Deep, brownish red colour; with an aroma full of tertiary flavours. Smells of leather, tobacco and dried fruits, primarily dates. It has a good, moderate intensity and is really clean and beautiful.
The palate has soft, suede tannins. That is to say that they are soft but still have some rather stout texture to them, they tend to coat the mouth but without overstaying. The acidity is very mellow but not to the point of being flabby. This wine is complex, well balanced and displays the flavours of a gracefully aged Nebbiolo.
I had this with a 2010 GD Vajra Albe and it was really amazing how different their development was. The Albe had much fresher, floral, red fruit aroma compared to this one. I definitely wouldn't wait much longer on this one, as it is really as good as it'll get. Just some beautiful, aged Italian wine.
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Med ruby with garnet-brown hue. Nose of raisins, dried red fruit nose, sweet spice, resin/eucalyptus(?)Dry, high acidity, med(+) tannin, medium alcohol and medium(+) body. Rich juicy mouthfeel with baked red fruits, cherry jam minerality, earth, savory palate pepper, Long slightly puckering finish. Complex, structured and restraint, elegant and seducing. In the drinking window.
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No hurry to drink. Evolving beautifully with roses and cherries on the nose. Tannins resolved, good acidity, nice balance. So glad I listened to Isabella and stocked up on these.
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Decanted two hours. Ruby color, full bodied, some bricking, medium legs. Nose muted at first, but it opened up nicely with air. Mature, with dark cherries, garrigue, leather and nice forest undertones coming out. The palate show nice balance with good acidity and chalky tannins that are getting to the integrated phase. Cherries, balsamic vinegar, leather, coffee beans - so complex and so enjoyable. The finish is medium long, with some spice and nicely-integrated oak. An excellent Barbaresco at its peak and at a very attractive price point. Drink within the next 3-4 years.
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Dinner with Rob and Alet (Ingen): Elegant, complex, tar and roses deliciousness with medium acidity and luxurious tannins. Deep very long finish. Has at least 5-10 year cellar development left.
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My first of 3 blts bought after a really fun dinner with the spunky Oddero grand daughter Isabella 7 years ago at LBV in Minneapolis soon after release. Great time that night and I'm not much for industry wine dinners. Isabella was a hoot. After reading other recent notes I decided to slow ox in btl and a Burg glass for six hours prior to Nita's homemade beef stew. And that was a wise decision as this displayed some unresolved tannins upon opening. Color is semi translucent ruby red with Nebbiolo amber edges. Perfuse aromas of roses, berries and light underbrush. The 6 hour slow ox delivered super silky & weightless elegance. This is is a deceptively powerful mix of; red fruit, mineral, tar, licorice and potpourri. Super finessed and deep. Extended air is a friend and I noticed this drinks best in the very low 60s / high 50s. Only negative is 14.5% alc shows a bit if too warm. 93+ Next btl around 2023-2025. This could easily evolve for another 10-15yrs but fantastic today with lots of air and served in Burg glasses. Only trace sediment today.
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I finally realized that this wine requires a minimum of 1-2 hours decant. It also is an extremely old word profile with rustic terroir blood, iron, graphite. Once you understand the profile the wine is actually not bad at all. Reminds me of older vintage Italian.
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Previous notes apply. At dinner with friends but can remember distinctly thinking this is drinking well now and may be getting ready to decline. While it was balanced, good fruit with secondary and tertiary fruit, I felt it was a bit lackluster.
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AT dinner so pop and poor brought classic terroir with meat, leather, smoke. which translated into very smooth tannins, bright red fruit , balance and minimal structure (only flaw). Excellent drinking. Sorry nothing more.
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I though should be drinkable . Decanted briefly . Very tart . After about 30 minutes it started to taste like something decent. Classic roses and tar . Still so tart. I don't know if this was getting better or going down hill in my cellar. Wish I had left it and drank some Chianti or Brunello or cab. Probably needs food. Well made wine. No funk. Getting better in the glass . This is a lot of trouble. Dont want to work this hard to enjoy a glass of wine. Marone!
Wednesday Night WTDS (Corner Table, Mpls): Dark red color. PNP, drank 1+ glass over 90 minutes. Dried dusty flowers on the nose with cassis, raspberry, fine leather, dried earth emerges later. The palate has attractive tannins with good but not aggressive grip, red fruit, strawberry, earthy goodness and a long finish. Already in a good place this should really reward a couple more years in the cellar.
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score is for the last glass on night three, this wine was simply too young, red fruit but the structure and the oak were in the way a bit on nights one and two, also hot on those nights... could def'ly see the future potential on night three when the wine was still bold but you could actually tasted the textured red fruit and the oak/alcohol/acidity had receded just enough to enjoy... a single bottle from my cellar but if you have them i would wait 5-7 years and i predict this hits its stride in 15
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This wine has finesse and character of one of those Barbaresco's that is elegant and refined. The wine has balance and structure with fragrant cherries and black fruit. Medium mouth feel and silky smooth palate and a nice lingering finish of dark cherries. Not aggressive like some but smooth and silky. One of my truly favorite Barbaresco's. Some may feel it is lacking in complexity and depth but it is this balance that makes the wine so pleasant and a great compliment to Italian food. Drinking now and for the next 2-3 years. The tannins are not sufficient for much longer.
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Nebbiolo: Boom! Che naso. Espressivo, generoso, fiori, sale/mare, frutto polposo e croccante, un'idea vegetale da friggitello, netta la complessità, carne cruda, viola appassita, un naso colorato. Acidità biricchina, fresco e leggero con grande struttura. Gastronomico, da provare con una cotoletta alla milanese.
Gallina... most crus have the heart vineyard, and then politics get involved and make the cru bigger, and bigger, particarularlly with monetary success.
So tight and intense on the nose, its there, just not givin' it up easily. Which is usually a sign of greatness. Sweet rose petals and cherries coming out with swirling. And I am being told a purity to the wine, and yes, I would agree. And massive structure.
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Beautiful acid and tannin structure, strawberry, rose petals and tobacco leaf on the nose. Lovely mouth feel with much the same as the nose but with some liquorice and almost milk chocolate on the lovely persistent finish. Very enjoyable!
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Absolutely gorgeous, with aromas of strawberry, wild cherries, licorice, smoke, fresh roses, wet stone and some subtle hints of molasses develop with air contact. Medium-bodied, elegant and refined with a tightly wound structure that finishes up clean, long and very pretty. 100% Nebbiolo aged in French and Austrian oak barrels. Bottling takes place at the end of the summer, with a further six months of bottle aging before release on the market, but have some patience as this will require some more time. (Best 2016-2025) - November, 2012 (JD)
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7/16/2023 - L.S. Silver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep, brownish red colour; with an aroma full of tertiary flavours. Smells of leather, tobacco and dried fruits, primarily dates. It has a good, moderate intensity and is really clean and beautiful.
The palate has soft, suede tannins. That is to say that they are soft but still have some rather stout texture to them, they tend to coat the mouth but without overstaying. The acidity is very mellow but not to the point of being flabby. This wine is complex, well balanced and displays the flavours of a gracefully aged Nebbiolo.
I had this with a 2010 GD Vajra Albe and it was really amazing how different their development was. The Albe had much fresher, floral, red fruit aroma compared to this one. I definitely wouldn't wait much longer on this one, as it is really as good as it'll get. Just some beautiful, aged Italian wine.
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5/16/2023 - Barolo Raymond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Med ruby with garnet-brown hue. Nose of raisins, dried red fruit nose, sweet spice, resin/eucalyptus(?)Dry, high acidity, med(+) tannin, medium alcohol and medium(+) body. Rich juicy mouthfeel with baked red fruits, cherry jam minerality, earth, savory palate pepper,
Long slightly puckering finish. Complex, structured and restraint, elegant and seducing.
In the drinking window.
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12/7/2022 - Kepos wrote: 89 Points
i found it still very hard, fruity core which I usually like a lot was missing, a bit lean and not very complex
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12/7/2022 - gris Likes this wine: 94 Points
No hurry to drink. Evolving beautifully with roses and cherries on the nose. Tannins resolved, good acidity, nice balance. So glad I listened to Isabella and stocked up on these.
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9/8/2022 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted two hours. Ruby color, full bodied, some bricking, medium legs. Nose muted at first, but it opened up nicely with air. Mature, with dark cherries, garrigue, leather and nice forest undertones coming out. The palate show nice balance with good acidity and chalky tannins that are getting to the integrated phase. Cherries, balsamic vinegar, leather, coffee beans - so complex and so enjoyable. The finish is medium long, with some spice and nicely-integrated oak.
An excellent Barbaresco at its peak and at a very attractive price point. Drink within the next 3-4 years.
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7/2/2022 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Rob and Alet (Ingen): Elegant, complex, tar and roses deliciousness with medium acidity and luxurious tannins. Deep very long finish.
Has at least 5-10 year cellar development left.
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10/2/2020 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
My first of 3 blts bought after a really fun dinner with the spunky Oddero grand daughter Isabella 7 years ago at LBV in Minneapolis soon after release. Great time that night and I'm not much for industry wine dinners. Isabella was a hoot. After reading other recent notes I decided to slow ox in btl and a Burg glass for six hours prior to Nita's homemade beef stew. And that was a wise decision as this displayed some unresolved tannins upon opening. Color is semi translucent ruby red with Nebbiolo amber edges. Perfuse aromas of roses, berries and light underbrush. The 6 hour slow ox delivered super silky & weightless elegance. This is is a deceptively powerful mix of; red fruit, mineral, tar, licorice and potpourri. Super finessed and deep. Extended air is a friend and I noticed this drinks best in the very low 60s / high 50s. Only negative is 14.5% alc shows a bit if too warm. 93+ Next btl around 2023-2025. This could easily evolve for another 10-15yrs but fantastic today with lots of air and served in Burg glasses. Only trace sediment today.
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2/4/2020 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
I finally realized that this wine requires a minimum of 1-2 hours decant. It also is an extremely old word profile with rustic terroir blood, iron, graphite. Once you understand the profile the wine is actually not bad at all. Reminds me of older vintage Italian.
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1/3/2020 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
While not over the hill it remains mediocre at best albeit the restaurant owne loved it.
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8/1/2019 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
Pushing the top of the hill ready to come down the other side. At dinner. Sorry no notes. Drank like a good table wine.
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6/14/2019 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
At dinner, no notes other than my note from November 2016. It seems to be maturing well and resolving some of its aggressive tannins. Very pleasant.
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2/17/2019 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
Previous notes apply. At dinner with friends but can remember distinctly thinking this is drinking well now and may be getting ready to decline. While it was balanced, good fruit with secondary and tertiary fruit, I felt it was a bit lackluster.
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11/6/2018 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
AT dinner so pop and poor brought classic terroir with meat, leather, smoke. which translated into very smooth tannins, bright red fruit , balance and minimal structure (only flaw). Excellent drinking. Sorry nothing more.
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7/24/2016 - luigigomboli Likes this wine: 90 Points
I though should be drinkable . Decanted briefly . Very tart . After about 30 minutes it started to taste like something decent. Classic roses and tar . Still so tart. I don't know if this was getting better or going down hill in my cellar. Wish I had left it and drank some Chianti or Brunello or cab. Probably needs food. Well made wine. No funk. Getting better in the glass . This is a lot of trouble. Dont want to work this hard to enjoy a glass of wine. Marone!
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11/4/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Wednesday Night WTDS (Corner Table, Mpls): Dark red color. PNP, drank 1+ glass over 90 minutes. Dried dusty flowers on the nose with cassis, raspberry, fine leather, dried earth emerges later. The palate has attractive tannins with good but not aggressive grip, red fruit, strawberry, earthy goodness and a long finish. Already in a good place this should really reward a couple more years in the cellar.
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10/31/2015 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 91 Points
score is for the last glass on night three, this wine was simply too young, red fruit but the structure and the oak were in the way a bit on nights one and two, also hot on those nights... could def'ly see the future potential on night three when the wine was still bold but you could actually tasted the textured red fruit and the oak/alcohol/acidity had receded just enough to enjoy... a single bottle from my cellar but if you have them i would wait 5-7 years and i predict this hits its stride in 15
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12/6/2014 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
This wine has finesse and character of one of those Barbaresco's that is elegant and refined. The wine has balance and structure with fragrant cherries and black fruit. Medium mouth feel and silky smooth palate and a nice lingering finish of dark cherries. Not aggressive like some but smooth and silky. One of my truly favorite Barbaresco's. Some may feel it is lacking in complexity and depth but it is this balance that makes the wine so pleasant and a great compliment to Italian food. Drinking now and for the next 2-3 years. The tannins are not sufficient for much longer.
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2/6/2014 - paolonardi wrote:
Nebbiolo: Boom! Che naso. Espressivo, generoso, fiori, sale/mare, frutto polposo e croccante, un'idea vegetale da friggitello, netta la complessità, carne cruda, viola appassita, un naso colorato. Acidità biricchina, fresco e leggero con grande struttura. Gastronomico, da provare con una cotoletta alla milanese.
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11/7/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Gallina... most crus have the heart vineyard, and then politics get involved and make the cru bigger, and bigger, particarularlly with monetary success.
So tight and intense on the nose, its there, just not givin' it up easily. Which is usually a sign of greatness. Sweet rose petals and cherries coming out with swirling. And I am being told a purity to the wine, and yes, I would agree. And massive structure.
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8/18/2013 - winefotoz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful acid and tannin structure, strawberry, rose petals and tobacco leaf on the nose. Lovely mouth feel with much the same as the nose but with some liquorice and almost milk chocolate on the lovely persistent finish. Very enjoyable!
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2/19/2013 - skurtz wrote: 88 Points
Too young, but nice. Not a wow.
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12/15/2012 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 92 Points
Absolutely gorgeous, with aromas of strawberry, wild cherries, licorice, smoke, fresh roses, wet stone and some subtle hints of molasses develop with air contact. Medium-bodied, elegant and refined with a tightly wound structure that finishes up clean, long and very pretty. 100% Nebbiolo aged in French and Austrian oak barrels. Bottling takes place at the end of the summer, with a further six months of bottle aging before release on the market, but have some patience as this will require some more time. (Best 2016-2025) - November, 2012 (JD)
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