checking in on these - last time I tried was 2016 and noted a pure cherry note with an equal mineral streak. First sip was muted and sleepy. waited 30 minutes in glass. It has an almost chambolle like dried cherry/floral taste that is immediately appealing. Medium weight, with the same finish. Quite drying tannins but the fruit keep that from a distraction. Some hints of lavender and crush rose petals. I am glad I have a few more and think this can evolve a bit more in time - developing more tertiarary notes - but, no reason to wait - as this is a beauty now.
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Be very happy if you have this in your cellar. Drinking like a Beaune 1er or Volnay 1er. Beautiful nose with a touch of cranberry and great lift from the acidity. More Burgundian than Piedmontese. Fairly mature nose and palate. Perfect balance.
Mixed Italians (Terra Rossa, N1): Sweet strawberry, beef stock, iron, herbs, truffle and some floral lift. A touch rubbery. Red fruit, lots of grip but also juiciness on the palate. Quite lean overall
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Getting better with age. My wife (doesn't like) and I (like) have mixed opinions. Lean, austere wine with lots of acidity and maturing tannins. Nose of light red fruit. Tart cherry, cranberry, orange peel on the palate. Best with food.
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My third bottle. Decanted two hours before dinner, it didn't open fully until about hour 3. Excellent aromatic and flavor complexity in a mid-weight (12.5% !!) wine with characteristic Nebbiolo notes dominating, plus a bit of softness provided by the other two grapes. Succulent and savory. I continue to believe that with a hint more mid-palate sweetness this wine would be in the outstanding (95 pt) territory. HOWEVER, as @SethRosenberg has noted, this wine was much less interesting (90) on night two. I don't recall that happening in another Vallana wine. Outstanding QPR.
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Classic and beautiful Nebbiolo nose - cherry, sour cherry, tar, spice, florals. Nice sweet and sour and bitter elements. Cotton candy? Very pure and clear but with lots of intensity. The palate is great as well - medium bodied with lots of sour cherry, earth, tar, some florals and spice. Really mouth coating with fine tannins. A little rustic and rough around the edges but that's what I expect. A little heat peeking though in a new pour but the previous pour that sat out for a while didn't. Piercing in the palate and into the finish with high-toned red fruits, earth, and some florals. I dig. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5-5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-17/20.
To me, this seemed to fall apart on day 2. Not sure what happened - if maybe there was an issue w my palate but it seemed like a totally different wine and nowhere near as good.
The wine is identical to the first bottle I had in March of this year, please refer to those detailed notes. If there is any change at all, it is slightly more savory, but the wine remains very young and austere. Drink 25-40?
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As always.....beautiful. Balanced with a slight earthy streak. Medium weight and gorgeous nose. Drinks like a good mature chambolle 1er. Did I mention balanced. One of those 'wish I had bought more' wines.
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PnPed. Beautiful nose - soaring, roses, dried roses, cherries, earth, a little spice. This is clearly better than the last bottle. Great perfume - nice stones also. This is like the Volnay of Piedmont. The palate is excellent as well. Nice cherries, florals, earth, savory. Fine tannins, good acid. Maybe just a bit of heat at the end. Very earthy finish, some cherries. Great Alto Piemonte experience for a great price. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5-5.5/6, Finish - 4.5-5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 16-17.5/20.
This is my first Vallana Boca 2010. It was decanted and poured and was completely closed for 30 minutes. Its full aromatic profile didn’t arrive until … the next day! Yes, it was excellent, perhaps better, on night two, which is one indication that it has a decade or more ahead of it. The big lesson is, DO NOT POP & POUR, it needs several hours of decanting.
It has a beautiful, transparent crimson color, with a dark core. Red fruits, flowers and sweet citrus come through in a taut, high-toned, structured, balanced and savory wine. It has great acid structure, significant but well-integrated tannins, and a floral, minty and long finish. With a touch more sweetness on the mid-palate, this would be a 94-95 wine!
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Very lean and clean after opening, more interesting after decanting and another 5 hours, very classical and elegant Nebbiolo from the north, mineral with a hint of sour cherry, slightly earthy, good acidity, light to medium bodied, medium to long finish, slightly drying. Early drinking window, will stay for years and will even improve, needs a lot of air to open, was perfect with risotto ai funghi.
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Just got 4, had to pop one. Yup - this is a no brainer on the nose. Red cherries and roses and spices on the nose. Flashes of sweet and flashes of sour - but pure and light and perfumed. Nice freshness and crunch. There's also a little savory in there - green stems or game bird or dry aged beef. Definitely it reminds me of Roilette Tardive (one of my favorite wines) a bit. Also flashes of heat. The palate shows red fruit, spices, stems and some heat. There is nice purity but the alcohol seems to show through - it feels a little bony at points. The finish focuses on the savory but is a bit harsh at this point. This says 12.5% on the label but the alcohol shows to me - will check it again tomorrow. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14.5/20.
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This is a pretty, solid representation of Nebbiolo. Light-medium weight with airy nose. Very pleasant on both nose and tongue. Slightly dominated by structure and acidity, but I like that style these days. Very traditional.
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This really punched above its weight. It stopped me in my tracks to think that I got this quality of Nebbiolo for about $25. This had varietal character for days, and was drinking just beautifully. And I have to note how "clean" this tasted; the fruit was so pure. This is now the second bottle of Vallana that I have been extremely impressed with.
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What a value, 2010 Nebbiolo... ready to drink. Perfectly balanced, big ripe fruits, juicy acidity and plentiful well resolved tannins. Surprisingly drinkable for a Nebbiolo. Beautiful garnet color that resembles stained glass, great clarity.
Agree with previous comment that a wine like this probably has years ahead. Label says "Library Release", they are rightfully proud of this. Superb.
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Think Benny-G's was a bad bottle. This is sweet ripe fruit surrounded by pretty, grainy tannin. Rose, just-cooked cranberry, and blood orange. Think this'll age for at least five more years. Really good.
Quite austere, typical nebbiolo. No sweetness. Modest, slightly unripe red fruit. Earthy and green herbs notes. Strong tannins which might soften over time. Maybe it was a bit early to drink it now, then again it's not the youngest (2010!). Will go well with a steak nature or with a creamy pepper sauce.
Light red, lightly bricked. Appealing nose of red cherries, white pepper, licorice, fennel seed, iron, and aged grappa (however no exaggerated alcohol, at 13%). Juicy and fresh fruity mouthfeel, balanced by firm yet elegant Nebbiolo tannins. The aged grappa smell makes you expect something way more plump, so the freshness is a pleasant surprise. Something I've experienced too in the better burgundies that smell like mon cheri chocolates but are way more elegant and tight. Not there yet, but very satisfying with food. Bravo!
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Very nice wine, but not ready. Followed over two days and held up well. Rich fruit and ample tannins. Some sauvage on the nose. Will be much better in 3-5 years.
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such pure cherry flavor profile - really astounding how tasty this is. tons of acidity sneaking up in background and very fine tannins and a faint mineral streak giving this balance and depth. Quite the qpr. I should load up on this.
Dry, mid-weight Nebbiolo blend with notes of red cherry, tart red berry, rose petals, spice, and earth. Fine grainy and youthful tannins, abundant acidity, and a dry, medium+ finish. This is quite young and will need a number of years to evolve and allow tannins to integrate. If trying now, decant for at least 12 hours prior, IMO.
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Dark red. Violets, rose petal,and wild flowers on the very expressive nose. Fresh raspberries , cherry, ? mint, impeccable balance, soft tannins so it is pleasant to drink now, even at pop and pour, but I suspect this will continue to drink well for years. Exceptional QPR!
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3/10/2024 - lolo66 wrote: 93 Points
checking in on these - last time I tried was 2016 and noted a pure cherry note with an equal mineral streak. First sip was muted and sleepy. waited 30 minutes in glass. It has an almost chambolle like dried cherry/floral taste that is immediately appealing. Medium weight, with the same finish. Quite drying tannins but the fruit keep that from a distraction. Some hints of lavender and crush rose petals. I am glad I have a few more and think this can evolve a bit more in time - developing more tertiarary notes - but, no reason to wait - as this is a beauty now.
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3/7/2024 - tewino Likes this wine:
Be very happy if you have this in your cellar. Drinking like a Beaune 1er or Volnay 1er. Beautiful nose with a touch of cranberry and great lift from the acidity. More Burgundian than Piedmontese. Fairly mature nose and palate. Perfect balance.
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2/16/2024 - Joshvoulters Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mixed Italians (Terra Rossa, N1): Sweet strawberry, beef stock, iron, herbs, truffle and some floral lift. A touch rubbery. Red fruit, lots of grip but also juiciness on the palate. Quite lean overall
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3/18/2023 - Bryan49 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Getting better with age. My wife (doesn't like) and I (like) have mixed opinions. Lean, austere wine with lots of acidity and maturing tannins. Nose of light red fruit. Tart cherry, cranberry, orange peel on the palate. Best with food.
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11/5/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good balance of herbs, tobacco and red fruits
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9/3/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 88 Points
Solid, good with pizza
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7/24/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decent mix of red fruit, tobacco herbs and acidity. Did well with pasta and Italian sausage
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3/16/2022 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points
My third bottle. Decanted two hours before dinner, it didn't open fully until about hour 3. Excellent aromatic and flavor complexity in a mid-weight (12.5% !!) wine with characteristic Nebbiolo notes dominating, plus a bit of softness provided by the other two grapes. Succulent and savory. I continue to believe that with a hint more mid-palate sweetness this wine would be in the outstanding (95 pt) territory. HOWEVER, as @SethRosenberg has noted, this wine was much less interesting (90) on night two. I don't recall that happening in another Vallana wine. Outstanding QPR.
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2/24/2022 - pren wrote: 91 Points
Nebbiolo (65-70%), Vespolina and Uva Rara。
第一次,气味上,vespolina 的白胡椒味主导,但没那么突出。口中也不错。两小时后,口中气味都到最佳,既有nebbbiolo 的tension,又有一点肉。 92。
第二次,和第一类似。不记得醒酒多久。
第三次,最差,醒酒一个小时,气味是白胡椒,口中很thin,没啥东西。两小时后好了一些。气味尤其好,vespolina 和nebbiolo完美结合。但是口中还不到位。
最后一次,醒酒四小时,刚倒出来就不错。后来没变好,反而差了一点。neb的特征没开始明显。
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10/27/2021 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic and beautiful Nebbiolo nose - cherry, sour cherry, tar, spice, florals. Nice sweet and sour and bitter elements. Cotton candy? Very pure and clear but with lots of intensity. The palate is great as well - medium bodied with lots of sour cherry, earth, tar, some florals and spice. Really mouth coating with fine tannins. A little rustic and rough around the edges but that's what I expect. A little heat peeking though in a new pour but the previous pour that sat out for a while didn't. Piercing in the palate and into the finish with high-toned red fruits, earth, and some florals. I dig. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5-5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-17/20.
To me, this seemed to fall apart on day 2. Not sure what happened - if maybe there was an issue w my palate but it seemed like a totally different wine and nowhere near as good.
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12/11/2020 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine is identical to the first bottle I had in March of this year, please refer to those detailed notes. If there is any change at all, it is slightly more savory, but the wine remains very young and austere. Drink 25-40?
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11/23/2020 - tewino Likes this wine:
As always.....beautiful. Balanced with a slight earthy streak. Medium weight and gorgeous nose. Drinks like a good mature chambolle 1er. Did I mention balanced. One of those 'wish I had bought more' wines.
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6/3/2020 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnPed. Beautiful nose - soaring, roses, dried roses, cherries, earth, a little spice. This is clearly better than the last bottle. Great perfume - nice stones also. This is like the Volnay of Piedmont. The palate is excellent as well. Nice cherries, florals, earth, savory. Fine tannins, good acid. Maybe just a bit of heat at the end. Very earthy finish, some cherries. Great Alto Piemonte experience for a great price. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5-5.5/6, Finish - 4.5-5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 16-17.5/20.
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3/5/2020 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is my first Vallana Boca 2010. It was decanted and poured and was completely closed for 30 minutes. Its full aromatic profile didn’t arrive until … the next day! Yes, it was excellent, perhaps better, on night two, which is one indication that it has a decade or more ahead of it. The big lesson is, DO NOT POP & POUR, it needs several hours of decanting.
It has a beautiful, transparent crimson color, with a dark core. Red fruits, flowers and sweet citrus come through in a taut, high-toned, structured, balanced and savory wine. It has great acid structure, significant but well-integrated tannins, and a floral, minty and long finish. With a touch more sweetness on the mid-palate, this would be a 94-95 wine!
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1/18/2020 - amateur62 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very lean and clean after opening, more interesting after decanting and another 5 hours, very classical and elegant Nebbiolo from the north, mineral with a hint of sour cherry, slightly earthy, good acidity, light to medium bodied, medium to long finish, slightly drying. Early drinking window, will stay for years and will even improve, needs a lot of air to open, was perfect with risotto ai funghi.
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12/20/2019 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 89 Points
Just got 4, had to pop one. Yup - this is a no brainer on the nose. Red cherries and roses and spices on the nose. Flashes of sweet and flashes of sour - but pure and light and perfumed. Nice freshness and crunch. There's also a little savory in there - green stems or game bird or dry aged beef. Definitely it reminds me of Roilette Tardive (one of my favorite wines) a bit. Also flashes of heat. The palate shows red fruit, spices, stems and some heat. There is nice purity but the alcohol seems to show through - it feels a little bony at points. The finish focuses on the savory but is a bit harsh at this point. This says 12.5% on the label but the alcohol shows to me - will check it again tomorrow. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14.5/20.
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10/24/2019 - tewino Likes this wine:
This is a pretty, solid representation of Nebbiolo. Light-medium weight with airy nose. Very pleasant on both nose and tongue. Slightly dominated by structure and acidity, but I like that style these days. Very traditional.
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4/16/2019 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:
This really punched above its weight. It stopped me in my tracks to think that I got this quality of Nebbiolo for about $25. This had varietal character for days, and was drinking just beautifully. And I have to note how "clean" this tasted; the fruit was so pure. This is now the second bottle of Vallana that I have been extremely impressed with.
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3/30/2019 - JimTaft Likes this wine: 92 Points
What a value, 2010 Nebbiolo... ready to drink. Perfectly balanced, big ripe fruits, juicy acidity and plentiful well resolved tannins. Surprisingly drinkable for a Nebbiolo. Beautiful garnet color that resembles stained glass, great clarity.
Agree with previous comment that a wine like this probably has years ahead. Label says "Library Release", they are rightfully proud of this. Superb.
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2/21/2019 - bushrandall Likes this wine:
Think Benny-G's was a bad bottle. This is sweet ripe fruit surrounded by pretty, grainy tannin. Rose, just-cooked cranberry, and blood orange. Think this'll age for at least five more years. Really good.
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2/20/2019 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Pleasant straightforward nebbiolo. Notes of tar, rose and cherry. Nice fruit on the palate with plenty of acid backbone.
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11/27/2018 - Mpswint Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop and pour on this one. Amazing bang for the buck. Utterly delicious. I should have bought way more of this wine
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11/4/2018 - andrewdodd86 wrote:
Consistent notes, a touch better just don’t love the fruit profile
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9/12/2017 - benny-g wrote: 84 Points
Quite austere, typical nebbiolo. No sweetness. Modest, slightly unripe red fruit. Earthy and green herbs notes. Strong tannins which might soften over time. Maybe it was a bit early to drink it now, then again it's not the youngest (2010!). Will go well with a steak nature or with a creamy pepper sauce.
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5/12/2017 - andrewdodd86 wrote: 88 Points
Rose, cranberry, touch of leather and meat, spice, tobacco, cedar. Liked but didn't love
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2/24/2017 - plinymajor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light red, lightly bricked. Appealing nose of red cherries, white pepper, licorice, fennel seed, iron, and aged grappa (however no exaggerated alcohol, at 13%). Juicy and fresh fruity mouthfeel, balanced by firm yet elegant Nebbiolo tannins. The aged grappa smell makes you expect something way more plump, so the freshness is a pleasant surprise. Something I've experienced too in the better burgundies that smell like mon cheri chocolates but are way more elegant and tight. Not there yet, but very satisfying with food. Bravo!
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1/8/2017 - Sixchips600 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice wine, but not ready. Followed over two days and held up well. Rich fruit and ample tannins. Some sauvage on the nose. Will be much better in 3-5 years.
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9/18/2016 - lolo66 wrote: 93 Points
such pure cherry flavor profile - really astounding how tasty this is. tons of acidity sneaking up in background and very fine tannins and a faint mineral streak giving this balance and depth. Quite the qpr. I should load up on this.
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6/18/2016 - DRS-Inc wrote: 91 Points
Dry, mid-weight Nebbiolo blend with notes of red cherry, tart red berry, rose petals, spice, and earth. Fine grainy and youthful tannins, abundant acidity, and a dry, medium+ finish. This is quite young and will need a number of years to evolve and allow tannins to integrate. If trying now, decant for at least 12 hours prior, IMO.
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4/23/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark red. Violets, rose petal,and wild flowers on the very expressive nose. Fresh raspberries , cherry, ? mint, impeccable balance, soft tannins so it is pleasant to drink now, even at pop and pour, but I suspect this will continue to drink well for years. Exceptional QPR!
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4/8/2015 - yofog wrote:
Really complete and elegant, with plenty of volume.
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