Vinous Monfortino Dinner with Roberto Conterno; 2/1/2024-2/2/2024 (Legacy Records, NYC): The '64 was nice, although doesn't rank among the better wines I have tasted from this vintage (i.e., the spectacular Bartolo '64 from last year's Rare Wine dinner). I found menthol, light red, dried fruits, blood, earth, and minerality on the nose. On the palate, it is fully resolved but still shows good intensity and a pleasant sweetness.
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Jamie's DC visit Barolo and Barbaresco: Beautiful mature nose displaying subtle red fruit, dry cherry, strawberry, a hint balsamico, raw button mushroom leather, ash, damp cellar and a hint of iron. There is a slight hint of musty damp cellar. Fully integrated palate, finely layered subtle red fruit, nice balance, bright acidity, fully integrated tannins and a long subtle red fruit driven finish with ash at the end. No VA but showing a slightly musty damp cellar note.
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World's Greatest - Night III (Per Se): Light red cherry and strawberry. Oxidative, but still has showy herbaceous spice. On the palate this is much better and gives a good punch of tertiary dried berry fruit upnfront and through the middle. I don't have any experience with Monfortino but this tastes well put together to me. Pleasant drinking for an Italian for sure. Silky and resolved tannin.
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A relatively mature bottle that had progressed to cinnamon and red fruit notes. Lacked the last degree of complexity that this wine can possess at this point.
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Rare Monfortino Wine Dinner (New York Vintners, NYC): At 3pm: Good fruit on the nose and up front. Some oxidation on the finish. At 9:45pm: Complex sour cherry, but a bit too much oxidation. I expected more from this strong vintage.
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Last bottle. Sigh. Perfection. Balance, depth, tannin, such rich dark berry fruit. The expressive mature Nebbiolo noted that tell you this is a special bottle--tar, leather, rust, some spice. Beautiful.
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Cloudy ruby color. Nose of balsamic vinegar and orange peel, with a burnt note. 10 minutes of air bring out tar, menthol, and paprika. No perceptible fruit aromas remaining. On the palate it mainly registers as bitter, particularly at the aftertaste. Very impressive length and density, and the complex nose shows different sides with every sniff. But I think I can only appreciate wines at this stage of their evolution intellectually. I'm learning to drink my Nebbiolo younger.
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Very distinct nose of oysters, something that I had with a number of 60-80's Monfortinos. Some red berries, hint of honey, slightly sharp acidity, but very pleasant overall
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Murky "over-steeped tea;"surprisingly refreshing at first taste; burnt back end as one would expect. Wonderful to try; hard to score. 1 of 5 wines at our Italian wine dinner.
678 Italian dinner, The wine came out the bottle very cloudy with an almost unfiltered look. Never judge a book by its cover. The aroma was full of cedar, deep tar, black cherry and hints anise. In the mouth the wine had great fruit and good amount of acidity. Each sip the wine got better and better. A real treat! thx WTT.
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A memorable dinner wtih Barolis and Burgundy (Fleet Street Kitchen - Baltimore, MD): Minor controversy regarding VA. Noticeable VA but also complex nose displaying anise, dry cherry, iron, beef blood, earth, tar, balsamico and rose pedal. The nose changed constantly but more often than not VA was quite noticeable for me. This is a decadent style of Monfortino. This was the consensus favorite.
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Birthday Celebration (Chicago, IL): So sad, another bottle beyond tired. I think this was from the same source as another tired bottle brought by a friend last year.
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Acker Merrall BYO (Sepia - Chicago IL): Rose petals to start with lean fruit, lots of earth. Rugged, not elegant to start. Really fell off a cliff after 30 minutes.
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Funky, stewed tomatoes on the nose. Over the hill. Some chemical aroma - sharp - cayenne pepper. Jules says too much sediment. Burnt sugar. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 3/6, Finish - 2/6, Je Ne Sais Pas - 0/2 = 9/20.
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A few highlights from a celebration (Northbrook, IL): Starts with a gorgeous powerful nose of dried rose petal, briar patch, licorice and lingering red fruit. Licorice and red fruit followed through perfectly on the palate. Still lots of structure, this had a great long finish.
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Celebration Dinner (Chicago): Medium full garnet color. Wonderful haunting nose of bright red cherry, licorice, and brown sugar - a touch of tapioca?? Mmmmn, sweet tart sour cherry with soaring rose petal notes. Spectacular briar and floral notes. One of the finest Italian wines I've had. 96+? pts.
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2/2/2024 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vinous Monfortino Dinner with Roberto Conterno; 2/1/2024-2/2/2024 (Legacy Records, NYC): The '64 was nice, although doesn't rank among the better wines I have tasted from this vintage (i.e., the spectacular Bartolo '64 from last year's Rare Wine dinner). I found menthol, light red, dried fruits, blood, earth, and minerality on the nose. On the palate, it is fully resolved but still shows good intensity and a pleasant sweetness.
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3/17/2022 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Jamie's DC visit Barolo and Barbaresco: Beautiful mature nose displaying subtle red fruit, dry cherry, strawberry, a hint balsamico, raw button mushroom leather, ash, damp cellar and a hint of iron. There is a slight hint of musty damp cellar. Fully integrated palate, finely layered subtle red fruit, nice balance, bright acidity, fully integrated tannins and a long subtle red fruit driven finish with ash at the end. No VA but showing a slightly musty damp cellar note.
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10/28/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: flawed
Alas, corked
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7/11/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark fruit, varied soil notes, dark herbal highlights and consistent undertones of gaminess. Complex blend.
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5/13/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
World's Greatest - Night III (Per Se): Light red cherry and strawberry. Oxidative, but still has showy herbaceous spice. On the palate this is much better and gives a good punch of tertiary dried berry fruit upnfront and through the middle. I don't have any experience with Monfortino but this tastes well put together to me. Pleasant drinking for an Italian for sure. Silky and resolved tannin.
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5/13/2017 - tinybubbles wrote: 92 Points
A relatively mature bottle that had progressed to cinnamon and red fruit notes. Lacked the last degree of complexity that this wine can possess at this point.
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4/29/2017 - kenv Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rare Monfortino Wine Dinner (New York Vintners, NYC): At 3pm: Good fruit on the nose and up front. Some oxidation on the finish.
At 9:45pm: Complex sour cherry, but a bit too much oxidation. I expected more from this strong vintage.
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11/8/2016 - KenPlace wrote: flawed
Oxidized
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9/25/2016 - SteveHyde wrote: 100 Points
Last bottle. Sigh. Perfection. Balance, depth, tannin, such rich dark berry fruit. The expressive mature Nebbiolo noted that tell you this is a special bottle--tar, leather, rust, some spice. Beautiful.
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8/3/2016 - Jozefs wrote: 89 Points
Not a good showing. Still drinkable but muddled and on the decline.
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1/2/2016 - cooberp wrote:
Cloudy ruby color. Nose of balsamic vinegar and orange peel, with a burnt note. 10 minutes of air bring out tar, menthol, and paprika. No perceptible fruit aromas remaining. On the palate it mainly registers as bitter, particularly at the aftertaste. Very impressive length and density, and the complex nose shows different sides with every sniff. But I think I can only appreciate wines at this stage of their evolution intellectually. I'm learning to drink my Nebbiolo younger.
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11/6/2015 - KenPlace wrote: flawed
Sadly, this bottle was corked. :(
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3/15/2015 - G_H wrote:
Very distinct nose of oysters, something that I had with a number of 60-80's Monfortinos. Some red berries, hint of honey, slightly sharp acidity, but very pleasant overall
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2/18/2015 - BaroloRob wrote: 94 Points
Ultimate Conterno versus Giacosa battle (Troquet): Tied for wine of the flight.
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2/6/2015 - lepetitchateau wrote: flawed
completely oxidized
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12/25/2014 - Lord Rayas wrote: 92 Points
PP's MNSC (HK Club): lots of irons and dried petals, touch of strawberry. good but not great, or at least not for my palate.
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10/18/2014 - MEKWINE wrote: flawed
pity
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11/22/2013 - willthethrill wrote:
Murky "over-steeped tea;"surprisingly refreshing at first taste; burnt back end as one would expect. Wonderful to try; hard to score. 1 of 5 wines at our Italian wine dinner.
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11/21/2013 - esburgundy Likes this wine: 95 Points
678 Italian dinner, The wine came out the bottle very cloudy with an almost unfiltered look. Never judge a book by its cover. The aroma was full of cedar, deep tar, black cherry and hints anise. In the mouth the wine had great fruit and good amount of acidity. Each sip the wine got better and better. A real treat! thx WTT.
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6/14/2013 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
A memorable dinner wtih Barolis and Burgundy (Fleet Street Kitchen - Baltimore, MD): Minor controversy regarding VA. Noticeable VA but also complex nose displaying anise, dry cherry, iron, beef blood, earth, tar, balsamico and rose pedal. The nose changed constantly but more often than not VA was quite noticeable for me. This is a decadent style of Monfortino. This was the consensus favorite.
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6/14/2013 - SteveHyde Likes this wine: 100 Points
A perfect wine. Not much more I can say.
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5/24/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Birthday Celebration (Chicago, IL): So sad, another bottle beyond tired. I think this was from the same source as another tired bottle brought by a friend last year.
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9/15/2012 - RJMerlot wrote: 85 Points
One year past its prime Vermouth like notes
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6/7/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Acker Merrall BYO (Sepia - Chicago IL): Rose petals to start with lean fruit, lots of earth. Rugged, not elegant to start. Really fell off a cliff after 30 minutes.
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2/25/2012 - RJMerlot wrote: 98 Points
Perfection -- really beyond description - drink it in the next year or two
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9/27/2010 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: flawed
Funky, stewed tomatoes on the nose. Over the hill. Some chemical aroma - sharp - cayenne pepper. Jules says too much sediment. Burnt sugar. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 3/6, Finish - 2/6, Je Ne Sais Pas - 0/2 = 9/20.
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11/29/2008 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
A few highlights from a celebration (Northbrook, IL): Starts with a gorgeous powerful nose of dried rose petal, briar patch, licorice and lingering red fruit. Licorice and red fruit followed through perfectly on the palate. Still lots of structure, this had a great long finish.
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11/29/2008 - winefool wrote: 96 Points
Celebration Dinner (Chicago): Medium full garnet color. Wonderful haunting nose of bright red cherry, licorice, and brown sugar - a touch of tapioca?? Mmmmn, sweet tart sour cherry with soaring rose petal notes. Spectacular briar and floral notes. One of the finest Italian wines I've had. 96+? pts.
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