Roagna Exploration Tastings (Morrell Wine Bar & Cafe): The nose was earthy and mature, showing animal musk and minerals up front, followed by rich dark red fruits, and dark brown spices. On the palate, I found a silky expression with dark swirling textural fruits, minerals, savory spice and inner earth tones. The finish was medium-long lingering on earth and spice yet energized by brisk acids with notes of dried cherry, and menthol. This is such a treat and perfectly matured.
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Amazingly primary for a 20+ year old wine, this drinks like it's half its age or less. There's very nice classic nebbiolo fruit of sweet red cherries, plus an interesting slightly green aspect that variously presents as mint/menthol and pine needles. The palate is still densely tannic and structured, but the wine isn't shut down and there's plenty of depth to the fruit to balance out the structure and make this enjoyable. Better with food. Needs at least 5 more years, and probably more than that.
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Incredibly backwards. Still a wall of tannin and biting acidity, tastes less than half its age. Tart cherry fruit. No score as I can't see past the structure enough to evaluate it, even at age 22.
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Bottle # 0007 / 8452. Slow O'd for six hours, then decanted. Served with lamb roast. Light red, though not as light as I expected. Rust at the edges. A gentle nose, a little fruit left, but dominated by standard nebb-notes, usually characterized as tar, leather, and tobacco. I didn't get any floral elements that I enjoy in some Nebbiolos like Giacosa's. On the palate, resolved tannins, medium bodied, good acidity, with tastes that matched the nose. A nice medium finish.
Sips before and after dinner seemed much leaner than the those drunk with the meal. Truly a food wine, in the positive sense.
Surprisingly, the sediment juice at the bottom of the bottle had not oxidized at all the next morning and showed a little of the missing floral elements. (I'm weird, I know.) So I suspect this will last for another 5-10 years.
In my experience, we tend to enjoy tweener nebbiolos best. Young ones don't show the nebbiolo characteristics we enjoy, and older ones tend to have too little fruit for our palates. We'll keep trying older bottles in the name of science though!
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Pleasant and very food friendly. Balanced, with some smell of tar/asphalt, light cherry fruit and a hint of roses on the nose. Surprisingly unevolved, but the tannins are mellowed and it's very pleasant to drink.
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6/7/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
Roagna Exploration Tastings (Morrell Wine Bar & Cafe): The nose was earthy and mature, showing animal musk and minerals up front, followed by rich dark red fruits, and dark brown spices. On the palate, I found a silky expression with dark swirling textural fruits, minerals, savory spice and inner earth tones. The finish was medium-long lingering on earth and spice yet energized by brisk acids with notes of dried cherry, and menthol. This is such a treat and perfectly matured.
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2/8/2018 - danielk168 wrote: 91 Points
fully matured, cork already disintegrating, but the perfume is still there, and very fine tannins. what a pleasure!
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2/6/2015 - kenv wrote:
Gala Dinner at Antonio Galloni's La Festa del Barolo (Four Seasons Restaurant, NYC): Earthy nose. On the palate, the wine is dirty and lacks fruit. Maybe just a bad bottle?
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9/14/2011 - coremill wrote: 90 Points
Amazingly primary for a 20+ year old wine, this drinks like it's half its age or less. There's very nice classic nebbiolo fruit of sweet red cherries, plus an interesting slightly green aspect that variously presents as mint/menthol and pine needles. The palate is still densely tannic and structured, but the wine isn't shut down and there's plenty of depth to the fruit to balance out the structure and make this enjoyable. Better with food. Needs at least 5 more years, and probably more than that.
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9/14/2011 - cooberp wrote:
Incredibly backwards. Still a wall of tannin and biting acidity, tastes less than half its age. Tart cherry fruit. No score as I can't see past the structure enough to evaluate it, even at age 22.
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3/6/2010 - Brady D Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bottle # 0007 / 8452. Slow O'd for six hours, then decanted. Served with lamb roast. Light red, though not as light as I expected. Rust at the edges. A gentle nose, a little fruit left, but dominated by standard nebb-notes, usually characterized as tar, leather, and tobacco. I didn't get any floral elements that I enjoy in some Nebbiolos like Giacosa's. On the palate, resolved tannins, medium bodied, good acidity, with tastes that matched the nose. A nice medium finish.
Sips before and after dinner seemed much leaner than the those drunk with the meal. Truly a food wine, in the positive sense.
Surprisingly, the sediment juice at the bottom of the bottle had not oxidized at all the next morning and showed a little of the missing floral elements. (I'm weird, I know.) So I suspect this will last for another 5-10 years.
In my experience, we tend to enjoy tweener nebbiolos best. Young ones don't show the nebbiolo characteristics we enjoy, and older ones tend to have too little fruit for our palates. We'll keep trying older bottles in the name of science though!
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7/23/2008 - Employee500 wrote: 86 Points
Dirty. Not terribly "old" tasting, but not very nice flavors either. Dirt, tar, cherry. Rough tannin.
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6/10/2008 - Employee500 wrote: 89 Points
Pleasant and very food friendly. Balanced, with some smell of tar/asphalt, light cherry fruit and a hint of roses on the nose. Surprisingly unevolved, but the tannins are mellowed and it's very pleasant to drink.
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