August 24, 2023 - From magnum - decanted for a couple of hours. Good but needs more time - hold & revisit in 5-10 years
January 20, 2023 - Absolutely delightful with a few hours of decanting and over the course of dinner. Terrific concentration of fruit and seamless integration of structure. Lots of floral and tarry nuance already. In an early peak window.
January 18, 2023 - Drank on Xmas day , absolutely singing right now . Tertiary flavors are c blending well with sweet tart red fruits . This still has 5 years left at peak level great wine.
October 3, 2022 - So balanced, so inviting, rich but delicate, well fruited but savory, great balance, length. Endless nose of roses and tar. Classic with carbonara and roast pork. Delicious, beautiful bottle representing. I’m deeply confused by the Sandrone haters who paint the producer as too modern? Too modern to make soulful age worthy terroir-reflecting Nebbiolo even in a difficult vintage like 1998? Not so much. Just some high quality Barolo making.
August 6, 2022 - Decanted for 1 1/4 hours. Rusty garnet. Ninety minutes in an emerging nose of vivid musky violets, earth, and sweet tar was revealed. Layers of choice strawberry and plum fruit laced with malty juiciness, balsam and asphalt on the textured palate. Freshening acidity and still-serious but softened tannin. Sweet, dark finish of fruit, tar, and rocky soil. By hour 5 this wine was pure velvet. Still going strong at age 24 and continuing to evolve.
July 23, 2022 - Dinner with Diego & Frederica (The Library, Crown Wine Cellars, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Decanted for 4 hours then drank over the next 2 or thereabouts.... it went down so well. Still a gorgeous deep, full-bodied colour. Nose is classic Barolo fragrance of rose petal, dried hillside herbs, violets etc but 'non-rustic' compared to more traditional producers....so this is classic but 'method moderne'. The palate is all beguiling super-enveloping velvety, satin tannins but counterpointed by an attractive bitter red/black cherry fruit. Lots of length and resoncance on the finale and it definitley some time ahead of it, although I think it is at its peak of development. Our Italian guest thought I was downplaying how good this wine is and had a big grin on his face as he drank it.
May 6, 2022 - Softer style, low acid, tannins mostly resolved, but build with a second glass. A slight bit of heat on the back end, listed at 14%. Almost couldn’t get the cork out. Very firm and glued to the neck. Started with a dual hinge, couldn’t budge it. Went to the foolproof Durand, and while it freed the cork from the neck, I still could not pull it out. Back to the dual hinge, and with effort was able to raise it some, broke off the top 2/3 of the cork. Finally, success!
August 4, 2021 - This is in the zone. It seems like no decant is necessary, although I broke the cork, so I had to pour it into a carafe. Classic notes of tar and roses with a whole lot more. There are hints of porcini, tobacco, and orange zest overlaying the cherry flavors. The tannins are a little dusty, and I am not sure that will change. I would love to have this again in a couple of years to see if it evolves positively…I’m sceptical that it would. However, no rush here. A lovely mature barolo that leans modern and approachable.
August 4, 2021 - This was delicious. Opened and poured. It took 30 mins before the tannins softened with leather, anise, liquorice. This is finally ready for mainstream drinking but still could easily cellar for many more years.
July 29, 2021 - More Wine, Less Delta (Osteria Langhe): En magnum. Wow, this is damn good Barolo. An abundance of signature notes you'd want lots of cherry, with florals, licorice and a slight road tar note -- all in a very suave, concentrated package. Very youthful in this format with upside over the next 10-15 years.