Textbook Barolo, and one of the best Francesco Rinaldi’s I’ve had. Kept getting better over the the course of 2 days. Really lovely wine. Many years left.
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Super smooth and delicious Barolo that can’t be beat for the price. Just starting its kind drinking window. We decanted for 30 min and a little more would have been nice. Give it time.
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The faded ruby color suggests some maturity but the wine remains structured and fairy tightly wound. Cleanly made with a fine texture and tasty flavors of dark cherry-wood, forest floor and classic tar and rose notes. The finish is tight with good intensity and grip. Perfectly sourced and stored but this bottle is disappointing. Will try another as I really liked this wine in its youth.
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Forsmak solid og mørk. Tobakk og kjemikalier, roser på nesen. Solid maskulin smak. Vokser etter noen timer i åpen flaske. Appelsinskall, kirsebær, kompleks, flott
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Double decanted 8 hours before dinner. Light, clear ruby center with fading and early browning at the rim. Gorgeous aromas of tar, spice, and red fruit-hard to get your nose out of the glass. Medium to light weight. Poised, subtle, perfectly balanced red cherry, soil, acidity, and the slightest bit of herb. Flowing, gentle finish with only light tannins remaining. Fabulous wine, just about fully expressed. I enjoyed every sip of this and each time could not wait to go back to sniff and taste it.
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Outstanding Barolo that seems to be at the beginning of a very nice drinking window. Cherry on the nose and palate as well as floral on the nose. Bod fruit, integrated tannins, and a balanced acidity. Drank over 3 hours after opening, and 1 hour of decant. Was excellent from the start.
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Classic leathery Barolo nose. Mid ruby colour. Tannins prominent, but not dominant (Ha! Nice rhyme!). Tar and roses, with strawberry fruit. I really enjoyed this one.
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Still very fresh for 13 years old, and tannins are still pronounced but in balance. Classic nebbiolo flavors, with a pleasant bitter flavor towards the end. In window for best drinking, but has plenty of time ahead.
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I’m a big fan of this cru and producer and this bottle didn’t disappoint. Double decanted and brought to dinner, 3 hours in was where it started to sing. Sticky tannins, dried orange zest, camphor and an ever deepening palate that referenced leather and cedar without ever settling on any sole reference point. Very enjoyable and still very youthful. Decades left in the tank.
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My bottle shut down hard after 30 minutes, but reopened after a couple hours. I would still say that the tannins are fairly pronounced, but ymmv. Still plenty of classic barolo character. Delicious when it opened back up.
No formal score, but this bottle was open for business. Nice fruit, tannins resolved, some rose petal and hint of tar on the finish. Decanted after opening, stayed fresh on day 2.
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I bought four Brunate and four Cannubi 2010 and drank the first 2010 Cannubi in 2014. It was totally closed. An enigma. So I put these away. Now the first bottle of Brunate, and I was quite anxious; still too early? But, no. What a wine!
A perfectly balanced Barolo in its happy place. Elegant and feminine, but at the same time powerful and structured. Enormous length with a lingering sweet finish. Concentrated and pure fruit, with lovely maturity. Earth, tea, dried rose petal, forret floor and tar.
Drinking beautifully now with decant, but still has a long life ahead.
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Colour: clear medium, red with hint of red brick. Aroma: violet, tea, plum Taste: fullbodied, high and nice acidity, nice tannins. Concentrated and long. Nice developed, structured, balanced.
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Big disappointment. Decanted for 3 hours. No fruit. Certainly past its prime. I have another bottle which I will try and decant a day prior. Real rarity in my distaste for a Barolo
The '10 Francesco Rinaldi Brunate is a textbook Barolo from Brunate. On the nose, I found dark red to black cherry fruit, licorice, dark florals and sweet spices, and a hint of balsamic. On the palate, there is a wave of dark fruit, spices, and a touch of balsamic, and the texture is surprisingly elegant, with fine grained tannins. There is perfect balance and energy, with plenty of power and a long finish, present but fine tannins, and a high level of acidity. It's a very impressive wine, showing better than I would have expected in its youth - particularly in the tannins - but also well balanced to age well as it develops more tertiary nuance.
Pulled the cork on this to close to service time, should have opened and decanted much earlier. Very youthful still. Amazing bouquet in glass, and we enjoyed it but it needed a lot of aeration and did not fully develop. Another bottle in the cellar and we’ll open and decant several hours before we serve it.
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Dinner with Tim, Elliott, Rajiv, and Roger; 5/9/2018-5/11/2018 (San Francisco): Highly aromatic, perfumed, roses, red fruit; palate is light bodied, high tannin, youthful, youthful red fruit, high acidity; medium-long tannic finish. Really nice, lighter and fresher styled Barolo but with plenty of tannins and structure to last decades. Lovely value. 92-93+
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Dinner with Tim, Elliott, Ashish, and Roger (Tim's): awesome. Dense blackberry with classically light barolo. High acid and high tannins - still chewy though showing polish! Leaves. Dried leaves. Perfumed and long. High alcohol that’s well contained. This is classic.
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deep dark burgundy, little clarity, burgundy hue Nose: raspberries, sweet cherries, wet earth, forest, tobacco, green pepper, chocolate, vanilla, oak Pal: raspberries, sweet cherries, wet earth, silver, forest, green pepper, chocolate, vanilla, herbs, oak Feel: medium, round, cloying, touch acidity Finish: medium T7 (a little cloying, wouldn't necessarily pick this out as a Barolo let alone a Brunate)
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This has really closed down since I tried my first bottle on release. Lovely smoky red spice on the nose. Quite tightly wound and closed but I can discern the lovely black cherry and smoky, earthy dark fruit and forest floor spice on the palate. The finish is clamped now even after a 2-hr decant so best to leave this in the cellar now for 10+. 90+
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På nese medium+ intens nese med modne mørke kirsebær og moreller. Litt lær. Noe søtlakris svak fat. Balsamiske toner. Detaljert og parfymert. heftig konsentrasjon i munn. Tett og mørk i frukten. Noe tørket frukt. Medium pluss tanniner trenger tid dette men det visste jeg. Bra balanse og medium pluss lengde. Meget god vin.
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Barolo from Traditional Producers (Portland, OR): This had been open for about 2 hours before tasting. Baked strawberry scents mingled with cedar notes and a touch of heat in the glass. Later in the evening, it became more savory, showing darker spices and roast beef. The palate is full of strawberries and brown earth. Full structure shows on the mid palate, reminding me of strawberry stems. The acidity is good, and some cedar flavors fade into the fruit on the mid palate. The tannins are full, and sink into the gums on the finish. The acidity and strawberry flavors linger nicely on the center of the palate.
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The goal: Traditionally produced profound Barolo in classic vintages (My House (Portland, OR)): Strangely, a bit brownish in color. The aromas offered lovely fresh fruit and some spice notes, including pepper. Strange mineral laced fruit note as well that I couldn't quite place. The palate enters with soft, ripe acidic tartness and ripe fruit. Spicy and tart. Things are quite mellow in the mouth and lightly fruited, but those mellow fruits are fairly pretty and red. As the wine is held in the mouth it builds a woody, gritty tannic sensation. Tart, ripe acid on the finish leaves your mouth really puckered. Flavors are of light red fruit, leather, slight tar, and a hint of alcohol as well. I was able to try this wine on day two where it was more disintegrated and on day three where it was the most linear and complete of the days.
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Lovely transparent ruby color. Somewhat muted nose of tar, cherries and tree bark. This is just lovely and elegant on the palate with classic flavors of tar and roses along with hints of forest floor and woodspice. Medium-bodied with a dry tannic finish and notes of red spice and minerals. Needs time for the tannins to soften but I can already tell how beautiful and elegant this wine will be in 10 years. 93+
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Quite tight at first, but opens up after a few hours. Ripe, but not jammy, fruit with flowers and hints of iron/blood. Nice balance and no problems to drink this now provided that you give it some air. Will keep remaining bottle for 5+ years.
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Great wine. They knocked it out of the park this vintage. This is their best Brunate I have had to date. Perfumed, elegant and powerful. Can't wait to see where this be in a few years.
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Blind, after slow ox'd for a few hours. Balsamic and floral notes dominate the nose, which is discreet, with some cherry. It reminds me of Pinot Noir, a very burgundian expression of Barolo. Beautiful entry on the palate, beautiful fruit, intense, centered and balanced. Finely textured tannins. Finishes on a saline note, with lovely fruit. Drinking very well now. Kept well and drank well even on the fourth day.
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3/10/2024 - festiva wrote: 93 Points
Textbook Barolo, and one of the best Francesco Rinaldi’s I’ve had. Kept getting better over the the course of 2 days. Really lovely wine. Many years left.
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2/3/2024 - LARich Likes this wine: 93 Points
Super smooth and delicious Barolo that can’t be beat for the price. Just starting its kind drinking window. We decanted for 30 min and a little more would have been nice. Give it time.
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7/8/2023 - dream wrote: 87 Points
The faded ruby color suggests some maturity but the wine remains structured and fairy tightly wound. Cleanly made with a fine texture and tasty flavors of dark cherry-wood, forest floor and classic tar and rose notes. The finish is tight with good intensity and grip. Perfectly sourced and stored but this bottle is disappointing. Will try another as I really liked this wine in its youth.
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7/1/2023 - FjordogFjell wrote: 92 Points
Forsmak solid og mørk. Tobakk og kjemikalier, roser på nesen. Solid maskulin smak. Vokser etter noen timer i åpen flaske. Appelsinskall, kirsebær, kompleks, flott
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6/24/2023 - drwine2001 wrote:
Double decanted 8 hours before dinner. Light, clear ruby center with fading and early browning at the rim. Gorgeous aromas of tar, spice, and red fruit-hard to get your nose out of the glass. Medium to light weight. Poised, subtle, perfectly balanced red cherry, soil, acidity, and the slightest bit of herb. Flowing, gentle finish with only light tannins remaining. Fabulous wine, just about fully expressed. I enjoyed every sip of this and each time could not wait to go back to sniff and taste it.
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6/7/2023 - ciesel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding Barolo that seems to be at the beginning of a very nice drinking window. Cherry on the nose and palate as well as floral on the nose. Bod fruit, integrated tannins, and a balanced acidity. Drank over 3 hours after opening, and 1 hour of decant. Was excellent from the start.
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4/29/2023 - Bonesetter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic leathery Barolo nose. Mid ruby colour. Tannins prominent, but not dominant (Ha! Nice rhyme!). Tar and roses, with strawberry fruit. I really enjoyed this one.
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3/19/2023 - leebockus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still very fresh for 13 years old, and tannins are still pronounced but in balance. Classic nebbiolo flavors, with a pleasant bitter flavor towards the end. In window for best drinking, but has plenty of time ahead.
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2/14/2023 - ShakinSwedens Likes this wine:
I’m a big fan of this cru and producer and this bottle didn’t disappoint. Double decanted and brought to dinner, 3 hours in was where it started to sing. Sticky tannins, dried orange zest, camphor and an ever deepening palate that referenced leather and cedar without ever settling on any sole reference point. Very enjoyable and still very youthful. Decades left in the tank.
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1/10/2023 - yofog wrote:
Smells like salami, you know, the real thing. Poised and serene on the palate. Not showy tonight but it's all there.
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10/15/2022 - Lfholland Likes this wine:
My bottle shut down hard after 30 minutes, but reopened after a couple hours. I would still say that the tannins are fairly pronounced, but ymmv. Still plenty of classic barolo character. Delicious when it opened back up.
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5/15/2022 - skifree wrote:
No formal score, but this bottle was open for business. Nice fruit, tannins resolved, some rose petal and hint of tar on the finish. Decanted after opening, stayed fresh on day 2.
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2/14/2022 - the godfather wrote:
Fantastic
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12/31/2021 - guitarkim Likes this wine: 95 Points
I bought four Brunate and four Cannubi 2010 and drank the first 2010 Cannubi in 2014. It was totally closed. An enigma. So I put these away. Now the first bottle of Brunate, and I was quite anxious; still too early? But, no. What a wine!
A perfectly balanced Barolo in its happy place. Elegant and feminine, but at the same time powerful and structured. Enormous length with a lingering sweet finish. Concentrated and pure fruit, with lovely maturity. Earth, tea, dried rose petal, forret floor and tar.
Drinking beautifully now with decant, but still has a long life ahead.
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11/28/2021 - the godfather wrote:
Sexy time, in the zone and delicious
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9/9/2021 - Geillis Likes this wine: 90 Points
Colour: clear medium, red with hint of red brick.
Aroma: violet, tea, plum
Taste: fullbodied, high and nice acidity, nice tannins. Concentrated and long.
Nice developed, structured, balanced.
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12/25/2020 - Red Devils Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Big disappointment. Decanted for 3 hours. No fruit. Certainly past its prime. I have another bottle which I will try and decant a day prior. Real rarity in my distaste for a Barolo
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12/14/2020 - ProfByron wrote: 89 Points
I’ve yet to fall in love with Barolo but this has some freshness without the overt ripe grapeyness (nor alcohol) of some.
Nice savoury drinking.
Cork, 14%
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8/20/2020 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 95 Points
The '10 Francesco Rinaldi Brunate is a textbook Barolo from Brunate. On the nose, I found dark red to black cherry fruit, licorice, dark florals and sweet spices, and a hint of balsamic. On the palate, there is a wave of dark fruit, spices, and a touch of balsamic, and the texture is surprisingly elegant, with fine grained tannins. There is perfect balance and energy, with plenty of power and a long finish, present but fine tannins, and a high level of acidity. It's a very impressive wine, showing better than I would have expected in its youth - particularly in the tannins - but also well balanced to age well as it develops more tertiary nuance.
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1/4/2020 - EastBayPhil Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pulled the cork on this to close to service time, should have opened and decanted much earlier. Very youthful still. Amazing bouquet in glass, and we enjoyed it but it needed a lot of aeration and did not fully develop. Another bottle in the cellar and we’ll open and decant several hours before we serve it.
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1/2/2020 - Roughl Likes this wine:
Enjoyed this bottle with fennel sausage and grilled potatoes. Not the cleanest or clearest example of Barolo, but enjoyable.
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12/27/2019 - pepmi wrote: 89 Points
Echoing other users, this is fading fast. Drinks 10 years older than it is (in my humble opinion).
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12/13/2019 - Jeffyboy wrote: 89 Points
evloving bit too fast I would say. Tertiary aromas leading. bit of a disapointment.
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11/20/2019 - Francophile Likes this wine: 91 Points
A really good Barolo, quite light but smooth.
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8/3/2019 - Roughl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice after a 5 hour decant
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12/31/2018 - JOsgood wrote: flawed
Bottle was advanced and not sound.
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12/31/2018 - the godfather wrote:
I think this was flawed, brown and way advanced, it was pruny and sloppy, nothing like the last bottle that blew me away
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12/25/2018 - Francophile Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice Barolo. Glad I have so many Francesco Rinaldi Barolos across the years.
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11/16/2018 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 89 Points
I’m still to be converted to being a Barolo fan but this is a nice tannic dry savoury wine yet still rich.
Should this be aged? Barolo seems so risky, you have to get the right 1 month window! Ok I exaggerate, but why not drink now, avoid the risk.
{14%, cork}
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9/9/2018 - the godfather wrote:
Wow, open for business, just a beautiful classic Nebbiolo
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5/11/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Tim, Elliott, Rajiv, and Roger; 5/9/2018-5/11/2018 (San Francisco): Highly aromatic, perfumed, roses, red fruit; palate is light bodied, high tannin, youthful, youthful red fruit, high acidity; medium-long tannic finish. Really nice, lighter and fresher styled Barolo but with plenty of tannins and structure to last decades. Lovely value. 92-93+
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5/11/2018 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with Tim, Elliott, Ashish, and Roger (Tim's): awesome. Dense blackberry with classically light barolo. High acid and high tannins - still chewy though showing polish! Leaves. Dried leaves. Perfumed and long. High alcohol that’s well contained. This is classic.
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12/15/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 90 Points
Nebbiolo Tasting (Biondivino, San Francisco): From Barolo. Lighter and a bit more floral nose with roses; youthful tannins. Nice. 90
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11/17/2017 - SMagowan wrote: 91 Points
Opened for three hours or so; no decant. Nice floral notes with a backbone of dried cherry. Very drinkable now.
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10/24/2017 - Frijole wrote:
deep dark burgundy, little clarity, burgundy hue
Nose: raspberries, sweet cherries, wet earth, forest, tobacco, green pepper, chocolate, vanilla, oak
Pal: raspberries, sweet cherries, wet earth, silver, forest, green pepper, chocolate, vanilla, herbs, oak
Feel: medium, round, cloying, touch acidity
Finish: medium
T7
(a little cloying, wouldn't necessarily pick this out as a Barolo let alone a Brunate)
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12/29/2016 - dream Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has really closed down since I tried my first bottle on release. Lovely smoky red spice on the nose. Quite tightly wound and closed but I can discern the lovely black cherry and smoky, earthy dark fruit and forest floor spice on the palate. The finish is clamped now even after a 2-hr decant so best to leave this in the cellar now for 10+. 90+
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7/20/2016 - drej5000 wrote:
På nese medium+ intens nese med modne mørke kirsebær og moreller. Litt lær. Noe søtlakris svak fat. Balsamiske toner. Detaljert og parfymert. heftig konsentrasjon i munn. Tett og mørk i frukten. Noe tørket frukt. Medium pluss tanniner trenger tid dette men det visste jeg. Bra balanse og medium pluss lengde. Meget god vin.
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8/8/2015 - subtlet Likes this wine: 87 Points
Barolo from Traditional Producers (Portland, OR): This had been open for about 2 hours before tasting. Baked strawberry scents mingled with cedar notes and a touch of heat in the glass. Later in the evening, it became more savory, showing darker spices and roast beef. The palate is full of strawberries and brown earth. Full structure shows on the mid palate, reminding me of strawberry stems. The acidity is good, and some cedar flavors fade into the fruit on the mid palate. The tannins are full, and sink into the gums on the finish. The acidity and strawberry flavors linger nicely on the center of the palate.
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8/8/2015 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 90 Points
The goal: Traditionally produced profound Barolo in classic vintages (My House (Portland, OR)): Strangely, a bit brownish in color. The aromas offered lovely fresh fruit and some spice notes, including pepper. Strange mineral laced fruit note as well that I couldn't quite place. The palate enters with soft, ripe acidic tartness and ripe fruit. Spicy and tart. Things are quite mellow in the mouth and lightly fruited, but those mellow fruits are fairly pretty and red. As the wine is held in the mouth it builds a woody, gritty tannic sensation. Tart, ripe acid on the finish leaves your mouth really puckered. Flavors are of light red fruit, leather, slight tar, and a hint of alcohol as well. I was able to try this wine on day two where it was more disintegrated and on day three where it was the most linear and complete of the days.
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6/12/2015 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely transparent ruby color. Somewhat muted nose of tar, cherries and tree bark. This is just lovely and elegant on the palate with classic flavors of tar and roses along with hints of forest floor and woodspice. Medium-bodied with a dry tannic finish and notes of red spice and minerals. Needs time for the tannins to soften but I can already tell how beautiful and elegant this wine will be in 10 years. 93+
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4/8/2015 - aekenback wrote: 92 Points
Quite tight at first, but opens up after a few hours. Ripe, but not jammy, fruit with flowers and hints of iron/blood. Nice balance and no problems to drink this now provided that you give it some air. Will keep remaining bottle for 5+ years.
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4/8/2015 - jrick wrote: 93 Points
Very nice but still a little bit closed. Opened up after several hours.
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2/8/2015 - Jack O'Brien wrote: 93 Points
Great wine. They knocked it out of the park this vintage. This is their best Brunate I have had to date. Perfumed, elegant and powerful. Can't wait to see where this be in a few years.
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2/7/2015 - gilrbo Likes this wine:
Blind, after slow ox'd for a few hours.
Balsamic and floral notes dominate the nose, which is discreet, with some cherry.
It reminds me of Pinot Noir, a very burgundian expression of Barolo.
Beautiful entry on the palate, beautiful fruit, intense, centered and balanced.
Finely textured tannins. Finishes on a saline note, with lovely fruit.
Drinking very well now.
Kept well and drank well even on the fourth day.
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