played around the edges, which could have been from some disturbed sediment I suppose. The tannins were largely resolved, showing as backbone, not a blockade. This was a wine that opened up within the first 5-10 minutes and held in place over the next hour. I don't wish I'd decanted earlier. A real joy to drink. Not fully mature, just starting to show those older Barolo elements, but at such a beautiful place right now. If you like some youthful vigor in your nebbiolo, this is a perfect time for you to open this wine. I will enjoy watching my other bottles evolve over the next 20 years.

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  • made for bold men
    more in line with traditional vinificazione del barolo!
    intense, structured, and rich
    very long life ahead and will only get better
    if not long-decanting, then i'd retry 2020+

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  • Decanted for 2 hours and served with a roast goose. This wine is rocking and has it all. Great depth of flavor with balanced acidity. Tar, rose, light phenols, and an achingly strong grip that lingers on the palate. This was definitely not too early to open it, but I wish I had more. I'd love to taste it again in a decade. I cannot recommend this too highly.

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  • Brought this to Italy with us, so I assume it wasn't showing 100% (I believe in travel shock), but even at less than perfect, this was a rocking good bottle. Opened up with a gorgeous, voluptuous nose of brambly red fruit, quite ripe but not roasted, with all the right leather and violet nuances I expect. The mouthfeel was maybe not totally clean, due to some recent shaking, impacting the texture more than the taste. Other than that, I could find nothing to complain about. Just entering maturing, and definitely worth tasting now if you have a few of them. We decanted about an hour and it could have used more, as it was entering a second gear around the 30 minute mark after pouring. Classic, beautiful barolo. So glad I went long on this one!

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  • Terrific. Drank from magnum. Deep burgundy with fantastic nose. Deep rich smoky Barolo with smooth tannins and long finish. No sign of age. Really great.

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  • Great wine as always. Last bottle. I hope later vintages are as good.

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  • Floral and delicate aromas. Took it for a Barbaresco. Elegant and velvety on the palate. Concentrated and long. A great Barolo.

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  • slo ox'd for 7 hrs, decanted 1 hr. Initially very much intense cherry on the nose and palate, but at serving time, this was pretty much red licorice, tannins were ok but present, good firm wine and years to go.

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  • Crimson ruby red, darker and denser than expected, compared to classic barolos. Floral, tar, some menthol on nose. Dark berries and sour cherries - intense well structured. Power > finesse. This is not even close to its peak maturity, but you will definitely enjoy it now at the age of 17. Decant for few hours, though. This will unleash its potential approaching 3 decades of age.

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  • This bottle truly rocked. On the front edge of a glorious plateau of maturity.

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  • it's been about 5 years since we tried a bottle. A couple of hrs in large decanter and sediment removal. The first thing you notice is the beautiful seductive aromatics dark blue fruit with lots of violets. the field herbs and spices follow. The wine is smooth and broad shouldered yet there is almost an unctuous chewiness from excellent ripeness. This is a beautiful full power baroli with impeccable balance that has entered a nice point of drinkability and should provide several decades of delight. One for the cellar.

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  • Wow stuff going on here. Massive perfume and definitely entering the secondary stage, a winner for sure

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  • Continued Greatness.

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  • Excellent. Exactly the performance one would want from a Cavallotto in a great year. Still young, powerful, very well balanced and showing just a touch softer around the edges at age thirteen. The fruit is deep and is tinged with spice, and the palate shows lots of energy. Great showing. I brought this to dinner with Jackdaw at The Farmer's Table in New Canaan.

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  • rockin good, almost seemed modern next to monprivato

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  • Asher's Birthday Bash - The Big 4-0 (Rothmann's Steakhouse, New York): Together with the Giacosa Barbaresco, this was my favorite of the wines from Piedmont. Another incredibly young wine yet a bit more expressive than the Giacosa and the Conterno. Asher says fireworks in the glass. To me this has a bit more of a rustic character with earthy/sous-bois notes in between the floral, red fruit flavors and spices and tar. Opens up nicely in the glass. Great wine in the making. (16 views)

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  • Far too young. Searingly intense nose of sour cherries and cola; classic Barolo notes towards the finish only hints at the potential to come. Superb.

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  • Opened before Friday morning ice hockey (around 6am) with no decanting, giving it a slow O2 until dinner time around 8:30pm. Served with grilled fillet mignon with Dave and Atsuko. This was beautiful from the get-go with rich black (and a hint of red) fruit, spices and a blast of menthol that showed up in the middle of the meal. Some grip on the tobacco leaf finish. Superb.

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  • Joe G's House - January Offline (Joe G's - Buffalo): Nose: Very obvious nutmeg, baking spice and red fruits. The nose was more savory cinnamon and baking spice than sweet/candy cinnamon.

    Palate: High Tannins but they were sharp and angular, not chewy and round. Flavor profile was tart red fruits, cinnamon, cranberry and floral perfume.

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  • A little alcohol on the nose. Sweet chocolate and spice, this wine has finesse, balance and a medium finish. It needs a bit of time. 92+

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  • Drank at Fascino for my 52nd. Consistently wonderful.

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  • From memory. Drank over approximately 5 hours with no decanting and paired with a grilled medium rare fillet mignon with a balsamic glaze. Started off hot and spicy, the alcohol on the nose and palate threw the balance off, but within an hour of opening, the alcohol settled down. Black fruit, tar, and spice then dominated, but in the mouth, there was an extra wave of flavor of balsamic and soy that rolled through. With more time, the tannins became more pronounced, and brought with them tobacco and cocoa powder along with a big impact on the mouth feel. This bottle was delicious, but still seems very young. There are some terrific flavors, but it is still figuring out what it wants to be when it grows up. If I drink another within the next three years (and I probably will), I will definitely decant.

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  • Outstanding. Drank at the Kushners along with the 2001 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve and the 2000 Villa di Capezzana Ghiaie della Furba and it was my favorite. Adrianne's favorite as well. Clearly drinking well right now. I don't know how it could get better. Too bad I have only one more bottle.

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  • Wow - this is like a grand cru Burgundy in the way it keeps layering itself in waves on the palate one iteration after another, three-dimensional in its depth and with such expansiveness and grip to the red fruit that the material outweighs the tannins, giving it surprising drinkability.

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  • Nice, tasty wine. Rich in fruit, and just enough acid without being too tart. Balanced between red and purple, but hints of spice and rose. Tannins present but velvety, and it feels like this 1999 is coming into readiness. I sense considerable upside potential, especially if the more aromatic fruits wake up. [edit] 24 hours later confirms my first impressions. Strong fruits with supporting acid and just enough tannins. The cherry-plum-tar triangle is well-balanced, and the (less common) aromatic rose-violet seems hiding just underneath. I imagine this will open more in three or four years and be really succulent. (Amazing how robust these borolos are; leave 'em decanted for a couple days and they continue to open rather than fade.) [edit] 48 hours. Bump a point to 95. This just keeps opening into a really tasty wine. Rich, yet balanced after two days. Very, very nice for a $50 range borolo.

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  • TWC does Piedmont (Mark & Dawne's): A rich and full nose dominated by balsamic vinegar, with hints of cherry and leather. The palate is full and rich (and quite long), with herbs, dark cherry and notes of tar. Drinking well now, and still years ahead of it.

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