PnP for 2 hours. Much better than my previous experience with this wine. This was open from the get-go. Aromas of deeper purple fruits and light, wet tobacco leaves. Brighter red fruits on the palate with a hint of prickly pear. This had a long finish and a nice level of acidity. 95

Didn't take any detailed notes on this. Great vibrancy and finesse. Layers of fruit and complexity sprinkled with citrus notes and salt on the finish. 94

Decanted for 1-2 hours and served blind. I only got to enjoy a glass since this bottle was shared with the group. This was my first experience with an aged Giacosa, so my review might be a little inflated in comparison. I've also always known I would enjoy the Giacosa red labels solely based on the recurring notes I’ve seen for these bottles over the years. I came nowhere near guessing this blind, but I sure as hell knew it was something special. This is my kind of wine in every way. The palate and aroma transported me to an Italian butcher shop with bursting notes of sweet meats, balsamic, and smoke. The delicate finish of fresh iron, rose petals, and candy-like tannins kept me returning for more. Needless to say, this glass went down very, very quickly.

This had everything I’d want in the balance between power and delicate, fresh acidity that I love in a Barolo. Although I didn’t get to enjoy this for the whole night to see how it would evolve, it was still my WOTN and is in the top spot for my WOTY right now. It was a privilege to taste this wine, and I hope to try another Giacosa Red label in the future. I just wish these were a little more price accessible because I would be buying them up like crazy to experience that again! 97-98

From a 1.5L bottle among friends and decanted it for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, I didn't take enough detailed notes on this wine. However, I do remember that it was a powerful Barolo with a profound depth of fruit and a striking level of acidity. It was personally my second favorite wine of the weekend, and it ranked among the top two wines for the majority of everyone present. I've always worried that I might not appreciate the style of Conterno Barolos based on the notes I've read, but I absolutely loved this wine. I need to stock up on a few vintages so that I can follow and enjoy its development over the years. 96-97

This was a strong showing from a producer I don't have a lot of experience with. This had more depth compared to the other wines served this evening, but there was so much going on that it made the wine confusing and didn't allow some of the elements to shine through. There were interesting layers of purple Crayola marker in the aroma with hints of powdered dark cocoa on the palate. This was attempting to go deep while staying light on its feet at the same time. A very, very interesting wine that has all the pieces to be a showstopper, but it also has too many pieces, which make it somewhat confusing. Nonetheless, it was very enjoyable and one of the better performing wines of the weekend! 95-96

Decanted for 1-2 hours. I only got to enjoy a glass since this bottle was shared with a group. Very similar to my previous experience with this wine. Very fresh aromas of crushed rose petals and mint. The palate was more red fruit forward, which is my preferred style.

It seems like it’s in a great spot now, and I'm not sure how much it will improve with more aging. I would be interested to try again in 5-10 years to see how these age. The only negative was that there wasn’t a lot of complexity, especially compared to the other wines we tasted that night. 94-95

I was very surprised by how well this performed against hefty competition this weekend. IMO, this outperformed the '13 Monvig served next to it. There was a lot more punch here! Bright red strawberries and cream on the palate with gripping tannins. I still wish there was more depth, but it still achieved the Burgundian-like silky smooth texture that I love in the Burlotto Monvig Crus. 94-95

Tasted from a 3L over a few hours. Agree with Rob's detailed tasting. This had all the typical notes I expect from the Monvigliero: strawberries, mint tea leaves, and tobacco, but overall, this was a little disappointing relative to '13 expectations. This seemed to close down more and more with air. Very, very smooth, but way too simple. Wanted more depth from this. I hope to pop open a 750ml in the near future to see if there is a big difference. 94

I was left disappointed with this Bartolo compared to the rest of the lineup this weekend. The palate has strong, deep blue and purple fruits layered with rich spices. My preferences lean more towards a well-balanced, brighter, silky-smooth Barolo. This Bartolo felt like being hit in the face with a dirty velvet curtain from some middle school auditorium. I didn't get enough depth or acidity here either. 93-94.