February 9, 2023 - Just okay, not my style.
December 23, 2021 - Olek Bondonio Barbaresco Starderi 2016
On the nose, black cherries, licorice, clove, hints of mint, quite a powerful nose with some underbrush. With enough air the palate reveals licorice, black fruit, dried figs and dried fruit, some sweetness, balsamic vinegar, Chinese herbal candy, sweet clove, and hints of brown sugar with good sweetness. Dark and elegant and sweet (with those brown sugar notes). If Ronciaglette is roses and red cherries, Starderi is more black fruited and balsamic brown sugar goodness. 94/100.
July 31, 2021 - From magnum. Just as beautiful as it was two years ago! (TN 2019-06-01)
May 31, 2020 - Tight for the first few hours, so put it in the fridge over night, much better. This was equally as good on day 3. Darker fruit profile than the Roncagliette. Elegance, measured power. Should age well. 14,0% abv. Drink thru 2034. Nice organically farmed wine. recommended
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January 20, 2020 - Organic. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, macerated for 60 days with the skins. Aged for approximately 20 months in old Slavonian oak bottis. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Rather pale and very translucent youthful ruby red color with a broad, colorless rim. Crunchy, clean and fresh nose with aromas of blood, sweet red cherries, some ripe raspberries, a little bit of dusty earth, light gravelly minerality and nuances of sun-baked rocks, a hint of crunchy lingonberry and a touch of savory spices. The wine is silky on the palate with medium-to-moderately full body and dry flavors of ripe cranberries, brambly raspberries, some fresh black cherries, a little bit of gamey meat and umami, light earthy tones and a hint of licorice root. As the wine isn't particularly big and burly, the alcohol warmth peeks a bit through. Wonderfully high in acidity with firm, chewy and well-managed tannins that bring tons of structure to the wine without making it feel aggressively grippy. The finish is savory, somewhat grippy and lengthy with dry flavors of meaty umami, sweet black cherries, some tart red plums, a little bit of bloody game, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of tart lingonberry and a sweeter touch of ripe blackberry.
A bright, fresh and vibrant Barbaresco with wonderful purity of fruit. I'd say it is surprisingly approachable for an old-school Barbaresco that is this young, but on the other hand, the wine shows quite a bit of potential for further development as well. A textbook example of the new paradigm of Nebbiolo: wines that are very accessible already in their youth, yet reward prolonged cellaring as well. This doesn't scream for any further aging as it is drinking so wonderfully now, but I have no doubts this will be even more seductive, if it gets to see its 10th birthday. Despite being so very lovely, I'm still not certain if the wine is actually worth its price at 55-60€, though.
December 28, 2019 - Must have been something wrong with my bottle. Can’t fins any faults like TCA or bacterial issues but I just don’t see this as anything like what everyone else is describing. Unfocused with low acidity, loads of licorice and rosehips. Tannins are like described below but that’s about it. Three more bottles, hope to have more luck with the next.
September 5, 2019 - Seriously lovely wine. Very typical with raspberries, leather, and a discreetly tarred jetty. Perfect acidity with a feel of orange peel, serious depth and focus like a laser beam. Tannins very much there, but covered up by everything else going on, just giving good structure and length. Will of course develop for quite a few years, but completely open and very rewarding right now. Drink now or hold +10 years. One of the best young Barbarescos I've had the pleasure of drinking.
July 13, 2019 - From magnum. Similar impressions as from standard bottle (TN 2019-06-01)
June 1, 2019 - Beautiful nose with precise aromas of roses, raspberries, red cherries, almonds, and herbal/savoury notes. Equally convincing on the palate, a light midweight with notably silky and densely woven tannins, excellent freshness, moderate alcohol at 14% abv, and a long brilliant finish perfectly balancing the fruity, spicy, and saline qualities. We'd strongly recommend to drink this delicate wine on the lovely youthful fruit and keep the more structured Roncagliette '16 for the future. (Disclaimer: ITB with Bondonio's Swedish importer Vin & Natur)
April 13, 2019 - Intense smell right from the opening. Complex and classic nebbiolo aromas with beautiful red cherries and raspberries. Also almonds, red roses, anise and spicy wood. Seducing and flirtatious while changing all the time. Savoury red berries on the plate, great acidity and very fine-grained and sandy tannins. It is like walking barefoot in silky sand on the Maldives versus the knotty and rocky Norwegian beaches one can meet in other young more rustic nebbiolos. Big mouthfeel, but yet nothing superfluous here. 14% alcohol is well integrated and everything is in great balance. Nice drying finish with good length. Very nice and seductive barbaresco on the elegant side. This is just brilliant now, but it will probably shut down if not too long. And probably it will wake up as an even more complex wine on the other end. Great effort!