A bit thin and tough on opening. Barolo is often a will-of-the-wisp for me, changing as it stays open. So instead of ethereal, I often taste thin and slightly acidic. This one started that way but changed over several days (kept under N2), sometimes more compelling and elegant, sometimes less. In any case, it never really grabbed me. Looking over my notes, it's clear that the non-Barolo nebbiolos have been on average better (by my lights) than the Barolos. Just what that is, I'm not quite sure.
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Grand Vin - Poderi Aldo Conterno Masterclass (Aura @ National Gallery): Pale garnet. A clear bouquet of roses, grass, and garden soils, somewhat herbal and mushrooms. High tannins, with somewhat high acids whereby the mouthwatering feel only comes about at the back with a slight mint coolness. Flavours of raspberry, twigs, roses, and even somewhat briny. Definitely needs more years
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Direkt vor dem Probieren geöffnet und belüftet. - Farbe: Schwarzrot. Konzentriert. Leichte Schlieren am Glas. - Geruch: Mittlere Intensität. Verhaltene Kirsche. Etwas Ton/Erde. - Geschmack: Samtig. Holz. Kräftige Tannine, noch nicht integriert. Trotzdem gut trinkbar. Verhaltene Kirsche/rote Frucht. Gewürze. - Mittlerer bis langer Nachhall. Toller Wein. Allerdings für den Preis gibt es bessere Alternativen.
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First Conterno ever. Full garnet red with an impossibly thin rim for such a young wine. Nose is fresh stalky herbal notes - fennel leaf? - and celery seed with underlying tones that are earthier - tar, creosote, beechnut gum. Super puckery dry in the mouth. High tannins but very smooth. Flavours again of tar, sour cherry, tart dried red berries, new leather and yes roses. Very tightly structured. High acidity. Definitely a food wine, not a sipper. Unapologetic old world wine. Very different from the norm as this is not fruity at all. High quality. Tough to score because it is so different and I don't have any benchmarks, but I would say 92 points. I think I'll leave the next one for at least 10 years before trying again.
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Nose - toasted orange peel Mouth - nicely complex, cornucopia of red fruit, a touch of balancing acidity; unraveled a bit with time but still hit a wall of tannins on the finish. Enjoyable but Definitely hold.
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N: Vanilla slightly atop flowers (violets?), smoke with addt'l swirling, rest tough to parse; Intensity lurking
P: MF, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which only somewhat resolves by the LONG, BALANCED finish with a distinct swtness to the still somewhat puckerish tannins. NEEDS through '21, poss longer, then at least approaching its 15th. My EXC-/EXC, more than likely the higher. 93 pts Suckling, 92 WA, & 91 Decanter. [This vendor's $68.95 is $6 < its closest competitor on wine-searcher's fairly skewed posting.]
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Mangler foreløpig litt energi på duft, men gir etter hvert tiltalende toner av parfymerte kirsebær, roser, lær og lakris. Vinen overrasker med et flott anslag med friske og lett syrlige kirsebær, umodne plommer, roser og med bra mineralitet. Syren er herlig frisk og passer pent til de nydelige tanninene. En overraskende god Bussia fra Conterno.
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7/29/2023 - Bjarte G. Likes this wine:
Veldig god nebbiolo. Balansert og fin lengde. God til grillmat og salater.
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11/17/2021 - Peter Kleban Likes this wine:
*+
A bit thin and tough on opening. Barolo is often a will-of-the-wisp for me, changing as it stays open. So instead of ethereal, I often taste thin and slightly acidic. This one started that way but changed over several days (kept under N2), sometimes more compelling and elegant, sometimes less. In any case, it never really grabbed me.
Looking over my notes, it's clear that the non-Barolo nebbiolos have been on average better (by my lights) than the Barolos. Just what that is, I'm not quite sure.
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11/20/2019 - vinhonotte wrote: 89 Points
Grand Vin - Poderi Aldo Conterno Masterclass (Aura @ National Gallery): Pale garnet. A clear bouquet of roses, grass, and garden soils, somewhat herbal and mushrooms. High tannins, with somewhat high acids whereby the mouthwatering feel only comes about at the back with a slight mint coolness. Flavours of raspberry, twigs, roses, and even somewhat briny. Definitely needs more years
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10/4/2019 - soyhead wrote:
At bounty hunter WC, nice fruit, very dry as Barolo is. Drinking on the young side. I see the promise. Hold.
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9/29/2019 - s******n Likes this wine: 90 Points
Direkt vor dem Probieren geöffnet und belüftet.
- Farbe: Schwarzrot. Konzentriert. Leichte Schlieren am Glas.
- Geruch: Mittlere Intensität. Verhaltene Kirsche. Etwas Ton/Erde.
- Geschmack: Samtig. Holz. Kräftige Tannine, noch nicht integriert. Trotzdem gut trinkbar. Verhaltene Kirsche/rote Frucht. Gewürze.
- Mittlerer bis langer Nachhall. Toller Wein. Allerdings für den Preis gibt es bessere Alternativen.
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8/3/2019 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 92 Points
First Conterno ever. Full garnet red with an impossibly thin rim for such a young wine. Nose is fresh stalky herbal notes - fennel leaf? - and celery seed with underlying tones that are earthier - tar, creosote, beechnut gum. Super puckery dry in the mouth. High tannins but very smooth. Flavours again of tar, sour cherry, tart dried red berries, new leather and yes roses. Very tightly structured. High acidity. Definitely a food wine, not a sipper. Unapologetic old world wine. Very different from the norm as this is not fruity at all. High quality. Tough to score because it is so different and I don't have any benchmarks, but I would say 92 points. I think I'll leave the next one for at least 10 years before trying again.
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5/16/2019 - Hanibal wrote: 89 Points
I wouldn't buy it
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4/13/2019 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - toasted orange peel
Mouth - nicely complex, cornucopia of red fruit, a touch of balancing acidity; unraveled a bit with time but still hit a wall of tannins on the finish. Enjoyable but Definitely hold.
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11/3/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 2 *shared,* VERY impressive bottles] from 11/02/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Apparently "from 5 ha of prime vyds in Bussia Soprano... spread across 3 separate parcels with vines averaging 35-40 yrs old, with no vines < 20 yrs old;"
N: Vanilla slightly atop flowers (violets?), smoke with addt'l swirling, rest tough to parse; Intensity lurking
P: MF, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which only somewhat resolves by the LONG, BALANCED finish with a distinct swtness to the still somewhat puckerish tannins. NEEDS through '21, poss longer, then at least approaching its 15th. My EXC-/EXC, more than likely the higher. 93 pts Suckling, 92 WA, & 91 Decanter. [This vendor's $68.95 is $6 < its closest competitor on wine-searcher's fairly skewed posting.]
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10/13/2018 - Andre Brattland wrote: 92 Points
Mangler foreløpig litt energi på duft, men gir etter hvert tiltalende toner av parfymerte kirsebær, roser, lær og lakris. Vinen overrasker med et flott anslag med friske og lett syrlige kirsebær, umodne plommer, roser og med bra mineralitet. Syren er herlig frisk og passer pent til de nydelige tanninene. En overraskende god Bussia fra Conterno.
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