this one is a break from standard notes to editorialize. the wine is dark cherry bass notes with mint and tar on a lithe and elegant black tea chassis. but this type of bottle is sort of the point of studying and applying an academic approach to wines. the qpr on this wine is just through the roof. stepping back this is a relatively cheap bottle from a less publicized region born of an outstanding vintage. 14 years out it is drinking incredibly well. but this is a toyota, not a lexus. it’s not singular, not incredibly deep or focused, not super complicated, and not imminently chuggable. there’s a price point that comes with that kind of sex appeal and this is not it. but it knows what it is, is comfortable in it’s own skin, and drinks well on it’s own or with all sorts of food. it just grooves. it’s the equivalent of finding a great song on 45 in the dollar bin. it has a time and place and benefits from the element of surprise. this is not the kind of wine that will please the masses or be featured on every playlist, but when you open it up and start a glass it becomes obvious that there’s a significant increase in quality compare with other bottles in this lane. if you pop it for the right crowd it will bring people around to snap pictures of the label and ask where they can find it. that is why many “qpr” wines can outperform their more pricey counterparts. anyways these kind of bottles are so fun and validate the pursuit of top quality wines by reminding us that you can also find amazing gems in the lower rungs.
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One of my prior notes complained about the “cheap” synthetic cork that closed this wine. After 12 bottles, every single one of these has been wonderful, and if you look at the cork in the mouth of the blue hippo in one of the pictures for this wine, the seal looks like it did back in 2016. Diam is awesome, and hats off to Vallana for being an early adopter.
The wine is still youthful, with flavors and aromas consistent with more expensive wines from Boca and Gattinara. This wine is a QPR champ and should outlast anyone born before the Carter administration.
PnP that's firmly in its preferred window; clearly has another decade+ at a high level. Medium-bodied, slight browning at the rim. With 90 minutes of air, the intensity of aromas significantly improved. In the first moments after the cork was removed there was an overwhelming tomato leaf, soil, barn, etc. thing going on that would have dissuaded many. But, after twenty minutes of aeration in wide bottom decanter, it began to come together. If I had it to do over, and if this bottle is representative, I'd give this 2 hours of aeration in decanter. Very glad to have several more in the cellar. Even if there's just 12,5% abv, there's nothing blowsy or timid about this drop. Bravo. highly recommended
Red cherry, black truffle, cardamom, fenugree, cumin, bitter herbs (as in Amaro) on the nose. Very fruit backward with a great intensity of aromas. The palate adds blood and roasted meat but keeps every flavor from the nose. It feels like the non fruit flavors surround the fruit flavors if that makes sense.
Medium body, medium + acid with some very nice and very much present medium tannin at 13 years old. The minute + long finish feels like it goes on and on and on. While this can age 5-10 more years easily, it is absolutely singing right now.
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Raring to go after 2 hour in wide bottom decanter. That said, I'll wait another 2-4 years before the next one. An insane value; highly traditional styling. The last few drops were the best/most complex. Lovely. highly recommended+
This is the first bottle I've tried that I can say is drinkable right out of the bottle. Still challenging, but in a good, chewy way. And it promises a lot more development over the next decade.
I think in Italian wines this is one of the great bargains. It ranks with Calabretta Rosso (a little more expensive but an even greater wine). Either gives as much joy as many Barolos.
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This is starting to soften up. The tannins are still there but could no longer strip paint. Really good Alto Piedmont wine that is an ideal accompaniment to a weekday dinner.
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This is a big, rustic Nebbiolo with a strong tannic profile; decanted for four hours, it was much better on nights two and three, which is consistent with the experiences of other CT members. I will keep my other bottles for the 25-35 drinking window. Introverted on night one, it eventually showed lots of tart red fruits, cranberries, raspberries and a deep vein of tar. Some mid-palate sweetness developed on nights two and three. It closes with dominant tannins and lip-smacking acidity. This wine absolutely needs a meal of big flavors and rich foods. Very good QPR.
I bought a case of this so have the ability to taste as the years progress. Unlike Vallana's regular Spanna bottling and the supposedly lighter Campi Raudii bottling, this top of the line bottle is a puzzle. Although light in body, it remains tight as a drum with unexpressive nose, ripe but light mouth texture and simple, charmless flavors. I agree with other posts that this is far better after 24 hours. The nose begins to express pressed roses and mountain red currants. Flavors also begin to soften but with little complexity. Having experience with this estate going back to vintages from the '60's (!), this strikes me as one of those wines that will be much better left to our children. I would keep it under wraps for decades!
It’s kind of dormant right now. After 4 hours in the decanter, it reached its stride.
Much more expressive on day 2. A little bit of VA and drying tannins complement some red fruit and baking spice. There is a tiny bit of road tar and some other things that make one think of Nebbiolo, but I’m not sure that I could identify this blind as such. Very nice, and probably still 5 years away from what should be at least a decade long peak.
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So tight. We PNPed because we were already rather inebriated, but that was a bad idea (not one to be repeated). Tart cranberries, raspberries, sour cherry, mustard seed, anise. Wonderful aromatics. This really should not be touched for 10 years.
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Pop & pour, which is the worst way to serve this wine, but i keep a stash of wine at my parents house, and this was the most appropriate one for dinner tonight. Beautiful structure, and sour cherries and cranberries on the nose and palate, but this wine is still almost impenetrable.
It improves with decanting and an hour of air, but don’t even think about opening this right now unless you have two hours to let it breathe (eight to twelve hours would be more appropriate). This might be ready in 2022.
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From memory. I have waited very patiently and am sure this will last a long time, but at present this is a lovely light-bodied full-flavored nebbiolo. Enjoyed with lamb chops.
Bright fresh fruit at the core with mineral notes and tannin sometimes obscuring it. Surprisingly different from prior bottles. Not terribly different on night 2.
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Color shows no age. Aromas are slow to emerge on the PnP, eventually warm cherries, soil, some tar, and savory herbs. Medium-bodied, red/dark red fruits, with a good bit of extract on the palate. Certainly drinkable now, but with every sip the wine says "wait, not quite there yet". Next one in 3 years. 12,5% abv. Easily recommended
Drank over two days. Still bringing the bright red fruits and berries in torrents, with strong strawberry and raspberry compote and preserves, acerola smoothie, rosehips, hibiscus, and petrol derivative elements, along with exotic spices and hints of candied citrus peel, backed by medium plus to high acid and rockin' minerality. Highly reminiscent of Barbaresco. This should last another decade or more and could improve. 91-92. Excellent QPR.
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Decanted at 11am for an 8pm dinner. Initially really tight and not expressive. After 4 hours, had a really vivid aroma of Violet's and nail polish remover (which was actually very pleasant). By hour 9, it had settled down, tasting of cherries, stewed plums and balsamic. Tannins were prominent but not overbearing. This is still several years from reaching it's potential.
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2 years ago this was a brutal tannic monster, tonight it's red fruited and earthy. Light to medium body, gains some complexity with air and went well with roasted chicken. IMO it's starting to open.
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Probably shut down. This offered essentially nothing on the first night. On night two the fruit and earthy elements come through but the whole thing is fairly muted. I'll plan to wait a few years before checking in on another.
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A year and a half later with a 4 hour decant and this bottle is really good! rustic floral nose good acid some biting tannin. Red fruit and herbs some earth tar. Medium body. Drinking well and will last a long time IMO.
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Consumed over 2 nights (night #2 slightly better, more open and, believe or not, more fresh), this shows best at around 60F. Dark ruby toward purple, medium-bodied, with ample acids, a touch of brett and bass notes of soil and variety. Perfumes really come alive on day 2; the palate seems to snap to attention as well given it's been open for 24+ hours. Rustic, honest, delicious. 12,5% abv., thru 2034. recommended
I really like this. This is a great example of elegant rusticity. Great red fruits, herbs, soil withgreat minerality. Great acidity and sharp tannins. This one gets better each day. I need not say it will be best with food. Really looking forward to tasting these over the years!!
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Tannic, and like fresh cut raspberry bushes, stems, leaves, and all. Opened up and rounded out a bit over the 2 hours it was open, and is drinking surprisingly well given its youth. This would be fun wine to try every year over the course of a case.
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Nothing much here but tart and tannin. Very closed and absolutely no fruit. This bottle was much touted by The Rare Wine Company but I fail to see what there is to rave about. Cooking wine at best
Excellent juice! Smells and drinks like a wine from the Piedmont. It features screaming acid though, so much so that I thought it might contain twenty to thirty percent Barbera, but it is all Nebbiolo. More acidic than tannic, probably better with food. Great value!
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It has light garnet color, some cherry/medicinal on nose; Decanted/aerated over several hours so more fruit and better finish than last bottle. Tannins are soft and there isn't an abundance of fruit/acidity to carry it forward. Will not be long-lived in my mind although I am in the minority.
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Antonio Vallana e Figlio: extensive vineyard(s) tour and vertical tasting (The Family's Cellar, Maggiora, Italia): [in cantina] Striking, crystalline garnet core, clear and bright. Aromas of cherries, soil, minerals; bright and fresh. Lots of tension on the medium(-) bodied palate; crunchy, crisp, and tannic at this stage. With some airtime, complex aromas of mushrooms and forest floor, though it remains light and airy. Forget about these for five years, and enjoy over the following ten. recommended
Served non-blind.
https://italianwine.blog/
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definitely the real deal. Out of the bottle, first glass needed around 8 hrs of air to drink. Coravined this and left it intentionally upright without a seal, to age quickly, and 3 days later...wow.
This was decanted for 3 hours after a 4 hour slo-ox and served with a béchamel, porcini, and tomato lasagna. The robe was a slightly dull medium red with a light rim and no browning. On first pour, there were faint floral, earth, and tarry notes. With the first taste, I was met with a wall of tart red fruit and tannin that took another hour of swirling in the glass to crack open. The richness of the sauces helped to mitigate the dominating structure but this wine would be totally unlovable by itself at this very early stage. It is a more muscular expression of Alto Piemonte Nebbiolo than the wonderfully elegant 2004 Gattinara which is just starting to show itself. The Bernardo reminds me very much of all those extraordinary bottles of 1964 and 1967 Montalbano, Campi Raudi, and Traversagna that I drank regularly in the 1970s at a much too early stage. This wine seems very much in that tradition and will reward the patient collector with the foresight to lay down a few cases at these absurdly low prices. Trying to put a numerical score on this wine now is meaningless; it will be another 4+ years before the potential even starts to emerge. In the interim, drink the 2010 Spanna Colline Novaresi and 2004 Gattinara that are available. If you appreciate the pure traditional expression of Nebbiolo and are of a patient sort, do not pass this wine up.
After 2 hrs slo o and 6 hours in the decanter this was really good with a slow roasted pork roast. Open for 8hrs the fruit has really come out, tar and spice. the nose and floral, acid is strong and tannin is brutal. Very old world wine that needs time sideways. I really want to call this a serious wine but how can that be...it's on sale for $13.99 well it's a damn good wine for 13.99. 90+
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Not decanted due to lack of decanter, consumed over 1 1/2 hours. Should have given this more air - upon opening, this was fairly tart and structured, showing a bit of oaky, slightly smoky/herbal character but not a lot else. After an hour or so, some red fruit started (just started) to reveal itself, with the familiar tarry notes coming forward as well.
Given some air, this is nice enough now, but my main impression is one of future potential; I'll be sitting on my other one for a while, although I'd have to defer to others for guesses about long-term development. By the end of our meal last night, 89-90ish for this bottle, likely higher in a few years.
Gorgeous translucent light red hue. Very soft and velvety palate. Good acidity for aging, but this needs a few more years cellar time before it shows its stuff.
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decanted four hours. heavily structured yet a soft an easily drinkable wine. there is some fruit hiding back there and reasonable acid. i suspect this has some serious time in front of it, but only time will tell.
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I'm leaving 88 points because 89+ would mean it's a beautiful wine. I think it's a pretty wine and for its price point. It blends well with food, although at times it was masked entirely. I would definitely drink over plate of cheese and fruits and a good company.
I had it decanted for an hour. It was extremely soft all around - wondering if this wine can indeed last for over 50 years.
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Medium ruby color. Nose of smoke, earth, tar and red fruits. No oak. On first taste red fruits, slight graphite, a bit of menthol, and some green notes on the finish. Medium minus body, medium acidity, medium plus tannins and medium finish.A well made very old world wine. Not much complexity here but if you like pure nebbiolo that hasn't been manipulated this is for you. Tannins are pretty heavy now and should benefit from 1-2 years of age but I don't see this getting much more complex.
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Antonio Vallana Vertical: 2010-1954 (Del Posto Restaurant, NYC): Formerly called "Spanna del Camino". More smoke and less fruit than 2009 or 2010 Spannas. More structured, more tarry. Seems like a more serious wine, but also a bit diluted in the middle. Very young. Judgement reserved. Showing better after Flight 2. Promising. Tentatively 92 points.
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1/30/2024 - bps2266 wrote:
this one is a break from standard notes to editorialize. the wine is dark cherry bass notes with mint and tar on a lithe and elegant black tea chassis. but this type of bottle is sort of the point of studying and applying an academic approach to wines. the qpr on this wine is just through the roof. stepping back this is a relatively cheap bottle from a less publicized region born of an outstanding vintage. 14 years out it is drinking incredibly well. but this is a toyota, not a lexus. it’s not singular, not incredibly deep or focused, not super complicated, and not imminently chuggable. there’s a price point that comes with that kind of sex appeal and this is not it. but it knows what it is, is comfortable in it’s own skin, and drinks well on it’s own or with all sorts of food. it just grooves. it’s the equivalent of finding a great song on 45 in the dollar bin. it has a time and place and benefits from the element of surprise. this is not the kind of wine that will please the masses or be featured on every playlist, but when you open it up and start a glass it becomes obvious that there’s a significant increase in quality compare with other bottles in this lane. if you pop it for the right crowd it will bring people around to snap pictures of the label and ask where they can find it. that is why many “qpr” wines can outperform their more pricey counterparts. anyways these kind of bottles are so fun and validate the pursuit of top quality wines by reminding us that you can also find amazing gems in the lower rungs.
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10/16/2023 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine:
One of my prior notes complained about the “cheap” synthetic cork that closed this wine. After 12 bottles, every single one of these has been wonderful, and if you look at the cork in the mouth of the blue hippo in one of the pictures for this wine, the seal looks like it did back in 2016. Diam is awesome, and hats off to Vallana for being an early adopter.
The wine is still youthful, with flavors and aromas consistent with more expensive wines from Boca and Gattinara. This wine is a QPR champ and should outlast anyone born before the Carter administration.
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9/20/2023 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
PnP that's firmly in its preferred window; clearly has another decade+ at a high level. Medium-bodied, slight browning at the rim. With 90 minutes of air, the intensity of aromas significantly improved. In the first moments after the cork was removed there was an overwhelming tomato leaf, soil, barn, etc. thing going on that would have dissuaded many. But, after twenty minutes of aeration in wide bottom decanter, it began to come together. If I had it to do over, and if this bottle is representative, I'd give this 2 hours of aeration in decanter. Very glad to have several more in the cellar. Even if there's just 12,5% abv, there's nothing blowsy or timid about this drop. Bravo. highly recommended
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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2/27/2023 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine: 94 Points
Red cherry, black truffle, cardamom, fenugree, cumin, bitter herbs (as in Amaro) on the nose. Very fruit backward with a great intensity of aromas. The palate adds blood and roasted meat but keeps every flavor from the nose. It feels like the non fruit flavors surround the fruit flavors if that makes sense.
Medium body, medium + acid with some very nice and very much present medium tannin at 13 years old. The minute + long finish feels like it goes on and on and on. While this can age 5-10 more years easily, it is absolutely singing right now.
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2/1/2021 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Raring to go after 2 hour in wide bottom decanter. That said, I'll wait another 2-4 years before the next one. An insane value; highly traditional styling. The last few drops were the best/most complex. Lovely. highly recommended+
http://www.italianwine.blog
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12/1/2020 - bags wrote:
Agree completely with MrOctoberfest.
This is the first bottle I've tried that I can say is drinkable right out of the bottle. Still challenging, but in a good, chewy way. And it promises a lot more development over the next decade.
I think in Italian wines this is one of the great bargains. It ranks with Calabretta Rosso (a little more expensive but an even greater wine). Either gives as much joy as many Barolos.
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10/26/2020 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine:
This is starting to soften up. The tannins are still there but could no longer strip paint. Really good Alto Piedmont wine that is an ideal accompaniment to a weekday dinner.
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7/24/2020 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a big, rustic Nebbiolo with a strong tannic profile; decanted for four hours, it was much better on nights two and three, which is consistent with the experiences of other CT members. I will keep my other bottles for the 25-35 drinking window. Introverted on night one, it eventually showed lots of tart red fruits, cranberries, raspberries and a deep vein of tar. Some mid-palate sweetness developed on nights two and three. It closes with dominant tannins and lip-smacking acidity. This wine absolutely needs a meal of big flavors and rich foods. Very good QPR.
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5/23/2020 - Arturoonwine wrote: 92 Points
I bought a case of this so have the ability to taste as the years progress. Unlike Vallana's regular Spanna bottling and the supposedly lighter Campi Raudii bottling, this top of the line bottle is a puzzle. Although light in body, it remains tight as a drum with unexpressive nose, ripe but light mouth texture and simple, charmless flavors. I agree with other posts that this is far better after 24 hours. The nose begins to express pressed roses and mountain red currants. Flavors also begin to soften but with little complexity. Having experience with this estate going back to vintages from the '60's (!), this strikes me as one of those wines that will be much better left to our children. I would keep it under wraps for decades!
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1/18/2020 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine:
It’s kind of dormant right now. After 4 hours in the decanter, it reached its stride.
Much more expressive on day 2. A little bit of VA and drying tannins complement some red fruit and baking spice. There is a tiny bit of road tar and some other things that make one think of Nebbiolo, but I’m not sure that I could identify this blind as such. Very nice, and probably still 5 years away from what should be at least a decade long peak.
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7/26/2019 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 87 Points
Still tannic but much more approachable than when we first tried it!
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11/9/2018 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 91 Points
So tight. We PNPed because we were already rather inebriated, but that was a bad idea (not one to be repeated). Tart cranberries, raspberries, sour cherry, mustard seed, anise. Wonderful aromatics. This really should not be touched for 10 years.
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5/1/2018 - bags wrote:
decant again in 2-3 years, and then drinking well for > 15 yrs. has the stuffing to go the distance.
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12/17/2017 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine:
Pop & pour, which is the worst way to serve this wine, but i keep a stash of wine at my parents house, and this was the most appropriate one for dinner tonight. Beautiful structure, and sour cherries and cranberries on the nose and palate, but this wine is still almost impenetrable.
It improves with decanting and an hour of air, but don’t even think about opening this right now unless you have two hours to let it breathe (eight to twelve hours would be more appropriate). This might be ready in 2022.
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12/11/2017 - scott w Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely neb right in my wheelhouse right now. Light to medium body bright cherry strawberry and earth.
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10/18/2017 - SteveG wrote: 92 Points
From memory. I have waited very patiently and am sure this will last a long time, but at present this is a lovely light-bodied full-flavored nebbiolo. Enjoyed with lamb chops.
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10/11/2017 - klezman wrote:
Bright fresh fruit at the core with mineral notes and tannin sometimes obscuring it. Surprisingly different from prior bottles. Not terribly different on night 2.
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7/24/2017 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Color shows no age. Aromas are slow to emerge on the PnP, eventually warm cherries, soil, some tar, and savory herbs. Medium-bodied, red/dark red fruits, with a good bit of extract on the palate. Certainly drinkable now, but with every sip the wine says "wait, not quite there yet". Next one in 3 years. 12,5% abv. Easily recommended
* update * day 3 (fridge), it's only gotten better, wow
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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1/9/2017 - klezman wrote:
Definitely rustic. Much more open and soft than before, but still the tannins come out with some air. Enjoyable lighter side of Nebbiolo.
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10/7/2016 - Motz wrote: 91 Points
Drank over two days. Still bringing the bright red fruits and berries in torrents, with strong strawberry and raspberry compote and preserves, acerola smoothie, rosehips, hibiscus, and petrol derivative elements, along with exotic spices and hints of candied citrus peel, backed by medium plus to high acid and rockin' minerality. Highly reminiscent of Barbaresco. This should last another decade or more and could improve. 91-92. Excellent QPR.
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7/18/2016 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted at 11am for an 8pm dinner. Initially really tight and not expressive. After 4 hours, had a really vivid aroma of Violet's and nail polish remover (which was actually very pleasant). By hour 9, it had settled down, tasting of cherries, stewed plums and balsamic. Tannins were prominent but not overbearing. This is still several years from reaching it's potential.
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4/25/2016 - scott w Likes this wine:
2 years ago this was a brutal tannic monster, tonight it's red fruited and earthy. Light to medium body, gains some complexity with air and went well with roasted chicken. IMO it's starting to open.
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1/24/2016 - prof b wrote:
Probably shut down. This offered essentially nothing on the first night. On night two the fruit and earthy elements come through but the whole thing is fairly muted. I'll plan to wait a few years before checking in on another.
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8/10/2015 - scott w Likes this wine: 90 Points
A year and a half later with a 4 hour decant and this bottle is really good! rustic floral nose good acid some biting tannin. Red fruit and herbs some earth tar. Medium body. Drinking well and will last a long time IMO.
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7/16/2015 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Consumed over 2 nights (night #2 slightly better, more open and, believe or not, more fresh), this shows best at around 60F. Dark ruby toward purple, medium-bodied, with ample acids, a touch of brett and bass notes of soil and variety. Perfumes really come alive on day 2; the palate seems to snap to attention as well given it's been open for 24+ hours. Rustic, honest, delicious. 12,5% abv., thru 2034. recommended
Served non-blind.
https://italianwine.blog/
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7/16/2015 - Sheila62 Likes this wine:
I really like this. This is a great example of elegant rusticity. Great red fruits, herbs, soil withgreat minerality. Great acidity and sharp tannins. This one gets better each day. I need not say it will be best with food. Really looking forward to tasting these over the years!!
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2/23/2015 - klezman wrote:
Tannic, and like fresh cut raspberry bushes, stems, leaves, and all. Opened up and rounded out a bit over the 2 hours it was open, and is drinking surprisingly well given its youth. This would be fun wine to try every year over the course of a case.
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2/5/2015 - andtheodor wrote:
Rustic Italian country wine. Cranberry tartness and astringency. Needs time and/or food.
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11/13/2014 - andtheodor wrote: 86 Points
Pretty shut down the first night; plum skin, tannin, astringent. More generous the second night but still thin and more tar than fruit.
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10/9/2014 - pepmi wrote: 80 Points
Nothing much here but tart and tannin. Very closed and absolutely no fruit. This bottle was much touted by The Rare Wine Company but I fail to see what there is to rave about. Cooking wine at best
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8/4/2014 - yofog wrote:
Hi-tone, tannic, plums, a little simple and quite rustic. Meh.
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5/24/2014 - Drankard wrote: 87 Points
I'm in agreement with Portman63. This did not show a whole lot of structure.
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5/23/2014 - Motz wrote: 91 Points
Excellent juice! Smells and drinks like a wine from the Piedmont. It features screaming acid though, so much so that I thought it might contain twenty to thirty percent Barbera, but it is all Nebbiolo. More acidic than tannic, probably better with food. Great value!
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5/19/2014 - portman63 wrote: 87 Points
It has light garnet color, some cherry/medicinal on nose; Decanted/aerated over several hours so more fruit and better finish than last bottle. Tannins are soft and there isn't an abundance of fruit/acidity to carry it forward. Will not be long-lived in my mind although I am in the minority.
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4/11/2014 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Antonio Vallana e Figlio: extensive vineyard(s) tour and vertical tasting (The Family's Cellar, Maggiora, Italia): [in cantina] Striking, crystalline garnet core, clear and bright. Aromas of cherries, soil, minerals; bright and fresh. Lots of tension on the medium(-) bodied palate; crunchy, crisp, and tannic at this stage. With some airtime, complex aromas of mushrooms and forest floor, though it remains light and airy. Forget about these for five years, and enjoy over the following ten. recommended
Served non-blind.
https://italianwine.blog/
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2/20/2014 - bags wrote:
definitely the real deal. Out of the bottle, first glass needed around 8 hrs of air to drink. Coravined this and left it intentionally upright without a seal, to age quickly, and 3 days later...wow.
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1/6/2014 - VTCellarDweller Likes this wine:
This was decanted for 3 hours after a 4 hour slo-ox and served with a béchamel, porcini, and tomato lasagna. The robe was a slightly dull medium red with a light rim and no browning. On first pour, there were faint floral, earth, and tarry notes. With the first taste, I was met with a wall of tart red fruit and tannin that took another hour of swirling in the glass to crack open. The richness of the sauces helped to mitigate the dominating structure but this wine would be totally unlovable by itself at this very early stage.
It is a more muscular expression of Alto Piemonte Nebbiolo than the wonderfully elegant 2004 Gattinara which is just starting to show itself. The Bernardo reminds me very much of all those extraordinary bottles of 1964 and 1967 Montalbano, Campi Raudi, and Traversagna that I drank regularly in the 1970s at a much too early stage. This wine seems very much in that tradition and will reward the patient collector with the foresight to lay down a few cases at these absurdly low prices. Trying to put a numerical score on this wine now is meaningless; it will be another 4+ years before the potential even starts to emerge. In the interim, drink the 2010 Spanna Colline Novaresi and 2004 Gattinara that are available.
If you appreciate the pure traditional expression of Nebbiolo and are of a patient sort, do not pass this wine up.
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1/4/2014 - scott w Likes this wine: 90 Points
After 2 hrs slo o and 6 hours in the decanter this was really good with a slow roasted pork roast. Open for 8hrs the fruit has really come out, tar and spice. the nose and floral, acid is strong and tannin is brutal. Very old world wine that needs time sideways. I really want to call this a serious wine but how can that be...it's on sale for $13.99 well it's a damn good wine for 13.99. 90+
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12/22/2013 - bretrooks wrote: 89 Points
Not decanted due to lack of decanter, consumed over 1 1/2 hours. Should have given this more air - upon opening, this was fairly tart and structured, showing a bit of oaky, slightly smoky/herbal character but not a lot else. After an hour or so, some red fruit started (just started) to reveal itself, with the familiar tarry notes coming forward as well.
Given some air, this is nice enough now, but my main impression is one of future potential; I'll be sitting on my other one for a while, although I'd have to defer to others for guesses about long-term development. By the end of our meal last night, 89-90ish for this bottle, likely higher in a few years.
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12/8/2013 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
Gorgeous translucent light red hue. Very soft and velvety palate. Good acidity for aging, but this needs a few more years cellar time before it shows its stuff.
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11/18/2013 - prof b wrote:
decanted four hours. heavily structured yet a soft an easily drinkable wine. there is some fruit hiding back there and reasonable acid. i suspect this has some serious time in front of it, but only time will tell.
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11/8/2013 - jinatnrt Likes this wine: 88 Points
I'm leaving 88 points because 89+ would mean it's a beautiful wine. I think it's a pretty wine and for its price point. It blends well with food, although at times it was masked entirely. I would definitely drink over plate of cheese and fruits and a good company.
I had it decanted for an hour. It was extremely soft all around - wondering if this wine can indeed last for over 50 years.
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10/12/2013 - Ckaz44 wrote: 89 Points
Medium ruby color. Nose of smoke, earth, tar and red fruits. No oak. On first taste red fruits, slight graphite, a bit of menthol, and some green notes on the finish. Medium minus body, medium acidity, medium plus tannins and medium finish.A well made very old world wine. Not much complexity here but if you like pure nebbiolo that hasn't been manipulated this is for you. Tannins are pretty heavy now and should benefit from 1-2 years of age but I don't see this getting much more complex.
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5/9/2013 - kenv Likes this wine: 92 Points
Antonio Vallana Vertical: 2010-1954 (Del Posto Restaurant, NYC): Formerly called "Spanna del Camino". More smoke and less fruit than 2009 or 2010 Spannas. More structured, more tarry. Seems like a more serious wine, but also a bit diluted in the middle. Very young. Judgement reserved. Showing better after Flight 2. Promising. Tentatively 92 points.
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