30 min in the glass was sufficient to open this up. This bottle was a less structured wine than the 1999 enjoyed about 3 weeks ago. This was a fully mature wine with some fruit. Balance and finish were excellent. This is in a great place and there’s no sense in waiting other than for academic purposes. A highly enjoyable wine that paired well with grilled octopus, wagyu carpaccio and chicken involtini. Revisit 2025
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Muted aromas with red cherry and licorice but not particularly pronounced or interesting, though it cleans up with some time in the glass. Palate is firm and the fruit seems somewhat outmatched. Not one I'd age, and frankly a bit disappointing. Guessed 08 Giacosa Falleto. Seems at / past peak and perhaps okay for the village-level bottling.
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Barbaresco vs. Barolo (Chicago, IL): Served single blind. A big dichotomy between the two wines in this flight, and this was the first flight where the table was almost unanimous (I was in that majority) on guessing that this was the Barolo. A dark, velvety wine, with a riper character and showing full signs of maturity. Very good, but certainly missing the complexity of the single-vineyard bottlings. It's held up well for its designation, but it's time to drink up.
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Beautiful rose infused nose of cherry and loam, a bit of mint. Good balance and long finish. Mostly red fruited palate, starting to show some advancement. Love these wines.
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Opened 1 hour prior to tasting. Beautiful mature Barolo. Very classy with depth and is quite balanced. Lovely aromatics. Very long. Not a powerhouse, but I love the elegance of this wine. Glad I have more!
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Much as my '20 note but wonder whether it has the depth to go to the end of the decade and evolve further (if not gaining any points on the way). Will hold my remaining bottle in the Archive section of my cellar till 2030 to test it out! Excellent; mature. Otherwise for drinking over next 12 months or so.
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In a perfect place, features everything I love in Bruno’s wines. Great balance, aromatics and depth, and a bit of crunchy structure so that it goes great with food. Not an epic wine, but a very good one that is in a good place. Baseline Barolo for me. Served tonight with creamy smoked salmon Pasta, perfectly aged complement to the smokiness of the fish and the richness of the sauce.
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4 years since my last bottle and now fully mature - perhaps even approaching the end of its plateau earlier than predicted in 2016. Brickish hue. Lots of earth and fungi on the nose. Dark brulé stoned fruit with florals, spice and integrated charred oak. Mellow tannins. Vegetal nuances. Overall showing its age if still very enjoyable. For drinking over the next couple of years.
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I'm sure that this bottle's (deliberate) 4hr decant enormously benefitted the wine. At last coming out of its shell. Still some dusty tannins and charred oak nuances but much more integrated. Concentrated fruit of fragrant cherry and black hedge fruits, some spice and liquorice; velvety with a long dry/bitter finish. Has just about hit its plateau of excellence that should last a decade or so.
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Still very closed after a two hour decant. Clear edges deepening to garnet. Merest hint of bitter cherry, dried spice and cedar on the nose.. Flavour of sour cherries, liquorice, tar and dry spice (esp clove) but with still somewhat unintegrated tannins. Superb concentration but needs a minimum of another couple of years to come together and perform to its full potential - with a further ten years+ life on top of that. Should gain another couple of points when ready. Next bottle 2015....
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At first quite light and airy, and a little shy. With a short decant, this rounds out nicely. A supple and softer Barolo, but with excellent focus and purity to it. Roses, perfume and tar, on the more refruited side of Nebbiolo and with a softness that belies its reasonable structure. Blind I may have called a warmer vineyard Barbaresco. This is drinking nicely with a short decant. Initially fine tannic grip that over time clamps down a bit on the back end. While I am sure this will hold, it is in a pretty good place right now. Not a barn burner, but very enjoyable nonetheless. 90 pts
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Clear ruby color with a garnet rim. A good wine that lacked the complexity that of the Giacosa single vineyard wines. Mostly balanced with some tannins to resolve. More time in the bottle should smooth out the tannins but the overall wine will probably not dramatically improve. Decanted for an hour with good results.
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Still young. Took 3 hours in a decanter to show. The nose is plum, raspberry and green stems and a subtle earthy element, dry soil. Poised and bold, dense in three directions. Bright cherry fruit with peppery spice. The tannins bite hard but can't mask a beautiful finish of rocks and mocha.
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A bit of earth and funk on the nose. Very tannic still, should wait 5 more years to open. Tannins a bit too chewy on the finish, but other then that very well balanced. I hope this gets better later, I will be optimistic with the score.
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(from the list @ Alana's) Very consistent with before. Dark fruits a little more dominant, but still richly complex and the same silky texture. Gamier notes on the finish and serious bright cherry fruit. Delightful and perfect with elk chops.
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(Alana's for NYE dinner) Yum. Very pretty nose with waves of feral notes and crisp fruit. Notes of bitter orange, tar, mushrooms and dried flowers. Very supple and suave body. Silky finish, subtle persistence with tart cherry fruit and slight tar. Delightful all around and a perfect dinner wine with value-added complexity. Especially good with zatar-cured venison chops.
As an aside, I am finding 2000 Barolos exceptionally approachable and rewarding young.
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I really enjoyed this Barolo. The wine just got better each day. By day 3, this was simply wonderful. Full of cherries, light-bodied, but absolutely delicious. Repurchase.
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4/8/2024 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Definitely time to drink these. They have lost a bit of fruit. Still tasty.
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1/6/2024 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
30 min in the glass was sufficient to open this up. This bottle was a less structured wine than the 1999 enjoyed about 3 weeks ago. This was a fully mature wine with some fruit. Balance and finish were excellent. This is in a great place and there’s no sense in waiting other than for academic purposes. A highly enjoyable wine that paired well with grilled octopus, wagyu carpaccio and chicken involtini. Revisit 2025
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10/13/2023 - Nanda wrote: 88 Points
Muted aromas with red cherry and licorice but not particularly pronounced or interesting, though it cleans up with some time in the glass. Palate is firm and the fruit seems somewhat outmatched. Not one I'd age, and frankly a bit disappointing. Guessed 08 Giacosa Falleto. Seems at / past peak and perhaps okay for the village-level bottling.
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10/13/2023 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Barbaresco vs. Barolo (Chicago, IL): Served single blind. A big dichotomy between the two wines in this flight, and this was the first flight where the table was almost unanimous (I was in that majority) on guessing that this was the Barolo. A dark, velvety wine, with a riper character and showing full signs of maturity. Very good, but certainly missing the complexity of the single-vineyard bottlings. It's held up well for its designation, but it's time to drink up.
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12/29/2022 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful rose infused nose of cherry and loam, a bit of mint. Good balance and long finish. Mostly red fruited palate, starting to show some advancement. Love these wines.
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11/26/2021 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another lovely bottle, took an hour or so to open up to mint, red fruit, eucalyptus on the nose and a rich, earthy palate. Good length and intensity.
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11/24/2021 - winemaker Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened 1 hour prior to tasting. Beautiful mature Barolo. Very classy with depth and is quite balanced. Lovely aromatics. Very long. Not a powerhouse, but I love the elegance of this wine. Glad I have more!
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8/22/2021 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much as my '20 note but wonder whether it has the depth to go to the end of the decade and evolve further (if not gaining any points on the way). Will hold my remaining bottle in the Archive section of my cellar till 2030 to test it out! Excellent; mature.
Otherwise for drinking over next 12 months or so.
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5/25/2021 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 92 Points
In a perfect place, features everything I love in Bruno’s wines. Great balance, aromatics and depth, and a bit of crunchy structure so that it goes great with food. Not an epic wine, but a very good one that is in a good place. Baseline Barolo for me. Served tonight with creamy smoked salmon Pasta, perfectly aged complement to the smokiness of the fish and the richness of the sauce.
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5/2/2020 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
4 years since my last bottle and now fully mature - perhaps even approaching the end of its plateau earlier than predicted in 2016.
Brickish hue. Lots of earth and fungi on the nose. Dark brulé stoned fruit with florals, spice and integrated charred oak. Mellow tannins. Vegetal nuances. Overall showing its age if still very enjoyable.
For drinking over the next couple of years.
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12/3/2017 - Erik R. wrote: 90 Points
earthy cherry and anise nose. soft, opulent mouthfeel. concentrated cherry, licorice, spice, plenty of structure underneath. drink or hold.
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4/10/2016 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
I'm sure that this bottle's (deliberate) 4hr decant enormously benefitted the wine.
At last coming out of its shell. Still some dusty tannins and charred oak nuances but much more integrated. Concentrated fruit of fragrant cherry and black hedge fruits, some spice and liquorice; velvety with a long dry/bitter finish.
Has just about hit its plateau of excellence that should last a decade or so.
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3/23/2014 - NickBurwood wrote: 91 Points
As per previous note - needs more time....
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2/23/2013 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still very closed after a two hour decant. Clear edges deepening to garnet. Merest hint of bitter cherry, dried spice and cedar on the nose..
Flavour of sour cherries, liquorice, tar and dry spice (esp clove) but with still somewhat unintegrated tannins. Superb concentration but needs a minimum of another couple of years to come together and perform to its full potential - with a further ten years+ life on top of that.
Should gain another couple of points when ready. Next bottle 2015....
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5/18/2012 - cct wrote: 90 Points
At first quite light and airy, and a little shy. With a short decant, this rounds out nicely. A supple and softer Barolo, but with excellent focus and purity to it. Roses, perfume and tar, on the more refruited side of Nebbiolo and with a softness that belies its reasonable structure. Blind I may have called a warmer vineyard Barbaresco. This is drinking nicely with a short decant. Initially fine tannic grip that over time clamps down a bit on the back end. While I am sure this will hold, it is in a pretty good place right now. Not a barn burner, but very enjoyable nonetheless. 90 pts
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12/31/2011 - the godfather wrote:
good, not to the level of the single vineyards
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6/11/2011 - psmith wrote:
Screams Barolo - high toned red fruit and potpourri notes. Medium bodied. Fine but abundant tannins. Very nice.
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4/30/2011 - Margauxguy wrote: 92 Points
Cranberry, dark cherry and tannic. Great potential, probably too young. Opened 1 hour, got better and better. Great wine 5+ years from now..
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5/4/2009 - Winetex wrote: 90 Points
Clear ruby color with a garnet rim. A good wine that lacked the complexity that of the Giacosa single vineyard wines. Mostly balanced with some tannins to resolve. More time in the bottle should smooth out the tannins but the overall wine will probably not dramatically improve. Decanted for an hour with good results.
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2/17/2009 - RationalDenial wrote: 91 Points
Still young. Took 3 hours in a decanter to show. The nose is plum, raspberry and green stems and a subtle earthy element, dry soil. Poised and bold, dense in three directions. Bright cherry fruit with peppery spice. The tannins bite hard but can't mask a beautiful finish of rocks and mocha.
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12/30/2006 - pakabear wrote: 85 Points
A bit of earth and funk on the nose. Very tannic still, should wait 5 more years to open. Tannins a bit too chewy on the finish, but other then that very well balanced. I hope this gets better later, I will be optimistic with the score.
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2/15/2006 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
(from the list @ Alana's) Very consistent with before. Dark fruits a little more dominant, but still richly complex and the same silky texture. Gamier notes on the finish and serious bright cherry fruit. Delightful and perfect with elk chops.
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12/31/2005 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
(Alana's for NYE dinner) Yum. Very pretty nose with waves of feral notes and crisp fruit. Notes of bitter orange, tar, mushrooms and dried flowers. Very supple and suave body. Silky finish, subtle persistence with tart cherry fruit and slight tar. Delightful all around and a perfect dinner wine with value-added complexity. Especially good with zatar-cured venison chops.
As an aside, I am finding 2000 Barolos exceptionally approachable and rewarding young.
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9/1/2005 - JJA wrote: 94 Points
I really enjoyed this Barolo. The wine just got better each day. By day 3, this was simply wonderful. Full of cherries, light-bodied, but absolutely delicious. Repurchase.
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