1/12/2020 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

This is what mature chianti riserva should taste like. An absolute joy to drink. Distinctive red fruit notes of Feslina. Spice and a bit of leather. I rarely have the patience to wait for these wine to peak, but nice to catch in the early stages of maturity. (And glad that garagiste offered these). can't wait to taste the 88, which is one of my favorite vintages over the course of my wine tasting career.

1/11/2020 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Great showing by this bottle. High shoulder fill. The cork was completely soaked but no seepage. Double decanted for sediment in the morning and the wine had very good color, very little hits of brown and a pure sweet tempranillo nose, if a bit restrained, Had this been an old Barolo where I have more experience, i'd not have been at all concerned. Enjoyed at dinner about 12 hours later and the wine was beautiful, the color had held but the wine had picked up some weight. And the initial impressions the same, but with more weight and a greater sense of confidence that this wine was in no danger of falling over the cliff. Just a lovely, lovely expression of graceful fully mature tempranillo., Hope my remaining bottles show so well.

1/1/2020 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

I'm enjoying the wine, it's evolved nicely over a few days, the fruit has gained more intensity and the nose is more complicated, aided by a bit of VA. Still a bit more polished than I prefer in my Jura reds, but just enough "nail polish" to balance this out... Delicious with the last of a wonderful roast fresh ham and fruit chutney... Glad to own more of this, even if I wish Puffeney were still making his wines...

12/8/2018 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Liked this bottle quite a lot. Gave it about a 2 hour decant. Savory, almost saline minerality. Tobacco and berry notes, superb balance, moderate length, I think will continue to develop. Really happy to own more of these and several other crus from Germain in this vintage.

1/27/2018 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

This wine is in a nice place. Elegant, lifted, bright, classic Montevertine red cheery notes with cedar and spice. I think this is a relatively forward vintage, so in a very good place to drink. Maybe I am biased because I love these wines when they are at peak, and this one may have peaked earlier than others and the altitude of the peak might not be as high as other vintages. FWIW, I had a '12 Pian di Ciampolo earlier this month that was perhaps a bigger framed wine, even a bit chewy. I just think that this is in a perfectly lovely place right now, hard to resist!

6/9/2017 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

This was lovely, elegant, on the lighter side of Brunello, even from a PdS perspective. Bright sour cherry notes, tobacco, spice, the tiniest bit of funk, and a saline quality that really came across with some Spanish ham. It's certainly ready to go, but on a high plateau of maturity. Absolutely loved the wine. I'll be interested to try this sometime soon alongside some recently acquired 01 Pergole Torte and compare Giambelli's (z"l) great work side by side, and test my hyphothesis that this will show similarly elegant against its chianti cousin...

8/28/2016 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Lovely showing Bright and spicy and telltale red Castiglione fruit. Quite round and well balanced. Acidity good could have taken a tad more acidity. In a very fine place with no danger of falling over the hill.

8/27/2016 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Wine was in a terrific place. Honeyed color, but fresh tasting, gentle petrol, very good acidity given the ripeness of the vintage, and very rich and complex. Really popped with some spicy chicken croquettes and also drank lovely with the pate maison -- at Le Coq Rico in Manhattan

3/25/2016 - baroloboy55 wrote:

As a public service, here is how Google Translate butchered the most recent tasting note, but I'm largely in agreement: I highly recommend two hours of jar. Part as usual grouchy, sulphurous, monothematic and slightly gassed. This wine goes waited, assisted and accompanied: you don't have to wait for him to find you, you have to meet him and accompany with a crescendo of bullets at honey Chamomile and broom, then the field grass and Ginger until the oil cerosità a balm. It lacks a bit of acidity and mineral vibration of great white wines, but is always an example of noble grace.

I totally agree with the noble grace and some of the other observations, this was a wonderful example of how a great winemaker handles a difficult vintage. There was a honeyed bouquet, golden color, slightly oxidative, leesy, chewy, with a chalky undertone. The wine was elegant, balanced, as good as it could be -- not the acidic backbone of a great vintage, but absolutely wonderful .

3/12/2016 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Liked a great deal. Good body; dark fruited, varietally correct, I really enjoy Lagreins from time to time, and this one seemed a great value, middle of the road style and capable of ageing. I hope to visit the winery on an upcoming trip to Sudtirol this summer.

3/16/2016 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Good varietal quality; nice acidic streak and not as thick as some of the Cargigan vielles vignes from the other side of the border. At the price point a great value. I may be a bit stingy with this rating; will see what the next bottle brings.

3/12/2016 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Very ripe, lush, red fruited ,good typicity. While I prefer a more structured vintage, this wine is true to form and offers a significant bang for the buck. Glad to own.,

12/4/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Surprisingly fresh, still mature and not yet on the downslope. Good acidity and earthy fruitiness. Really good effort

12/6/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

I'm afraid this wine is starting to show its age. To me a little tired and watery, but I have lots of great memories of this wine over the course of its distinguished life

12/6/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

This bottle truly rocked. On the front edge of a glorious plateau of maturity.

12/10/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

This was a particularly good bottle. Lots of acidic kept it well structured. Rather "punchy" for a barbaresco of this vintage. KenV's note of 12/10 was spot on

12/9/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Damn good lip-smacking Barolo that is relatively open for business and is a terrific QPR for Luca's entry-level entry

12/21/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

This was perhaps the best bottle I've had. Darker fruited than typical for Sassetti. Masculine. Wrapped fairy tight but the boquet is lifted and on the palate rich and a faint tarry note with ample acidity make this very memorable

12/21/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Transcendent bottle. Absolute peak of maturity. Complex, soaring, cedar/tobacco/earthy nose; round and sweet, a hint of cocoa on the finish. In a perfect placer.

12/6/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Showed really well. Ripe. Oak very well integrated. Spicy Castiglione fruit on the darker side of the spectrum. Rich. Open for business. Surprisingly good.

12/23/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Entering a mature phase with years and years of life. Inflection of petrol, great acid, mélange of peach and related fruits, a bit of spritz keeps this lively, but is the spritz supposed to be there at this phase of its development? I think I preferred my last bottle

12/23/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

I rather liked this wine. Opens up with a nice petrol nose, telltale streak of Wachau acidity, white peppery, flinty finish. But after a few hours the acidity disappears and the warmth of the vintage appears. Very well balanced compact yet complex. But not getting better from here and should enjoy my last bottle sooner rather than alte.r

12/25/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Delicious. At peak of maturity. Well balanced. Blackberry cassis,, minty, a hint of menthol, but traditionally wrought, the way Cali cab is supposed to be, not at all extracted. A joy to drink with dry aged standing riboast...

12/25/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Purchased on the recommendation of Sotto 325. I had a bottle in Barcelona in June that was absolutely transcendent. This bottle, decanted and aired an hour or two came across as tighter, a hint of spice from the American oak, and in need of evolution, but still impeccably made, balanced, clay soil, tempranillo spiciness, destined for greatness, but without the silkiness of the first bottle... Makes me wonder whether there are different lots of this wine, but happy to own

11/29/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Fully mature, or perhaps slightly past. Good Mourvedre fruit. Not the opulence I remember from its youth or of comparably aged Bandols from good producers, but tasty, earthy, and should pair very well with a mock cassoulet with leftover turkey and some chicken kielbasa.

11/28/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Very promising, if young, cab franc. Clearly would benefit from significantly more air time. Excellent concentration. Beautiful bright ruby color, translucent. Good combination of the berry/spice/bramble of cab franc. Nicely structured. Started to reveal some of its inner fruit after it uncoiled in the glass for a few hours. I think this needs significant rest time. Rougeard seems more approachable young. Will be interesting to compare in time. Really liked the wine and hearing great things about the 14 vintage

11/27/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Very fine showing. Entering into a more mature phase. Lime, meyer lemon and other citric notes. Good body, not especialy acidic; demi-demi-sec, just a tad of RS. Only the faintest of chenin wooliness on the palate. Highly enjoyable across a range of strong indian curry flavors. Excellent pairing.

8/14/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

I liked this had a lot going on but I thought perhaps a tad on the downslope. Although it was perhaps overshadowed by a 96 Massolino Rionda that really rocked; I had enjoyed this bottle quite a bit more in the future

8/14/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Beautiful bottle; lots of what make Rionda a very special place in Barolo. I actually found this bottle more or less ready to go; I'm of the camp that this bottle can be enjoyed now, but has a great long future ahead of it

8/14/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Correct Rionda typicity; a bit hard edged; perhaps not the best bottle. Enjoyed an 01 Luigi Oddero in La Morra in 2013 quite a bit more; this needed a bit more nuance, a bit more coimplexity, but the basic elements were there

9/8/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

This has always been a fine bottle; red fruited, nice balance and aromatics from the Monti district; I drank through these far to fast, because this one is now on a high plateau of maturity, red notes, leather, spice, still some grip, balanced and not in any fear of imminent decline. Wish I had shown more restraint; I fear I drink my CCRs too young

9/16/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

This was a high performing bottle. Had a lot of Monfortino type notes, iron, winter spice, impeccably balanced, quite rich and well-balanced considering the vintage; excellent showing

11/17/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

I've had a warm feeling for Prunaio based on a case of 85s that I purchased a million years ago and provided consistent outperformance for a long time, my last note in 2007. So when this popped up for resale at a pittance I grabbed it. This wine is a tad past peak but showed very well. Earthy, spicy, leathery, tertiary notes of tobacco and spice all held together nicely. Not sure this ever reached the peak of the 85, and I'd never had (or seen) before, but I was quite pleased with this effort.

11/18/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Wine showed well. Warm vintage. Rich, balanced but not overly ripe. Could have stood for some more acidity but it was round and balanced and a big hit at dinner. Very pleased with how it showed, especially for a resale price <40. Well made wine. Another good showing for a gruner from a warm vintage.

11/13/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Perhaps my last bottle and inspired by CCT's recent note. The wine has shedded a bit of its mourvedre driven power of a decade ago for a burgundian complexity. Yes there is brett, but an essential component of the wine. Just the right amount. Round, complex, spicy. At full maturity. A beautiful bottle and reminds me of many other excellent bottles before. I associate Beaucastel with lots of great experiences over a mutli decade affair with this passion, and this one was true to form.

11/20/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Picked this up recently in the aftermarket for current release price (70) and it was a terrific bottle. The unique house style of the extended skin contact frames a wine that was still quite fresh, rose petals, crushed violets, danced on the backdrop of the macerated nebbiolo skins without adding any density. Great balance. Simply lovely. Looking forward to Luca's newer efforts with a fidelity to this father's and grandfather's style

11/20/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Extraordinary bottle, better than one I had in Mautern in 2014. Transcendant. Complex, structured, great tension and stone fruit underpinning and an almost honeyed complexity to the palate. A perhaps burgundian feel but simply extraordinary

11/21/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Another very nice showing; a bit dense; great balance and richness. Very rewarding

11/22/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Good nebbiolo varietal quality, blue and violet flowery notes; good structure; still has a bit of modern polish, not offensive but at this point well integrated. Very good mid-week nebbiolo fix and I'm a bit surprised by the longevity. Good winemaking, if not entirely my go-to style

11/26/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Nice, youthful, classic white pepper/stone fruit of Gruner. A hint of residual sugar. Solid, versatile wine. Perhaps could stand for a bit more depth, but then I have an off the hook great mature Gruner from Nikiolaihof a few days ago and unfair to compare.

11/26/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Terrific acidity, the fruit just floated on the acidity, very faint petrol. Lively. Promising. Drank with an 07 Spatlese from Frohlich which had a bit more presence. The acidity here and the incredible lightness of the Mosel makes me think that this wine will have a brilliant future.

11/26/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

I usually agree with Salil (see his 8/2015 note) but this wine had the lightfooted, ethereal acidity that I normally expect from Tim's fine efforts with spatlesen from the Bockenauer vineyard. Tropical citrusy notes with some slatey inflections. Delightful and still youthful bottle

11/26/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

This wine is quite sweet for a kabinett without the lift you get from Tim's magnificent spatlese renderings. Seems rather two dimensional compared to an 07 bockenauer spatlese (and not the GK) which followed. For current consumption, the 09 kabs from Donnhoff are considerably more light-footed.

10/22/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Did I drink this wine with mystery poster CCT? As it kicked the you know what of Cerbaiona. Brilliant stuff, everything there, red fruited, classic Giambelli genius, in a terrific place

10/22/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Corked. Could have been a champion

10/21/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

No where near the bottle I gushed about in 2014. This wine never emerged from the pruniness of the vintage (perhaps would have shown better if slow O'd). Decently wrought Barbaresco, nothing memorable, on the far side of the slope

10/21/2015 - baroloboy55 Likes this wine:

Perhaps an inventory problem, because this bottle was a riserva and a glorious one at that. A faint hint of new oak remains, and I think I preferred a 95 Pertimali Riserva recently, but this wine is glorious and not yet at peak. Patience will definitely be rewarded.

11/1/2015 - baroloboy55 Does not like this wine:

Age has not been a firend to this wine, and it has been kept in a cool place. Very figgy; never came out of it and then faded. Typical of the vintage in modernist hands, sad to say

10/3/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Liked the wine; held up well in a mag and none of the fogginess of the modernist producers in this hot vintage. Blue flowered, elegant, in a very good place, I think this reflects an earlier take on modernism before things got too crazy

10/2/2015 - baroloboy55 wrote:

Really liked this wine, cool, steely, yet still food friendly; like the style wish I had their poulsard and trousseau