9/1/2023 - billy_bricks Likes this wine:

Really great example of Barolo! I opened and decanted. I decided to try a bit of the wine immediately after decantation (sounds like I'm reverse summoning a wine spirit), I was greeted with a bouquet of cherries, raspberries, wet clay, and a hint of smoke. It was delicious, if a little tight--but what can you expect with a Barolo at the young age of 9 years??

We let it decant for about an hour and a half and went back to it. We were blown away with the added depth. All the above were still present (maybe the cherry smell was a dark cherry now?) with strawberries and menthol coming through. The longer we waited, the more we got: plums, cherry medicine (in a good way I swear), wet soil, even some peppery notes--and the we even smelled and tasted some honey notes! I was surprised at that!

Vietti stuns again. No wonder they are a benchmark Nebbiolo producer. The tannins were strong but somehow smooth, expertly integrated. I felt like I was transported to Piedmont, sitting in my Chateau admiring an Italian sunset. I imagined cobblestone streets, Mediterranean air, and felt fully jealous of my half-brother's Italian lineage. (And also that he is taller than me but I'll leave that part short).

Excellent wine, but could still do with 10 years in the bottle if you wanted.

5/20/2023 - billy_bricks Likes this wine:

Drank by itself on a hot summer afternoon. Very pretty salmon color. The nose was full of honey and Fuji apples. Texturally, the wine was excellent, with fine bubbles that made it soothing to drink. It was crisp, well made champagne, with a palate that followed the nose, but added in notes of mead and cherries.

7/4/2023 - billy_bricks Likes this wine:

Love this producer, and was excited to try his Rose. We popped and poured this after chilling, thinking it would be a great pairing with the American Independence Day.

It did not disappoint. Fresh, bright, and lively. There was strawberry and herbs on the nose with mineral underpinnings. On the palate we found those wild strawberries to be irresistible, almost like a Jolly Rancher that was made by Willy Wonka rather than Hershey's, along with some notes of graphite and sea salt that kept us thirsty for more.

Good, refreshing summer rose.

5/22/2023 - billy_bricks Likes this wine:

I was very excited to try this wine, and it did not disappoint. A testament to the age-worthiness of Nebbiolo, this Dante Rivetti was drinking beautifully. We popped and poured.

The nose gave us a bouquet of clay, leather, licorice, and maraschino cherries. As it opened up further, it showed scents of olives, dianthus flowers, and the dusty, welcoming smell of a 100 year old home.

The wine itself still had bright acidity, superbly integrated tannins that had softened with decades of age. We tasted vanilla, tobacco, and cherries. There were undertones of clay and earth that made the wine really feel like it came from the earth, not something created by man. There were notes of hibiscus and hyssop, floral notes to finish out one of the most pleasant drinking experiences I've had in months. The finish was long, complex, and elegant. Although I was sad to see the last of it drip from the bottle, I was enamored with the depth, complexity, and excellence of this wine. Terrific wine.

7/22/2023 - billy_bricks Likes this wine:

WOW! So much more than I expected from a lesser known Rhone producer. I didn't realize how much I would like Crozes-Hermitages. We poured this into the decanter, immediately had a glass, then had another glass about an hour later.

On the nose, we were immediately greeted with wet clay, truffles, cherries, leather, and tobacco, maybe even rust (but it was pleasant I swear). The more we smelled the wine, the more the wine gave us! As the wine evolved, it opened up to show thyme and rosemary, then chocolate, then roses. There was forever an almost barnyard-y funkiness to it that was so interesting to smell alongside those crushed rose notes.

Upon tasting the wine, my palate was filled with plums and cherries, with a hint of vanilla, as well as some cured meat notes. The distinct flavor of the nose showed up here too, with notes of truffles and old leather. After some time in the decanter, the wine expressed all the above, but the cherry notes became darker, the wine seemed all at once historic, reminding me of a dusty old library filled with old hardback copies of greek mythology...I was sure the Hobbit would be there somewhere as well...

This wine was excellent, it really brought up old memories, with a nose that almost smelled like my grandpa's old tractor that we used to work around his property with. IT smelled wise, like it had already lived more lives than I have.

3/16/2023 - billy_bricks wrote:

On the nose, it is shouted plums, molasses, licorice, and smoky cherries
Structurally sound, with medium acidity and well integrated tannins
The palate matches the nose, along with currants, bitter chocolate, cranberries, and pencil graphite.

Overall a good wine, I can see the skill in making it, but maybe the smoke came out too much for me. However, I do believe that around this time most of California was on fire, so it may be a result of that. I would've like the wine to feel lighter on the palate as well, but still enjoyable and a really cool wine to drink knowing the allocation and stories.

6/6/2023 - billy_bricks Likes this wine:

Pale but bright yellow color to the eyes,

Nose: scents of limes, almonds, and minerality (is it flint?); this wine has a boquet that makes it feel ALIVE! Some green apple in there as well

Palate: Matched the nose very well, with some melon flavors. The almond and citrus notes came through very strongly, with excellent minerality in the undertones to make this a refreshingly complex wine. Bright acidity makes this a lively wine that paired very well on our hot summer day. Lovely wine