Vinous Monfortino Dinner with Roberto Conterno; 2/1/2024-2/2/2024 (Legacy Records, NYC): I found the '14 to be quite closed off, similar to when it was released in 2020, but the potential is obvious. With some air, the aromatics showed impossibly sweet red berry fruit, fresh red florals, and blood orange. On the palate, the wine is medium to full in body but so silky, with the best tannin quality of any of the wines in the lineup, virtually imperceptible. The sweetness and purity of the fruit is remarkable. This is one I am rating more on potential than today's enjoyment, but I think the components are clear.
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Annual Pilgrimage to Piedmont - 2023 Edition; 10/20/2023-10/22/2023 (Piedmont, Italy): Decanted for a good 30 minutes and served blind. The wine has a magnificent nose and at this stage the nose is far superior to the palate as one might expect. Bright, expressive, soft elegant dark fruit, lightest dark feel almost a smoky/tar touch that just adds a solid dimension. The wine it self is still young but very much welcoming and the sort of vintage 2014 is delivers a more early approachable wine than the buttoned down bigger siblings of it. Beautiful 95 now and with a lot of more potential to follow.
On account of nose beating palate and the propensity of our friend who chose this for Monfortino we went with young Monfortino off vintage, like 2008 or 2012 ( albeit later we found out there was none made in 2012).
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Accomasso Tasting plus some great Barolo Pirates (Freiheit Vinothek, Ulm, Germany): *** all wines tasted blind *** Glass: Zwiesel 1872 Moment Pinot Clean, deep ruby color. Clean, classic Barolo nose, floral, herbaceous, very deep and still closed and shut. Wow, beautiful velvet texture and structure! Juicy, dense and deep, fine red fruit mixed with fresh herbs. Here it is all about balance and elegance. Very long and fine finish. Needs years to unfold. Thank you, Marcel, for this great Pirate! 94-95++
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Served blind in a Barolo flight as the last wine. Appearance was stunning, a dark ruby color with no garnet tinges, almost as indicating the potential longevity of the wine. Brilliant and clear, just beautiful lively color. Nose was initially shut after opening. With time the bouquet started to emerge with classic Nebbiolo notes: dried flowers, roses and violets, underbrush, truffle, pipe tobacco, goudron, and pure red and black fruit, macerated dark cherries, black raspberries and amarena cherries. A wide spectrum that kept changing constantly in the glass. Just mind blowing. The palate was typical Serralunga: powerful, austere and structured. Despite its broad shoulders, the wine retained a certain elegance and finesse accentuated by an incredible freshness. Flavours of blood orange and dark spices carried the sip towards infinity. Super balanced, harmonious wine. Already open for business given the difficult vintage. Probably more approachable than the 13 or 10. Still it has the structure and the acidity to evolve for decades, as every other vintage of this wine. Monumental, legendary. The pinnacle of Barolo.
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2/2/2024 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Vinous Monfortino Dinner with Roberto Conterno; 2/1/2024-2/2/2024 (Legacy Records, NYC): I found the '14 to be quite closed off, similar to when it was released in 2020, but the potential is obvious. With some air, the aromatics showed impossibly sweet red berry fruit, fresh red florals, and blood orange. On the palate, the wine is medium to full in body but so silky, with the best tannin quality of any of the wines in the lineup, virtually imperceptible. The sweetness and purity of the fruit is remarkable. This is one I am rating more on potential than today's enjoyment, but I think the components are clear.
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10/20/2023 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Annual Pilgrimage to Piedmont - 2023 Edition; 10/20/2023-10/22/2023 (Piedmont, Italy): Decanted for a good 30 minutes and served blind.
The wine has a magnificent nose and at this stage the nose is far superior to the palate as one might expect. Bright, expressive, soft elegant dark fruit, lightest dark feel almost a smoky/tar touch that just adds a solid dimension. The wine it self is still young but very much welcoming and the sort of vintage 2014 is delivers a more early approachable wine than the buttoned down bigger siblings of it. Beautiful 95 now and with a lot of more potential to follow.
On account of nose beating palate and the propensity of our friend who chose this for Monfortino we went with young Monfortino off vintage, like 2008 or 2012 ( albeit later we found out there was none made in 2012).
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1/5/2022 - Decarlor wrote: 100 Points
The best 2014 Barolo. Great job in a very uneven year.
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7/30/2021 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 95 Points
Accomasso Tasting plus some great Barolo Pirates (Freiheit Vinothek, Ulm, Germany): *** all wines tasted blind ***
Glass: Zwiesel 1872 Moment Pinot
Clean, deep ruby color. Clean, classic Barolo nose, floral, herbaceous, very deep and still closed and shut.
Wow, beautiful velvet texture and structure! Juicy, dense and deep, fine red fruit mixed with fresh herbs. Here it is all about balance and elegance. Very long and fine finish. Needs years to unfold. Thank you, Marcel, for this great Pirate! 94-95++
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5/24/2021 - EDO89 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Served blind in a Barolo flight as the last wine. Appearance was stunning, a dark ruby color with no garnet tinges, almost as indicating the potential longevity of the wine. Brilliant and clear, just beautiful lively color. Nose was initially shut after opening. With time the bouquet started to emerge with classic Nebbiolo notes: dried flowers, roses and violets, underbrush, truffle, pipe tobacco, goudron, and pure red and black fruit, macerated dark cherries, black raspberries and amarena cherries. A wide spectrum that kept changing constantly in the glass. Just mind blowing.
The palate was typical Serralunga: powerful, austere and structured. Despite its broad shoulders, the wine retained a certain elegance and finesse accentuated by an incredible freshness. Flavours of blood orange and dark spices carried the sip towards infinity.
Super balanced, harmonious wine. Already open for business given the difficult vintage. Probably more approachable than the 13 or 10. Still it has the structure and the acidity to evolve for decades, as every other vintage of this wine. Monumental, legendary. The pinnacle of Barolo.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment