Light ruby. Bright nose, feminine, vinous. Notes of red berry, cedar, florals, and menthol. Strawberry on the palate. Chiara says this was aged in barrique, a third new, but this is already nicely balanced.

Light ruby. Dense and tight, with intermingled red and dark fruit on the nose and dark cherry on the palate. Chewy tannins for the vintage. Paola says this was aged three years in botti.

Light ruby. Perfumed, stunning nose of mint and milk chocolate with dark cherry. Core of red & dark fruit. Grippy yet elegant tannins. A knockout wine. Drink starting 2020.

Light ruby. Balsamic notes dominate, with some cherry and spice box. Sweet cherry on the palate. Coarse, astringent tannins, as if this wine didn't reach phenolic ripeness. Note my assessment was not inline with others at La Festa, many of whom considered this a WOTN.

Bright ruby, orange tinged. Nose is largely shutdown, showing some balsamic and tar notes. Hard to assess at this stage.

Light ruby. Open knit, perfumed nose of rose and cherry. Sweet cherry on the palate. This is surprisingly accessible. Delicious.

Ruby. New oak-dominated nose of baking spice and coconut. Cedar & cherry on the palate. Chewy but ripe tannins, possibly some astringency from the wood. This bottle is totally out of line with my previous bottles (one at home in US and one in Piemonte at the winery) in that it is just dripping with new oak. My understanding from both La Festa and visiting Elio Grasso is there is no new oak in this wine (only the Rüncot Riserva) but, for at least this oddball bottle, that is improbable.

Ruby. Balsamic notes wrapped around strawberry jam with a hint of seabreeze (that sounds like the sort of pretentious TN I hate but hey that's what I wrote down). On the palate, cherry. The finish is hot with evident alcohol.

Ruby. Cherry, strawberry, balsamic, and a slight gamey note. Flavors of red berries. Great acidity. According to Alex, this is organically farmed.

Light ruby. Sweet mentholated nose of cherry and rose. Full bodied, powerful, and structured, yet already with a silky mouthfeel. Roberto was particularly happy with this vintage, calling it "extremely charming."

Ruby. The most shutdown of the wines at La Festa, with a closed nose of dark cherry and tar. Dark fruit and spice on the palate. This has more upside potential than I'm probably giving it credit.

Ruby. Candied cherry, cedar, and rose on the gorgeous nose. Flavors of both dark & red fruit. Elegant but grippy. When drank this wine was not yet released. (92-94)

Ruby. Gorgeous nose of cherry, balsamic notes, and mushroom. Cherry and spice on the palate. There's evident alcohol, and the acidity is a bit low, but not out of line for the vintage. This is already an amazing Barolo. Marta noted the 2011 harvest was "the earliest in a century."

Ruby. Floral and balsamic notes offer great balance of sappy earth and bright fruit, with a hint of green olive. Earth, red fruit, and spice on the palate. Elegant tannins. Balanced alcohol and acidity; very nice for the vintage.

Ruby. Elegant nose of tobacco leaf, olive, cherry, and rose. Delicious earth and red fruit on the palate, with dried herbs on the persistent finish. Silky and lovely. Fabio's whole cluster fermentation always yields unique and interesting Barolo and it is particularly successful in 2011, a warm vintage.