7/21/2020 - avp wrote:

Beautiful golden colour with amber highlights.
Open and aromatic on the evolved nose. Golden apple to stonefruits with hazelnuts, juniper, fennel seeds and vanilla.
Dry, medium bodied and balanced by a citrusy streak of acidity. Some almond cookies, saline touch, nutty nuances and fennel to aniseed spiciness. A hint of lavender. Long finish.
A great white and drinking superbly!

5/8/2020 - avp wrote:

A bottling by a Gattinara based wine seller if I've understood correctly.

Rightaway upon opening a stunning nose with floral aromas and dark but surprisingly fresh fruit notes flying out of the glass. Unfortunately the palate seems disjointed and lacking precision.

After a while the aromatic burst settles and notes of tobacco, tar, incense and wood oil take the limelight. A balsamic lift appears as well as some licorice and the dark fruit makes way for a more peachy character. After an hour the nose slowly starts to wear. On the mid-weight palate the fruit keeps on focusing and there's actually rather nice balance after some half an hour of decanting. Some lift and a touch of sweet bandaid-y brett. Even if the palate strenghtens while the nose is going down, the aftertaste never gets beyond the uninteresting mid-length old-wine figgy sameness.

So, the nose and palate never really sang together in full harmony. Still definitely a nice bottle of wine!

4/15/2020 - avp wrote:

Some serious aromatics here. Ripe but lively fruit on the nose. Cherry to red berries, ripe strawberry notes. Lilacs! I love lilacs even if I don't get them often in Piedmont (more a Pauillac thing in my books). A cooling licorice character that doesn't get medicinal. A touch of tar and smoke but rather refined.
Mid-weight palate with perfect balance. Fruit definitely spot on with considerable but sophisticated grip and a marked acidity animating the fruit. Licorice and smoke in the long aftertaste with a lovely raspberry pip like lift and mellow strawberry as a closing statement. Fruit and structure taking their turns in perfect harmony.
Rather ready to go IMO. No hurry of course, but this is so damn good at the moment, that I see no reason not to pop!
A very fulfilling wine. And one of the best Roagnas I've ever had. A steal at 20€.

12/6/2019 - avp wrote:

Surprisingly youthful nose with red to dark fruit: fresh plum dominating. Cigar-box, meat, black tobacco and some truffle.
Medium to full bodied on the palate with beautiful balance of bright acidity, surviving tannins and aged but substantial fruit. An array of fine aromas from tobacco to petrichor and incense to beef broth. Long aftertaste with maté and dried apricot lingering for quite a while.
Just a very beautiful bottle of aged Alto Piemonte. Happy me!

11/18/2019 - avp wrote:

Oak has integrated well and the slightly tart and linear plummy pinosity is delightful. Some loamy nuances. Coldness of damp earth. Good length and precision.
Not a complex wine but rather good nonetheless.

11/12/2019 - avp wrote:

Small dark berries, Läkerol type of salt licorice, pepper and smoke.
Light and juicy on the palate with nice crunchy texture - smooth but crisp. A load of salt licorice with minor floral accents and brighter red fruit pushing through as well. Good length.
This is very good. Especially for 9€.

11/5/2019 - avp wrote:

Fresh plum and black cherry nose with a hint of gunpowder, iron and earthy beetroots. Some violets. Oaking present but not dominating.
Medium bodied with amazingly crunchy bite to the pure pinosity. Airy but concentrated at the same time. Long.
Good stuff.

9/14/2019 - avp wrote:

A rich nose of bread, wool, almonds, baked apple, spices, honeyed nuts and a hint something smoky/petrolly.
Dry, medium bodied and crisp palate with a mid-sized moussé and a slight sour apple bite. Good length.
Quality stuff.

8/12/2019 - avp wrote:

Intense nose of red to blue fruit. Slight minty lift and some licorice.
Full bodied and quite fruity on the palate, but with the structure to put the brackets around it. Pencil shavings, minty herbs and some medicinal licorice notes. Long.
Ok, this is rather nice already but the youth is still screaming through everything else. Let it sit.

8/8/2019 - avp wrote:

Bramble and blueberries on the nose with warm baking spice aromas on the background.
Medium to full bodied on the palate with considerable structure. Nice fruit expression but otherwise a bit too tight at this point.
Good wine.

8/7/2019 - avp wrote:

Crushed rose petals, dried red berries, peaches, face powder, petrichor and licorice on the nose.
Light bodied on the palate with not a lot of fruit, but beautifully structured and stylish in its lean manners. Considerable grip in the long minerally aftertaste with aromas of cherries, smoke and tobacco.
A bit serene and monolithic upon opening, but after all it just needed time after being decanted. No huge transformation, but it found the balance and delivered.

5/14/2019 - avp wrote:

Slightly reductive nose of crystallized lemon, peachy fruit, herbaceous notes and a hint of something bready.
Dry and zesty on the full bodied palate with fruit ranging from ripe lemon to slightly underripe peach. Some salt licorice and spice accents and a touch of something floral. Grapefruit zest towards the long finish.

Timorasso - gotta lovit. Often in Piemonte the lesser known whites rule: Timorasso, Erbaluce and Nascetta. No wonder Langhe producers are getting their hands on this!

5/10/2019 - avp wrote:

Floral nose with sour cherries, raspberriss and licorice. Some smoke, manchego rind and peachy fruit.
Medium bodied and grippy with pronounced acidity. Good concentration of ripe fruit and warming alcohol. Long.
Yeah, this is very good, but the palate needs years to really come through.

5/8/2019 - avp wrote:

Brick red.
Apricots, cherry and strawberry jam on the nose with refined tobacco leave aromas, smoke, rose petals and cigar box.
Light to medium bodied, refreshingly structured and balanced with nice acidic brightness shining through the mellowed fruit profile. Smoke, old leather, face powder and rose petals. Long.
True to its provenance. Very good.

4/9/2019 - avp wrote:

Floral and peppery nose of bright cherry to fresh plum fruit with thyme like herbaceousness, some cinnamon apple and dry licorice.
Medium bodied on the palate with high acidity and firm grip. Bright fruit with noce floral to licorice accents. Long minerally finish.
Very good. Such an honest wine.

4/8/2019 - avp wrote:

Shy on the nose with some white peach, lychee, grains and whitepepper.
Dry, full bodied and warm with mid-level acidity and quite a burning sensation towards finish. Some primary pulpiness. Peppery heat all through the palate. Probably just alcohol. Sold as a natural wine in Alko. Who knows. Not a rebuy.

4/7/2019 - avp wrote:

Corked.

3/31/2019 - avp wrote:

"Cru" Castelli.
Apple to redcurrant nose with a most exquisite mix of green tea, licorice allsorts, chocolate truffles, christmas spices, incense and chestnuts.
Rather light upon opening but builds with air. Crisp acidity and velvety grip. Tobacco, beef jerky and tea. Fine incense-like wood character behind the more vibrant red berry fruit. Long smoky aftertaste.
Simply perfect. Keeps on giving!

3/20/2019 - avp wrote:

Plum to chokeberry fruit on the nose. Slightly dusty wood notes as well. Hints of licorice and dried herbs.
Medium bodied and nicely structured with ripe but gripping tannins and bright acidity. Extracted feel to the fruit and the oak is rather present. Needs time.

3/20/2019 - avp wrote:

Huge tobacco to cedar nose with acerola cherries, strawberry jam and cinnamon apple. Floral hints, whitepepper and gamey meat notes.
Medium bodied and surprisingly fruity on the palate! Whoa. Tannins are there although almost smoothened out, but the animating acidity and minerally textures really bring the slightly balsamic red fruit alive. Lovely peppery aftertaste that goes on and on.
What a surprise! A lovely wine on so many levels.

1/21/2019 - avp wrote:

Clean and fruity nose with herbaceous touch. Some lemon and currant vibes here besides the rhubarb.
Dry, crisp and balanced on the mid-weight palate. I wish someone would serve me this blind.
Good stuff by the cidermakers.

1/11/2019 - avp wrote:

Rich nose of clearly aged wine with a touch of oxidation. Caramelized lemon, apple pie, puff pastry, vanilla and nougat on the nose.
Dry, light to medium bodied and pretty crisp palatal feel. Some bitter bite cleansing the palate before a rather long finish turning to more oxidative roundness with almondy and nutty notes.
A rather nice classic method sparkler that clearly had some age.

1/4/2019 - avp wrote:

Most beautiful luminous orange to copper colour.
Open nose of balanced fruit character: apricot jam, orange marmalade and kumquats as well as more savory notes of "copper kettles", puff pastry and black tea. A hint of green apples.
Sweet, mouthfilling and electrifyingly acidic on the palate. Great balance. Baklava, pistacchios and ginger. Insanely long.
Oh so satisfied. Drinking very well.

12/11/2018 - avp wrote:

I've had a few aged Ciròs lately and I've become accustomed with their ability to age. But that didn't prepare me for this rather randomly picked bottle of beauty and perfection.

Open nose of delightfully bright figgy fruit, leather, licorice and warm tobacco scents with a lift of pencil shavings and some tea-like leafy aromas.
Medium bodied and light on its feet with impeccable balance. Elegant fruit with some red berries alongside the fresh figs. A touch of richness, a touch grip, a touch of acidic brightness and an array of tertiary aromas. Delicious licorice (of the Läkerol type), tobacco, incense, elegant dusty wood and the list goes on. Long cooling aftertaste.
Nothing grandiose here - just an honest wine trying to reach not an inch above perfection.

Easily one of the best wines I've had all year. Probably the best red. A 47 year old cooperative Gaglioppo from Calabria. All hail the underdog!

11/17/2018 - avp wrote:

Rust and beetroot nose.
Medium bodied palate with juicy acidity and ripe tannins. Blood, rust and beetroot. Some toast character lurking in the background. Some dark cherry as well. Good length.
Very good stuff. In the beetrooty Spätburgunder fruit expression. Serious, but seriously downable.

11/16/2018 - avp wrote:

Dark cherry to cooked strawberry nose with dusty wood, cacao powder, pencil shavings (all kinds of dusty/powdery things it seems) and floral hints.
Medium bodied on the palate with carrying acidity and some bite. Nice velvety balance. Good length.
Would no doubt benefit from a couple of years. But was already rather enjoyable with some fennel/vermouth/lemon zest risotto.

11/12/2018 - avp wrote:

Crystallized lemon, resin, ginger, tangerines, peaches, lime blossoms and smoke on the nose.
Medium bodied, dry and grippy with a lovely energizing acidity. Pure and rather intense without loosing its delicate touch. Long finish with substantially tactile presence that doesn't come down to simple grippiness or anything like that.
Intense and refined, but still easy-drinking. Very good!

10/31/2018 - avp wrote:

Slightly stewed forest fruit with licorice and a hint of rubber.
Medium to full bodied fruity palate with no grip and balanced mid-level acidity. Good length finish with brighter red fruit.
Chill and chug away!

10/28/2018 - avp wrote:

Bottled in Spring 2018
Slightly floral nose of baked apple, orange peel, macadamia, hazel nuts and soy sauce.
Bone dry and full bodied palate with refreshing acidity cutting through the fat. Saline and tangy. Long even if quite a bit more straightforward finish.
Very nice.

10/25/2018 - avp wrote:

Powdery nose with floral hints, licorice, dusty refined wood notes and baking spices. Dry cherry and chokeberry. Open and aromatic.
Full bodied but with only medium fruit intensity. Quite pronounced Läkerol-like medicinal licorice character, integrated wood and tight tannins. Slight herbaceous lift. Long.
Opened the night before. And the difference is striking. The quality and class is there, but definitely needs air to surface. Or years.

10/21/2018 - avp wrote:

Intense fruity nose with some bisquity depth. Mango, sea buckthorn and crystallized lemon. Some lime-like green but aromatic nuances. A hint of wet plaster.
Dry, full and intense with vivacious animating acidity. Some bitter bite to the palatal feel. Long aftertaste with bready bredth surfacing after the mid-palate filling fruit has gone.
Oh I love Jurançon (Sec).

10/20/2018 - avp wrote:

Upon opening quite disjointed. A lot things going on: acidity, alcohol, tannins, fruit. Extracted, bitter, harsh and hot. Left the bottle on the kitchen counter.
Three days later this feels a lot more approachable and focused.
I'd probably cellar this for 5-10 before popping another open.

10/17/2018 - avp wrote:

Rich peachy fruit with some lemon and licorice.
Quite full bodied and highly refreshing on the palate with only 12,5% of ABV. Intense and fruity with acidity cutting the excess weight. Long finish.
Very nice stuff. Especially for the price. Oh, and I love the label.

10/15/2018 - avp wrote:

Cherries and cranberries on the shy nose with some floral hints. Something a bit cooked here that I don't exactly like.
Medium bodied, juicy and a bit biting on the palate. Tart red berries, cherries and some tannic bitterness drying out the fruit. Mid-lenght.
Underwhelming.

10/12/2018 - avp wrote:

Oranges and rosewater with warm spicy touch and a hint of something piney in the background.
Full bodied but rather lively on the palate with perfectly balanced palate and tannins biting in the aftertaste. Somewhat leathery and pretty quinine-like feel, but still the fruit manages to shine through so beautifully. Oranges, apricots, lychee and rosewater. Long finish.
Just beautiful. Very pure.

10/9/2018 - avp wrote:

I didn't have high hopes for this one, since I've considered Petit Rouge to be a grape making nice and simple wines of early consumption. Well, this is also no doubt nice and maybe not that complex (not sure yet, this keeps evolving). But anyway it's 50 years old.

Some stemmy whiffs, red berries, strawberry jam, peaches, licorice, leather, forest floor and refined smoke notes.
Medium bodied, lifted and round palatal feel with balsamic strawberries, dried fruits and some tart citrusy bursts. Some tobacco and pu'er in the aftertaste.

No, this ain't simple. Getting more and more complex with every sip! Definitely a bottle you don't want to "tick" in a big tasting, but to down in no hurry at home in your underwear with good music playing.

10/8/2018 - avp wrote:

Nice Fronton fruit but the oaking steals the show a bit here.

10/8/2018 - avp wrote:

Cherry to forest fruit nose with a bit of rubbery smoke, faint florals and licorice.
Light to medium bodied on the palate. Fruitdriven, supple and simple, but rather nicely balanced with certain freshness to the fruit.
Good for the price.

10/6/2018 - avp wrote:

A tad tired upon opening although with some nice lifted musar-like character of sunny red fruits and figs. As the wine sits in the decanter, more earthy aromas, classic dark cherry to peachy fruit and smoky tobacco start to emerge. Some incense-like wood notes, old leather and mushroomy earth. The balsamic lift airs off toning down to orange rind aromas. Medium bodied with a bit of chewy bite left on the palate. Coupled with the carrying acidity and the medium fruit intensity, there's a lot of life left in here. As with old Nebbioli often, this got more focused and simply better while breathing in the decanter for the couple of hours it took for the two of us to empty the bottle.

9/23/2018 - avp wrote:

Dark berry fruit with some licorice and rubber on the nose.
Medium bodied, smooth and fruity on the palate with mid-level acidity. Licorice. Pretty long although simple aftertaste.
Nice simple quaffer when cooled a bit.

9/19/2018 - avp wrote:

Sweetish forest fruit to fresh plum nose with spices, licorice, refined wood and a minty lift.
Full bodied palate with wonderfully vibrant acidity keeping the ripe and opulent old vine fruit in perfect balance. Some pencil shavings, meat and pepper. The wood is there, but doesn't stand out. Tight but sophisticated tannin grip towards the long finish.
Now this was really good. I'm too stuck on Europe!

9/8/2018 - avp wrote:

Fruity nose with cassis and strawberries. Some blue flowers there as well.
Light to medium bodied, refreshing and supple on the palate with little bite but nice acidity. Blueberries. Very much a fruitforward easy-drinking wine. A minor sugary note I don't care for, but otherwise rather downable.

9/4/2018 - avp wrote:

Jammy strawberries, lemony whiffs, fresh cherries, sour cherries. A bit cold and rusty upon opening. Oak present but not presenting any problems.
A fleshy full bodied wine with nice energizing acidity and a welcomed bitter bite, some obvious oak, but perfectly under control. Fruit is still the star and I must say I really like the vivacity of the fruit here. Leather, incense, tobacco - all beautiful things. But after all it's still all about the fruit. Give it more time and it will develop into something else. Good stuff now. Good stuff in the future.

8/18/2018 - avp wrote:

The nose is a bit dry upon opening with scents of iron, varnish, juniper and tobacco masking the fruit a bit. Maybe even some bottle stench. But with time in the decanter the wine opens up beautifully. Soon mulberries, mushrooms, peaches and red fruit start to emerge from beneath the layers mentioned earlier.
Medium bodied and balanced with velvety smooth tannins and supple fruit. Läkerol-like medicinal licorice and long leathery finish.
Awesome stuff. Not getting any better though.

8/21/2018 - avp wrote:

Bottle has been open for one day.
Quite stylish even if big and jammy fruit on the initial sniff. But the next sniff tells you the ripeness has been pushed a bit too far. Plums, boysenberries and cassis. Some new oak on the background, some olives and just a touch of pencil shavings.
Full bodied and jammy palate of rich fruit bordering raisiny ripeness. There's structure but the fat it obviously too much for the bones. Coconutty oak, which I kinda hate. Warm and unnecessarily long aftertaste. Ok, this was it for me.

8/8/2018 - avp wrote:

Apple puree and apricots on the open nose with some quince, hyacints and honey. Some minor smoky hints and a touch of wool.
Dry, steely crisp and medium bodied with great fruit concentration. Peppery and almondy. Lemon meets dried fruits. Salt licorice and nutty hints. Long.
Great stuff. Best Piedmontese whites for me have been Timorassos. But this clearly is at the same level - just as a handful of other dry Erbaluces as well.

7/19/2018 - avp wrote:

After a 5h drive it takes 2 hours of reading LOTR to your son before he falls asleep. It's 1.30am, but you have decided to pop open a refreshing rose to fight the tormenting tropical night watching Peckinpah's Getaway.

Quite a rose it is! A 1974 Cirò Rosato by Caparra & Siciliani. Is there anything rose wine like here? Yes. Obviously not the colour, neither the nose - but the mouthfeel!

Very open on the aged nose with notes of dried apricots, figs, tobacco, nuts, blood, pastry, salt licorice and mushrooms coming and going like the neighbourhood kids in the good ol' 1980s.

The palate is light, dense and vibrant with a refreshing bitter grip but still aged and nuanced at the same time. Usually when the nose is an umbrella of descriptors, the palate has at least started to slow down getting rid off all the extra opulence. But not here; the palate is almost more caleidoscopic. The balance and structure are spot on and still all the aged tertiary aromas from the nose are here again. And they've even brought friends!

What the hell am I downing?

7/11/2018 - avp wrote:

Dark garnet with watery rim.
Brooding and just slightly lifted nose of allspice/blackpepper/worchester sauce/beef stock, mushrooms, salt licorice, blood, tobacco and miso. Sorry about the list, but these things just keep coming!
Full bodied and lively on the smooth palate with the same brooding thing going on. On the back-end palate finally some fruits march out: balsamic strawberries, dates and dried fruits. Elegant (yes, there is something elegant about this wine) wood notes, cigar-box, whatever. Insanely long.
Smooth and brooding with aromatic depth. Tappaja.

7/11/2018 - avp wrote:

Peach and golden apple on the nose with some peppery hints and a touch of ginger.
Pretty full bodied, dry and slightly oily palate with ripe fruit and balancing mid-level acidity. Round mouthfeel with peppery heat and minerally sensations towards the mid-length finish.
Very nice.

7/10/2018 - avp wrote:

No formal tasting note.
Bright in every aspect. Of course some signs of age, but altogether very vibrant and lively with fruit intensity going down, but still in good balance. Some characteristics reminiscent to both yoghurt of an aged Mosel as well as wet plaster of Chablis.
A rather brilliant wine.