this had structure in the way for the first four hours for sure... then started to mellow out and was best when drinking the last glass (maybe 7-8 hours after first decant... still quite structured but given the reveal over the decant / drink time it clearly has body underlying... I felt the '78 Borgogno Barolo Riserva was a better drink on this night but got some push back on that from my kids (who are in their 20's but have decent wine experience cuz their dad is a habitual wino)
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Tight upon opening. Sat in the decanter 3 hrs and then leisurely consumed over the next 2.5 hrs. Perfect cork, perfect fill level, bottle in magnificent condition. Wine with just the tiniest blush of bricking, otherwise a rich translucent healthy ruby. Look just as a 25+ yr old Barolo should.
The nose is quite earthy, dark, more brooding than I'd expect. Much more tar than roses. It's very complex, with smells of leather, freshly turned earth, and hay, along with some background aromas of potpourri and black cherries. There is good amount of acidity in the mouth, as well as a moderate degree of smooth, but present, tannins. Again, the tar flavors are more prominent than the fruit, though both are present. Florals are in the background. Tar>Cherries>Roses. Finish is quite long and emphasizes a bitter medicinal note that is actually kind of nice; that particular note being reminiscent of a digestif type bitterness. Not uncommon among some Italian reds.
The bitterness becomes more prominent, and the fruits fade, as the wine sits in the decanter. For me, the sweet spot was just around 4 hrs in a wide decanter, after that, the wine heads downhill.
I'm a very big fan of nebbiolo, and I was very very excited to try this. I've had many nebbiolo-based wines, but this is the highest pedigree I've tried thus far. Admittedly, my expectations were through the roof, and while this was very good, it ultimately didn't quite live up. To me, it was a bit blocky, a bit lacking in fruit, just didn't have that je ne sais quoi of the very best of the best. Very good, and I'd be happy to drink it any day of the week, though probably not at the current price tag unless I have some unexpected financial windfall. Glad to have had it once.
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This starts with a really complex nose with a piney, varnished wood component with other savory leather and dry herb notes. Hints of dried roses and dark red fruits, both pitted and with seeds. To me, the savory and earthy notes that the wine is showing perfectly complements the fruit which is the mark of a mature wine in plateau. It will certainly get more tertiary and had an older profile than the Roddolo. With time in the glass, the fine grained and slightly ferrous tannins show themselves but are whisked away with a bite of food. I have one bottle left that I'll probably drink by 2025. This was double decanted 3.5 hours prior to drinking.
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10th of 12, decanted 80 minutes, perfect cork and level, as bottle noted in July 16, very special with years of interesting development ahead. VF (18.5).
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Popped and poured as the last bottle of the evening; somewhat a tough cookie at first. very traditional and firm, great concentration, red berries, tobacco, tar still quite tannic and young - very good indeed, too early, IMHO #PB
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Very classic and traditional, this shows aromatics of ripe red and dark fruit, tar, tobacco, roasted meat, also some truffle. It‘s medium-full bodied, with excellent freshness and medium-high acidity as well as medium+ and surpisingly (for the vintage) ripe tannin. Very good length. A superb showing of this bottle and a clear standout in this so-so vintage.
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Impressive - an array of ripe red and dark fruit, spice, florality, and lightly tarry notes; it's a big wine on the palate with quite a bit of tannin but also has a regal and graceful palate presence with impressive length.
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This was better tonight than the previous bottle. Sharper and more clarity. Great leather, dark cherry, some black fruits and still a good amount of structure and acidity. Tons of life left in this wine. Good now with upside.
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Popped and poured which is never my desire with good Barolo. Decanted. Lots of sediment even after straining through the decanter. This needs a lot of air. At the open some stewed notes, red fruits, leather, soy. 2 hours later much better - more nuance, more leather, softer, gaining complexity. Needs 4-6 hours of air. Not sure what to make of all the sediment. Good but a little disappointing.
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Lovely rose petals, orange peel and fig notes. Well structured but with very fine, silky tannins and elegance throughout. Evolved slowly in the glass, but not going anywhere in a rush. Terrific wine of the more gentle sort.
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Mama mia what a nose. Earth it is with some rusty cherry. On the palate mid bodied minus, rust, black cherry, so elegant and mushroomy. Reminds me of the Granbussia 1995 we had years ago. Not the greatest wine ever, but a treat of elegance. Drink now-2022, I love this game.
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had at dinner with the Buckley's, this was good but I think too young, med+ bodied, med+ acidity, palate was mostly fruit and purple not red, very four square and while not a fruit bomb it was 99% fruit and little to no secondary elements, I guess one might think the fruit could fade before this gains complexity, but I would bet that won't happen... just a little boring tonight, so I edited my drink dates to 2022 - 2030
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Flighted with the 1996, 1997, and 1998 versions this seemed somewhated higher toned and lighter, it still quite nice on its own, especially the palate. 12 hour decant may have been too much.
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Decanted six hours and rebottled for the restaurant at Alegro Romano in SF. Had a sip on uncorking and wouldn't recommend pnp and twelve hour decant would be even better with no worries of drop off. Gentle perfumed nose. Tannin up front dominate but not overpowering. This has decades left in it. The red fruits are round, somewhat light. Overall a spectacular wine that impressed from the second sip. Such a treat.
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Dinner with Kevin Lee (La Table de Patrick, Cochrane Street, Central, Hong Kong): Decanted several hours before by Kevin then brought to the restaurant where it got another hour ore more before serving. Opaque dusky ruby core but otherwise transparent yet no real signs of bricking. Nose is WOW, perfumed rose petals,warm black tarmac, dried star anise, dried and woody liquorice stick, leather.....all very light and super perfumed. The nose is so mesmerising that you can forget that you also meant to drink it. Palate is similar light but also very earthy liquorice, tar and star anise.......all savoury rather than fruit flavours but not particulary tertiary....quite intruiging and unusual, especially because the sensations appear to have been deliberately concentrated onto the core of the mouth and tongue, mirroring the visual apprarance in the glass. Red brick dust dry tannic finish. Deceptively gentle but long and resonant finish. Thrilling and very memorable. Thanks, Kevin!
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9th of 12, decanted then drunk over the next hour, perfect cork and level, all previous notes from 05-'12 better than fine - deep mat red, brown edge; complex, involving bouquet, plum, black cherry, earth, some spice and black truffle, meat, rose, violet and, W thought, touch of honeycombe; full bodied, almost rich, very long and persistent, quality nuanced fruit, considerably better (and more mature) than previous notes, followed and eclipsed a very fine Rousseau Clos St Jacques 98, though interestingly shared a certain laid back quality allowing the wine to speak for itself, an exciting bottle and my best Barolo to date. VF+ (19)......on this showing I wish I had more of this grower's Barolos in my cellar!
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Definitively a different beast than the two Barbarescos. Darker earth, leather and balsamic notes (but not in that roasted way I hate). I decanted this and left it in the cabinet about 5 hours before dinner before recanting and it helped in terms of the tannin. Maybe it was just from being on the same table as the elegant Burgundies and Barbarescos but this wine felt blocky. Certainly regal. I finished the rest of this a few nights later and ti was still a blocky-er affair than the Barbarescos but was of more interest on its own. The concentration in the wine is noteworthy. Very good in its own right and excellent in the context of the vintage.
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Deep deep purple. Initially reticent aromas of tar and iron and mushroom. But within 15 minutes of decanting, aromas of violet and rose emerged. The final impression was kaleidoscopic--a powerful, youthful Barolo just entering its drinking window.
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I opened this bottle 8 hrs before dinner. This is a serious wine, much darker in color compared to the 1976 Bosconia. There is a lot of material here, dark red fruit, flowers, spices, mushrooms, marks of cedar and pine. To me, a very masculine Barolo, upright in style, by no means understated. May need more time to develop, not sure, but it's a very impressive wine for sure.
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Decanted about an hour prior to serving. Red fruits (strawberry, raspberry, cherries, red currants), mushroom/truffle, medicinal (menthol/camphor), minerals. Tannins are integrating very nicely. Lovely. Only one bottle left. I bought several many years ago, but of course wish I'd grabbed more.
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Right after removing the cork and smelling into the bottle an impressive sweet cherry bouquet flows out. Wow! Had decanted that wine for 8 hrs. In the glass very nice ruby red colour. Here the immense fruit is more in balance with some herbal, earthy notes than in the bottle. On the palate the tannins show being fully integrated, nicely soft, with a pleasant amount of acidity. A really nice 19 years old wine which rescued my attitude to Barolo, since my last tastings have been disappointing to me. Especially compared to the 2000 Oddero Barolo Mondoca I had a week ago there are several levels between these two wines. The Cascina Francia shows much more freshiness / presence even it is 5 years older. Giacomo Conterno is reaching more and more the no1 place in my vineyard fav list.... This wine I can highly recommend, but should be drunken within the next 2-3 years (just my humble opinion). EDIT: On day 2 the wine could not keep the level as on day before! The fruit slightly disappeared. So when open it should be enjoyed completely at the first day.
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Bill's Monthly Lunch - April 2013 (Vancouver, BC): Opened and served 8 hours later. Spearmint, iron and rust on the nose along with tight red fruits (mainly strawberries) and a hint of tobacco. Classically structured with firm and drying tannins and quite a bit of acidity. Energetic yet somewhat tight on the palate. The guesses were either Northern Rhone or Piedmont and once I confirmed Piedmont they went straight to Serralunga. A very traditional wine that needs another 5 years or so. Excellent. 91+
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Briefly decanted and drank over a specially-matched kaiseki dinner with Runny and Fabrice at Kouseki Restaurant in Minato-Aoyama, Tokyo. No formal notes but this was a very soft and plummy, fully mature Barolo with a very nice nose of rose water and autumn leaves. I was surprised how advanced it was. If this bottle was typical then it needs drinking up soon.
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Decanted to remove sediment. Beautiful scents leap from decanter. Drinking really well, just a little on the young side. Had between the 1998-much too young, and the 1990-mature. I liked it the best although other tasters preferred the 90.
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Very little sediment. Ruby red color. A note of strawberry jam upon opening settling in with red fruits, lavender, hints of green tobacco and a little warm alcohol. The palate is fresh and tangy with great acidity. The purity and weightlessness on the palate is noteworthy. This has some tannic strength on the back end which is manageable and enjoyable, particularly while eating. The finish is long and balanced between the red fruit and minerals of asphalt and crushed stone.
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1995 Barolo with Usual Suspects: After the well made but 'where i's Piedmont' modernity, this just exploded on us. Can anyone say tar and roses? Lotsa? The nose leaped from the glass and attacked us. Spices everywhere. Energizer bunny on the palate. Very tannic but boy, this works. Just beginning to mature.
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Decanted for sediment, then consumed over approximately 4 hours along side a 99 Monprivato.
Initially nose showed some old, stewed fruit though this quickly blew off. Nice tar, leather on the nose.
Tannins came out more with time, started quite soft, really filled out after about 1 hr in the glass/decanter. Nice wine all in all, I would say based on this bottle in a pretty great place for drinking now, though don't have enough experience to know if much upside really exists.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Light ruby. Nose of pungent forest underbrush, market spice, mulberries, porcini mushrooms. Delicate tea and woodsy notes vying with black cherry, strawberry, and moca flavors on the palate supported by an undercurrent of austere, structured tannins. Modest acidity but enough to keep things fresh. Finish marked by autumnal fruit and satisfying grip at the end. Elegance, strength, ever-changing character with each sip. What a lovely wine.
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Giacomo Conterno, Cascina Francia Barolo tasting 2010 (Maialino, NYC Lexington and 21st): I find a lot of ‘95’s to be just entering their drinking windows and this was a perfect example. On the nose I found strawberry, rose and with a little probing, sage with a bit of beefy broth. The palate showed more strawberry with sweet tobacco and mineral, earthiness.
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doa. pity. I suspect stoage problems (bought 2 years ago), far more brown than a bottle a year, or so ago. mainly aromas of soy and leathery meat. harsh acidity and out of balance. this usually is a fantastic wine, so I'm chalking this up to a flawed bottle.
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A very complex wine that continued to change personality over the course of the evening. Decanted 1 1/2 hour before dinner and drunk over 3-4 hours. Medum red color. On the outset almost Burgundian in style, very perfumed nose. The fruit aromas are towards pretty red garden fruit like strawberry and framboise. And there is roses here without a doubt. The wine is spicy with a peppery undertone. Elegant and with great finesse. The tannins are not fully resolved and they display a slight bitterness that disappears over the evening. After a few hours, the wine becomes more round and soft and starts to show more earthy, mushy notes with distinct tar and tobacco leaf flavors. There's a bit of licorice as well. The roses are there all night. Great wine that will only become better over time I think.
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Served cool. Brought to a friend's house, uncorked, and served immediately. Slightly dark ruby hue. Nose was familiar and immediate with forest floor, mushrooms, tar, violets, and camphor scents. Despite the lack of decanting time, the palate expressed full, bright cherry and strawberry fruit laced with brooding, woodsy, earthy notes. Tannins fairly moderate with surprisingly amounts of acidity; the wine had a refreshing quality to it. Displayed impeccable balance thoughout the evening. Beautiful, layered wine showing more exuberance than our last taste several years ago.
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Red-brown fading to orange at the rim. Classic herbal bouquet characteristic of these wines. Lavender, almond and a little red fruit. Good structure and acidity. The finish is good. Seems like an off bottle - previous bottles showed rich lovely fruit that is absent here. This loosened up a bit the next day but still fell short of expectations. [90-91]
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Classic barolo, brownish-brickish murky color, varietal aromas of tar, leather and violets. Very good, but not spectacular aromas, precision or length.
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this wine is in such a sweet spot right now. crystaline, sculptured structure with layers of red fruits, licorice and earth. silky, smooth and commanding. beautiful finish, beautiful wine.
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meaty notes float above the licorice, mushrooms, mushrooms and licorice. elegant, rich and a mouthful of tasty tannins. this is just fantastic, lithe and totally satisfying. many wonderful years ahead of it.
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Notes from memory. Ordered off a restaurant wine list. Decanting @30-40 minutes, drunk over the following 90 minutes.
This wine struck me as if it was just waking up from a long slumber. I would not be surprised if this was shut down completely 6 months ago. Only beginning to show earthy tones underneath the acidic licorice, strawberry, and tarry notes. Definitely needs a few more years. I liked this wine but do not expect it to be one of the great CF's.
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This was my first sampling of G. Conterno Franscia. Very, very different. The color was a slightly bricky ruby. When first uncorked (pristine cork, hardly stained), there was absolutely no nose. After decanting and swirling a good bit, there was mucho horse poop "aroma" emanating from the decanter. The palate was mostly tannins. After 3 hours, however, delicate fruit began to appear, plus lots of woodsy, forest floor smells and tastes. As the evening evolved, the expected tar and roses became evident, but the dominant feature on nose and palate was mushrooms! The tannins slowed, and the finish became a long, harmonious, complex study of earth and rusticity. Wow, what a different animal! I want to try this again in a few years just to see what happens.
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Roses, dust, and a classy dose of VA. Rustic, expressive, and individual. A good dose of licorice and a large-scaled tannic core. Really pretty - the best bottle of this I've had and with significant improvement ahead.
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Musty, with some road tar and dusty red roses and sweet candied cherry. Great palate with some charred smoke notes. Big tannins and hard structured - built to last. Some rather strange orange/lemon rind and anise notes but overall a very good bottle after a number of mediocre bottles of this wine. ***/5
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8/7/2022 - Eric wrote:
Piemonte at Madison Park How to Cook a Wolf (Seattle, WA, USA): Mmm, deep, dusky. Oh heck yeah Barolo! Smoky strawberry, really nice structure, great acid, fresh and vibrant.
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1/20/2022 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
this had structure in the way for the first four hours for sure... then started to mellow out and was best when drinking the last glass (maybe 7-8 hours after first decant... still quite structured but given the reveal over the decant / drink time it clearly has body underlying... I felt the '78 Borgogno Barolo Riserva was a better drink on this night but got some push back on that from my kids (who are in their 20's but have decent wine experience cuz their dad is a habitual wino)
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9/2/2021 - NoahCap wrote:
Tight upon opening. Sat in the decanter 3 hrs and then leisurely consumed over the next 2.5 hrs. Perfect cork, perfect fill level, bottle in magnificent condition. Wine with just the tiniest blush of bricking, otherwise a rich translucent healthy ruby. Look just as a 25+ yr old Barolo should.
The nose is quite earthy, dark, more brooding than I'd expect. Much more tar than roses. It's very complex, with smells of leather, freshly turned earth, and hay, along with some background aromas of potpourri and black cherries. There is good amount of acidity in the mouth, as well as a moderate degree of smooth, but present, tannins. Again, the tar flavors are more prominent than the fruit, though both are present. Florals are in the background. Tar>Cherries>Roses. Finish is quite long and emphasizes a bitter medicinal note that is actually kind of nice; that particular note being reminiscent of a digestif type bitterness. Not uncommon among some Italian reds.
The bitterness becomes more prominent, and the fruits fade, as the wine sits in the decanter. For me, the sweet spot was just around 4 hrs in a wide decanter, after that, the wine heads downhill.
I'm a very big fan of nebbiolo, and I was very very excited to try this. I've had many nebbiolo-based wines, but this is the highest pedigree I've tried thus far. Admittedly, my expectations were through the roof, and while this was very good, it ultimately didn't quite live up. To me, it was a bit blocky, a bit lacking in fruit, just didn't have that je ne sais quoi of the very best of the best. Very good, and I'd be happy to drink it any day of the week, though probably not at the current price tag unless I have some unexpected financial windfall. Glad to have had it once.
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2/16/2020 - vulgar little monkey wrote: 94 Points
This starts with a really complex nose with a piney, varnished wood component with other savory leather and dry herb notes. Hints of dried roses and dark red fruits, both pitted and with seeds. To me, the savory and earthy notes that the wine is showing perfectly complements the fruit which is the mark of a mature wine in plateau. It will certainly get more tertiary and had an older profile than the Roddolo. With time in the glass, the fine grained and slightly ferrous tannins show themselves but are whisked away with a bite of food. I have one bottle left that I'll probably drink by 2025. This was double decanted 3.5 hours prior to drinking.
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1/14/2020 - liber Likes this wine: 96 Points
10th of 12, decanted 80 minutes, perfect cork and level, as bottle noted in July 16, very special with years of interesting development ahead. VF (18.5).
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6/27/2019 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured as the last bottle of the evening; somewhat a tough cookie at first. very traditional and firm, great concentration, red berries, tobacco, tar still quite tannic and young - very good indeed, too early, IMHO
#PB
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2/16/2019 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very classic and traditional, this shows aromatics of ripe red and dark fruit, tar, tobacco, roasted meat, also some truffle. It‘s medium-full bodied, with excellent freshness and medium-high acidity as well as medium+ and surpisingly (for the vintage) ripe tannin. Very good length. A superb showing of this bottle and a clear standout in this so-so vintage.
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12/31/2018 - prof b wrote: 94 Points
Dark fruits, heavy tannins, and florality. Very nice.
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12/30/2018 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Impressive - an array of ripe red and dark fruit, spice, florality, and lightly tarry notes; it's a big wine on the palate with quite a bit of tannin but also has a regal and graceful palate presence with impressive length.
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5/10/2018 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was better tonight than the previous bottle. Sharper and more clarity. Great leather, dark cherry, some black fruits and still a good amount of structure and acidity. Tons of life left in this wine. Good now with upside.
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4/13/2018 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured which is never my desire with good Barolo. Decanted. Lots of sediment even after straining through the decanter. This needs a lot of air. At the open some stewed notes, red fruits, leather, soy. 2 hours later much better - more nuance, more leather, softer, gaining complexity. Needs 4-6 hours of air. Not sure what to make of all the sediment. Good but a little disappointing.
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12/11/2017 - Rani Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely rose petals, orange peel and fig notes. Well structured but with very fine, silky tannins and elegance throughout. Evolved slowly in the glass, but not going anywhere in a rush. Terrific wine of the more gentle sort.
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11/30/2017 - AMRS wrote: 94 Points
Mama mia what a nose. Earth it is with some rusty cherry. On the palate mid bodied minus, rust, black cherry, so elegant and mushroomy. Reminds me of the Granbussia 1995 we had years ago. Not the greatest wine ever, but a treat of elegance. Drink now-2022, I love this game.
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11/11/2017 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
had at dinner with the Buckley's, this was good but I think too young, med+ bodied, med+ acidity, palate was mostly fruit and purple not red, very four square and while not a fruit bomb it was 99% fruit and little to no secondary elements, I guess one might think the fruit could fade before this gains complexity, but I would bet that won't happen... just a little boring tonight, so I edited my drink dates to 2022 - 2030
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5/10/2017 - KenK wrote: 91 Points
Flighted with the 1996, 1997, and 1998 versions this seemed somewhated higher toned and lighter, it still quite nice on its own, especially the palate. 12 hour decant may have been too much.
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5/10/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Casual (Mostly) Italian Wine Dinner with Friends (Ballaro - Highwood IL): Very significant Volatile Acidity. In 95/996/97/98 vertical.
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1/14/2017 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted six hours and rebottled for the restaurant at Alegro Romano in SF. Had a sip on uncorking and wouldn't recommend pnp and twelve hour decant would be even better with no worries of drop off. Gentle perfumed nose. Tannin up front dominate but not overpowering. This has decades left in it. The red fruits are round, somewhat light. Overall a spectacular wine that impressed from the second sip. Such a treat.
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11/11/2016 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner with Kevin Lee (La Table de Patrick, Cochrane Street, Central, Hong Kong): Decanted several hours before by Kevin then brought to the restaurant where it got another hour ore more before serving. Opaque dusky ruby core but otherwise transparent yet no real signs of bricking. Nose is WOW, perfumed rose petals,warm black tarmac, dried star anise, dried and woody liquorice stick, leather.....all very light and super perfumed. The nose is so mesmerising that you can forget that you also meant to drink it. Palate is similar light but also very earthy liquorice, tar and star anise.......all savoury rather than fruit flavours but not particulary tertiary....quite intruiging and unusual, especially because the sensations appear to have been deliberately concentrated onto the core of the mouth and tongue, mirroring the visual apprarance in the glass. Red brick dust dry tannic finish. Deceptively gentle but long and resonant finish. Thrilling and very memorable. Thanks, Kevin!
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7/26/2016 - liber Likes this wine: 96 Points
9th of 12, decanted then drunk over the next hour, perfect cork and level, all previous notes from 05-'12 better than fine - deep mat red, brown edge; complex, involving bouquet, plum, black cherry, earth, some spice and black truffle, meat, rose, violet and, W thought, touch of honeycombe; full bodied, almost rich, very long and persistent, quality nuanced fruit, considerably better (and more mature) than previous notes, followed and eclipsed a very fine Rousseau Clos St Jacques 98, though interestingly shared a certain laid back quality allowing the wine to speak for itself, an exciting bottle and my best Barolo to date. VF+ (19)......on this showing I wish I had more of this grower's Barolos in my cellar!
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4/16/2016 - vulgar little monkey wrote: 92 Points
Definitively a different beast than the two Barbarescos. Darker earth, leather and balsamic notes (but not in that roasted way I hate). I decanted this and left it in the cabinet about 5 hours before dinner before recanting and it helped in terms of the tannin. Maybe it was just from being on the same table as the elegant Burgundies and Barbarescos but this wine felt blocky. Certainly regal. I finished the rest of this a few nights later and ti was still a blocky-er affair than the Barbarescos but was of more interest on its own. The concentration in the wine is noteworthy. Very good in its own right and excellent in the context of the vintage.
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1/2/2016 - Mistress of Wine Likes this wine:
Deep deep purple. Initially reticent aromas of tar and iron and mushroom. But within 15 minutes of decanting, aromas of violet and rose emerged. The final impression was kaleidoscopic--a powerful, youthful Barolo just entering its drinking window.
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10/15/2015 - pbaek wrote:
I opened this bottle 8 hrs before dinner. This is a serious wine, much darker in color compared to the 1976 Bosconia. There is a lot of material here, dark red fruit, flowers, spices, mushrooms, marks of cedar and pine. To me, a very masculine Barolo, upright in style, by no means understated. May need more time to develop, not sure, but it's a very impressive wine for sure.
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5/31/2015 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
Decanted about an hour prior to serving. Red fruits (strawberry, raspberry, cherries, red currants), mushroom/truffle, medicinal (menthol/camphor), minerals. Tannins are integrating very nicely. Lovely. Only one bottle left. I bought several many years ago, but of course wish I'd grabbed more.
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10/4/2014 - Bradetti Likes this wine: 94 Points
Right after removing the cork and smelling into the bottle an impressive sweet cherry bouquet flows out. Wow!
Had decanted that wine for 8 hrs. In the glass very nice ruby red colour.
Here the immense fruit is more in balance with some herbal, earthy notes than in the bottle.
On the palate the tannins show being fully integrated, nicely soft, with a pleasant amount of acidity. A really nice 19 years old wine which rescued my attitude to Barolo, since my last tastings have been disappointing to me. Especially compared to the 2000 Oddero Barolo Mondoca I had a week ago there are several levels between these two wines. The Cascina Francia shows much more freshiness / presence even it is 5 years older.
Giacomo Conterno is reaching more and more the no1 place in my vineyard fav list....
This wine I can highly recommend, but should be drunken within the next 2-3 years (just my humble opinion).
EDIT: On day 2 the wine could not keep the level as on day before! The fruit slightly disappeared. So when open it should be enjoyed completely at the first day.
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9/14/2013 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic barolo with cherry, rose, truffle, forest floor notes. Full bodied and kicking, although fully mature.
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4/5/2013 - godx wrote: 91 Points
Bill's Monthly Lunch - April 2013 (Vancouver, BC): Opened and served 8 hours later. Spearmint, iron and rust on the nose along with tight red fruits (mainly strawberries) and a hint of tobacco. Classically structured with firm and drying tannins and quite a bit of acidity. Energetic yet somewhat tight on the palate. The guesses were either Northern Rhone or Piedmont and once I confirmed Piedmont they went straight to Serralunga. A very traditional wine that needs another 5 years or so. Excellent. 91+
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9/21/2012 - Goldstone wrote: 90 Points
Briefly decanted and drank over a specially-matched kaiseki dinner with Runny and Fabrice at Kouseki Restaurant in Minato-Aoyama, Tokyo. No formal notes but this was a very soft and plummy, fully mature Barolo with a very nice nose of rose water and autumn leaves. I was surprised how advanced it was. If this bottle was typical then it needs drinking up soon.
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7/21/2011 - BobJohnson1 wrote:
Decanted to remove sediment. Beautiful scents leap from decanter. Drinking really well, just a little on the young side. Had between the 1998-much too young, and the 1990-mature. I liked it the best although other tasters preferred the 90.
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7/20/2011 - Kevin_C wrote: 94 Points
Very little sediment. Ruby red color. A note of strawberry jam upon opening settling in with red fruits, lavender, hints of green tobacco and a little warm alcohol. The palate is fresh and tangy with great acidity. The purity and weightlessness on the palate is noteworthy. This has some tannic strength on the back end which is manageable and enjoyable, particularly while eating. The finish is long and balanced between the red fruit and minerals of asphalt and crushed stone.
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5/6/2011 - antiwood wrote:
1995 Barolo with Usual Suspects: After the well made but 'where i's Piedmont' modernity, this just exploded on us. Can anyone say tar and roses? Lotsa? The nose leaped from the glass and attacked us. Spices everywhere. Energizer bunny on the palate. Very tannic but boy, this works. Just beginning to mature.
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12/16/2010 - Traxx Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for sediment, then consumed over approximately 4 hours along side a 99 Monprivato.
Initially nose showed some old, stewed fruit though this quickly blew off. Nice tar, leather on the nose.
Tannins came out more with time, started quite soft, really filled out after about 1 hr in the glass/decanter. Nice wine all in all, I would say based on this bottle in a pretty great place for drinking now, though don't have enough experience to know if much upside really exists.
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5/29/2010 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Light ruby. Nose of pungent forest underbrush, market spice, mulberries, porcini mushrooms. Delicate tea and woodsy notes vying with black cherry, strawberry, and moca flavors on the palate supported by an undercurrent of austere, structured tannins. Modest acidity but enough to keep things fresh. Finish marked by autumnal fruit and satisfying grip at the end. Elegance, strength, ever-changing character with each sip. What a lovely wine.
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3/28/2010 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
Giacomo Conterno, Cascina Francia Barolo tasting 2010 (Maialino, NYC Lexington and 21st): I find a lot of ‘95’s to be just entering their drinking windows and this was a perfect example. On the nose I found strawberry, rose and with a little probing, sage with a bit of beefy broth. The palate showed more strawberry with sweet tobacco and mineral, earthiness.
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5/20/2009 - br wrote: flawed
doa. pity. I suspect stoage problems (bought 2 years ago), far more brown than a bottle a year, or so ago. mainly aromas of soy and leathery meat. harsh acidity and out of balance. this usually is a fantastic wine, so I'm chalking this up to a flawed bottle.
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5/1/2009 - pbaek wrote:
A very complex wine that continued to change personality over the course of the evening. Decanted 1 1/2 hour before dinner and drunk over 3-4 hours. Medum red color. On the outset almost Burgundian in style, very perfumed nose. The fruit aromas are towards pretty red garden fruit like strawberry and framboise. And there is roses here without a doubt. The wine is spicy with a peppery undertone. Elegant and with great finesse. The tannins are not fully resolved and they display a slight bitterness that disappears over the evening. After a few hours, the wine becomes more round and soft and starts to show more earthy, mushy notes with distinct tar and tobacco leaf flavors. There's a bit of licorice as well. The roses are there all night. Great wine that will only become better over time I think.
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3/11/2009 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Served cool. Brought to a friend's house, uncorked, and served immediately. Slightly dark ruby hue. Nose was familiar and immediate with forest floor, mushrooms, tar, violets, and camphor scents. Despite the lack of decanting time, the palate expressed full, bright cherry and strawberry fruit laced with brooding, woodsy, earthy notes. Tannins fairly moderate with surprisingly amounts of acidity; the wine had a refreshing quality to it. Displayed impeccable balance thoughout the evening. Beautiful, layered wine showing more exuberance than our last taste several years ago.
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11/27/2008 - Kevin_C wrote: 91 Points
Red-brown fading to orange at the rim. Classic herbal bouquet characteristic of these wines. Lavender, almond and a little red fruit. Good structure and acidity. The finish is good. Seems like an off bottle - previous bottles showed rich lovely fruit that is absent here. This loosened up a bit the next day but still fell short of expectations. [90-91]
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10/20/2008 - bn999 wrote: 89 Points
Past its prime
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6/26/2008 - espia wrote: 92 Points
Classic barolo, brownish-brickish murky color, varietal aromas of tar, leather and violets. Very good, but not spectacular aromas, precision or length.
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2/2/2007 - br wrote:
this wine is in such a sweet spot right now. crystaline, sculptured structure with layers of red fruits, licorice and earth. silky, smooth and commanding. beautiful finish, beautiful wine.
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12/4/2006 - br wrote:
meaty notes float above the licorice, mushrooms, mushrooms and licorice. elegant, rich and a mouthful of tasty tannins. this is just fantastic, lithe and totally satisfying. many wonderful years ahead of it.
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11/15/2006 - trankin wrote: 91 Points
Notes from memory. Ordered off a restaurant wine list. Decanting @30-40 minutes, drunk over the following 90 minutes.
This wine struck me as if it was just waking up from a long slumber. I would not be surprised if this was shut down completely 6 months ago. Only beginning to show earthy tones underneath the acidic licorice, strawberry, and tarry notes. Definitely needs a few more years. I liked this wine but do not expect it to be one of the great CF's.
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7/3/2006 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
This was my first sampling of G. Conterno Franscia. Very, very different. The color was a slightly bricky ruby. When first uncorked (pristine cork, hardly stained), there was absolutely no nose. After decanting and swirling a good bit, there was mucho horse poop "aroma" emanating from the decanter. The palate was mostly tannins. After 3 hours, however, delicate fruit began to appear, plus lots of woodsy, forest floor smells and tastes. As the evening evolved, the expected tar and roses became evident, but the dominant feature on nose and palate was mushrooms! The tannins slowed, and the finish became a long, harmonious, complex study of earth and rusticity. Wow, what a different animal! I want to try this again in a few years just to see what happens.
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2/11/2006 - psmith wrote: 91 Points
Roses, dust, and a classy dose of VA. Rustic, expressive, and individual. A good dose of licorice and a large-scaled tannic core. Really pretty - the best bottle of this I've had and with significant improvement ahead.
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11/26/2005 - psmith wrote:
Musty, with some road tar and dusty red roses and sweet candied cherry. Great palate with some charred smoke notes. Big tannins and hard structured - built to last. Some rather strange orange/lemon rind and anise notes but overall a very good bottle after a number of mediocre bottles of this wine. ***/5
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