Single blind 89 Gaja Horizontal. Similar to the ST, this has so much going on while still be a wine on the upswing. Lovely array of cherry and plum fruit, with fruitcake, spice, florals and balsamico. Fresh and well-integrated but still has elements of primary fruit. So good.
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Barbaresco vs. Barolo (Chicago, IL): Served single blind. Clearly lacking the high-toned cough syrup notes of Sperss, so this was also another easy Barbaresco call. Darker and brooding, and honestly a bit simplistic in comparison to the other two preceding wines. On a similar maturity level (in that there is still plenty of upside), with perhaps the most intense tannins of the three Barbarescos, and accordingly giving me the feeling that this is the one that needs more time than the others.
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Ian's Birthday Piedmont Extravaganza: Sweet tar on the nose, a little classic red menthol cough syrup (in a good way), mint, black tea, sun warmed tarmac. Very very silky and polished on the attack, quite ethereal in a way on the finish with leathery tones. This was playing to a different tune that the other reds in the line up but an undoubtedly well made wine and a treat to try.
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Ian's Piedmont Extravaganza (Noize): Much 'smoother' than tonight's other reds, with real weight of fruit at its core. A distinctive and pretty nose with notes of forest floor and pink soap, chewy and substantial yet also surprisingly approachable. I wrote 'a real crowd pleaser', but I think tonight's was probably the wrong crowd for this hedonistic, modern-leaning wine... I found it sensual and delicious.
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Ian's Piemonte Celebration Dinner: Nose shows blue fruits, tobacco, leather and spices. Full bodied and framed by velvety tannins and explodes on the midpalate with smoke, prune, coffee grinds, leather and decaying red fruit. Super rich and idiosyncratic but could not quite understand the appeal. Drank better without cuisine.
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Wow. Much better than the last bottle I had. Huge perfume from the get go. Tar and leather in spades. Beautifully balanced like silk. layered complexity. Stunning bottle.
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One of the best Barbarescos in my limited experience, presuming due mostly to the fact that it was fully mature at age thirty. Lively and fragrant for almost an hour, there’s old wood, bright red cherry and just a hint of vanilla. Excellent balance, not too acidic or oaky, time has served to marinate the fruit and oak. Very nice - but it’s still Barbaresco, not my tasse de thé.
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Alex poured me a taste tonight, nose of licorice, saddle leather, and black cherry, same on the palate, sweet fruit remains, medium/big body, nose is better than the taste and the taste is better than the finish, and the finish is only medium/long, if you own it, I suggest you drink it up.
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Medium fine tannin. The aromas still show some robust barrel tones. Red fruit, cherry. Drinks rather youthful. 2 hours in and is really gets going. Brown earth, spicy red fruit, getting rose-y. The rose was not there earlier. Red Vines, and confected red fruit aromas. Distinct cinnamon on the palate. Wow. Drink to 2035.
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1989 Barolo (NoMad Restaurant, NYC): [Decanted 7:30pm. Tasted about 10pm.] Mushroomy nose. Acidic and young. Licorice and black fruit. Needs more air time. 93-95.
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Tasted blind. I originally wasn't sure what varietal this was, but the group consensus was a modern nebbiolo producer. Thought to be from a much younger vintage and in need of more time. After a few hours started to open, but probably didn't benefit being paired with burgundies rather than other nebbiolos.
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An incredible wine. Drank alongside San Lorenzo 1997 and Sperss 1990. Colour was as fresh as that of the 97. Expressive and seductive nose of red fruits, dried flowers, light tobacco. Good weight with flavours dancing on your palate. Wonderful length
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GJE CRD 2008 and EP 2011; 3/29/2012-4/4/2012 (Bordeaux, France): This is a wow wine for me. Powerful and expressive nose reveals; dry cherries, wet tobacco, leather, iodine, bitter chocolate and orange rind. The palate displays sweet dry fruits, bright acidity and noticeable tannins. I am aware that Gaja is quite controversial but I am not so sure how one can dislike this.
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Lovely colour, dark garnet, looking young and vibrant. Expressive nose, on opening rather alcoholic, but it soon mellowed providing a very appealing bouquet of ripe red fruits with hints of smoke and tobacco and mocca. Good length and weigth.Drank with a grilled tenderloin at Pontinis (Grand Copthorn Singapore on the 1st Day fo Chinese New Year)
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Dark garnet. Big wine with loads of tar and leather on the nose. Very complex with layers. Well balanced dark fruit/acid...integrated tannins. THis is a full throttle barbaresco with many years life ahead of it. No hurry to open the next one.
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Dark red. Marvellous bouquet on notes of cocoa, berries and leaves. Chocolatey and sweet in the mouth with power and intensity, superb density and gobs of fruit. A multi-layered and complex wine with excellent definition and personality. I don't know how long this style of wine will hold up as far as long cellaring goes, but right now it is a delight.
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10/13/2023 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Single blind 89 Gaja Horizontal. Similar to the ST, this has so much going on while still be a wine on the upswing. Lovely array of cherry and plum fruit, with fruitcake, spice, florals and balsamico. Fresh and well-integrated but still has elements of primary fruit. So good.
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10/13/2023 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Barbaresco vs. Barolo (Chicago, IL): Served single blind. Clearly lacking the high-toned cough syrup notes of Sperss, so this was also another easy Barbaresco call. Darker and brooding, and honestly a bit simplistic in comparison to the other two preceding wines. On a similar maturity level (in that there is still plenty of upside), with perhaps the most intense tannins of the three Barbarescos, and accordingly giving me the feeling that this is the one that needs more time than the others.
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5/24/2023 - Radders12345 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ian's Birthday Piedmont Extravaganza: Sweet tar on the nose, a little classic red menthol cough syrup (in a good way), mint, black tea, sun warmed tarmac.
Very very silky and polished on the attack, quite ethereal in a way on the finish with leathery tones.
This was playing to a different tune that the other reds in the line up but an undoubtedly well made wine and a treat to try.
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5/24/2023 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ian's Piedmont Extravaganza (Noize): Much 'smoother' than tonight's other reds, with real weight of fruit at its core. A distinctive and pretty nose with notes of forest floor and pink soap, chewy and substantial yet also surprisingly approachable. I wrote 'a real crowd pleaser', but I think tonight's was probably the wrong crowd for this hedonistic, modern-leaning wine... I found it sensual and delicious.
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5/24/2023 - fussyeater wrote: 92 Points
Ian's Piemonte Celebration Dinner: Nose shows blue fruits, tobacco, leather and spices. Full bodied and framed by velvety tannins and explodes on the midpalate with smoke, prune, coffee grinds, leather and decaying red fruit. Super rich and idiosyncratic but could not quite understand the appeal. Drank better without cuisine.
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8/28/2022 - Hohokus wine wrote:
Great bottle all around. Tar Leather and all the good things that a great aged bottle of Barbaresco from a good producer.
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12/10/2019 - rnellans wrote: 97 Points
Wow. Much better than the last bottle I had. Huge perfume from the get go. Tar and leather in spades. Beautifully balanced like silk. layered complexity. Stunning bottle.
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12/8/2019 - BradE wrote:
A great bottle, a great wine. My favorite of the six reds tonight. It had soul.
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5/4/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
One of the best Barbarescos in my limited experience, presuming due mostly to the fact that it was fully mature at age thirty. Lively and fragrant for almost an hour, there’s old wood, bright red cherry and just a hint of vanilla. Excellent balance, not too acidic or oaky, time has served to marinate the fruit and oak. Very nice - but it’s still Barbaresco, not my tasse de thé.
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10/19/2018 - kenv Likes this wine: 96 Points
FWG Lunch with Gaia Gaja (Ai Fiori Restaurant in the Langham Place Hotel, NYC): [Double-decanted at 10am.] A big brute of a Barbaresco. Huge, lush, massive, but with great harmony. I would wait at least another decade to open this. 95-97
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6/17/2016 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Alex poured me a taste tonight, nose of licorice, saddle leather, and black cherry, same on the palate, sweet fruit remains, medium/big body, nose is better than the taste and the taste is better than the finish, and the finish is only medium/long, if you own it, I suggest you drink it up.
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11/25/2013 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Medium fine tannin. The aromas still show some robust barrel tones. Red fruit, cherry. Drinks rather youthful.
2 hours in and is really gets going. Brown earth, spicy red fruit, getting rose-y. The rose was not there earlier. Red Vines, and confected red fruit aromas. Distinct cinnamon on the palate. Wow. Drink to 2035.
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3/8/2013 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
1989 Barolo (NoMad Restaurant, NYC): [Decanted 7:30pm. Tasted about 10pm.] Mushroomy nose. Acidic and young. Licorice and black fruit. Needs more air time. 93-95.
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12/30/2012 - rnellans wrote: 94 Points
Dark. Very nice nose of spice, vanilla, some tar and leather. Good structured wine. Tannins are relatively soft. Good length. Excellent.
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12/15/2012 - yacobove wrote: 89 Points
Tasted blind. I originally wasn't sure what varietal this was, but the group consensus was a modern nebbiolo producer. Thought to be from a much younger vintage and in need of more time. After a few hours started to open, but probably didn't benefit being paired with burgundies rather than other nebbiolos.
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9/4/2012 - steinersing wrote: 97 Points
with DW and S and E - vibrant, rich, giving - great wine
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4/25/2012 - t-slow wrote: 98 Points
An incredible wine. Drank alongside San Lorenzo 1997 and Sperss 1990. Colour was as fresh as that of the 97. Expressive and seductive nose of red fruits, dried flowers, light tobacco. Good weight with flavours dancing on your palate. Wonderful length
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3/30/2012 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
GJE CRD 2008 and EP 2011; 3/29/2012-4/4/2012 (Bordeaux, France): This is a wow wine for me. Powerful and expressive nose reveals; dry cherries, wet tobacco, leather, iodine, bitter chocolate and orange rind. The palate displays sweet dry fruits, bright acidity and noticeable tannins. I am aware that Gaja is quite controversial but I am not so sure how one can dislike this.
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9/21/2011 - Rupert wrote: 89 Points
Mixed Barolo and Barbaresco 1958-1990 (River Café, Hammersmith, London): Dense, powerful, noticeably woody, tannic of course, but approachable
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2/8/2011 - kenv Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Barolo Dinner with Brunello Producer Riccardo Campinoti (Le Ragnaie) (Il Corso Restaurant, 54 W 55th St., NYC): [Decanted at 8pm. Drunk about 10pm.] Sweet licorice nose. Silky, oaky, astringent. Tastes very spoofy. Not sure if that is due to following all these old Giacosas, or because it didn't get enough air. Tarry and ugly.
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2/4/2011 - t-slow wrote: 93 Points
Lovely colour, dark garnet, looking young and vibrant. Expressive nose, on opening rather alcoholic, but it soon mellowed providing a very appealing bouquet of ripe red fruits with hints of smoke and tobacco and mocca. Good length and weigth.Drank with a grilled tenderloin at Pontinis (Grand Copthorn Singapore on the 1st Day fo Chinese New Year)
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1/13/2011 - KellyW wrote: 96 Points
Very comlex and floral nose. Tar and sweet red fruits. Very Burgundy like. Ripe silky tannins.
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2/21/2010 - Margauxguy wrote: 96 Points
Drank with Ked and Cecelia at Quince, one of the most oustanding bottles I have ever had
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1/1/2010 - rnellans wrote: 95 Points
Dark garnet. Big wine with loads of tar and leather on the nose. Very complex with layers. Well balanced dark fruit/acid...integrated tannins. THis is a full throttle barbaresco with many years life ahead of it. No hurry to open the next one.
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12/11/2009 - rwstorer wrote: 92 Points
Awesome full throttle barbaresco. Flavors of deep dried cranberry, a touch of chocolate and immeditate balance. Will last forever.
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5/11/2004 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 96 Points
Dark red. Marvellous bouquet on notes of cocoa, berries and leaves. Chocolatey and sweet in the mouth with power and intensity, superb density and gobs of fruit. A multi-layered and complex wine with excellent definition and personality. I don't know how long this style of wine will hold up as far as long cellaring goes, but right now it is a delight.
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