My wine group held a Barbaresco themed lunch yesterday at Marino restaurant in LA and I brought my '89 Sori Patin Riserva. It had a deep tar nose and I thought a pretty good finish but it couldn't stand up to the '89 Gaja Sori Tilden with which it was paired (or the '90 Ceretto Faset Bricco Asili (mag), or the '04 Giacosa Rabaja or the '98 Giacosa Gallina di Neive). (A fun luncheon.) Chef Sal Marino, who knows his Italian wines, thought that the wine was "dead"; I respectfully disagree, but if you have some, drink it now!
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Dark as midnight, well, maybe dark as the restaurant setting itself, which emitted only about as much light as a black hole. Nonetheless, I'm saying it was not remotely translucent as far as I could tell. Nose still tight and restrained, suggesting dark berries, anise and leather, but still quite youthful. If not unyielding, it was still intensely structured, with a regal mien that belied its nearly 20 years of age. The overall impression was one of exquisite elegance and balance, leaving the recent impression of the '01 Abbona Faset quite clunky by comparison, even though I enjoyed that too. This is classical in style if I've ever tasted it, where the feminine promise of Barbaresco is more Mona Lisa than Madonna, which is to say you can't easily wipe the smile off its face or mine any time soon.
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2/8/2019 - NebHeadLA Likes this wine: 89 Points
My wine group held a Barbaresco themed lunch yesterday at Marino restaurant in LA and I brought my '89 Sori Patin Riserva. It had a deep tar nose and I thought a pretty good finish but it couldn't stand up to the '89 Gaja Sori Tilden with which it was paired (or the '90 Ceretto Faset Bricco Asili (mag), or the '04 Giacosa Rabaja or the '98 Giacosa Gallina di Neive). (A fun luncheon.) Chef Sal Marino, who knows his Italian wines, thought that the wine was "dead"; I respectfully disagree, but if you have some, drink it now!
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7/30/2016 - guribh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plenty of life left. Somewhat drying noted, but not faded.
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4/3/2015 - JeffGMorris wrote: flawed
Terribly oxidized.
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11/26/2008 - bevetroppo wrote: 93 Points
Dark as midnight, well, maybe dark as the restaurant setting itself, which emitted only about as much light as a black hole. Nonetheless, I'm saying it was not remotely translucent as far as I could tell. Nose still tight and restrained, suggesting dark berries, anise and leather, but still quite youthful. If not unyielding, it was still intensely structured, with a regal mien that belied its nearly 20 years of age. The overall impression was one of exquisite elegance and balance, leaving the recent impression of the '01 Abbona Faset quite clunky by comparison, even though I enjoyed that too. This is classical in style if I've ever tasted it, where the feminine promise of Barbaresco is more Mona Lisa than Madonna, which is to say you can't easily wipe the smile off its face or mine any time soon.
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12/24/2007 - NittanyLion wrote:
Lovely wine. amazing depth. perfect wine with pasta and mushrooms.
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