10/27/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

Great nose, quite open and elegant, with blackcurrant and almonds, aromatic, almost floral. Appetizing spiciness, some lead pencil and a touch of licorice, with fresh raspberry and cherry on top. Delightful purity of fruit most important trait here.

Slightly more closed on the palate, like you would expect. Good acidity and fine-grained tannins. Wait for the flavors to catch up with the nose if this is your only bottle, but it's pure pleasure today. Superbly done.

9/11/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

Nice light garnet color.
Vanilla and juicy strawberry at first. Cherry fruit, red currant, clearly discernable banana and some coffee.
Strawberry and chocolate cominate the palate, high lingonberry acidity with not enough body makes for an unbalanced feeling even as the flavors grow sweeter with some air. I'm getting a slightly unripe feeling from this wine, and although not bad, it is too one-dimensional for me, lacking depth and complexity.

9/4/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

Decanted for about 45 minutes. Took a while longer than that to really open up.

Dark ruby color, some wateryness around the edges.
Oaky, rather concentrated nose of sweet cherries, blackberry jam and creamy vanilla, with hints of coffee and chocolate.
Supple in the mouth with sweet berries balanced by healthy acidity, plus some more coffee. Distinct but quite fine-grained tannins.
Not bad at all for a 2002 Rosso.

Second day update:

This wine improved after a night in the fridge. Picked up more secondary character of dry leaves and tobacco, plus lovely sweet strawberry notes. Some of the edge taken off, but this did not offset the balance.

6/3/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

From 375 ml. Decanted for sediment and served right away, before pairing it with calf's liver Anglais with bacon and capers.

Light orange brown color. Elegant and slightly weak nose of cherry and orange rind, dried fruits, nuts, earth and some chocolate. Touch of old leaves, but most such notes conspicuously missing. The palate has fared a little worse than the aromas over the years; very light (to be expected) but also a little short and sharp in the mouth, strawberry and orange the predominant flavors.

Not a great wine, but I got these cheap and it's always an interesting experience to taste aged Bourgogne.

5/12/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

Angelo Gaja's super Tuscan project: Half Merlot, a quarter each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Franc.

Clear garnet hue. Generously fruity nose of blackcurrant, plum and cherry, with nice chocolate and hints of cedar and tobacco. Hits the palate nicely with fresh, precise and focused fruit, more blackcurrant, good acidity to match and a little pepper. Tannins plentiful but smooth. No heavy hitter, rather an elegant and very good wine.

4/27/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

Dense dark red color with just a little orange discernable around the rim. Big, concentrated dark fruit, blackberry and some raspberry on the nose, with heavy, almost overwhelming, toasted oak. Some spiciness, but that powdery vanilla dominates the picture.
Not as filling as I expected in the mouth, tannins a tad bitter and acidity a little low, but spice more pronounced. A half glass left on the counter lost all its fruit in two hours and picked up leather and tobacco instead. Not a bad wine, but somewhat inferior in its price range.

4/25/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

Not decanted, just poured down below the shoulders. Dense, dark ruby red. Pretty, expansive nose with sweet plummy fruit, blackcurrant, some cherry and lead pencil, and secondary notes of leather and coffee. Aromas echo on the palate; balanced acidity, tannins smooth and well integrated, fruit concentrated and sweeter than I expected and kept pushing forward, gradually upstaging the more mature components.

Drinking very nicely now. I will definitely keep buying this.

3/24/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

Vivid, light golden color with occasional green reflexes. Lush, gorgeous nose with abundant fruit; peach, apple and some honey with clear notes of petroleum and rubber. The nose almost suggest an off-dry wine, but tasting will make it very clear that this is dry as a rock. Nice, viscous mouthfeel and the fruit keeps shining on the palate. Great purity and definition with zinging acidity that should keep this wine going for many years. Not even close to its prime, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

3/11/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

Not bad. Fairly light; red berries, herbs and a clear whiff of raw meat that roused the appetite; nice, smooth tannins, good balance. Decanted for about an hour.

2/12/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

Classic, unmistakable Barolo with tar, leather, raspberry, floral notes on the nose and tannins that have become fairly rounded off by now. However, more fruit forward on the palate than I expected, without contradicting the above. Medium mouhfeel, no heavy hitter as Baroli go. Slight, surprising hint of VA?

2/2/2007 - Capodistria wrote:

Way better than my last bottle, which was kind of a disappointment. Blackcurrant, plum, coffee; tannins well integrated, good, medium-heavy mouthfeel and no green issues. Beautiful with wild duck's breast, forest mushrooms and creamy risotto. Very good QPR at 340 SEK (about USD 50 as per january 2007).

4/3/2006 - Capodistria wrote:

Blackcurrant, plum and a solid, elegant backbone without the generous warmth I have gotten from this wine earlier. Way behind the 2001 in developing, IMHO. Leave for a few years or at least decant well ahead, there is much in store here.

1/8/2006 - Capodistria wrote:

I have to line up behind the other happy CT reviewers. Abundant blackberry fruit, yet a very elegant rather than muscular wine, with a solid backbone. Wonderful food wine that we paired successfully with a deer roast (note to Scandinavians: rådjursstek). Reluctantly, I'll try to keep a bottle for a few years, though every time I cook I'll start wondering why.

1/3/2006 - Capodistria wrote:

True tawny color, not very dense. Powerful nose with hazelnut, coffee, chocolate, nougat and raisins with that typical leather present but somewhat subdued. Also, a hint of solvent not easy to describe, reminiscent of a mild volatile acidity. Palate reinforces impressions of nuts, chocolate and coffee; very long finish. Stood up pretty well to our most violent Roqueford as well as the creamier Stilton.

12/31/2005 - Capodistria wrote:

Nothing noteworthy; very typical Chianti classico with distinct sangiovese character. Slightly disappointing because of the unbalanced dryish wood that knocks the teeth out of the fruit. Perhaps more enjoyable when young and racy?

6/11/2005 - Capodistria wrote:

Classic Barolo nose with tar dominating raspberry and violets. Very tannic, medium bodied, some lack of density upsetting balance; fruit not quite given enough of a chance in taste or aftertaste. Slight disappointment, though not a poor wine. A suggestion might be to refrain from decanting and serve food that can handle the rough tannins, in order not to shell shock the fruit and lose it.

6/5/2005 - Capodistria wrote:

Surprisingly fruity nose, raspberries, but also some obvious mature notes of leather and earth. Still tight on the palate, needed some exposure time to open up. Traditional and tough in retro Rioja style, very low-key oak, notes of wet leaves, vital and fresh but nothing for those who prefer modern, fruit-driven wines.