12/31/2016 - zakaib wrote:

Excellent, drinking beautifully after 45 minutes of air. Exemplary aromatics and fruit, mineral and wood on the palate. Makes me want to buy more Bordeaux!

10/12/2016 - zakaib wrote:

Spectacular, but far lighter in weight than standard given the vintage. Good, saturated palate however and beautifully aromatic. Ready to drink with a little air and evolves nicely over an hour.

4/22/2015 - zakaib Likes this wine:

Beautifully balanced, with fruit, acid and tannins all progressing together and certainly meeting expectations for a more classic style. Darker, savory secondary flavors and aromas are already adding attractive complexity. Very good at this point, potentially excellent in coming years but I would suggest its just coming into its prime drinking window and will drink well for another decade if stored properly.

3/21/2014 - zakaib wrote:

This is excellent at the moment, with a beautiful -- if surprisingly pleasant -- balance of new world largess and old world restraint. I am increasingly pleased with these wines, of which I have more than a few bottles of the 2004, 2005 an 2006 vintages. The integration of oak, fruit and acid is now seamless (while all still showing robustly) and the tannins are now well into their long resolution. I am interested to taste these wines I a few years.

11/22/2013 - zakaib wrote:

Dark fruits tightly wound with wood. Well integrated at this stage, but almost monolithic. Primary and still very firm, showing little to no age at this point. Still very very young. Hold until 2016 minimum.

11/22/2013 - zakaib wrote:

Great but still young. And not actually what I was expecting -- though I can't say I've had that many GC Chablis so ... maybe the age will reveal the seashells and salinity I assumed would be prevalent. We'll see...

11/20/2013 - zakaib wrote:

Seamless and drinking very well right now. Others notes describe it well -- classic Santa Barbara chard, but with greater saturation and density than just about any I've ever had.

11/20/2013 - zakaib wrote:

Excellent Chianti for any night of the week. Better with a few hours of air. Second night was great too.

10/25/2013 - zakaib wrote:

Very enjoyable, balanced and seamless, but lacking luster of a great wine. Evolved nicely with just 30 minutes being open, but never to the point of greatness. Have more and look forward to drinking them in the next couple of years.

10/13/2013 - zakaib wrote:

First night, I just didn't enjoy this. Not decanted. The fruit is entirely restrained and overshadowed by almost punitive dark, tight flavors of pencil lead, almost acrid smoke and dirt. Not flawed by any sense, just backward and densely packed. Night two is far more pleasurable. The fruit has emerged, but only because the darkness seems to have subsided. Tannins are delayed in their presentation by almost 30 seconds, but are still vigorous enough to match elegantly prepared fatty meats. Acids remain in tact, though losing their breadth. If the present arc continues, this should continue to develop nicely for years to come

4/13/2013 - zakaib wrote:

Unbelievably good. Still youthful in color, but on the palate, a delicate combination of primary fruit with secondary elements of mushrooms, soil, seaweed, a somewhat mysterious salinity, and endless nuance too fleeting to remember. This is why I am hording Nebbiolo like mad.

9/12/2013 - zakaib wrote:

Opened and immediately enjoyable. Seamless, beautifully balanced and true to the varietal with great big red and black fruits tempered by a robust acidity with sweet tannins trailing behind. Fantastic, but no surprise considering the house. (My impression may be a bit over-inflated as great quality from northern Italy makes me weep with joy.)

9/12/2013 - zakaib wrote:

Drinking well now with just a half hour of air. Large scale but with a very pleasing degree of elegance. Fruits and wood are integrating and should continue to do so over the next few years. As the acids and tannins subside, this should only get more interesting. Looks forward to a few more in the coming years.

1/27/2013 - zakaib wrote:

Restrained nose, though invitingly complex, with cranberry compote and faint baking spices. Tart cranberry on the palate, but at present, not giving up much else. Well- made in every respect, and nicely balanced, but for now, youth is problematic. 3 years will do wonders, 5 a world of difference and 7 a likely profound d change. Hope to have a few then!

1/16/2013 - zakaib wrote:

Fantastic.

3/2/2012 - zakaib wrote:

This is superb, older barbera. Granted its been in a very cold cellar, but still, superb. Aromatics are roch and deep and the fruit is becoming muted, but all that big acidity has subsided into secondary and tertiary flavors. I'll take it all day long.

2/24/2012 - zakaib wrote:

Middle aged. Old world awesomeness. Minerality is so profound but still underlying beautiful, pure, bright red fruits. Acids have subsided. Tannins are there, but very subtle. Thrilled to have another bottle of this to drink in a few years.

2/18/2012 - zakaib wrote:

Decanted and returned to bottle 24 hours prior to consuming. Beautiful, big wine, but still very young and primary. oak is already integrated nicely into the background. Acidity is still robust and persistent, allowing for pairing with richest foods. Tannins are mellowed, pleasant but noticeable.

1/30/2012 - zakaib wrote:

Dark ruby red, beautiful perfume of red fruits, earth and a complimentary touch of bret. Palate is full without being heavy, but given its youth, still restrained and tightly wound. Superb on the second night, so undoubtedly a great future ahead. Unfortunately, I suspect use of a poor quality of American oak by way of a slightly dirty, sawdust element on the nose. Can't blame them considering the price, but distracting on the first night. Seemed to blow off on the second. Buying more to drink now and over the next many years. Suspect this score will appear laughably low in 24 months.

1/22/2012 - zakaib wrote:

Decanted 1/2 hour. Open and generous on the palate, while still clearly an infant. Beautiful, complex aromas of red fruit, leather, earth, truffle and a slight, pleasant mustiness. Palate is open enough to enjoy, but still with more to give over few years. Drank along aide the 05.

1/22/2012 - zakaib wrote:

Decanted for two hours. Tasted side by side with the 06. Comparatively closed down to some extent, nose muted, palate tight and finish truncated. Another 5 to 7 years will do wonders.

1/20/2012 - zakaib wrote:

Beautiful aromatics, bright acidity and a spare, mineral driven palate with typical fruits and solid varietal (and geographic) character. Ages well, so will certainly get a few more for the coming years.

1/19/2012 - zakaib wrote:

Delicious, straight-forward Dolcetto. Bright, fresh fruit, a little underlying complexity of earth, leather et al, with light tannins that compliment a variety of foods.

1/14/2012 - zakaib wrote:

Decanted for half hour and consumed over dinner. Opened nicely after an hour or so, showing a subtle nose of cherry, tar, leather and rose petal. Palate remains tight, with good flavors stretched taught over a lean framework. All nicely balanced and very enjoyable now. Buying more to hold for another year or two.

1/11/2012 - zakaib wrote:

Drinking beautifully right now. Nose is well developed at secondary stage but alcohol is evident. On the palate, bright red berries, some compression from older oak and bottle age, and again, evident (but not obtrusive) alcohol. Drink up.

1/10/2012 - zakaib wrote:

Seems full of potential, but still young, like reading the high school writing of a strong author. Certainly stronger the second night, but still tight and a bit short on the finish. We shall see ...

12/31/2011 - zakaib wrote:

Two bottles, identical. Superb young Chablis, showing broad, vibrant acidity underlying rich apples and pears on the nose and palate. There's a saline element as well but currently overwhelmed by fruit. Buying more as another year or two in bottle should reveal greater complexity.

12/18/2011 - zakaib wrote:

Damn good, with solidly above-average performance in all categories.

12/1/2011 - zakaib wrote:

Young, showing great density on the palate. A few years in bottle or an hour in a decanter will do wonders.