Quite closed on day one, but by day two it’s singing: clove, spice, fig, Christmas cake, violet, truffle, iodine, tar, rose petal, a top note of menthol; palate in perfect balance with ripe, mature tannins giving firm structure, slightly drying on the finish; all in all, in the ideal spot for this wine, just mature enough to have softened completely while maintaining all of its poise and structure.
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Always a pleasure to try such an iconic wine, even with a few sips. Moderate garnet in the glass. Of course, by the color the age is quite obvious, but when you start smelling and sipping, you can't believe that this is so old. Lovely florals dominate the nose in form of violets and hibiscus, then transform into dried berry fruit, fresh tobacco, mocha, some shiitake mushroom. Palate is full of life with medium (+) acidity, grippy tannins and moderate alcohol. Everything is in sync and working beautifully together. Benchmark wine of Barbaresco.
Everything you'd expect in a barbaresco - leather, tobacco, blue/black fruits and sturdy tannins. It is pretty crazy how young this 1996 feels 26 years later. The age has added tertiary characteristics like mushroom and dirt, while the vibrant, concentrated fruit still show signs of youth.
Even after a night of air, this felt like it still had a decade or two in it. Beautiful wine.
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Beautifully evolved , with lovely sweet fruit and refined dark tar spice. Has peaked but on a very gradual decline . Still delicious , with soft fine grained tannins .
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Sunday hangout (and goodbyes) (Chicago, IL): This bottle was more typical of 1996 (at least in my mind) than my last experience with this wine. The fruit is more red-tinted and there are more mature herbal and dried floral notes on the nose. The tannins still feel a little young and grainy, but there should be enough fruit here for the wine to stand up some additional aging.
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1996 Piedmont theme Lunch at Maison Dakota. Tasted blind. Drank in Conterno Sensory. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, garnet colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of dark earth, leather, dark plums, mint. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), structured high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, wth flavours of deep dark plums, dark currants, dark earth, leather, stony minerals, hint of herbal greenness and green mint. Very long powerful finish. Very good quality. Still quite fresh for a 1996. This will probably last quite a few more years easily.
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This was a really nice bottle following a double decant on day one, and stayed at that high level on day 2. Intense on the palate with lovely dark fruit and herb and some leather. Nice long finish with a slight tannic eighth. Full nose of dark fruits and some leather. Drank really well with food and really well by itself, more integrated than the last bottle I had of this 4 years ago.
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Dinner at Nico Osteria: Quite a contrast to the Giacosa - this comes across much darker-fruited and heavier on the palate in contrast. There's more oak apparent in this wine, but it doesn't stick out and instead it's woven into the background of the wine. Like the balance a lot, though I found myself going back to the Giacosa for the aromatic depth there.
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Dinner at Nico Osteria (Chicago, IL): Very intense and typical of the vintage, with more of the black fruit and raw power here. Now this definitely shows nebbiolo tannin, but the fruit profile all in all is more generous and opulent, perhaps even modern? Nonetheless whatever oak treatment this receives is very well done, as there's nothing here that would point you to the modernist camp, aside from the slightly more accessible black fruit. The tannins are still very grippy, and this has plenty of life to live yet.
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From half bottle format. Blind tasted it and guessed it Pretty modern I felt, sweet currant, plum, tea leaves, leather, dried herbs on the nose, on the palate, the tannin was firm and polish, acidity was gentle, there was more spices and tar/leather note on the finish. I think it is a good quality wine, but just not my type of wine.
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Decanted most of the day. I often think the "tar" part of "tar and roses" is overplayed, but not here. Dark and brambly, with anise and black fruit notes. The palate is still youthful and more than a bit chewy, but everything aligns fairly well. There's a ripe sense of sweet fruit to the palate, but that's clipped off by fine but aggressive tannins. Few signs of maturity and there's still a sense of a lot in reserve. Solid.
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Aromas are, at times, quite explosive, but the palate shows a bit more control. For my palate, this is in a good spot now, even if it did get better with each consecutive pour (yes, this will hold for several more years before beginning a gradual decline). Interesting, and enjoyable, but short of excellent, or above. A good food wine, and one that brings a memorably long and layered finish.
Double-decanted 1 hour prior to service, served at cellar temp, and consumed over the following 2 hours.
Gary's Intro Retro -- Italia!: Served double blind. A full attractive nose that is polished and forward. Big black cherry, spice with nice underlying herb and tar. Palate sports black cherry that is bright and starting lose it's baby richness. Bright acidity. Incredible power here. Young, but no longer primary (unlike the '97 tasted immediately before this which was quite primary). My #3 and group #4.
Chicago Wine Flock...Gary Goes Italian (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be a Gaja Barbaresco flight. Charming floral beginning with red cherry throughout and emerging earthiness. Lean and long with plenty of elegant structure. Somehow this and the 1997 in the next glass seem more than a year apart, at least philosophically if not chronologically.
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Dark currant, forest, leather, oak, and earth. Palate is more open vs the previous btl despite shorter aeration. You can tell it is from a weaker vintage because it lacks the depth and intensity of a great gaja. But its really starting to drink well and the fruit and tannins have began to soften. 92+
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Decanted three hours, consumed over next two. Tight initially even after air, last glass drank best. Mature nose of cherry and leather, nice palate with the fruit becoming more pronounced at the end of the bottle. Needs a lot of air to blossom now, many years left.
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Lots of material and classy fruit here, overall quite lovely despite the tannins being drier than ideal but that is what happens when you over-oak wine. This is a food wine, as there is not enough harmony of the elements to be pleasing without the balancing effect of some hearty fare. Still, a nice wine.
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I'm brand new to commenting. Bought two bottles well over ten years ago. Failed to comment on the first one I opened several years ago. But, totally impressed with the second! Intense nose at first opening. Cherry obvious. Over a couple of hours more leather and smoke. Still showing tannins. Just plain good!
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Cherry to maroon color with some bricking in the rim, low opacity but some sediment present, so decanting is highly recommended. Dry, developed and complex nose with initial aromas of smoke, dried sour cherries and potpourri, underneath hints of dried prunes, some leather, a little sous-bois and a whiff of tobacco. A classic bouquet of mature Nebbiolo. On the palate the wine is a lot younger the nose leads to expect: intense, concentrated and complex flavors of sour cherries, tart dark forest fruits, leather, sous-bois and a little tar. Full-bodied but not that big mouthfeel with very lively acidity and pronounced, grainy tannins. However, the wine does not come across as tight or taut, but instead calm, relaxed and approachable. Dry, complex and very long finish with more pronounced oak characteristics; flavors of ripe dark cherries, dried figs, baked spices, smoke, dry wood and a hint of cognac in the aftertaste.
Not the best Barbaresco there is, but still very, very, very good: this wine gives surprisingly much in return for its high price! Even though Gaja is often categorized as a modernist producer, this wine has a lot more in common with the traditionalists than with the sweet, soft and over-oaked modernist wines. Even though this wine seems quite mature already, it still possesses a lot of potential for further cellaring. Pricey, but still worth the 178€.
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Decanted two hours, followed over following three hours. Beautiful mature red color with some bricking. Tar and roses and dark fruits on the nose. Dark cherry and tar on a full palate. Ample tannin still showing, good acidity. Very long and a bit astringent on the finish. This is really nice now and hopefully will improve as the tannins continue to melt.
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Very musky, forest floor, dark fruits, wild berries. It will be great if you let it breathe in the bottle for 4-5 hours. It is not a wine you can just pop and drink right away. Solid effort but not the best gaja barbaresco I had.
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svinbra men fortfarande mycket taniner som stretar emot för att man ska få den där stora Gaja-upplevelsen eller så är det årgången som gör detta vin lite svårt.
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Jag är lite kluven till denna årgång av Gajas Barbaresco. I doften är den underbar med körsbär, aceton och mognadstoner med mull, tobak, tjära och läder. Nästan lite söt i doften. I smaken har den också mycket av dessa toner men samtidigt en bismak av kärnbeska som inte hör hemma i en Barbaresco på denna nivå. Den har fortfarande väldigt påtagliga tanniner och även lite väl mycket alkohol som sticker igenom. Känns på tanninerna som att det skulle ligga många år till men jag tror inte att det har balansen och kvalitéerna att bli bättre än så här.
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Quite sweet nose, with some alcohol and glue/acetone, stable and barnyard, some tobacco and red cherries. Tannins surprisingly present and coarse, given the age of this wine, some traces of oak and vanilla, a little bit hot, but with lovely mature deep red cherries. A really good wine, that is showing surprisingly unrelieved given the age of this bottle. I would cellar this for a few more years, as it has the structure and material to survive, and for things to resolve further and develop and integrate more. 93+
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This was a disappointment. It was a very good wine, but my previous bottle was just so much better. Either my palette has changed in the last 6 years (probably has) or the bottle was just not as good. The previous bottle was 375mL and was mind blowing. This was 750 mL and very well integrated, but just not a standout.
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Needs several hours in the decanter. Ruby with some bricking, tar and tart cherry, tannins still need to integrate a bit. If this comes into complete balance it will be outstanding but it is excellent now, better with food than alone, but well worth drinking either way.
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To me, perfectly mature with a wonderful smell of violets and dark fruits. Really elegant on the palate with complexities that reminded me of mature Burgundy. Yes, I could never tell where this was from in a blind tasting but just the same, it was damn good.
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Decanted two hours, consumed over next three. Youthful in color and mouth, dark red/brown. Tar and spice on the nose, dark cherry, leather on a still somewhat tannic palate. Very long and clean. Great with food. Interesting on its own. Many years left, but not a shame to try now.
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Great wine, quite dark (almost bordeaux like) colour for nebbiolo. Dark cheries, truffles and tobacco nose, rich and balanced on the palate, long long finish. Perfect match with tagliatelle with white truffles.
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Gaja vs. Giacosa Barbaresco Dinner (Scopri): The night stepped up a gear from here. Love the nose on this, cherry and spice, classic tar, rich but not heavy. Quite intense on the palate, again cherry and red fruit, leather and spice. Could use just a little more time for the last remnants of oak to integrate, but wasn't an issue for me.
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 7/15/2012 (Casa Red Guy): Opened and decanted at 4 PM, re-bottled at 5:15 PM, tasted at 8:30 PM. Clear deep dark blood-ruby. At 4 PM the bouquet showed exotic notes of truffles, rose petals, black raspberries and cardamom. By 8:30 the bouquet had settled down to a more straightforward, but still wonderful, profile of bright fresh cherries, berries, leather and spice box. Rich and generous on the palate, balanced and seamless. I recommend little or no decanting, but allowing plenty of time to follow this wine over the course of an evening. My #2, group's FOURTH PLACE (tie).
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First time to add a public tasting note! Worth the ten year wait since I bought two bottles! Decanted for 30 minutes. The nose just kept getting better and better for two hours. Found myself swirling and sniffing constantly throughout the experience. Matched perfectly with braised short ribs! Deep ruby color, nice balance. Long finish! Anticipating the second bottle experience!
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Har ikke notatene foran meg men den var veldig kort. Hadde oppfatning om at den var over toppen. Mye lekkert med den men den hadde svak struktur på tannin-siden. Så ut som en fruktbombe men var ikke det. Uansett var den en spennende vinopplevelse dog skuffende,
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I had this a few years ago, and last night's bottle was identical. A wine that goes from good to great over the night with more air. It starts out very tight, but goes through a metamorphosis that's kind of hard to believe over two hours. Best suggestion is to decant this for a couple of hours. Years of life ahead, but open for business now.
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Had this with a Sunday pizza from Saracino's and it was the best bottle I've had of this so far. Fresh and youthful on the nose with a mixture of red and dark berries. Nice mineral grip in the mouth with a dry finish.
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WOW!!! This is why I love Italian wine and specifically Barbaresco -- this was truely a GREAT bottle of wine opened at its peak and was an unbelievable compliment to the veal saltimbocca! As you can tell I loved it! It smelled of roses, cherries and soft red fruit -- then the taste OMG -- I think I tasted Italy while drinking it -- the tannins and fruit were perfectly balanced. I wish I had more. This just leaves me thinking why do I not have more in my cellar!!
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Dark ruby color with some sign of evolution on the rim. Lots of deposit. Liquorice and red fruits on the nose, somewhat reminiscent of a middle-aged bordeaux. Obvious acidity balancing the tannins. Fading red fruits and acidity on the palate with some leather starting to appear. Sooooooo long! Bellissimo.
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Half Bottle Offline- not as good as some previous bottles. lovely red cherry fruits but also just a touch of bitter finish that didnt seem to want to go away
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Drunk @ Boca di Lupa- i love these half bottles of straight barbaresco, they are in such a nose place still showing cherries and rose petal on the nose and mouth this wine is a great medium weight, drinking well now example of barbaresco
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Medium purpe color, clean and a fresh smell of violets and cherries. even my ten year old son declared it black cherry smell. tastes really good, 12 years on in a half bottle it is still fresh vibrant mostly dark stone fruits and a touch of flowers and tobacco. well balanced on the front and mddle of the mouth with just a slight metallic tinge at the end. last sip a few hours after first had rounded out well and tannins still had some grip. this will be a nice case of wine to work through
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Typically dark color for Gaja. This just oozes class and elegance. Everything is more concentrated yet pure. Fine tannin and loads of dense fruit. Just entering the maturity window but a long life ahead of it.
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Tasting of Wines From Gaja Family Estates (The Wine Summit at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise): Bright ruby in colour; aromas are warm and inviting, with some smoke and roasted nuts to go with the dark fruit – pleasing and fully penetrates the nostrils; flavours are cherry preserves, with the tannins now moderating; dense wine – solid structure; much easier finish than the 2004’s.
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Gaija Gaja led us through this amazing technical tasting at the Post Hotel Wine Summit in Lake Louise Alberta Canada. The beautiful daughter of Angelo was captivating, entertaining, and educational as she walked us thought the family history, vineyard history, and personal knowledge of nine spectacular bottles of wine. The 1996 Barbaresco was a nice drink but had to follow two incredible wines (2004 Sori Tildin and 2004 Sori San Lorenzo). It was purple violet in hue and clung to the glass nicely. My wife really like the smell and feel of this wine proving she is an old world girl. We both picked out aromas of earth eve muddy minerals smells. I get a pleasant but weird (late in the day of great tastings) Essence of Emiril’s original blend smell. I am still acquiring the feel and taste for tannins, but this was positioned as well balanced. It was a great glass of wine but a step down from the two 04s mentioned.
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Tasting Group Dinner - Piedmont (Our House): Third time I've had this. This wine continues to improve with additional bottle age. Initially tight, tannic, and somewhat hard-edged, but opened up beautifully to reveal concentrated dark cherries, roses and lots of tobacco. Tannic and still a touch closed down. Great old-school Barbaresco. I liked this considerably more than most others at the table.
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Piedmont at Siggy's: For some reason this was controversial. The colo ris a beautiful ruby red. The nose is dark and brooding, but features an awesome collection of aromas -- dark fruit, prune/raisin, spice, tar, licorice, smoke, tobacco and a touch of barnyard. Obviously holding back compared to the more forward '97 paired with it. The taste is equally stern but delivers a satisfying blast of pure dark fruit with lovely secondary flavors. Showing more structure than fruit. Extremely tannic. Extremely satisfying finish. Showing well now, but should age gracefully forever.
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2007 Family Xmas; 12/24/2007-12/25/2007 (Alicante): Black and red fruits confiture with sweet spices and an incredible fragrance. Top ten ever wine here. Only half of hour taking some air before. No decanting it. It was at the spanish traditional Christmas lunch: lamb and salad. I love barbaresco. Outstanding bottle.
Confitura de frutos rojos y negros en especias dulces y una fragancia embriagadora. Uno de los mejores vinos que jamás haya probado. Solamente necesitó media hora antes de su servicio, sin decantar. Fue en la comida de Navidad con cordero al horno.
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Dinner with fiends at home, after 1.5 hours in the decanter this wine was showing beautifully, wonderful spicy nose with a followthrough on the palate of black fruit and tobacco. Tannins not very prominent, this wine is ready to drink now.
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An Evening on Mount Nebbiolo (D'Amico Cucina): Beautiful ruby red color. Big, expressive nose offering licorice, tar, rose petal and lead pencil. Awesome. The palate lives up to what the nose promises -- delivering a big, concentrated mouthful of fruit that is both structured and balanced. A great minerality manages to peak through the fruit. There is plenty of tannin, but it is by no means distracting. The finish is long and satisfying. An awesome wine. Easily WOTF.
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Tasting Group Dinner - Piedmont (D'Amico Cucina, Minneapolis): Amazingly rich, deep nose of roses, tar, and earth. The palate shows concentrated, elegant red fruit and lots of minerals, with some interesting mushroom/forest floor secondary characteristics on the midpalate. A notch or two better than the bottle I opened in 4/05. Great stuff. WOTF.
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Deep maroon, with slight amber at the rim. Wow, this has a wonderfully fragrant, classic nose of roses, dried leaves, and spices, followed up by a dense, multi-layered palate of chocolate, tar, leather, and black cherries. Medium body, lively but well-balanced acid, with a long finish that turned just a touch astringent at the very end. A little on the young side, but approachable now.
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Took this to dinner at our local Italian haunt. Decanted with little sediment. Beautiful deep ruby color. Waited an hour to try. The wine evolved considerably over the next 2 hours. Very sweet dark red fruit, rose and tar nose. This is what I love about nebbiolo. Still pretty backward, rich dark fruits and plum with a tannic grip on the long finish. Just a beautiful Barbaresco. I wpould wait 5 more years for this to really sing.
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An outstanding, if not sublime, wine. Complex, tannic, strong earth and black cherry notes. Opened up considerably after about an hour; still, seems like it's quite young. Give it another year and check again.
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Valentino: Rich, intense nose of dark wood, gooey prunes, olives, sweet leather, a hint of chocolate; rich silky smooth mouth--very nice and well-bal; great follow-thru perfect flavors.***Exceptional barbaresco with rich flavors and great elegance and balance.
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12/23/2023 - SussexRH Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite closed on day one, but by day two it’s singing: clove, spice, fig, Christmas cake, violet, truffle, iodine, tar, rose petal, a top note of menthol; palate in perfect balance with ripe, mature tannins giving firm structure, slightly drying on the finish; all in all, in the ideal spot for this wine, just mature enough to have softened completely while maintaining all of its poise and structure.
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3/16/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:
This was beautiful and a consensus wine of the night. At full maturity, we felt it could still go 5 or more additional years without fading.
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3/4/2023 - grapenomad wrote: 94 Points
Always a pleasure to try such an iconic wine, even with a few sips. Moderate garnet in the glass. Of course, by the color the age is quite obvious, but when you start smelling and sipping, you can't believe that this is so old. Lovely florals dominate the nose in form of violets and hibiscus, then transform into dried berry fruit, fresh tobacco, mocha, some shiitake mushroom. Palate is full of life with medium (+) acidity, grippy tannins and moderate alcohol. Everything is in sync and working beautifully together. Benchmark wine of Barbaresco.
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9/25/2022 - SH Wu wrote: 94 Points
Everything you'd expect in a barbaresco - leather, tobacco, blue/black fruits and sturdy tannins. It is pretty crazy how young this 1996 feels 26 years later. The age has added tertiary characteristics like mushroom and dirt, while the vibrant, concentrated fruit still show signs of youth.
Even after a night of air, this felt like it still had a decade or two in it. Beautiful wine.
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7/29/2022 - marcellonegro wrote: 94 Points
Earthy leather and tobacco, still some primary fruit, cherry, dark plum. Tertiary on nose with mushroom, herb.
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7/27/2022 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautifully evolved , with lovely sweet fruit and refined dark tar spice. Has peaked but on a very gradual decline . Still delicious , with soft fine grained tannins .
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7/17/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Sunday hangout (and goodbyes) (Chicago, IL): This bottle was more typical of 1996 (at least in my mind) than my last experience with this wine. The fruit is more red-tinted and there are more mature herbal and dried floral notes on the nose. The tannins still feel a little young and grainy, but there should be enough fruit here for the wine to stand up some additional aging.
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10/7/2021 - Vicchangus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still showing very young, would not guess 25 years old. Cedar and herbal notes. Still a ways to develop
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7/20/2021 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
1996 Piedmont theme Lunch at Maison Dakota. Tasted blind. Drank in Conterno Sensory.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of dark earth, leather, dark plums, mint. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), structured high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, wth flavours of deep dark plums, dark currants, dark earth, leather, stony minerals, hint of herbal greenness and green mint. Very long powerful finish.
Very good quality. Still quite fresh for a 1996. This will probably last quite a few more years easily.
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4/13/2020 - Rechrom wrote: 94 Points
This was a really nice bottle following a double decant on day one, and stayed at that high level on day 2. Intense on the palate with lovely dark fruit and herb and some leather. Nice long finish with a slight tannic eighth. Full nose of dark fruits and some leather. Drank really well with food and really well by itself, more integrated than the last bottle I had of this 4 years ago.
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9/19/2019 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Dinner at Nico Osteria: Quite a contrast to the Giacosa - this comes across much darker-fruited and heavier on the palate in contrast. There's more oak apparent in this wine, but it doesn't stick out and instead it's woven into the background of the wine. Like the balance a lot, though I found myself going back to the Giacosa for the aromatic depth there.
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9/19/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Nico Osteria (Chicago, IL): Very intense and typical of the vintage, with more of the black fruit and raw power here. Now this definitely shows nebbiolo tannin, but the fruit profile all in all is more generous and opulent, perhaps even modern? Nonetheless whatever oak treatment this receives is very well done, as there's nothing here that would point you to the modernist camp, aside from the slightly more accessible black fruit. The tannins are still very grippy, and this has plenty of life to live yet.
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2/22/2019 - Ms. Bubblehead wrote:
From half bottle format. Blind tasted it and guessed it
Pretty modern I felt, sweet currant, plum, tea leaves, leather, dried herbs on the nose, on the palate, the tannin was firm and polish, acidity was gentle, there was more spices and tar/leather note on the finish. I think it is a good quality wine, but just not my type of wine.
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1/28/2018 - psmith wrote: 92 Points
Decanted most of the day. I often think the "tar" part of "tar and roses" is overplayed, but not here. Dark and brambly, with anise and black fruit notes. The palate is still youthful and more than a bit chewy, but everything aligns fairly well. There's a ripe sense of sweet fruit to the palate, but that's clipped off by fine but aggressive tannins. Few signs of maturity and there's still a sense of a lot in reserve. Solid.
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12/19/2017 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Aromas are, at times, quite explosive, but the palate shows a bit more control. For my palate, this is in a good spot now, even if it did get better with each consecutive pour (yes, this will hold for several more years before beginning a gradual decline). Interesting, and enjoyable, but short of excellent, or above. A good food wine, and one that brings a memorably long and layered finish.
Double-decanted 1 hour prior to service, served at cellar temp, and consumed over the following 2 hours.
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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11/3/2017 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Gary's Intro Retro -- Italia!: Served double blind. A full attractive nose that is polished and forward. Big black cherry, spice with nice underlying herb and tar. Palate sports black cherry that is bright and starting lose it's baby richness. Bright acidity. Incredible power here. Young, but no longer primary (unlike the '97 tasted immediately before this which was quite primary). My #3 and group #4.
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11/3/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Chicago Wine Flock...Gary Goes Italian (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in what turned out to be a Gaja Barbaresco flight. Charming floral beginning with red cherry throughout and emerging earthiness. Lean and long with plenty of elegant structure. Somehow this and the 1997 in the next glass seem more than a year apart, at least philosophically if not chronologically.
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10/7/2017 - rlove wrote: flawed
Cooked.
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4/11/2017 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Fun Barbaresco. Still a pup, deep, deep purple. Aromas of licorice, bubble gum and tar.
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4/11/2017 - Burgnick wrote: 92 Points
Dark currant, forest, leather, oak, and earth. Palate is more open vs the previous btl despite shorter aeration. You can tell it is from a weaker vintage because it lacks the depth and intensity of a great gaja. But its really starting to drink well and the fruit and tannins have began to soften. 92+
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3/2/2017 - onboisduvin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Although still young and vibrant, hints of maturity and 2nd bouquet were well expressed. Very enjoyable now or later!
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3/5/2016 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Decanted three hours, consumed over next two. Tight initially even after air, last glass drank best. Mature nose of cherry and leather, nice palate with the fruit becoming more pronounced at the end of the bottle. Needs a lot of air to blossom now, many years left.
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8/12/2015 - lepetitchateau wrote: 93 Points
Lots of material and classy fruit here, overall quite lovely despite the tannins being drier than ideal but that is what happens when you over-oak wine. This is a food wine, as there is not enough harmony of the elements to be pleasing without the balancing effect of some hearty fare. Still, a nice wine.
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6/5/2015 - Atlwinelover Likes this wine: 93 Points
I'm brand new to commenting. Bought two bottles well over ten years ago. Failed to comment on the first one I opened several years ago. But, totally impressed with the second! Intense nose at first opening. Cherry obvious. Over a couple of hours more leather and smoke. Still showing tannins. Just plain good!
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4/20/2015 - forceberry wrote: 95 Points
Cherry to maroon color with some bricking in the rim, low opacity but some sediment present, so decanting is highly recommended. Dry, developed and complex nose with initial aromas of smoke, dried sour cherries and potpourri, underneath hints of dried prunes, some leather, a little sous-bois and a whiff of tobacco. A classic bouquet of mature Nebbiolo. On the palate the wine is a lot younger the nose leads to expect: intense, concentrated and complex flavors of sour cherries, tart dark forest fruits, leather, sous-bois and a little tar. Full-bodied but not that big mouthfeel with very lively acidity and pronounced, grainy tannins. However, the wine does not come across as tight or taut, but instead calm, relaxed and approachable. Dry, complex and very long finish with more pronounced oak characteristics; flavors of ripe dark cherries, dried figs, baked spices, smoke, dry wood and a hint of cognac in the aftertaste.
Not the best Barbaresco there is, but still very, very, very good: this wine gives surprisingly much in return for its high price! Even though Gaja is often categorized as a modernist producer, this wine has a lot more in common with the traditionalists than with the sweet, soft and over-oaked modernist wines. Even though this wine seems quite mature already, it still possesses a lot of potential for further cellaring. Pricey, but still worth the 178€.
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4/4/2015 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Decanted two hours, followed over following three hours. Beautiful mature red color with some bricking. Tar and roses and dark fruits on the nose. Dark cherry and tar on a full palate. Ample tannin still showing, good acidity. Very long and a bit astringent on the finish. This is really nice now and hopefully will improve as the tannins continue to melt.
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2/28/2015 - Burgnick wrote: 92 Points
Very musky, forest floor, dark fruits, wild berries. It will be great if you let it breathe in the bottle for 4-5 hours. It is not a wine you can just pop and drink right away. Solid effort but not the best gaja barbaresco I had.
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9/12/2014 - Pavan wrote: 95 Points
The Nose! Fantastic bouquet with classic roses, violets and dark fruit. Still drinking very well with rounded tannins and excellent structure
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2/21/2014 - MWiking Likes this wine: 94 Points
svinbra men fortfarande mycket taniner som stretar emot för att man ska få den där stora Gaja-upplevelsen eller så är det årgången som gör detta vin lite svårt.
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2/20/2014 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 90 Points
Jag är lite kluven till denna årgång av Gajas Barbaresco.
I doften är den underbar med körsbär, aceton och mognadstoner med mull, tobak, tjära och läder. Nästan lite söt i doften.
I smaken har den också mycket av dessa toner men samtidigt en bismak av kärnbeska som inte hör hemma i en Barbaresco på denna nivå.
Den har fortfarande väldigt påtagliga tanniner och även lite väl mycket alkohol som sticker igenom. Känns på tanninerna som att det skulle ligga många år till men jag tror inte att det har balansen och kvalitéerna att bli bättre än så här.
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2/20/2014 - Ramberg wrote: 93 Points
Quite sweet nose, with some alcohol and glue/acetone, stable and barnyard, some tobacco and red cherries.
Tannins surprisingly present and coarse, given the age of this wine, some traces of oak and vanilla, a little bit hot, but with lovely mature deep red cherries.
A really good wine, that is showing surprisingly unrelieved given the age of this bottle.
I would cellar this for a few more years, as it has the structure and material to survive, and for things to resolve further and develop and integrate more.
93+
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2/20/2014 - Patrik H Likes this wine: 92 Points
On the nose, Blue berries, almond, mineral.
On the palate, Dark berries, sloes, alcohol heat with very tough tannins despite its age.
medium finish
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12/25/2013 - dresden wrote: 91 Points
This was a disappointment. It was a very good wine, but my previous bottle was just so much better. Either my palette has changed in the last 6 years (probably has) or the bottle was just not as good. The previous bottle was 375mL and was mind blowing. This was 750 mL and very well integrated, but just not a standout.
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12/24/2013 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Needs several hours in the decanter. Ruby with some bricking, tar and tart cherry, tannins still need to integrate a bit. If this comes into complete balance it will be outstanding but it is excellent now, better with food than alone, but well worth drinking either way.
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11/4/2013 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
To me, perfectly mature with a wonderful smell of violets and dark fruits. Really elegant on the palate with complexities that reminded me of mature Burgundy. Yes, I could never tell where this was from in a blind tasting but just the same, it was damn good.
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9/14/2013 - lator wrote: flawed
Straight through the cork.
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6/8/2013 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Decanted two hours, consumed over next three. Youthful in color and mouth, dark red/brown. Tar and spice on the nose, dark cherry, leather on a still somewhat tannic palate. Very long and clean. Great with food. Interesting on its own. Many years left, but not a shame to try now.
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1/20/2013 - Goksin wrote:
Great wine, quite dark (almost bordeaux like) colour for nebbiolo. Dark cheries, truffles and tobacco nose, rich and balanced on the palate, long long finish. Perfect match with tagliatelle with white truffles.
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1/20/2013 - peterk wrote: 93 Points
Cherries, spice and leather - beautifully balanced fruit and acidity. Tannin clearly present, but integrated perfectly after a hour.
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9/20/2012 - bendid wrote: 94 Points
Gaja vs. Giacosa Barbaresco Dinner (Scopri): The night stepped up a gear from here. Love the nose on this, cherry and spice, classic tar, rich but not heavy. Quite intense on the palate, again cherry and red fruit, leather and spice. Could use just a little more time for the last remnants of oak to integrate, but wasn't an issue for me.
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7/15/2012 - Javachip wrote: 95 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 7/15/2012 (Casa Red Guy): Opened and decanted at 4 PM, re-bottled at 5:15 PM, tasted at 8:30 PM. Clear deep dark blood-ruby. At 4 PM the bouquet showed exotic notes of truffles, rose petals, black raspberries and cardamom. By 8:30 the bouquet had settled down to a more straightforward, but still wonderful, profile of bright fresh cherries, berries, leather and spice box. Rich and generous on the palate, balanced and seamless. I recommend little or no decanting, but allowing plenty of time to follow this wine over the course of an evening. My #2, group's FOURTH PLACE (tie).
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12/31/2011 - Atlwinelover Likes this wine: 94 Points
First time to add a public tasting note! Worth the ten year wait since I bought two bottles! Decanted for 30 minutes. The nose just kept getting better and better for two hours. Found myself swirling and sniffing constantly throughout the experience. Matched perfectly with braised short ribs! Deep ruby color, nice balance. Long finish! Anticipating the second bottle experience!
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11/25/2011 - spts1000 wrote: 89 Points
a little thin and acidic for my taste, but others really enjoyed
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12/14/2010 - obmoen wrote: 84 Points
Har ikke notatene foran meg men den var veldig kort. Hadde oppfatning om at den var over toppen. Mye lekkert med den men den hadde svak struktur på tannin-siden. Så ut som en fruktbombe men var ikke det. Uansett var den en spennende vinopplevelse dog skuffende,
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8/10/2010 - BradE wrote:
I had this a few years ago, and last night's bottle was identical. A wine that goes from good to great over the night with more air. It starts out very tight, but goes through a metamorphosis that's kind of hard to believe over two hours. Best suggestion is to decant this for a couple of hours. Years of life ahead, but open for business now.
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6/15/2010 - PatrikO wrote: 92 Points
Had this with a Sunday pizza from Saracino's and it was the best bottle I've had of this so far. Fresh and youthful on the nose with a mixture of red and dark berries. Nice mineral grip in the mouth with a dry finish.
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6/6/2010 - rschmidt wrote:
Beautiful and quite ready to drink....Notes to follow.
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5/29/2010 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 100 Points
WOW!!! This is why I love Italian wine and specifically Barbaresco -- this was truely a GREAT bottle of wine opened at its peak and was an unbelievable compliment to the veal saltimbocca! As you can tell I loved it! It smelled of roses, cherries and soft red fruit -- then the taste OMG -- I think I tasted Italy while drinking it -- the tannins and fruit were perfectly balanced. I wish I had more. This just leaves me thinking why do I not have more in my cellar!!
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8/17/2009 - don_quichotte wrote: 95 Points
Dark ruby color with some sign of evolution on the rim. Lots of deposit. Liquorice and red fruits on the nose, somewhat reminiscent of a middle-aged bordeaux. Obvious acidity balancing the tannins. Fading red fruits and acidity on the palate with some leather starting to appear. Sooooooo long! Bellissimo.
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8/4/2009 - reichken wrote: 90 Points
Half Bottle Offline- not as good as some previous bottles. lovely red cherry fruits but also just a touch of bitter finish that didnt seem to want to go away
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7/27/2009 - reichken wrote: 92 Points
Drunk @ Boca di Lupa- i love these half bottles of straight barbaresco, they are in such a nose place still showing cherries and rose petal on the nose and mouth this wine is a great medium weight, drinking well now example of barbaresco
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7/9/2009 - reichken wrote: 93 Points
Medium purpe color, clean and a fresh smell of violets and cherries. even my ten year old son declared it black cherry smell. tastes really good, 12 years on in a half bottle it is still fresh vibrant mostly dark stone fruits and a touch of flowers and tobacco. well balanced on the front and mddle of the mouth with just a slight metallic tinge at the end. last sip a few hours after first had rounded out well and tannins still had some grip. this will be a nice case of wine to work through
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7/17/2008 - nvandyk wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very well right now, though needs time in the decanter to open. Tannins have softened considerably. Very nice.
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6/16/2008 - KellyW wrote: 94 Points
Typically dark color for Gaja. This just oozes class and elegance. Everything is more concentrated yet pure. Fine tannin and loads of dense fruit. Just entering the maturity window but a long life ahead of it.
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5/30/2008 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
Tasting of Wines From Gaja Family Estates (The Wine Summit at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise): Bright ruby in colour; aromas are warm and inviting, with some smoke and roasted nuts to go with the dark fruit – pleasing and fully penetrates the nostrils; flavours are cherry preserves, with the tannins now moderating; dense wine – solid structure; much easier finish than the 2004’s.
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5/30/2008 - ewineguy wrote: 92 Points
Gaija Gaja led us through this amazing technical tasting at the Post Hotel Wine Summit in Lake Louise Alberta Canada. The beautiful daughter of Angelo was captivating, entertaining, and educational as she walked us thought the family history, vineyard history, and personal knowledge of nine spectacular bottles of wine. The 1996 Barbaresco was a nice drink but had to follow two incredible wines (2004 Sori Tildin and 2004 Sori San Lorenzo). It was purple violet in hue and clung to the glass nicely. My wife really like the smell and feel of this wine proving she is an old world girl. We both picked out aromas of earth eve muddy minerals smells. I get a pleasant but weird (late in the day of great tastings) Essence of Emiril’s original blend smell. I am still acquiring the feel and taste for tannins, but this was positioned as well balanced. It was a great glass of wine but a step down from the two 04s mentioned.
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1/30/2008 - Siggy wrote: 94 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Piedmont (Our House): Third time I've had this. This wine continues to improve with additional bottle age. Initially tight, tannic, and somewhat hard-edged, but opened up beautifully to reveal concentrated dark cherries, roses and lots of tobacco. Tannic and still a touch closed down. Great old-school Barbaresco. I liked this considerably more than most others at the table.
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1/30/2008 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 95 Points
Piedmont at Siggy's: For some reason this was controversial. The colo ris a beautiful ruby red. The nose is dark and brooding, but features an awesome collection of aromas -- dark fruit, prune/raisin, spice, tar, licorice, smoke, tobacco and a touch of barnyard. Obviously holding back compared to the more forward '97 paired with it. The taste is equally stern but delivers a satisfying blast of pure dark fruit with lovely secondary flavors. Showing more structure than fruit. Extremely tannic. Extremely satisfying finish. Showing well now, but should age gracefully forever.
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12/25/2007 - Harley1199 Likes this wine: 97 Points
2007 Family Xmas; 12/24/2007-12/25/2007 (Alicante): Black and red fruits confiture with sweet spices and an incredible fragrance. Top ten ever wine here. Only half of hour taking some air before. No decanting it. It was at the spanish traditional Christmas lunch: lamb and salad. I love barbaresco. Outstanding bottle.
Confitura de frutos rojos y negros en especias dulces y una fragancia embriagadora. Uno de los mejores vinos que jamás haya probado. Solamente necesitó media hora antes de su servicio, sin decantar. Fue en la comida de Navidad con cordero al horno.
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10/1/2007 - dresden wrote: 98 Points
Extraordinary. Amazingly long finish. I can still taste this just by smelling the cork.
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9/2/2007 - PatrikO wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with fiends at home, after 1.5 hours in the decanter this wine was showing beautifully, wonderful spicy nose with a followthrough on the palate of black fruit and tobacco. Tannins not very prominent, this wine is ready to drink now.
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1/8/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
An Evening on Mount Nebbiolo (D'Amico Cucina): Beautiful ruby red color. Big, expressive nose offering licorice, tar, rose petal and lead pencil. Awesome. The palate lives up to what the nose promises -- delivering a big, concentrated mouthful of fruit that is both structured and balanced. A great minerality manages to peak through the fruit. There is plenty of tannin, but it is by no means distracting. The finish is long and satisfying. An awesome wine. Easily WOTF.
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1/8/2007 - BradE wrote:
Minneapolis Does Piedmont: Clearly the WOTF. Still tight and lots of oak, but this wine just grew and grew in the glass. A wine to watch!
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1/8/2007 - Siggy wrote:
Tasting Group Dinner - Piedmont (D'Amico Cucina, Minneapolis): Amazingly rich, deep nose of roses, tar, and earth. The palate shows concentrated, elegant red fruit and lots of minerals, with some interesting mushroom/forest floor secondary characteristics on the midpalate. A notch or two better than the bottle I opened in 4/05. Great stuff. WOTF.
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4/21/2005 - KellyW wrote: 93 Points
The nose on this was rather reticent at first. On the palate this wine has a solid core of red fruits along with that earthy and mineral I like.
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4/12/2005 - Siggy wrote: 93 Points
Deep maroon, with slight amber at the rim. Wow, this has a wonderfully fragrant, classic nose of roses, dried leaves, and spices, followed up by a dense, multi-layered palate of chocolate, tar, leather, and black cherries. Medium body, lively but well-balanced acid, with a long finish that turned just a touch astringent at the very end. A little on the young side, but approachable now.
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2/25/2005 - 1800kidney wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed at Bottega...wonderful, fullly developed, will last another 10 years
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2/25/2005 - KellyW wrote: 94 Points
Took this to dinner at our local Italian haunt. Decanted with little sediment. Beautiful deep ruby color. Waited an hour to try. The wine evolved considerably over the next 2 hours. Very sweet dark red fruit, rose and tar nose. This is what I love about nebbiolo. Still pretty backward, rich dark fruits and plum with a tannic grip on the long finish. Just a beautiful Barbaresco. I wpould wait 5 more years for this to really sing.
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2/12/2005 - nvandyk wrote: 90 Points
An outstanding, if not sublime, wine. Complex, tannic, strong earth and black cherry notes. Opened up considerably after about an hour; still, seems like it's quite young. Give it another year and check again.
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5/13/2003 - peternelson wrote: 95 Points
Valentino: Rich, intense nose of dark wood, gooey prunes, olives, sweet leather, a hint of chocolate; rich silky smooth mouth--very nice and well-bal; great follow-thru perfect flavors.***Exceptional barbaresco with rich flavors and great elegance and balance.
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