February 10, 2024 - Garagiste selection 14% ABV
Color: brilliant dark red and garnet. Viscous legs
Nose: medium/full intensity. Complex fruits; wonderful spicy, mineral aromas. Over several hours, evolved in the glass... warm dark fruits!
Body/flavor: full body. Complex dried dark fruits and berries. Excellent balance, the alcohol does not overpower, with good acid.
Aftertaste: lingering warm flavors
January 21, 2024 - this remains solid juice, but perhaps not overly distinctive. tonight worked well w/ a spicy cheese dip. dark fruits, leather, spice box. quite typical. steal for the money.
November 9, 2023 - This is the third of four bottles; the first two were underwhelming to say the least. This particular bottle seems to be coming into its own, and went perfectly with the baked stuffed pesto pork chops, penne and a tossed garden salad. Earthy red cherry, wild raspberry, tart plum, oak spice, taunt leather, herbal tea, decaying autumn leaves, red mineral laden earth. Structure is still in development with grainy tannin and notable acidity both looking for equilibrium. Seems to have enough stuffing and remaining fruit to support another 3-5 years of cellaring.
September 26, 2023 - similar to the bottle last year. this is nice with a very typical barbaresco profile. lots of minerals tonight. a ridiculous bargain at sub-$20!
November 29, 2022 - With Spaghetti Pork Red sauce….
Pop and initially lots of earth, root beer, licorice tannins slightly sandy but good. Decanted 75 minutes and drank over next 2 hours. Much more linear and showing more resolved tannins. Great plum and dark fruits with slight heat. Finish is 30 second strong . Slight cognac note. Very impressive. I have 7 more!
October 30, 2022 - First go at this one after 6 years or so in the box. A little detective work suggests this is Icardi's wine although not stated on label or cork. Pretty and typical, but a bit underwhelming for the year and the missive that led me to bite. Even so, the taughtness, tannic structure, balance, and depth certainly speaks to high quality juice, this one from Starderi & Serraboella vineyards. This is drinking about as good as it will get at this point and probably one to drink up over the next couple years. I think this will improve with some air time, and next btls will be decanted.
June 18, 2022 - First bottle was PnP and 2nd was decanted. Much better with decanting, but could still use a few more years. I won't know because these were my last 2 bottles. Really good QPR from Garagiste at $20 (in 2014).
March 18, 2022 - Aromatics come out immediately upon pouring. Mint and rose, citrus and other sour fruits. The color is garnet with just a hint of bricking.
Ready to drink, for sure, but not over the hill, and maybe not even yet at peak. Plenty of sour fruit flavors, with the nose always taking first position.
This is the real thing, even at the low end price and generic label.
January 14, 2022 - Wow! I bought three of these six years ago. I had two in 2016. One was corked and dumped, the other was consumed in a casual setting "no notes but seem to remember it drank very well and easily, nice mid-weight balance". This one was excellent! It is drinking so well right now (*). On PnP it was very good if showing a bit damp. It really unwinds with air and got better and better over a couple of hours, showing more depth, complexity, and aged character.
Sour cherry, pipe tobacco, menthol, eucalyptus, dark damp forest floor, toasted fennel seed, sweet herbs with a touch of citrus zest and pith!, spiced baking dark fruits.
All that said, I'd not have guessed Barbaresco. Truth be told, I think I'd have guessed Brunello. That's right, I'd have gone with Sangiovese instead of Nebbiolo if I'm honest.
14% abv
What a bargain at $16 USD (even accounting for one of three being corked).
* Note that this bottle was stored in good, but not ideal conditions. Dark with seasonal temperature fluctuations between low-mid-50s and mid-upper-60s F. So ideally stored bottles will not be as advanced.
January 6, 2022 - Wow - major improvement from 4 years ago. Mature integrated flavors, good depth, and short/medium finish.
This is ready to drink and IMO in prime drinking window.