On the rustic side of things, with earthy cherry and violets on the nose. Palate has good concentration with still firm tannin. Should soften, but I don't see this getting markedly better.
Roasted red cherry on the nose. Palate isn't showing much fruit at the moment - more mineral, leather and earth. Still tons of structure here. Needs time or an extended decant -- this bottle only saw an hour or two of slow-o. Upside from here.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
This is so far outside of my strike zone -- very hard to understand and enjoy. Big nose of roasted, raisin-y black fruit. Palate is sweet, ripe and port-like.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
Big nose or roasted, ripe and rich black cherry. Amaro like with lots of exotic, herbal spice. Round and plush. I'd like this if it was Amaro. Not what I look for in wine.
Gorgeous aromatics are full of strawberry, red cherry and raspberry with intense florals. The palate is still quite young and showing lighter. Tight. This will be very good with more time. Upside from here.
Generous nose is young, ripe and rich with a clear modernist flare, including some new oak that is obvious but not overly obtrusive. Rich and decadent with plenty of firm tannin that is smoothed out by the wood. Fun enough now. Not sure where this goes and not my preferred style, so hard to say.
Served blind, I immediately felt this was a modernist Barolo. Full nose of sleek red and black cheery with a notable wood impression. The palate rich, plush and round. Good fruit and tar notes. Tannins are suave and well integrated. Approachable, but clearly with a modern bent.
Attractive, full nose of smoky, musky black cherry. The plate has good concentration of plump cherry and plum. Silky tannins and fresh, juicy acids. Very nice.
Full, dense and rich nose is showing some age/maturity to the red cherry with an intense herbal note. Palate is quite dry with huge tannins that make themselves known right away. Nice brightness to the maturing, complex fruit. Needs time to come into balance.
Gorgeous nose of musky red cherry, rose pedals, herbs and spice. The palate has excellent concentration of sweet red cherry. So smooth and elegant. Long fine, finish. This is excellent now with upside. My favorite of the modern-leaning producers.
A riper fruit profile that shows mature with pronounced balsamico notes. Good concentration of mature cherry fruit, that again shows maturity/age with balsamico and some earth. Probably more mature than it should be at this point.
Served blind to the group. Quite clearly a traditional producer. The palate is so intensely aromatic with bright red cherry, florals, stem and spice. The palate is pure and lifted. Great intensity of flavor without heaviness. Terrific length. Barolo of the vintage candidate, I'd guess.
Gorgeous full nose shows mature sour cherry, herbs, balsamico and musk. The palate is very good concentration to the mature and layered cherry fruit. Medium-grain tannins are well melded to the fruit. In a very good spot now.
The nose shows a bit tight with notions of mature cherry and herb. The palate has rich fruit and still firm structure. Still brooding and rustic now. Should improve with time.
Gorgeous traditional Barolo nose of red cherry, musk, herb and dried florals. The palate is round with good ripeness and richness to the well-behaved and restrained fruit. Tannins are fine but still youthful. Elegant and long. Excellent. Showing surprisingly accessible now. Upside from here.
Fairly pale and translucent in appearance -- clearly a wine with some serious age. Attractive nose of dried red fruit and smoke/tar. The palate has lighter concentration, but the fruit is still bright. Plenty of balsam, old leather, dried florals and tar. Classic.
1999 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Sorì Paitin 89 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
On the rustic side of things, with earthy cherry and violets on the nose. Palate has good concentration with still firm tannin. Should soften, but I don't see this getting markedly better.
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1979 Le Colline Barbaresco Riserva
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Rustic and thin aromas. Very light and dilute. Past peak.
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1998 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Roasted red cherry on the nose. Palate isn't showing much fruit at the moment - more mineral, leather and earth. Still tons of structure here. Needs time or an extended decant -- this bottle only saw an hour or two of slow-o. Upside from here.
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1999 Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Tb Vigneto Alto
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
This is so far outside of my strike zone -- very hard to understand and enjoy. Big nose of roasted, raisin-y black fruit. Palate is sweet, ripe and port-like.
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2000 Tenuta Sant'Antonio Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
Big nose or roasted, ripe and rich black cherry. Amaro like with lots of exotic, herbal spice. Round and plush. I'd like this if it was Amaro. Not what I look for in wine.
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2006 AR.PE.PE. Valtellina Superiore - Grumello Rocca de Piro Riserva 90 Points
Italy, Lombardia, Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore - Grumello
Gorgeous aromatics are full of strawberry, red cherry and raspberry with intense florals. The palate is still quite young and showing lighter. Tight. This will be very good with more time. Upside from here.
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2005 Paolo Scavino Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Generous nose is young, ripe and rich with a clear modernist flare, including some new oak that is obvious but not overly obtrusive. Rich and decadent with plenty of firm tannin that is smoothed out by the wood. Fun enough now. Not sure where this goes and not my preferred style, so hard to say.
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2011 Romano Dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Superiore
Big smoky ripe black fruit and toast on the nose. The palate is ripe, rich and sweet-flavored. So much ripeness and oak. Wow, not my cup of team.
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2008 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello 90 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Served blind, I immediately felt this was a modernist Barolo. Full nose of sleek red and black cheery with a notable wood impression. The palate rich, plush and round. Good fruit and tar notes. Tannins are suave and well integrated. Approachable, but clearly with a modern bent.
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2012 Elvio Cogno Barbera d'Alba Pre-Phylloxera 92 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba
Attractive, full nose of smoky, musky black cherry. The plate has good concentration of plump cherry and plum. Silky tannins and fresh, juicy acids. Very nice.
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2005 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Full, dense and rich nose is showing some age/maturity to the red cherry with an intense herbal note. Palate is quite dry with huge tannins that make themselves known right away. Nice brightness to the maturing, complex fruit. Needs time to come into balance.
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2012 Marchesi di Barolo Barbera del Monferrato Maràia
Italy, Piedmont, Monferrato, Barbera del Monferrato
As opposed to the '12 Cogno Barbera tasted earlier, this is pretty uninteresting and shows a soft fruit profile with too much heat.
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2007 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Gorgeous nose of musky red cherry, rose pedals, herbs and spice. The palate has excellent concentration of sweet red cherry. So smooth and elegant. Long fine, finish. This is excellent now with upside. My favorite of the modern-leaning producers.
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2007 Moccagatta Barbaresco Bric Balin
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
A riper fruit profile that shows mature with pronounced balsamico notes. Good concentration of mature cherry fruit, that again shows maturity/age with balsamico and some earth. Probably more mature than it should be at this point.
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2012 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 94 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Served blind to the group. Quite clearly a traditional producer. The palate is so intensely aromatic with bright red cherry, florals, stem and spice. The palate is pure and lifted. Great intensity of flavor without heaviness. Terrific length. Barolo of the vintage candidate, I'd guess.
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2001 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 92 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Gorgeous full nose shows mature sour cherry, herbs, balsamico and musk. The palate is very good concentration to the mature and layered cherry fruit. Medium-grain tannins are well melded to the fruit. In a very good spot now.
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2001 Fratelli Revello Barolo Vigna Giachini
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
The nose shows a bit tight with notions of mature cherry and herb. The palate has rich fruit and still firm structure. Still brooding and rustic now. Should improve with time.
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2004 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia 94 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Gorgeous traditional Barolo nose of red cherry, musk, herb and dried florals. The palate is round with good ripeness and richness to the well-behaved and restrained fruit. Tannins are fine but still youthful. Elegant and long. Excellent. Showing surprisingly accessible now. Upside from here.
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1964 Pio Cesare Barolo
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Fairly pale and translucent in appearance -- clearly a wine with some serious age. Attractive nose of dried red fruit and smoke/tar. The palate has lighter concentration, but the fruit is still bright. Plenty of balsam, old leather, dried florals and tar. Classic.
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