January 23, 2024 - Entering a nice drinking window, still maintaining primary red/black fruit but starting to add an element of secondary flavors. Good acidity, but slightly grainy tannins as mentioned in prior note below.
July 1, 2023 - Nose of composted leaves, sous bois, dusty bookshelves, stewed black plums and cherries, pine needles and pressed flowers. Med-bodied, the tannin here is gritty which is very uncharacteristic for this property. Rich stewed black fruits and chocolate as well as underbrush, dried pine needles and earth on the palate. This is aromatic and rich, but the poor quality of the tannins really detract. I'd opt for drinking this over the next 2-3 years, but it may last longer. 90
February 24, 2023 - Seemed still closed but a very well made wine... needs more time
October 9, 2019 - Seemed to be in a bit of a dull phase. Darker fruit and a lot of minerality. Strawberry and cherry. I think good with time, but not on the same level as the Monvigliero.
November 14, 2018 - Terroirs and Vintages of Barolo: This contrasted wonderfully with the Monvigliero tasted alongside, even if it couldn't quite match its quality. From Monforte d'Alba - more specifically, the Eastern slopes of the ridge that runs north from Monforte to Castiglione Falletto, facing across the valley to Serranlunga - this had a notably darker colour, with plums, spice, liquorice and menthol on the nose and a pleasing minerality on the palate, though it was perhaps surprisingly a bit more open-knit than the Monvigliero and less structured and intense. Certainly very enjoyable now and with a decent drinking window ahead.
October 19, 2018 - Second vintage I have of this but the 2011 from memory I felt was stronger, perhaps because that had the benefit of being in a flight with 5 other 2011 Barolos. Anyway this 2012 is a delicious classical Barolo that deliver some of those Gramolere dried strawberries, rosehip, cherry and licorice. Quite an elegant structure for such a young Barolo.
June 26, 2018 - This is often my favorite of the always excellent Alessandria Baroli. However, tonight it may be in a dumb phase as I find is typical for Barolo a year or so after release. Beautiful, but light nose of red fruit, pine needles and spice with a bit of underbrush. Medium-full bodied with supple but moderately substantial tannin and med-low (for Barolo) acidity. Again, the flavors are delightful but a bit light. Given the supple tannin and relatively low acid, this should reach maturity early for these wines and I’d guess it to be a real beauty at age ten. 91+.
February 7, 2018 - The nose was dark with marine-minerality up front followed by crushed stone, raspberry, dried roses, a hint of orange, and moist soil tones. On the palate, I found soft-silky textures with juicy acidity giving life to its strawberry and raspberry fruits, with saline-minerals and grippy tannin that set in over time. It has gained great depth over the last few years with fine tannin and a sweetness to it’s red berry fruits that I don’t recall. Grippy tannin lingered long through the finish with dried berries, spice and inner floral tones.
August 3, 2017 - again like prior, feels an atypical 2012 Barolo with less fresh red fruit and a bigger, more tannic bite but still very good and needs time. 92+
May 21, 2017 - 100% Nebbiolo. Robe rubis de moyenne intensité. Bouquet séduisant de fruits noirs, fleurs, anis et tabac. Bouche sur des accents de baies, prunes et chênes. Acidité rafraîchissant. Tannins bien taillés, puissants mais élégants. En tout et partout, un excellent Barolo, typé et unique à la fois. Déjà agréable à boire avec deux heures de carafe mais tiendra la route longtemps. Faite vous plaisir, acheter quelques bouteilles et goûter en une à tous les 5 ans.