The Pajana vineyard takes its name from the old road that runs along the top of the hill, an ancient pass that connected Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga. Vines were planted at 1971-‘91, wine is aged for 18 months in FR oak and 24 months in Slavonian oak, 60% new. Medium+ intensity aroma of kirsch, tar, tobacco, dried roses, leather, graphite, coffee hints. Medium body, chewy & earthy, powerful and slightly astringent structure, flavours of tar, cherries, roses, high acidity, fine but firm and persistent tannins.
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Tasted at a friend’s house, open for 10 hours when I tasted it. Very much a modern Barolo with plent of tar, roses and cherry with a very oak dominated secondary layer. Finish is smokey and a bit astringent. Ok not great.
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B&B lunch at Bar Cicheti. Tasted blind. Drank in Conterno Sensory. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, bright ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of strong toast oak, dark red cherries, dark red plums, dark spices. Developing. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, high alcohol (14.5%), high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of coconutty oak, lots of sweet spices, dark red cherries, dark red plums, fresh leather. Long grippy finish. Very good quality. Modern styled Barolo for sure. Still needs some time for the oak to integrate, maybe another 1-2 years, or just more air time.
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Decanted 3 hours. Orange ruby, slow long legs, on 👃 balanced earthy and red fruit notes and very fragrant: prunes, pecans, nectarines , cashews , cherries, bovine leather, vanilla. Very dry, highly acidic , full milky structure , strong grippy frontal tannins, prune, cherries and cashew nut. Amazing.
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Decanted 4.5 hours. Dark ruby, long legs, on the 👃 roses, plums, vanilla, leather. Dry, medium to high body, strong frontal tannins, highly acidic still with sweet cherries. Amazing fragrance (stick your nose type) and taste! Good to drink now but make sure to decant it.
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Decanted 4 1/2 hours. Dark ruby color. Beautiful nose of raisins, plums, forest floor. Nice acidity, nice balance, great palate of plums, blackcurrants, dried mushrooms, moka. Grippy tannins still, a hint of oak, and a very long finish. Truly excellent. This will evolve still, so no need to rush if you have multiple bottles but it drinks great now already.
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A little surprised at how much I liked it. Full-bodied, still taste the alcohol, benefits from air, but great complex dark fruit that pairs well with food.
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Ready to drink and will evolve for 10 or more years. Has all the markings of a great Barolo with powerful flavors of earth and dark licorice and also an earthy background that is redolent of truffles and mild black pepper. Lots of sediment.
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Barolo at RPM Steak (RPM Steak - Chicago, IL): Quite similar to the 05 Ginestra in the same flight. Forward aromas of rich toasty, black cherry and plum with so much spice. Palate is also big and rich but with good juiciness to the fruit. Firm tannins but lots of fruit to ease the structure. Integrated and seamless finish. Primary but fun now.
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Dark ruby purple in color. Aromas take a long while to unfurl and shows tar, violets, black cherries, tobacco and leather. A rich and full bodied palate shows layers of spicy dark cherry fruit, savory tobacco, medium (-) acidity, polished tannins and a long graphite and tar inflected finish.
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A Barolo that will please your Napa cab loving friends. A more extracted, international style, that if served blind, I probably would not have placed in Italy. I decanted for three hours after which it revealed a somewhat subdued darker nose of tar, leather, and rose. The color has changed to garnet, but the palate still has strawberry and cherry fruit and ample tannins. A fine wine, but not my preferred style.
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For me, the weaker one of Clerico’s single vineyard barolos. But still a nice wine. All the classic semi-mature notes. But rather dry finish. The fruit won’t last. Son drink up now and within 1-2 years.
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The missus thought way to dry. Quite full body. Very heavy dark fruit. Tons of sediment. Don't know if it will get better with age. Pleasant but not remarkable.
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Did I drink it too quickly? Would like to give the benefit of doubt, but it's not where I had hoped it would be at 15 years of age. Tannins still feel too tensed up and generally tightly wound, not really easing over 3 hours of consumption. It's a big, brash, modern kind of barolo - quality fruit for sure but still seems to be in a phase and I did not get as much enjoyment as I would have liked.
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Barolo wine split session. Tasted blind. Drank in Grassl Cru. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour with thin garnet rim. Legs. Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of mint/menthol, licorice, spice, dark red cherries, blackberries, hint of chocolate. With more air after 2 days - perfumed earth with a tinge of mushroom. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, mouth-coating high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of black tar, dark spices, mint/menthol, black licorice, integrated toasty oak, black cherries, dark red cherries, black plums, blackberries, bits of dark chocolate. Long finish. Very good quality. Very good complexity. Initially a bit tight, and needed air to loosen up and when it did, it shows lots of presence and stature. Another 3 years and this could be singing at peak. From the Pajana vineyard plot within the Ginestra Cru in the commune of Monforte d'Alba.
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Decanted at 5pm and tasted over the next 5 hours. Nice modern style Barolo. Translucent medium garnet color. Nose has distinct rose petals, cherry, some earthy undertones and some oak-influenced vanilla/baking spice. Tannin very controlled and mostly integrated but still slightly drying. Palate reflected the nose with the addition of licorice. Fairly long on the finish. Very good but lacking any Wow factor. If the Auction price listed here is accurate, there is no way I would pay such a price for this wine (Shows $161.20). I believe I paid ~$60-$70 for this circa 2010 and even at that price the QPR is only average IMO.
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Schöner Barolo. Allerdings gefühlt schon leicht über den Peak. Nicht Leder sondern eher wässrig am Rand. Deshalb gut, nicht großartig. Auch kein großer Jahrgang, vielleicht merkt man das.
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A bit of decanting is advisable here mostly to develop the wine and show a bit more charm. On open it’s quite wrapped around its dark fruit and Andreas who tried it blind actually thought at the start this was a Napa cab , but given a few minutes this became a textbook Barolo. Dark cherries, soft tar, rich core of fruit and just a drying edge on the finish to throw it away from a mid 90s score. 90 for now and we would probably suggest one drinks this at this stage albeit it’s not like is running out of life.
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Domenico Clerico Pajana 2005 (96), Light ruby color with a denser core, touch of charred meat black cherry fabulous palate great structure.
Gaja Barbaresco 2005 (94), Fragrant bouquet of roses and mineral, great subtle complexities.
Domenico Clerico Ciabot 2005 (93), Same color as the Pajana, floral bouquet rose petal Pine tar dark fruits fleshier, meatier wine than 2, tight dry finish.
Elio Grasso Gavarani Chinier (92) 2013, Translucent Ruby color, same as the Gaja, nose of cherries fairly simple medium acity delicate well balanced.
Paola Scavino Monvigliero 2010 (90), I think this was a little off, several tasters noted a plastic or latex aroma. The wine was soft with strawberry notes.
Gaja was wotn with 4 out of 5 choosing as their #1. Pajana ws 2nd, Elio Grasso and Domenico Clerico tied for 3rd.
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Decanted for a good 30 minutes and was the right choice. Pls note there is a lot of sediment here so treat the bottle with care. Starts off quite non distinct but as it develops it shows the dark cherry on the nose, well assimilate doak too. The palate is very much barolo, a bit harsh at times but very much barolo with its dark cherry and tar edge. Definitely lacks the ripeness in this vintage but is also very pretty and a lot less modern. Not sure how to call the when to drink, but on the margin we would push for younger drinking too as in now. 90-91
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A wonderful Barolo, but it takes a long time for strong tannins to settle down. Opened two days before serving. Opened day of serving and left cork out for 8 hours. Decanted 2 hours before pouring. Tannins gradually integrated with wonderful fruit over the next two hours in the glass. It became an excellent complex Barolo with near perfect balance. Should lay down form many years to come.
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Decanted about 5 hours. And I am uncertain whether there might have been a flaw with my bottle. Quite warm fruit and unapproachable tannins. Not at all in balance and didn't show signs that it will ever be.
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Dark robe, dark blackberries, sweet oaky nose, a very modern take on Barolo, full bodied, big wine with a whiff of alcohol, so we decided to decant this, best to drink after 2020 92
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Wow. This was a big step up from a few months ago. Opened and let sit, but did not decant. It is rich purple in color. There is a delicate floral nose and a mouthful of delicious anise, heather, sage and savoriness. A great Barolo.
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Decanted for an hour beforehand, first half felt a little sleek and big but quite nuanced and terroir-driven - dark crunchy cherry, a mint note, tar and floral elements with residual tannin. The wine was kept not far from 16-17C but with more air (and maybe indeed a touch warmer) suddenly the 14.5% alcohol really showed and the wine became quite rich and overbearing, very modern feeling, to the extent that is a meaningful description. Keep for longer I think ***??
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Dark, tannic, great nose, long finish. Drank over several days. Really good mouthfeel, really nice wine. Lots of sediment ---more than I have ever seen in a barolo before so be sure to decant.
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Decanted in a wide bottom vessel for 2.5 hours in wine room and served with rib roast. This bottle was very, very good. It shows deep purple and has great ropey veins. On the nose there is rich menthol, strawberry and spices. There was a long 30 - 40 second finish on the palate and was enjoyed by all.
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Corvaned a glass to see how this is doing. Wonderful nose of spiced cherry. Gave it about an hour but it really didn't start to shine until about the 3rd hour. Teath coating tannins, spice, cherry, tar. Great mouthfeel and a long finish. Good now, just give it a long decant, should be even better in a few more years. 92+
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Dark purple color. Cherries and plums for the fruit, spices and menthol notes. Dry tannins still persist, I'll wait a couple of years before opening the next bottle. But very yummy today. Long finish. Great barolo.
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Opened 8 hours prior to drinking and allowed to slow-ox. Deep, dark purple, more reminiscent of a cab than a barolo. Oak, vanilla and alcohol on the nose with very little fruit and drying tannins on the palate. Time has not treated this modern barolo well and I doubt this will improve over the coming years.
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Ready to drink now After 4 hours in decanter Nose;Dried rose,tar,red brick and a bit balsamic Palate;Very soft tannin and acidity,dried flowers,hint of balsamic Serve : 16 °C
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Sadly, my last bottle, I just couldn't wait any longer. We decanted the bottle at a restaurant and finished it over a 2 hour period. It was glorious, with great balance, a wonderful perfumed nose, and typical faded red Barolo color. We had it with a mixed grill or Veal, Lamb, Steak and Chicken. The chicken was probably the least impressive match. Wish I had more of this....
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Enjoyed as part of a “same vintage [2005], different place” tasting.
The three wines were the Havens Bourriquot, Chateau Lascombes and Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana.
The Havens (91-92) had a great broad nose with a bright red center evolving to pale brick red at the edges. On the tongue there was a surprising amount of fruit in balance with the tannins. The taste of the fruit was predominantly black cherry with a touch of tobacco.
The Clerico (90) was pale brick red and unexpectedly fruit forward. It was jammy with lots of strawberry and sweetness. I found it very attractive and it was jaw loosening.
The Lascombes (93+) was the wine of the night for me. It is blood red with a flowered yet heady nose. On the tongue it was all about balance among fruit, tannin, earth and air. It was delicious.
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Prominent but fine tannins still taking center stage, but dark cherry and a touch of tar peek through and are more present with some air. Still needs at least a few years.
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Drank at Ron's house with WWS crew. Bright ruby red color, nose of cherries, some roses, and some tar or coffee. Medium bodied, still quite tannic. Good fruit and structure. Needs time but definitely a quality wine.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75): Dark core with lighter garnet rim; deep and rich nose, tons of chocolate, currant, spice, cinnamon, menthol, black licorice; sandy and grainy palate, chocolate, currant, expansive, Italian, mean, harsh tannin that completely dry out your mouth; still good but very different from last bottle of this.
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This Clerico is a baby in age but with a huge potential. It's tannic beyond belief, fuller body than customary for Barolo although the Monforte hills have "forte" in their names for a reason. The fruit is concentrated and fleshy and modern with new oak, with a long life ahead. I won't touch the other bottle for another 5-7 years. 93+
Ruby color, big nose of dried cherry, tobacco, balsm. Palate opened up over two days, much more complete and smooth on day 2. A serious wine, and well done, but falls short of outstanding in that, at least at this point, it's somewhat formulaic...nothing distinctive here.
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94+. Great bottle of Barolo... Nice dark ruby color... nose of cherries, tar and pine, spices, slightly oaky, lots of fruit on the palate, pretty tannic and honestly probably too soon to drink this. But I wanted to try my very first Clerico and this did not disappoint.
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La Festa del Coniglio (Miami, FL): Wine of the night for many of us. This Barolo from Clerico is in a league of its own. The color is medium ruby with elegant, exotic yet reserved notes of silky spices, core of red cherries, and leather that will only get better with time. Palate has astonishing depth of sweet caressing red fruits and delicious spices coupled with supple yet fine tannins that speak of longevity beyond reproach. This has elegance, harmony, exuberance, and longevity: all the makings of a breathtaking wine. Lock it up and treasure it for at least a decade. Bravissimo! 95+
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Piedmont 2013, Day 2 - Visit to Domenico Clerico (Monforte d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy): Pretty good as well - I liked this as much as an of the other wines at the tasting. It had a beautiful nose. There was still a touch of wood hanging around, but this took a back seat to fresh scents of cherries and berries perfumed with lots of flowers and spiked with just a tiny hint of tar. Very nice indeed. In spite of being marked by firm, muscular, tannins, the palate still managed to come across with a certain modern velvety smoothness, with a lovely purity of fruit, showing in its red cherry and raspberry flavours. There was nice, supple acidity too, which carried the wine into a long, powerful finish, where the fruit was nicely integrated with a seasoning of wood spice and another kiss of sweet oak. This needs more time to throw off the overt woodiness it still carries, however, there is quite a bit of quality, and fans of the modern style will enjoy this a lot. I would give it another 6-8 years in the bottle though.
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Nose - dark fruit, stinky dock, slight balsamic Mouth - superbly ripe dark fruit, great acidity, lively and full and then whoa!, a wall of tannins. Massive big wine. For a steak. Needs time. Great stuff.
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May Fiesta (Casa): In my opinion the wine of the night. Easily. So powerful, yet so subtle and complex. Enigma of a wine. Rich red fruits, plenty of fragrant rose and deep blossom flowers, seductive perfume, lavender, herbal notes, and plenty of other subtleties. Plenty of length and am expressive palate. Beautiful, rich, seamless and profound. Wow! What a wine!
Still redolent of oak, brambly fruit but with hard tannins persisting. Close your eyes and this could be from anywhere. Why bother cultivating nebbiolo?
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ANTILOPE CON FEGATO GRASSO E PORCINI / Wood grilled Nilgai antelope with duck liver and porcini mushrooms
While i found the wine fell short of the Azelia, it was still quite nice, with a more modern style. Nose of asphalt, charcoal and roasted coffee. Has that floral note. Palate is big. Coffee liqueur and sweet cranberry. Almost a milk chocolate note. Finishes shorter than the Azelia. I know some (like my parents) would like this more than the Azelia, as it has more wood and a more modern style. This might have been the best pairing along with the oyster dish though. The meat was cooked perfectly, and Porcini and Baroli are a great pairing.
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Wine and Pizza Napolitana at Sapore di Napoli (Sapore di Napoli (Belmont and Southport Avenues) - Chicago): Powerful wine. Deep cherry notes, some tar, and a rose soapiness. Also balsamic notes on nose and palate. Plenty influence of the barriques as well. The nose is complex, and the body is full, with full natural tannins, and is seamless and balanced. Long finish. Structured and dense barolo that is also approachable.
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Importer tasting (@ PA): Complex bouquet with liquorice, black fruits, herbs and vanilla from the oak. Same on the palate together with an enormous dose of good tannin and bitterness. Full bodied and compact wine. Wait another 6 - 8+ years.
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taste: fuller bodied on the palate with high acidity and tannins as well as dense tones of red currants, herbs, oak, and tones of red fruits
overall: rich and showing off a good amount of oak. Not sure how that will integrate, but there is good power behind this barolo. Does need time to pull back the acidity and tannins a bit, hopefully the oak will integrate and some more depth and complexity is added
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taste: lacking some weight and mid palate with tones of vanilla, dark red cherries, spices, and bits of tar. Good feel, but a bit lacking
overall: not as expressive as the Ginestra. This was a let down and was a bit hollow, but still had good tannins and acidity. Hopefully it'll come together better with some age
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12/1/2023 - Ernestas Likes this wine: 92 Points
The Pajana vineyard takes its name from the old road that runs along the top of the hill, an ancient pass that connected Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga. Vines were planted at 1971-‘91, wine is aged for 18 months in FR oak and 24 months in Slavonian oak, 60% new. Medium+ intensity aroma of kirsch, tar, tobacco, dried roses, leather, graphite, coffee hints. Medium body, chewy & earthy, powerful and slightly astringent structure, flavours of tar, cherries, roses, high acidity, fine but firm and persistent tannins.
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10/14/2023 - oldwines wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at a friend’s house, open for 10 hours when I tasted it. Very much a modern Barolo with plent of tar, roses and cherry with a very oak dominated secondary layer. Finish is smokey and a bit astringent. Ok not great.
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1/13/2023 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 94 Points
B&B lunch at Bar Cicheti. Tasted blind. Drank in Conterno Sensory.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, bright ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of strong toast oak, dark red cherries, dark red plums, dark spices. Developing.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, high alcohol (14.5%), high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of coconutty oak, lots of sweet spices, dark red cherries, dark red plums, fresh leather. Long grippy finish.
Very good quality. Modern styled Barolo for sure. Still needs some time for the oak to integrate, maybe another 1-2 years, or just more air time.
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12/12/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pretty rockin' right now. Definitely benefits from a couple hours of air. Can drink on its own or pair with food.
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10/14/2022 - bucktooth22 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Orange ruby, slow long legs, on 👃 balanced earthy and red fruit notes and very fragrant: prunes, pecans, nectarines , cashews , cherries, bovine leather, vanilla. Very dry, highly acidic , full milky structure , strong grippy frontal tannins, prune, cherries and cashew nut. Amazing.
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8/22/2022 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP and likely better for it. Might want to drink now, based on comparison with nights one and two. 14.5%
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8/18/2022 - bergmad wrote:
Sublime
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7/3/2022 - bucktooth22 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 4.5 hours. Dark ruby, long legs, on the 👃 roses, plums, vanilla, leather. Dry, medium to high body, strong frontal tannins, highly acidic still with sweet cherries. Amazing fragrance (stick your nose type) and taste! Good to drink now but make sure to decant it.
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7/3/2022 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 4 1/2 hours. Dark ruby color. Beautiful nose of raisins, plums, forest floor. Nice acidity, nice balance, great palate of plums, blackcurrants, dried mushrooms, moka. Grippy tannins still, a hint of oak, and a very long finish. Truly excellent. This will evolve still, so no need to rush if you have multiple bottles but it drinks great now already.
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6/20/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A little surprised at how much I liked it. Full-bodied, still taste the alcohol, benefits from air, but great complex dark fruit that pairs well with food.
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2/10/2022 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 92 Points
Took 2 hours in decanter to wake this... but has lots of structure and was a very good representative barolo. Quite enjoyed it
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12/30/2021 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ready to drink and will evolve for 10 or more years. Has all the markings of a great Barolo with powerful flavors of earth and dark licorice and also an earthy background that is redolent of truffles and mild black pepper. Lots of sediment.
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9/4/2021 - robferguson1 wrote: 91 Points
Heavy , mature , not my style.
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5/2/2021 - norsktorsk wrote: 94 Points
after a little air. superb
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4/27/2021 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Barolo at RPM Steak (RPM Steak - Chicago, IL): Quite similar to the 05 Ginestra in the same flight. Forward aromas of rich toasty, black cherry and plum with so much spice. Palate is also big and rich but with good juiciness to the fruit. Firm tannins but lots of fruit to ease the structure. Integrated and seamless finish. Primary but fun now.
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4/20/2021 - devraj Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark ruby purple in color. Aromas take a long while to unfurl and shows tar, violets, black cherries, tobacco and leather. A rich and full bodied palate shows layers of spicy dark cherry fruit, savory tobacco, medium (-) acidity, polished tannins and a long graphite and tar inflected finish.
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4/11/2021 - Saxman1984 wrote:
A Barolo that will please your Napa cab loving friends. A more extracted, international style, that if served blind, I probably would not have placed in Italy. I decanted for three hours after which it revealed a somewhat subdued darker nose of tar, leather, and rose. The color has changed to garnet, but the palate still has strawberry and cherry fruit and ample tannins. A fine wine, but not my preferred style.
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1/23/2021 - Thomas123 wrote: 90 Points
For me, the weaker one of Clerico’s single vineyard barolos. But still a nice wine. All the classic semi-mature notes. But rather dry finish. The fruit won’t last. Son drink up now and within 1-2 years.
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11/5/2020 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 86 Points
The missus thought way to dry. Quite full body. Very heavy dark fruit. Tons of sediment. Don't know if it will get better with age. Pleasant but not remarkable.
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10/22/2020 - Burgnick wrote: 88 Points
Black licorice, dark spice, tar, soy sauce, earth and leather. Big bold flavor Barolo that has generous power without much finesse.
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9/13/2020 - heythatslife wrote: 88 Points
Did I drink it too quickly? Would like to give the benefit of doubt, but it's not where I had hoped it would be at 15 years of age. Tannins still feel too tensed up and generally tightly wound, not really easing over 3 hours of consumption. It's a big, brash, modern kind of barolo - quality fruit for sure but still seems to be in a phase and I did not get as much enjoyment as I would have liked.
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8/3/2020 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 91 Points
A barolo with power not finesse. Lots of fruit remains and smells of roses and tar but remains a bit tight even after a good amount of decanting
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7/30/2020 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 94 Points
Barolo wine split session. Tasted blind. Drank in Grassl Cru.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour with thin garnet rim. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of mint/menthol, licorice, spice, dark red cherries, blackberries, hint of chocolate. With more air after 2 days - perfumed earth with a tinge of mushroom. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, mouth-coating high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of black tar, dark spices, mint/menthol, black licorice, integrated toasty oak, black cherries, dark red cherries, black plums, blackberries, bits of dark chocolate. Long finish.
Very good quality. Very good complexity. Initially a bit tight, and needed air to loosen up and when it did, it shows lots of presence and stature. Another 3 years and this could be singing at peak.
From the Pajana vineyard plot within the Ginestra Cru in the commune of Monforte d'Alba.
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6/27/2020 - norsktorsk Likes this wine: 93 Points
beautiful. after two hour decant
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5/30/2020 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted at 5pm and tasted over the next 5 hours. Nice modern style Barolo. Translucent medium garnet color. Nose has distinct rose petals, cherry, some earthy undertones and some oak-influenced vanilla/baking spice. Tannin very controlled and mostly integrated but still slightly drying. Palate reflected the nose with the addition of licorice. Fairly long on the finish. Very good but lacking any Wow factor. If the Auction price listed here is accurate, there is no way I would pay such a price for this wine (Shows $161.20). I believe I paid ~$60-$70 for this circa 2010 and even at that price the QPR is only average IMO.
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4/13/2020 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 92 Points
4 hour decant. Great, but I was hoping for more with time.
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3/27/2020 - Okholm wrote:
Flawed
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12/27/2019 - s******n Likes this wine: 91 Points
Schöner Barolo. Allerdings gefühlt schon leicht über den Peak. Nicht Leder sondern eher wässrig am Rand. Deshalb gut, nicht großartig. Auch kein großer Jahrgang, vielleicht merkt man das.
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10/12/2019 - danstrings Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic "tar and roses" Barolo - with mocha thrown in for good measure.. Silky and seductive, crowd pleaser, still very youthful.
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9/26/2019 - Papies wrote: 90 Points
A bit of decanting is advisable here mostly to develop the wine and show a bit more charm. On open it’s quite wrapped around its dark fruit and Andreas who tried it blind actually thought at the start this was a Napa cab , but given a few minutes this became a textbook Barolo. Dark cherries, soft tar, rich core of fruit and just a drying edge on the finish to throw it away from a mid 90s score. 90 for now and we would probably suggest one drinks this at this stage albeit it’s not like is running out of life.
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5/25/2019 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Tannins still quite present, throwing massive sediment. Mid+ body, mid acid, 14.5%
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3/16/2019 - djt1956 Does not like this wine:
Flawed
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2/9/2019 - Arcturus wrote: 96 Points
4 Barolo/1 Barbaresco blind tasting. 2 hour decant. (My score in parenthesis)
Domenico Clerico Pajana 2005 (96), Light ruby color with a denser core, touch of charred meat black cherry fabulous palate great structure.
Gaja Barbaresco 2005 (94), Fragrant bouquet of roses and mineral, great subtle complexities.
Domenico Clerico Ciabot 2005 (93), Same color as the Pajana, floral bouquet rose petal Pine tar dark fruits fleshier, meatier wine than 2, tight dry finish.
Elio Grasso Gavarani Chinier (92) 2013, Translucent Ruby color, same as the Gaja, nose of cherries fairly simple medium acity delicate well balanced.
Paola Scavino Monvigliero 2010 (90), I think this was a little off, several tasters noted a plastic or latex aroma. The wine was soft with strawberry notes.
Gaja was wotn with 4 out of 5 choosing as their #1. Pajana ws 2nd, Elio Grasso and Domenico Clerico tied for 3rd.
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10/28/2018 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for a good 30 minutes and was the right choice. Pls note there is a lot of sediment here so treat the bottle with care.
Starts off quite non distinct but as it develops it shows the dark cherry on the nose, well assimilate doak too. The palate is very much barolo, a bit harsh at times but very much barolo with its dark cherry and tar edge. Definitely lacks the ripeness in this vintage but is also very pretty and a lot less modern. Not sure how to call the when to drink, but on the margin we would push for younger drinking too as in now. 90-91
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9/21/2018 - unrelenting wrote:
2 hour decant necessary. Very tight. Not enough decant for a fair rating but I'm impressed so far
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6/17/2018 - wcf1946 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A wonderful Barolo, but it takes a long time for strong tannins to settle down. Opened two days before serving. Opened day of serving and left cork out for 8 hours. Decanted 2 hours before pouring. Tannins gradually
integrated with wonderful fruit over the next two hours in the glass. It became an excellent complex Barolo with near perfect balance. Should lay down form many years to come.
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4/7/2018 - Scott McDonald wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/2/2018 - Tartiflette Does not like this wine:
Decanted about 5 hours. And I am uncertain whether there might have been a flaw with my bottle. Quite warm fruit and unapproachable tannins. Not at all in balance and didn't show signs that it will ever be.
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11/8/2017 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark robe, dark blackberries, sweet oaky nose, a very modern take on Barolo, full bodied, big wine with a whiff of alcohol, so we decided to decant this, best to drink after 2020
92
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8/13/2017 - Lasseth61 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A beautiful Barolo. Powerful.
Red berries, roses, cherries, rosehips, hardwood, some leather....
This is a wine that You can keep for several years.
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7/29/2017 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. This was a big step up from a few months ago. Opened and let sit, but did not decant. It is rich purple in color. There is a delicate floral nose and a mouthful of delicious anise, heather, sage and savoriness. A great Barolo.
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7/22/2017 - MAOC wrote:
Decanted for an hour beforehand, first half felt a little sleek and big but quite nuanced and terroir-driven - dark crunchy cherry, a mint note, tar and floral elements with residual tannin. The wine was kept not far from 16-17C but with more air (and maybe indeed a touch warmer) suddenly the 14.5% alcohol really showed and the wine became quite rich and overbearing, very modern feeling, to the extent that is a meaningful description. Keep for longer I think ***??
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3/31/2017 - americanstorm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark, tannic, great nose, long finish. Drank over several days. Really good mouthfeel, really nice wine. Lots of sediment ---more than I have ever seen in a barolo before so be sure to decant.
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2/4/2017 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted in a wide bottom vessel for 2.5 hours in wine room and served with rib roast. This bottle was very, very good. It shows deep purple and has great ropey veins. On the nose there is rich menthol, strawberry and spices. There was a long 30 - 40 second finish on the palate and was enjoyed by all.
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2/3/2017 - Pavan wrote: 92 Points
Well rounded but showing some signs of fatigue. Suspect it has ´reached its prime
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1/31/2017 - americanstorm wrote:
Just curious if anyone has had experience with the corvin? If I take a glass out can I realistically put it back on the shelf for a few years?
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1/31/2017 - americanstorm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Corvaned a glass to see how this is doing. Wonderful nose of spiced cherry. Gave it about an hour but it really didn't start to shine until about the 3rd hour. Teath coating tannins, spice, cherry, tar. Great mouthfeel and a long finish. Good now, just give it a long decant, should be even better in a few more years. 92+
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1/14/2017 - mmadonini wrote: 93 Points
Dark purple color. Cherries and plums for the fruit, spices and menthol notes. Dry tannins still persist, I'll wait a couple of years before opening the next bottle. But very yummy today. Long finish. Great barolo.
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8/2/2016 - Tig78 wrote: 82 Points
Opened 8 hours prior to drinking and allowed to slow-ox. Deep, dark purple, more reminiscent of a cab than a barolo. Oak, vanilla and alcohol on the nose with very little fruit and drying tannins on the palate. Time has not treated this modern barolo well and I doubt this will improve over the coming years.
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6/18/2016 - Modern Tage wrote: 91 Points
Ready to drink now
After 4 hours in decanter
Nose;Dried rose,tar,red brick and a bit balsamic
Palate;Very soft tannin and acidity,dried flowers,hint of balsamic
Serve : 16 °C
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6/12/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sadly, my last bottle, I just couldn't wait any longer. We decanted the bottle at a restaurant and finished it over a 2 hour period. It was glorious, with great balance, a wonderful perfumed nose, and typical faded red Barolo color. We had it with a mixed grill or Veal, Lamb, Steak and Chicken. The chicken was probably the least impressive match. Wish I had more of this....
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5/6/2016 - soyhead wrote:
Plum, balsamic, tar, fig, overall deep dark fruited and whoa a tannic beast, really good
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3/27/2016 - Bam_Man wrote: flawed
Slightly corked and only drinkable by the person who paid $75 for it (me).
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2/20/2016 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Enjoyed as part of a “same vintage [2005], different place” tasting.
The three wines were the Havens Bourriquot, Chateau Lascombes and Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana.
The Havens (91-92) had a great broad nose with a bright red center evolving to pale brick red at the edges. On the tongue there was a surprising amount of fruit in balance with the tannins. The taste of the fruit was predominantly black cherry with a touch of tobacco.
The Clerico (90) was pale brick red and unexpectedly fruit forward. It was jammy with lots of strawberry and sweetness. I found it very attractive and it was jaw loosening.
The Lascombes (93+) was the wine of the night for me. It is blood red with a flowered yet heady nose. On the tongue it was all about balance among fruit, tannin, earth and air. It was delicious.
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12/5/2015 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:
Prominent but fine tannins still taking center stage, but dark cherry and a touch of tar peek through and are more present with some air. Still needs at least a few years.
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5/26/2015 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely but needs at least 3-5 more years. Much better on day 2. 14.5%
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12/16/2014 - cephomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank at Ron's house with WWS crew. Bright ruby red color, nose of cherries, some roses, and some tar or coffee. Medium bodied, still quite tannic. Good fruit and structure. Needs time but definitely a quality wine.
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12/2/2014 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75): Dark core with lighter garnet rim; deep and rich nose, tons of chocolate, currant, spice, cinnamon, menthol, black licorice; sandy and grainy palate, chocolate, currant, expansive, Italian, mean, harsh tannin that completely dry out your mouth; still good but very different from last bottle of this.
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11/27/2013 - farinas Likes this wine: 93 Points
This Clerico is a baby in age but with a huge potential. It's tannic beyond belief, fuller body than customary for Barolo although the Monforte hills have "forte" in their names for a reason. The fruit is concentrated and fleshy and modern with new oak, with a long life ahead. I won't touch the other bottle for another 5-7 years. 93+
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10/20/2013 - Bumbanian wrote: 92 Points
Ruby color, big nose of dried cherry, tobacco, balsm. Palate opened up over two days, much more complete and smooth on day 2. A serious wine, and well done, but falls short of outstanding in that, at least at this point, it's somewhat formulaic...nothing distinctive here.
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7/31/2013 - ccsargent Likes this wine: 94 Points
94+. Great bottle of Barolo... Nice dark ruby color... nose of cherries, tar and pine, spices, slightly oaky, lots of fruit on the palate, pretty tannic and honestly probably too soon to drink this. But I wanted to try my very first Clerico and this did not disappoint.
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7/24/2013 - farinas Likes this wine: 95 Points
La Festa del Coniglio (Miami, FL): Wine of the night for many of us. This Barolo from Clerico is in a league of its own. The color is medium ruby with elegant, exotic yet reserved notes of silky spices, core of red cherries, and leather that will only get better with time. Palate has astonishing depth of sweet caressing red fruits and delicious spices coupled with supple yet fine tannins that speak of longevity beyond reproach. This has elegance, harmony, exuberance, and longevity: all the makings of a breathtaking wine. Lock it up and treasure it for at least a decade. Bravissimo! 95+
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6/18/2013 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Piedmont 2013, Day 2 - Visit to Domenico Clerico (Monforte d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy): Pretty good as well - I liked this as much as an of the other wines at the tasting. It had a beautiful nose. There was still a touch of wood hanging around, but this took a back seat to fresh scents of cherries and berries perfumed with lots of flowers and spiked with just a tiny hint of tar. Very nice indeed. In spite of being marked by firm, muscular, tannins, the palate still managed to come across with a certain modern velvety smoothness, with a lovely purity of fruit, showing in its red cherry and raspberry flavours. There was nice, supple acidity too, which carried the wine into a long, powerful finish, where the fruit was nicely integrated with a seasoning of wood spice and another kiss of sweet oak. This needs more time to throw off the overt woodiness it still carries, however, there is quite a bit of quality, and fans of the modern style will enjoy this a lot. I would give it another 6-8 years in the bottle though.
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4/20/2013 - soyhead wrote: 93 Points
Nose - dark fruit, stinky dock, slight balsamic
Mouth - superbly ripe dark fruit, great acidity, lively and full and then whoa!, a wall of tannins. Massive big wine. For a steak. Needs time. Great stuff.
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5/18/2012 - DSaeedi wrote: 96 Points
May Fiesta (Casa): In my opinion the wine of the night. Easily. So powerful, yet so subtle and complex. Enigma of a wine. Rich red fruits, plenty of fragrant rose and deep blossom flowers, seductive perfume, lavender, herbal notes, and plenty of other subtleties. Plenty of length and am expressive palate. Beautiful, rich, seamless and profound. Wow! What a wine!
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11/26/2011 - chefdilletante wrote:
Still redolent of oak, brambly fruit but with hard tannins persisting. Close your eyes and this could be from anywhere. Why bother cultivating nebbiolo?
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11/10/2011 - njc2o wrote: 92 Points
White Truffle Tasting with Piemontese Wine Pairings at Spiaggia in Chicago: Paired with seventh course
ANTILOPE CON FEGATO GRASSO E PORCINI / Wood grilled Nilgai antelope with duck liver and porcini mushrooms
While i found the wine fell short of the Azelia, it was still quite nice, with a more modern style. Nose of asphalt, charcoal and roasted coffee. Has that floral note. Palate is big. Coffee liqueur and sweet cranberry. Almost a milk chocolate note. Finishes shorter than the Azelia. I know some (like my parents) would like this more than the Azelia, as it has more wood and a more modern style. This might have been the best pairing along with the oyster dish though. The meat was cooked perfectly, and Porcini and Baroli are a great pairing.
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10/28/2011 - DSaeedi wrote: 94 Points
Wine and Pizza Napolitana at Sapore di Napoli (Sapore di Napoli (Belmont and Southport Avenues) - Chicago): Powerful wine. Deep cherry notes, some tar, and a rose soapiness. Also balsamic notes on nose and palate. Plenty influence of the barriques as well. The nose is complex, and the body is full, with full natural tannins, and is seamless and balanced. Long finish. Structured and dense barolo that is also approachable.
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4/2/2011 - hubas wrote: 93 Points
Very good indeed. Well structured and great taste
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2/4/2011 - soyhead wrote: 91 Points
very full bodied, and tannic, quite full. and overall with big potential, but needs time to sit
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1/16/2011 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Importer tasting (@ PA): Complex bouquet with liquorice, black fruits, herbs and vanilla from the oak. Same on the palate together with an enormous dose of good tannin and bitterness. Full bodied and compact wine. Wait another 6 - 8+ years.
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3/8/2010 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Robert Houde Wines Portfolio feat. Marc De Grazia selections (Ritz-Carlton, Chicago IL): nose: big dose of oak hits right off the bat along with very good tones of red currants, dark red cherries, and red fruits
taste: fuller bodied on the palate with high acidity and tannins as well as dense tones of red currants, herbs, oak, and tones of red fruits
overall: rich and showing off a good amount of oak. Not sure how that will integrate, but there is good power behind this barolo. Does need time to pull back the acidity and tannins a bit, hopefully the oak will integrate and some more depth and complexity is added
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3/3/2010 - pdemaio wrote: 90 Points
very bitter in the finish. Otherwise beautiful, but it couldn't over come it to really score. I bought one bottle to see if it mellows with age.
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1/22/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
Mark De Grazia selections: 05 Barolos, 04 Brunellos, 06 Barbarescos (MK, Chicago IL): nose: very modern with tones of vanilla, dark red cherries, spices, herbs, and bits of tar. While not super extracted, there is an extracted element to it and a bit of oak influences
taste: lacking some weight and mid palate with tones of vanilla, dark red cherries, spices, and bits of tar. Good feel, but a bit lacking
overall: not as expressive as the Ginestra. This was a let down and was a bit hollow, but still had good tannins and acidity. Hopefully it'll come together better with some age
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