Return to Italy: Pio Cesare, Gaja, Oddero, Tignanello and more (Flour Shop, Charlotte, NC) (Charlotte, NC): 5 hours in advance, Double decanted and then slow-ox’d until serving (lots of sediment). Distinctly rustic nose of dried red cherries, fig, and rose petals. More brick-like and tawney in color. Fully mature on the pallet: nearly all secondary and tertiary notes – dried red fruits and tobacco. As ‘Old World’ as Old World gets. A wonderfully crafted wine though mostly devoid of its primary characteristic at this point. Excellent savory finish. Not a wine for modern Napa Cab drinkers.
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Some cork, not convincing, but too present to give a good tasting note, very earthy, some cocoa and mocca, very pronounced bitters and tannins. Vincent still has a lot of bottles to retaste this wine.
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2017 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/9/2017-11/14/2017 (Villa D’este, Lake Como and Milan): Fully mature masculine nose displaying ripe red and black fruit, dry cherry, cherry brandy, dry fig, sweet spices, caramel, leather and strong iron. Excellent concentration, slightly chunky and rustic dry cherry fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, strong iron/mineral, still noticeable coarse tannins and a long dry cherry and iron driven finish. After 35 years, it remains quite firm and masculine. Sort of old school, can detect anything modern other than concentration.
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The Costa Russi took everything I loved about the ‘82 Barbaresco tasted next it and took it up a notch. Here I found masses of depth in its dark, rich red fruits with sweet spices, undergrowth, and minerals. On the palate, I found silky, almost chewy textures contrasted by zesty acidity with notes of black cherry and dark chocolate, which slowly morphed into a savory expression of dried inner florals, minerals and earth. The finish was wonderfully long and vibrant with spicy sweetness and dried strawberry.
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This will appeal to those like myself who have a palate for older, complex, balanced and non overly fruit-forward wines. Brilliant! Consumed with a chanterelle and morel risotto and rare steak. This was absolutely fabulous. Drinking at its peak now. A food wine, but my, what a wine.
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double decanted for an hour and brought to Eric's home, washed down with his wonderful aglio olio. nose of dried cherries, herbs and flowers. didn't like the harsh tannins, sharp and acidic finish.
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nose: the nose is completely jam packed with floral tones of violets, roses, all sorts of wild flowers, bits of tar, herbs, spice tones, berries and tones of dried cherries. Very complex and dazzling nose that just envelops the nose
taste: polished medium feel with medium+ acidity and fairly well resolved tannins with sexy tones of dried cherries, roses, tar, wild flowers and lots of berries. Waves of flavors and layers that are pure and very balanced
overall: this was a real stunner of a wine. The nose and palate were very balanced but also very deep. The wine was completely transcendent and just wrapped you up in the moment. This wine brought the haunting and beguiling tones that only nebbiolo can bring with age
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clean red color with a edges beginning to brown. a deep nose of red cherries, and yes a little rose petal in the background. this wine was in a great space, starting with a nose touch of acidity but gaining power as it opened. very long still and filled my mouth. in a very good place. WOTN for me
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Some said right on the money, some said needs more time. Really reddish fruit pure nebbilo with elegance. Gathered really impressive length after two hours. My view - will keep and get better if really well stored.
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Sampled 3/28/10. It took a little while to blow off some funk, but this wine held up with wonderful fruit from start to finish for over an hour in the glass. Deep dark ripe but not overripe fruits and currant, with peat, brown herbs and a little Oak. This wine will be good for another 5+ years but if I could find another bottle, I'd not be able to save it. The wine gets an extra point for its ageworthiness.
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Dark red color with some thinning. Aromas of tar, roses, plum, cherry, and a whiff of smoked meat. On the palate, this shows a big fruit tannin profile initially with a tar, leather, tobacco, and violet impression. With an hour in the decanter, red fruits emerge and this starts to really sing. Black truffle, plum, cherry, leather, roses, and tar all feature over the next two hours of consumption. Memorable and compelling wine. Drink or hold.
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Incredible wine. Great aroma, lovely integrated tannins, soft acidity, bright, sweet fruit, beautiful secondaries and complexity, and an incredibly long finish.
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Drank out of a magnum. AMAZING wine. Classic red fruit and tar aromas with flavors of bright, dried cherry and cranberry. Nice balance of acidity, alcohol and fruit. Wonderful wine that is ready to ber enjoyed now.
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Barolo Bash (I Trulli, NYC): Notably darker red, but still translucent. The nose is much less vibrant than the Giacosa. Darker palate and very tight. Needs some air time. Leather notes, dark cherries, some cedar. I think this will improve over the next several years. I suspect this would have also shown even better with an hour or two of decanting. Group's WOTF by a small margin vs the Giacosa.
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3/17/2024 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Soft, inviting, reminds me of a Bordeaux 82. Delightful stewed red fruits. Medium bodied. Long and complex. Drink up.
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9/16/2023 - maaike2 wrote: 94 Points
Kicking and alive combined with great aging.Tobacco, spiciness, elegant along, well balanced acidity. A great wine.
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5/2/2023 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine:
Return to Italy: Pio Cesare, Gaja, Oddero, Tignanello and more (Flour Shop, Charlotte, NC) (Charlotte, NC): 5 hours in advance, Double decanted and then slow-ox’d until serving (lots of sediment). Distinctly rustic nose of dried red cherries, fig, and rose petals. More brick-like and tawney in color. Fully mature on the pallet: nearly all secondary and tertiary notes – dried red fruits and tobacco. As ‘Old World’ as Old World gets. A wonderfully crafted wine though mostly devoid of its primary characteristic at this point. Excellent savory finish. Not a wine for modern Napa Cab drinkers.
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4/13/2023 - Dalex wrote:
Gaja Dinner with Yarom and the gang at Locanda Veneta on April 13th.
Gorgeous nose, palate of blackberry and fig. Full and long finish.
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3/24/2023 - FransS wrote:
Some cork, not convincing, but too present to give a good tasting note, very earthy, some cocoa and mocca, very pronounced bitters and tannins. Vincent still has a lot of bottles to retaste this wine.
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11/22/2022 - johnh1001 wrote: 95 Points
Stunning not as detailed as the Giacosa Santo Riserva but amazing but really kept building
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6/13/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was really great. Lots of acid, fruit was juicy and fresh, just really showing well.
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11/12/2017 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
2017 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/9/2017-11/14/2017 (Villa D’este, Lake Como and Milan): Fully mature masculine nose displaying ripe red and black fruit, dry cherry, cherry brandy, dry fig, sweet spices, caramel, leather and strong iron. Excellent concentration, slightly chunky and rustic dry cherry fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, strong iron/mineral, still noticeable coarse tannins and a long dry cherry and iron driven finish. After 35 years, it remains quite firm and masculine. Sort of old school, can detect anything modern other than concentration.
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4/18/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 95 Points
The Costa Russi took everything I loved about the ‘82 Barbaresco tasted next it and took it up a notch. Here I found masses of depth in its dark, rich red fruits with sweet spices, undergrowth, and minerals. On the palate, I found silky, almost chewy textures contrasted by zesty acidity with notes of black cherry and dark chocolate, which slowly morphed into a savory expression of dried inner florals, minerals and earth. The finish was wonderfully long and vibrant with spicy sweetness and dried strawberry.
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2/6/2014 - la turque wrote: 95 Points
This will appeal to those like myself who have a palate for older, complex, balanced and non overly fruit-forward wines. Brilliant! Consumed with a chanterelle and morel risotto and rare steak. This was absolutely fabulous. Drinking at its peak now. A food wine, but my, what a wine.
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5/16/2012 - Lord Rayas wrote: 88 Points
double decanted for an hour and brought to Eric's home, washed down with his wonderful aglio olio. nose of dried cherries, herbs and flowers. didn't like the harsh tannins, sharp and acidic finish.
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11/11/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 87 Points
pleasant aromas of roses, tar and dried cherries. a little too acidic and dry on the finish for my liking.
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7/29/2011 - KeithAkers wrote: 96 Points
nose: the nose is completely jam packed with floral tones of violets, roses, all sorts of wild flowers, bits of tar, herbs, spice tones, berries and tones of dried cherries. Very complex and dazzling nose that just envelops the nose
taste: polished medium feel with medium+ acidity and fairly well resolved tannins with sexy tones of dried cherries, roses, tar, wild flowers and lots of berries. Waves of flavors and layers that are pure and very balanced
overall: this was a real stunner of a wine. The nose and palate were very balanced but also very deep. The wine was completely transcendent and just wrapped you up in the moment. This wine brought the haunting and beguiling tones that only nebbiolo can bring with age
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7/18/2011 - reichken wrote: 90 Points
clean clear color, bit high on acid annd dry. i think this wine was a fair representation but perhaps a bottle past its day
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7/7/2011 - reichken wrote: 96 Points
clean red color with a edges beginning to brown. a deep nose of red cherries, and yes a little rose petal in the background. this wine was in a great space, starting with a nose touch of acidity but gaining power as it opened. very long still and filled my mouth. in a very good place. WOTN for me
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9/6/2010 - theusualsuspect wrote: 94 Points
Some said right on the money, some said needs more time. Really reddish fruit pure nebbilo with elegance. Gathered really impressive length after two hours. My view - will keep and get better if really well stored.
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6/5/2010 - mxpbuy wrote: 95 Points
Sampled 3/28/10. It took a little while to blow off some funk, but this wine held up with wonderful fruit from start to finish for over an hour in the glass. Deep dark ripe but not overripe fruits and currant, with peat, brown herbs and a little Oak. This wine will be good for another 5+ years but if I could find another bottle, I'd not be able to save it. The wine gets an extra point for its ageworthiness.
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4/17/2010 - fredb Likes this wine:
Dark red color with some thinning. Aromas of tar, roses, plum, cherry, and a whiff of smoked meat. On the palate, this shows a big fruit tannin profile initially with a tar, leather, tobacco, and violet impression. With an hour in the decanter, red fruits emerge and this starts to really sing. Black truffle, plum, cherry, leather, roses, and tar all feature over the next two hours of consumption. Memorable and compelling wine. Drink or hold.
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2/8/2010 - la turque wrote: 98 Points
Incredible wine. Great aroma, lovely integrated tannins, soft acidity, bright, sweet fruit, beautiful secondaries and complexity, and an incredibly long finish.
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11/17/2009 - rwstorer wrote: 95 Points
Drank out of a magnum. AMAZING wine. Classic red fruit and tar aromas with flavors of bright, dried cherry and cranberry. Nice balance of acidity, alcohol and fruit. Wonderful wine that is ready to ber enjoyed now.
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4/26/2008 - la turque wrote: 97 Points
Absolutely brilliant! Will improve further with age, but what an incredible treat!
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3/16/2006 - trankin wrote: 95 Points
Barolo Bash (I Trulli, NYC): Notably darker red, but still translucent. The nose is much less vibrant than the Giacosa. Darker palate and very tight. Needs some air time. Leather notes, dark cherries, some cedar. I think this will improve over the next several years. I suspect this would have also shown even better with an hour or two of decanting. Group's WOTF by a small margin vs the Giacosa.
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