October 18, 2021 - Wine Workshop: White Label Giacosa and White Truffles (Locanda Verde): Surprised myself with how much I liked this flight. Just lovely. Peppery, dark fruits, drinking incredibly well and yet oh so young still. Lots of life ahead.
December 31, 2018 - Last Dinner of 2018 with Friends (Los Gatos, California): Very good core of ruby with a tawny rim. At first, a blast of volatile acidity, but then after several hours in a decanter, gorgeous Nebbiolo aromas of leather, flowers, and tar. Medium weight, plummy fruit with a tobacco edge, menthol, and fine acidity. Gentle, subtle finish of outstanding length. So, not a blockbuster or a Barbaresco for the ages, but here we have a white label wine from a less heralded vintage that is showing beautifully 30+ years later and could hold for another 5 years. Bravo to the king, and thanks to my wife who found this bottle as a Christmas present!
October 12, 2016 - corked
July 13, 2014 - This bottled showed considerably more age. Tanins fully integrated, soft, fruit bright but sweetens in finish. Drink yesterday.
October 16, 2011 - Spectacular. Resolved tannins, firm structure but very approachable and easy to drink. Drank against a grand Cru burgundy and although an apple to oranges comparison, this was head and shoulders above better. Perfectly paired with Beef Bourgignon.
March 26, 2011 - Gala Dinner of La Festa del Barolo (Del Posto Restaurant, NYC): Elegant, floral, ethereal.
February 8, 2011 - Barolo Dinner with Brunello Producer Riccardo Campinoti (Le Ragnaie) (Il Corso Restaurant, 54 W 55th St., NYC): [Open 2pm. DD 6pm. Drunk about 8pm.] Red with onion skin edge, a more youthful appearance than I would have expected. Gorgeous, classic nose of red fruit, iron, and fruit cake. Exquisite in the mouth with surprisingly sweet fruit. Excellent length.
June 9, 2008 - dinner after my birthday (Il Corso): This is giving from the get go with intense notes of porcini, coffee and spice straight out of the bottle adding crisp, faceted notes of licorice, violet and dark cherry with a subtle, spicy truffle note. Smells fantastic. In the mouth this is sweetly fruited with a round, voluptuous feel to the tar and licorice infused core of fruit. Offering great definition and a youthful feel to the brilliant fruit that turns almost chewy on the backend where it reveals a dark and brooding note to the fruit before revealing a very fine mineral and cherry pit finale. This has consistently been a great bottle and remains very youthful. Drink 2010-2022
December 22, 2007 - Opened last night for my daughter's 21st birthday. Turned 21 on Dec 21 and we opened a wonderful birthyear wine for the occasion. As my wife said, "this wine is exquisite."
And it is. Not the powerhouse of the 89 or 90, not as spicy as the 88, but refined, elegant, precise and fully mature.
October 16, 2006 - really not much different than the 95’s – wow much fresher nose than the last bottle, nettles, porcini, wild strawberry, intense, layered, earthy, rocking – soft and sweet at first, beguiling, strawberry cut by mineral, leather, and truffle, slightly astringent tarry vein keeps it all together, very pure mouthfell, entry fleshes out, remarkable structure, pronounced but just restained beneath the fruit, brilliant and bright, long tarry finish hints at pomegranate fruit, slowly became more tannic and closed on the nose. This will improve for another 15 years,