Open and not decanted based on how open for business it was. In the beginning Brown sugary notes Which evolved into autumnal leaves and forest floor, 1 hour later evolved into an oily texture with notes of tar and licorice, which then involved into the more typical notes of tar and licorice. Throughout this, the fruit was receding, and advanced past the point that you would recognize it as fruit. It had integrated into the earth notes I’ve been describing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, this was gorgeous! Needed at least the two hour decant I gave it. Medium tawny/scarlet, with an absolutely beautiful nose - blossoms, pot pourri, sweet fruit. Super smooth but really impactful on the palate. Flavours as above, but more earthy, almost a mushroom nuance. "Sweet" fruit, super fine grained tannins, long finish. This was killer with the braised beef ribs and gremolata.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Four pairs of wines at Mark's place (Wellington, NZ): Served double blind by Nick as a pair with the 1998 Giacosa. After a 4+ hour decant, sweet scented, perfumed bouquet of red cherries, raspberries, gentle spices and red rose florals. No tar. On palate, elegant and pure with crystalline, bright red cherry and berry fruit, dried herbs, spice, red liquorice and chalky minerals. Only touches of savoury, earthy, secondary development. Fine grained, very cultured tannins. I actually thought this might be a Giacosa or another traditionalist and did not think of a modernist like Altare. A little spicy oak evident, but very subdued and in the background. More acidity evident than with the Giacosa, providing precision and focus, but not over-assertive. Overall, seamless and very attractive. Seemingly now in its optimal drinking window, out to 2028 – 2030+. Brilliant! 94+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Make sure you give it enough air before drinking it. I opened my bottle 4 hours before consumption and it seemed quite closed at first. It got better after a short decant and it greatly improved in the glass as we drank it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
mature and drinking well now, the nose is a smorgasbord of potpourri, dried cherries and leather, deep and concentrated flavors of cherry liquor, tar, roses and stones, highly complex, soulful, long, brings an earthy richness to an overall complete wine, feels specific, no signs of tiring but clearly in a brilliantly mature phase to enjoy now, decanted off sediment and consumed over 3 hours thereafter
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Double decanted. Pours an opaque ruby red in the glass. Nose and palate are well aligned showing deep and piercing sweet red fruits and rosy florals, tar/acetone, herbaceous dried underbrush, soft black truffles, and very fine clay mineralité. Midpalate is lush and rich yet lifted and light on its feet thanks to airy acidity and finely grained tannins that give an almost feminine structure to this otherwise large-scaled wine. A nice contrast to be sure. Finish is long and fruit driven with finely filigreed baking spice and florals jumping in and out. Gorgeous.
Day one all brown and earth. No fruit. Day two fruit started to show up but tense and not enjoyable. Day three just half a glass left. This started to come together. Needs more time, no score. Try next bottle 2021.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine was opened one hour before dinner and was non responsive...totally asleep. Toward the end of dinner starting to open up. We saved half the bottle for the next days dinner as we suspected more air... MUCH More air could bring this wine along. After another 5 hours, the wine was showing a mutifacetted nose and pallet. Smooth and Beautiful and kept gainning in complexety when we finished it. Needs a few years at least. 92++
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
nose of cured meats, and wax, the palate was feminine to me, lots of delicate red fruit, some liquorish, a finish full of strawberry fields and light earth, well-weighted, dry, beautiful, and very young
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted June 5, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Garnet color in the glass, fairly “dusty” looking throughout. Nose of melted black licorice, black berries and potpourri with an interesting aroma I’ll call chamomile. Flavors of blackberries, black licorice, plums and black currants. Clean, crisp acidity with rounded tannins. This wine is just starting to enter it’s drinking window in my opinion so can be drank now with an hour or so in the decanter to jump start it but should also drink well for the next 8-9 years. I have no idea on pricing for this wine so no value recommendation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/28/2024 - jetrexpro wrote: 94 Points
Open and not decanted based on how open for business it was. In the beginning Brown sugary notes Which evolved into autumnal leaves and forest floor,
1 hour later evolved into an oily texture with notes of tar and licorice, which then involved into the more typical notes of tar and licorice.
Throughout this, the fruit was receding, and advanced past the point that you would recognize it as fruit. It had integrated into the earth notes I’ve been describing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2023 - winot Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, this was gorgeous! Needed at least the two hour decant I gave it. Medium tawny/scarlet, with an absolutely beautiful nose - blossoms, pot pourri, sweet fruit. Super smooth but really impactful on the palate. Flavours as above, but more earthy, almost a mushroom nuance. "Sweet" fruit, super fine grained tannins, long finish. This was killer with the braised beef ribs and gremolata.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2022 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Four pairs of wines at Mark's place (Wellington, NZ): Served double blind by Nick as a pair with the 1998 Giacosa. After a 4+ hour decant, sweet scented, perfumed bouquet of red cherries, raspberries, gentle spices and red rose florals. No tar. On palate, elegant and pure with crystalline, bright red cherry and berry fruit, dried herbs, spice, red liquorice and chalky minerals. Only touches of savoury, earthy, secondary development. Fine grained, very cultured tannins. I actually thought this might be a Giacosa or another traditionalist and did not think of a modernist like Altare. A little spicy oak evident, but very subdued and in the background. More acidity evident than with the Giacosa, providing precision and focus, but not over-assertive. Overall, seamless and very attractive. Seemingly now in its optimal drinking window, out to 2028 – 2030+. Brilliant! 94+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2022 - boillatm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful Barolo in a great spot right now.
Make sure you give it enough air before drinking it. I opened my bottle 4 hours before consumption and it seemed quite closed at first. It got better after a short decant and it greatly improved in the glass as we drank it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2021 - whits Likes this wine: 94 Points
mature and drinking well now, the nose is a smorgasbord of potpourri, dried cherries and leather, deep and concentrated flavors of cherry liquor, tar, roses and stones, highly complex, soulful, long, brings an earthy richness to an overall complete wine, feels specific, no signs of tiring but clearly in a brilliantly mature phase to enjoy now, decanted off sediment and consumed over 3 hours thereafter
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2020 - jetrexpro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose and palate showing deep and piercing sweet red fruits and tar. No signs of fading any time soon. Lovely. 2 bottles left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2018 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:
Double decanted. Pours an opaque ruby red in the glass. Nose and palate are well aligned showing deep and piercing sweet red fruits and rosy florals, tar/acetone, herbaceous dried underbrush, soft black truffles, and very fine clay mineralité. Midpalate is lush and rich yet lifted and light on its feet thanks to airy acidity and finely grained tannins that give an almost feminine structure to this otherwise large-scaled wine. A nice contrast to be sure. Finish is long and fruit driven with finely filigreed baking spice and florals jumping in and out. Gorgeous.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/9/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
slight sweetness, light body, great depth. In a great drinking window right now. 93 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2018 - jetrexpro wrote:
Day one all brown and earth. No fruit.
Day two fruit started to show up but tense and not enjoyable.
Day three just half a glass left. This started to come together.
Needs more time, no score.
Try next bottle 2021.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2012 - jetrexpro Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine was opened one hour before dinner and was non responsive...totally asleep. Toward the end of dinner starting to open up. We saved half the bottle for the next days dinner as we suspected more air... MUCH More air could bring this wine along. After another 5 hours, the wine was showing a mutifacetted nose and pallet. Smooth and Beautiful and kept gainning in complexety when we finished it.
Needs a few years at least. 92++
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2009 - whits wrote:
nose of cured meats, and wax, the palate was feminine to me, lots of delicate red fruit, some liquorish, a finish full of strawberry fields and light earth, well-weighted, dry, beautiful, and very young
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2006 - win wrote: 90 Points
At Piedmont OL. Minimal notes. Seemed a bit new world to me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
DAWGS Offline with mattach and PurpleHaze (Mi Piaci's in Addison, TX): WIML93,WA92-94,WS93
Tasted June 5, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Garnet color in the glass, fairly “dusty” looking throughout. Nose of melted black licorice, black berries and potpourri with an interesting aroma I’ll call chamomile. Flavors of blackberries, black licorice, plums and black currants. Clean, crisp acidity with rounded tannins. This wine is just starting to enter it’s drinking window in my opinion so can be drank now with an hour or so in the decanter to jump start it but should also drink well for the next 8-9 years. I have no idea on pricing for this wine so no value recommendation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment