April 14, 2021 - Medium deep garnet in color with slight bricking at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of mature ripe fruit aromas of cherries, raspberries & currants with overtones of floral notes of roses & earthy/duty notes, anise, tar, some leather notes, minerals, herbs & hints of cedar in the background. Medium-deep bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, mature ripe fruit flavors of cherries, tart cranberries & currants with minerals, anise, some spices, tea & a hint of oak. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing. Although at 21 years of age, it has the structure continue along at this present plateau of development for a few more years, I would not expect any further development from additional aging. Cork was clean & intact; fill at lower portion of neck.
January 30, 2021 - Last bottle. Not "fresh" or vibrant but rich, layered and a great accompaniment to pasta Bolognese.
December 11, 2020 - Glass taken by Coravin
Very brown rim, actually not just the rim
Nose is a rollercoaster- pretty evolved, furniture polish, some VA, old leather, dried berries bring up the rear
Palate: first thing that hits me is the full, luscious mouth feel, then cigar tobacco, kirsch, a quick tang of acidity before an oaky finish
After a few sips I feel like I’ve been smoking a pipe filled with cherry tobacco. Not quite my tempo but an interesting experience. Need to drink up as not going to get any better - I’ll finish the rest this weekend.
December 3, 2020 - An evolved tawny translucent, this wine pushes the envelope with an exceedingly rich and ripe attack with furniture polish and almond liqueur notes. It is not everyone’s cup of tea but as well as being outrageously salacious it is also drop dead delicious. A wine which needs to be drunk now.
July 14, 2020 - Very skillful winemaking in a clearly challenging vintage..
The wine is now largely supported by oak structure.
The fruit has evolved and there's not enough tannin structure to hold the wine together. You get some Barolo character but in a diminished form that will continue to go down. Drink up.
May 31, 2020 - Nothing to add. This bottle was a little fresher than the last but drink up!
May 28, 2020 - My "30th birthday" wine finally reached perfection on my 40th!
April 26, 2020 - Past its prime. I liked it for what it was but if you have any of this wine, drink it soon.
July 14, 2019 - 14.5% alcohol, stood up for 3+ months. Significant sediment in the last 1-2 oz, carefully left behind in the bottle. Light ruby with significant tawny edges consistent with an aged Nebbiolo (perhaps more than expected for 2000); aromatic, forest mulch, dried roses; palate is light bodied, high tannins, fading fruit, medium acidity, some tertiary leather; finish is medium length. A good wine, Nebbiolo in maturity without being overly mature, but lacks any distinctiveness or character of the producer or vineyard. 88
November 2, 2018 - Medium garnet color with tinges of tawny and slight bricking at the rim. Mature and complex aromas leading with tertiary notes of dried red flowers, taunt leather, old tobacco and dry decaying forest floor, followed by tart cherry, wild raspberry, dried strawberry, and plum. Flavor profile mimics the aromas. High alcohol and full bodied. Still exhibiting considerable structure with tannin and acidity both high. Fruit staring to fade with the tertiary elements and structure taking over. Long finish and food is required. Will not evolve with additional cellaring, I would enjoy sooner rather than later before the fruits are totally gone. Still very good