January 21, 2016 - This wine has turned another corner. Our last couple of bottles were not terribly enjoyable, but this one had transformed into a much better balanced wine with great ripe fruits, and a mellowed acidity. This is what i expected from this wine when i purchased a case more than a decade ago... Have one more bottle left, and won't wait.
July 27, 2014 - Definitely a better bottle than last time. Initial notes of ripe fruits, caramel and chocolate while maintaining its high acid and tannin structure. After two hours in the decanter, most of the fruit qualities have faded away along with most of the nuances of this wine. Pop and enjoy right away, but be aware of crazy amounts of sediments!
March 17, 2014 - I could not have guessed that this was a Barbaresco. Interesting notes of seaweed, tobacco, and dirt. Not too much fruit remain. Will try another bottle to see if there are bottle variations.
March 14, 2013 - red, orange, in the color. pepper, red fruit, smoke, on the nose. earth, cedar, smoke, cherry, spice, pepper, on the palate. medium acid, low-medium tannins, on the finish.
March 14, 2013 - Blind Tasting 2000 Barbarescos and Random Nebbiolos (Tom's House, Palo Alto, CA): Black fruit and tar on the nose. Tart cherry, prominent tannin, medium+ acidity. Lots of good stuff here but disjointed. Needs time. (my 3rd, group's 3rd)
March 14, 2013 - 2000 Barbarescos and older Nebbiolos (Tom's house in Palo Alto, California): Dark red. Average nose. Some brett. Palate has a nice fruit component, but feels a little bit tannic.
My #4, Group's #3 (56 pts). Tasted blind.
March 8, 2013 - Decanted two hours, consumed over the following three. Medium-dark garnet colour. Very expressive nose with prunes, dried cherries, dried orange peel, dried flowers, crushed blackberries, and a touch of vanilla. Medium-full bodied with replays from nose, but the tannins are still pretty firm, clipping the 30-35s finish. Additional cellaring will hopefully retain the fruit present, but allow the tannins to soften more. 91 points. Revisit in 2015.
February 21, 2013 - Dark color. Bright Fruit aromas with a hint of petrol. The fruit wants to stand up to the moderately firm tannins, but struggles. Decanted and aerated for 30 minutes. Tastes deconstructed; the fruit is forward, the tannins middle and the finish is delayed, but medium long. Need to drink up. Hoped that this would stand up longer.
July 21, 2010 - BYO Italian Wine Dinner at Dino (Dino Restaurant, Washington, DC): Tasted blind. I found this too be way too young and hot to enjoy, although the tar notes were kind of interesting. The finish was a bit vegetal as well, so I didn't rate this highly. Perhaps it just needs more time.
December 29, 2009 - Occasional tasting with PZ and JvT: Nebbiolo plus some extra's. (@ PZ): Too few notes. Beautiful bouquet. Very juicy and a lot of liquorice. Good tannin. Very long finish. The wine needs more time. 3+ years to start with.