Drank together with 2014 Clerico Aeroplan Servaj. Double decanted for 4+ hours. Brought into and served in a restaurant. Elegant, but not as good as expected. Overshadowed by the Clerico. Have another bottle left, would try to bottle decant and give it more time instead of double decant.
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PnP at a steakhouse... muted upon open but gained complexity and color with an hour of air. We concluded the wine firmed up a bit and the tannins became more apparent after an hour and a half. Could be the vintage and possibly picked early because of the heat but just guessing here. Very elegant for a 2000 Barolo with beautiful fruit and all the right stuff in place. Drink or hold
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Incredible wine. Left to ox in the bottle for a couple of hours. Burnished red color with brown shades. Particular consistency, almost dense in the mouth. Incredible nose and mouth. Black fruit and blackberries, licorice, a particular spicy background, after a couple of glasses a hint of mint also appeared. Tannin still present and perfectly balanced with the acid notes. Intense and incredibly prolonged finish. Unfortunate to have had only one bottle available.
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This is a killer barolo. This is the reason one has a cellar! To buy something 15 years ago, that was bottled twenty years ago and put it down and let it work its magic. The nose is huge but subtle. Subtle because the elements are intertwined and balanced consisting of a bit of tar, significant floral notes, an earthy tone, red meat, and a mineral background. The palate is rounded and rich but with an excitement on the tongue that almost feels like it has a bit of sparkle to it. It is meaty, minerally, leathery, with a side hit of blueberry. Early in the taste is a hint of tannic backbone that just grows as the seconds tick by and becomes dominant as the other flavors slide away. This wine has a lot of legs, with no sense of time passing --- so will likely be as fabulous 20 more years from now. But drinking it now is a great thing as well.
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I haven't tried this in a while, and it has always been a vintage that stood in the shadows of '99 and '01 - and once again, this isn't bad, but not as focused on the palate as the other two wines (and also behind the '98 as well, IMO).
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Open and radiant for Francia, with notes of sweet red berries, also some dark red fruit, menthol, some crushed rose petals, dried fruit, as well as some licorice and cedar wood. It‘s medium full-bodied, with medium acidity and medium tannin that is ripe but still there. Long finish. A remarkable success for this overestimated Barolo vintage. It doesn‘t show the regular level of austerity, the warmer vintage comes throught, but there is plenty of complexity and deliciousness.
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Dinner with the wine group (Aicha, San Francisco): Deep red to black fruit, slight spice, youthful, dense; palate is light-medium bodied, more black fruit, high youthful tannins, high acid; medium to medium-plus finish. A bit richer than the others. The 1998 wins it for me. 91-92
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Very nice development. Roasted herbs, muted roses, dark nebbiolo fruit on the nose. Palate is mellow and integrated with a earth and dark fruit with a bright bit of acid in the mid-palate. Modest tannins kick in at end. Delicious barolo.
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Having never been a big fan of the vintage, the 2000 Giacomo Conterno shows some of its telltale drawbacks, yet it manages to be incredibly enjoyable all the same. Here I found a rich, dark bouquet with crushed cherry, brown spices and dried flowers, yet the wine lacked momentum. On the palate, it displayed silky textures contrasted by intense tart red fruits, inner spice and sweet tannins. The finish was saturating with red fruits, yet it was soft and only medium in length.
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It seems to have recovered some from the closed down bottle last year, but still not back up at the level it was 4 years ago. Same wine, same qualities, just not as "out there" as the 2013 bottle we drank, but definitely closer to top level than last year.
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Neb-fest: Nebbiolo & Truffle Dinner (Chicago, IL): Very showy and upfront already. Mature red cherry, earth and leather aromas. Generous, richly fruited palate with medium acids and grippy tannin. In a very good spot now though it should hold.
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A taste before dinner later today; similar in color to the 2001. The nose is a little diffuse, but pleasant enough and showing no signs of over-ripeness on opening.
Much less taut/focused than the '01 - sweet & sour red fruits. Not bad at all.
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Even ruby without any visual signs of maturity. Wow, a head spinning nose of intense red fruits, tobacco, and mint. Medium weight but powerful impression of sweet but subtle cherries, clay, and anise. The fruit absolutely shines in this wine. Neither high acidity nor tannins that are that prominent now, yet the depth of fruit promises to carry this wine forward for at least another 15 years. Its beautiful complexity left a perfectly fine 2011 Cigliutti Barbaresco in the dust.
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This bottle went thoroughly dumb on me. Must have closed down for a while. Wine is excellent and delicious, no signs of any problems--just that it's not GIVING. All the flavors and smells were muted compared to my 96 rating two years ago. So, will have to see what happens on the next bottle.
Gave this a four hour decant, started the evening celebrating 44 years married. Could take a side line here on how wine and marriage resonate- ideally complex, lengthy, evolving, does the structure integrate with the fruit? Anyhow, this is a marvelous Barolo. I think Italy's different grapes are more expressive of their uniqueness and terroir than almost any other. One is likely not mistaking this wine once experienced. Mushroom, tar, berry, nice path between being dark and deep at the core, while acknowledging lighter side as well.
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This wine took a while to open up with the typical Barolo nose of tar and licorice coming through first and then later the black cherries and thyme began to resonate. The tannins are well structured and finish was long. This showed the vintage and is highly approachable right now. Drink or hold.
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Dark roasted herbs, and muted roses, and dark nebbiolo fruit are front and center on the nose. Big satisfying nose that just keeps on giving. A bit of tar in the background as well. Palate is mellow and integrated with an earthy mushroom element and a bright zing of acid in the mid-palate. Tannins kick in lightly on the backend, definitely integrated. Probably has a lot more time to develop.
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Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium/high acidity and chewy tannins. This is very young on the palate with fresh and savory tones of red cherries, strawberries, wild flowers, and some fresh picked red berries.
Overall: This was the only Barolo that didn't seem to fully show the vintage. It certainly showed fruit, but the fruit wasn't as warm as the other barolos. This was more fresh with nice depth and a gorgeous savoriness too.
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This was persistent with my former note but this bottle was a lot tighter and seemed much younger but still a beautiful wine with the nose clearly the biggest asset right know!
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This wine surprised me a lot! The nose was intense with a core of dark fruit and the classic peach-tones of casina F. The palet was so fresh and still pleasant and the tannins were ultra-smooth and it really shoved a perfect balance between the dark core and the light tones of the classic Barolo! it was perfectly made and I would love to try this wine again and again over the next 10-15 years because it will just get better and better:-)
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Colore un un po' opaco e torbido. Al naso gomma bruciata, polvere, goudron e poco altro. Anche quando si pulisce è il naso di un barolo troppo evoluto per la sua età. La bocca non é male, sarebbe da bere col tappo al naso
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Giacomo Conterno, Cascina Francia Barolo tasting 2010 (Maialino, NYC Lexington and 21st): The nose was big and ripe with black cherries, earth and a bit of raw beef. The palate was soft and full-bodied with dark red fruits, red beets and minerals that all turned a little sweet on the mid palate and led to a slightly tannic finish. I certainly don’t see this lasting decades but it was enjoyable and a good candidate for drinking 5 years plus.
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Drank at home over two evenings. Was a gift from a friend who is a Barolo buff so this was somewhat disappointing as I had high expectations. It had a fair amount of feminine charm but no real character and hence the sparse tasting note.
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Sparkling clear, reddish purple; complex floral perfume morphing into barnyard and ‘old socks’ and various other earthy notes; classic, bold Barolo tannins, wrapped in an intricate and elegant mash of fruit and spices, minerals and tar, evolving in the glass from minute to minute—a kaleidoscopic Barolo, and incredible complexity for a Barolo so young. A prodigy—and my WON. 19
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Winestreet Tastes Piedmont: Ruby red color. Big nose of red fruit. In the mouth this showed red fruit, mineral, and a strong vanilla component. This was balanced and less tannic than many of the other wines. This was a classy wine.
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Great wine! This is my favorite Barolo thus far in life. Sweet fruits, tar, plum, tobacco. Rich and intense with wonderful acids and tannins. Decanted for six hours before drinking. Time to buy some more bottles!
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3/19/2024 - ttchan2024 wrote: 90 Points
Drank together with 2014 Clerico Aeroplan Servaj.
Double decanted for 4+ hours.
Brought into and served in a restaurant.
Elegant, but not as good as expected. Overshadowed by the Clerico.
Have another bottle left, would try to bottle decant and give it more time instead of double decant.
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2/25/2023 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
A very good bottle. Decanted and really opened up with air. Still youthful. No rush if you care to hold, but really good now.
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5/8/2022 - JWG wrote: 97 Points
Really needs a minimum of a couple of hours of breathing. My notes from 2020 are perfectly applicable to this bottle as well. A great experience.
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10/28/2021 - ciaovito Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP at a steakhouse... muted upon open but gained complexity and color with an hour of air. We concluded the wine firmed up a bit and the tannins became more apparent after an hour and a half. Could be the vintage and possibly picked early because of the heat but just guessing here. Very elegant for a 2000 Barolo with beautiful fruit and all the right stuff in place. Drink or hold
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5/2/2021 - phgnan wrote: 96 Points
Incredible wine. Left to ox in the bottle for a couple of hours. Burnished red color with brown shades.
Particular consistency, almost dense in the mouth.
Incredible nose and mouth. Black fruit and blackberries, licorice, a particular spicy background, after a couple of glasses a hint of mint also appeared. Tannin still present and perfectly balanced with the acid notes. Intense and incredibly prolonged finish. Unfortunate to have had only one bottle available.
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5/3/2020 - JWG wrote: 98 Points
This is a killer barolo. This is the reason one has a cellar! To buy something 15 years ago, that was bottled twenty years ago and put it down and let it work its magic. The nose is huge but subtle. Subtle because the elements are intertwined and balanced consisting of a bit of tar, significant floral notes, an earthy tone, red meat, and a mineral background. The palate is rounded and rich but with an excitement on the tongue that almost feels like it has a bit of sparkle to it. It is meaty, minerally, leathery, with a side hit of blueberry. Early in the taste is a hint of tannic backbone that just grows as the seconds tick by and becomes dominant as the other flavors slide away. This wine has a lot of legs, with no sense of time passing --- so will likely be as fabulous 20 more years from now. But drinking it now is a great thing as well.
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12/7/2019 - Bob H wrote:
I haven't tried this in a while, and it has always been a vintage that stood in the shadows of '99 and '01 - and once again, this isn't bad, but not as focused on the palate as the other two wines (and also behind the '98 as well, IMO).
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11/9/2019 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Open and radiant for Francia, with notes of sweet red berries, also some dark red fruit, menthol, some crushed rose petals, dried fruit, as well as some licorice and cedar wood. It‘s medium full-bodied, with medium acidity and medium tannin that is ripe but still there. Long finish. A remarkable success for this overestimated Barolo vintage. It doesn‘t show the regular level of austerity, the warmer vintage comes throught, but there is plenty of complexity and deliciousness.
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2/12/2019 - Louvin wrote:
About 3 hrs. slo ox, a rather larger richer Barolo, a product of the vintage. Rather unrefined tannin to me.
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12/17/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with the wine group (Aicha, San Francisco): Deep red to black fruit, slight spice, youthful, dense; palate is light-medium bodied, more black fruit, high youthful tannins, high acid; medium to medium-plus finish. A bit richer than the others. The 1998 wins it for me. 91-92
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10/25/2018 - JWG wrote: 95 Points
Very nice development. Roasted herbs, muted roses, dark nebbiolo fruit on the nose. Palate is mellow and integrated with a earth and dark fruit with a bright bit of acid in the mid-palate. Modest tannins kick in at end. Delicious barolo.
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12/13/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
Having never been a big fan of the vintage, the 2000 Giacomo Conterno shows some of its telltale drawbacks, yet it manages to be incredibly enjoyable all the same. Here I found a rich, dark bouquet with crushed cherry, brown spices and dried flowers, yet the wine lacked momentum. On the palate, it displayed silky textures contrasted by intense tart red fruits, inner spice and sweet tannins. The finish was saturating with red fruits, yet it was soft and only medium in length.
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6/25/2017 - JWG wrote: 94 Points
It seems to have recovered some from the closed down bottle last year, but still not back up at the level it was 4 years ago. Same wine, same qualities, just not as "out there" as the 2013 bottle we drank, but definitely closer to top level than last year.
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12/4/2016 - AJ72 wrote: 95 Points
Awesome and in a great spot right now. Classic tar and roses in the best possible sense. Captures the essence of Barolo perfectly.
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11/18/2016 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Neb-fest: Nebbiolo & Truffle Dinner (Chicago, IL): Very showy and upfront already. Mature red cherry, earth and leather aromas. Generous, richly fruited palate with medium acids and grippy tannin. In a very good spot now though it should hold.
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9/10/2016 - Bob H Likes this wine:
A taste before dinner later today; similar in color to the 2001. The nose is a little diffuse, but pleasant enough and showing no signs of over-ripeness on opening.
Much less taut/focused than the '01 - sweet & sour red fruits. Not bad at all.
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4/24/2016 - drwine2001 wrote:
Even ruby without any visual signs of maturity. Wow, a head spinning nose of intense red fruits, tobacco, and mint. Medium weight but powerful impression of sweet but subtle cherries, clay, and anise. The fruit absolutely shines in this wine. Neither high acidity nor tannins that are that prominent now, yet the depth of fruit promises to carry this wine forward for at least another 15 years. Its beautiful complexity left a perfectly fine 2011 Cigliutti Barbaresco in the dust.
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1/12/2016 - Tad GW Likes this wine: 94 Points
50+5+12+18+9=94
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1/3/2016 - JWG wrote: 91 Points
This bottle went thoroughly dumb on me. Must have closed down for a while. Wine is excellent and delicious, no signs of any problems--just that it's not GIVING. All the flavors and smells were muted compared to my 96 rating two years ago. So, will have to see what happens on the next bottle.
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11/21/2015 - capacious Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gave this a four hour decant, started the evening celebrating 44 years married. Could take a side line here on how wine and marriage resonate- ideally complex, lengthy, evolving, does the structure integrate with the fruit? Anyhow, this is a marvelous Barolo. I think Italy's different grapes are more expressive of their uniqueness and terroir than almost any other. One is likely not mistaking this wine once experienced. Mushroom, tar, berry, nice path between being dark and deep at the core, while acknowledging lighter side as well.
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5/22/2015 - Burgfiendnyc Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine took a while to open up with the typical Barolo nose of tar and licorice coming through first and then later the black cherries and thyme began to resonate. The tannins are well structured and finish was long. This showed the vintage and is highly approachable right now. Drink or hold.
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1/25/2015 - richardkim Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bright fruits and prominent acidity. Sharp tannins
Tasted at Pinot Provence in a 2000 Barolo tasting.
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9/9/2013 - JWG wrote: 96 Points
Dark roasted herbs, and muted roses, and dark nebbiolo fruit are front and center on the nose. Big satisfying nose that just keeps on giving. A bit of tar in the background as well. Palate is mellow and integrated with an earthy mushroom element and a bright zing of acid in the mid-palate. Tannins kick in lightly on the backend, definitely integrated. Probably has a lot more time to develop.
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7/25/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Chicago Italian Lovers round 3-2000 Barolos (Sapori Trattoria, Chicago IL): Nose: Very savory and perfumed nose with tones of roasted herbs, red cherries, tar, strawberries, wild flowers, and fresh picked berries. There is very good depth to this with a real charm to it as well.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium/high acidity and chewy tannins. This is very young on the palate with fresh and savory tones of red cherries, strawberries, wild flowers, and some fresh picked red berries.
Overall: This was the only Barolo that didn't seem to fully show the vintage. It certainly showed fruit, but the fruit wasn't as warm as the other barolos. This was more fresh with nice depth and a gorgeous savoriness too.
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6/24/2012 - Poggio Al vento wrote: 95 Points
This was persistent with my former note but this bottle was a lot tighter and seemed much younger but still a beautiful wine with the nose clearly the biggest asset right know!
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6/5/2012 - Poggio Al vento wrote: 95 Points
This wine surprised me a lot! The nose was intense with a core of dark fruit and the classic peach-tones of casina F. The palet was so fresh and still pleasant and the tannins were ultra-smooth and it really shoved a perfect balance between the dark core and the light tones of the classic Barolo! it was perfectly made and I would love to try this wine again and again over the next 10-15 years because it will just get better and better:-)
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12/18/2011 - portobellovines wrote: 89 Points
remarkably young and fruity, haunting Barolo nose hints at what may come time....a long time.
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11/18/2011 - winecowboy wrote: 90 Points
Dark magenta with fumes of sour cherries and tar. Nice mid palate but finish was slightly short.
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1/22/2011 - Jossik wrote: 86 Points
Colore un un po' opaco e torbido. Al naso gomma bruciata, polvere, goudron e poco altro. Anche quando si pulisce è il naso di un barolo troppo evoluto per la sua età. La bocca non é male, sarebbe da bere col tappo al naso
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3/28/2010 - Eric Guido wrote: 92 Points
Giacomo Conterno, Cascina Francia Barolo tasting 2010 (Maialino, NYC Lexington and 21st): The nose was big and ripe with black cherries, earth and a bit of raw beef. The palate was soft and full-bodied with dark red fruits, red beets and minerals that all turned a little sweet on the mid palate and led to a slightly tannic finish. I certainly don’t see this lasting decades but it was enjoyable and a good candidate for drinking 5 years plus.
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2/13/2010 - psmith wrote:
Light color. Some light orange, earth, and somewhat odd seawater and plastic wrap notes. Not accessible at all - hard tannins. Meh...
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10/9/2009 - olm2000 wrote:
needs a lot more time in the cellar IMO but solid raw material
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6/24/2009 - Goldstone wrote: 88 Points
Drank at home over two evenings. Was a gift from a friend who is a Barolo buff so this was somewhat disappointing as I had high expectations. It had a fair amount of feminine charm but no real character and hence the sparse tasting note.
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2/19/2008 - biff_of_burl wrote: 92 Points
Surprisingly light tannins - if non-existent; as such, very smooth and approachable.
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5/6/2006 - chokkon wrote:
Sparkling clear, reddish purple; complex floral perfume morphing into barnyard and ‘old socks’ and various other earthy notes; classic, bold Barolo tannins, wrapped in an intricate and elegant mash of fruit and spices, minerals and tar, evolving in the glass from minute to minute—a kaleidoscopic Barolo, and incredible complexity for a Barolo so young. A prodigy—and my WON. 19
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3/24/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 91 Points
Winestreet Tastes Piedmont: Ruby red color. Big nose of red fruit. In the mouth this showed red fruit, mineral, and a strong vanilla component. This was balanced and less tannic than many of the other wines. This was a classy wine.
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1/10/2006 - mrfurnes wrote:
Great wine! This is my favorite Barolo thus far in life. Sweet fruits, tar, plum, tobacco. Rich and intense with wonderful acids and tannins. Decanted for six hours before drinking. Time to buy some more bottles!
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