Da Niccolo

Nick's house
Tasted Friday, June 27, 2025 by Joshvoulters with 151 views

Flight 1 - Sparkling (2 Notes)

  • 1998 Ruinart Champagne Brut Millésimé 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    Yellow apple, raw dough, pomelo and a touch of yellow plum. Baritone depth thanks to the age with a polished, attractive perfume. Vinous on the palate: a gentle mousse and a sense of ripe, balanced roundness.

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  • NV The Wine Society Champagne 92 Points

    France, Champagne

    Disgorged '21, from mag. A complex perfume with mature, integrated but pronounced oak. Clean with a purity of yellow fruit and kombu savouriness. Slightly more simple, forward on the palate - delicious though and there's a hint of residual sugar lending generosity. Really appealing.

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Flight 2 - Whites (6 Notes)

Flight 3 - Reds (6 Notes)

  • 2015 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Ooooh yeah - so distinctively representative of its style, with mushroomy tertiary notes, sweet furniture polish, an amaro herbal complexity, young leather, spice and pulpy cherry. Lots of '15s seem to be developing quite fast, and it works well here (from mag). A palate of dark fruit, dense smooth tannin and a sweet tang to finish.

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  • 2014 La Ca' Növa Barbaresco Vigna Bric Mentina Montefico 89 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    A sense of nobility: wood smoke, sweet herbal spice. Lifted and precise. It's clearly from a cooler vintage and it's got a sinewy hardness, especially on the palate which I found tight and unyielding. Needs a bit of time but bags of potential.

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  • 2015 Chiara Condello Romagna Predappio Riserva Le Lucciole 93 Points

    Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Romagna

    Spiced cherry, tar, blackberry, rose and a touch of game. An earthy strawberry and cherry richness on the palate - savoury and dense without carrying any fat. Reference-point Emilian Sangiovese

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  • 2021 J. G. Benda Rosso di Montalcino 93 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino

    Very compelling: purity, honesty, typicity. Focused dark cherry fruit, terracotta straight from the kiln, heady morello and a dense inner perfume. Direct dark red fruit on the palate: fine, smooth tannin with a sneaky density that tightens up the finish and hints at real longevity. There's rosso and Rosso - this is undoubtedly the latter.

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  • 2017 G.D. Vajra Barolo Ravera 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    As my previous note - very consistent with purple fruit, geranium and a sense of refinement. Pleased to have more of this

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  • 2007 Torraccia del Piantavigna Ghemme Riserva 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Ghemme

    Its best days are possibly behind it, but there's something so authentic about its slightly unhinged, explosive perfume along with ash, salami and dried blood on the nose. Caramelly dark red fruit on the palate, starting to collapse into sweet, geriatric anonymity - but more than enjoyable right now.

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Flight 4 - Sweet(ish) (2 Notes)

  • 2011 Domaine des Forges Coteaux du Layon Chaume 92 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon Chaume

    Caramelised peach, burnished and golden: crystallised ginger and tonka bean. Sweet lemon and tarte tatin on the palate, powerful acidity which is integrated and cuts through the sweet, thick body.

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  • NV Cappellano Barolo Chinato 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo Chinato

    Still love this: really a perfect after-dinner drink. A unique blend of rich, sweet digestif, medicinal aromatic complexity and slap-you-round-the-face bracing bitterness. It'll give you a hug, grab you by the throat, and send you packing. One for the purists.

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