September 7, 2019 - Decanted for 2 hours and followed through the evening. Garnet with scarlet hints. Three hours after opening the nose became a blast of violets, hyacinth, plum pits, camphor, and earthy tar. Pliant on the palate with layers of dark plum, blackberry, balsam, asphalt, and graphite. Dusty, filed-off tannin and moderate acidity. Longer finish of red and dark plum fruit laced with leather and tar. Vibrant, tensile, and very much alive at age 24.
December 6, 2018 - It is delicious to drink now. high acidity, cranberry juice, leathery and clay type minerals, lots of tannins but smooth. Lovely! I agree with DoubleMagnum - This is a world class wine!
November 17, 2018 - What were you doing in 1995?
For me it was a major transitional year of ripping out roots, planting new ones, creating Daementia The Novel and the Daementia Art Movement.
Here we have Giovanni Corino's single vineyard designate Arborina who's sandy clay soils produce a beautiful Nebbiolo. This '95 is not like what's produced today. Giovanni used longer maceration with no rotary tuns.
Rested upright for 30 days this bottle was decanted and tasted over several hours.
Initially it was closed, even after airation. 3 hours in it gave up tar and honey, clover flowers, orange blossom, citrus rind.
The palate struck me as mostly primal with abundance of hard tannins that might never resolve, but its etheric qualities also stood out: flowers, honey, cherry that gets swallowed up in the black asphalt. Plum popped up from the ashen gouderon, to be drowned by the fresh tart of still youthful glycerine.
Not Nebbiolo at its finest, but super pleasing to sip and review my two decades of flavor.
It's finish was long and coating of grippy black. It was sticky and dryingly bitter.
Its texture was perfect, cooling, almost minty.
It needed a rare ribeye as partner.
Don't even think of drinking this before 3 hours of decantment. Well, small tastes here and there for comparison. It didn't even begin to show for 2.5 hours, so save the good stuff, plan in advance.
9.2/10
August 29, 2018 - brought late to the soiree and therefore not decanted
started to open up on the second tasting but then none left with all the thirsty sippers
not the wotn at osteria langhe this evening[that goes to the 1990 giacosa barb red label and the 1998 conterno barolo]but pretty darn good
December 9, 2017 - It's been slightly over three years since i had this and it is consistent. This is absolutely delicious. Silkier than last time but with the same amount of perceived extract. There is some density to this without feeling heavy. It feels like it floats in your mouth without feeling hollow. Even though the oak is there, it's balanced by the fruit, the ripe tannins and the acid. World class wine.
October 25, 2014 - Russk K&A's Group at Vienna Cafe . WOTF. 91+
October 11, 2014 - Without hesitation, the best Barolo I've drunk in 2014 so far.
The cork came out perfectly. No signs of seepage. The aromas exiting the bottle are fairly noticeable and pleasant.
Audozed for a couple of hours and poured. It jumped right out of the glass with withered flowers, leather, tobacco leaf, and cassis. On the palate it is full and velvety with a dusty edge and enough acid to balance out the generous amount of fruit. The finish is dry, long and of good grip. Lovely bottle. Fantastic effort.
(much better than the 1997 vintage)
September 5, 2013 - Absolutely amazing. Opened and decanted 30-60 minutes, but it was already showing great promise right from the start. Wonderful floral bouquet and cassis on the nose and earthy fruit on the palate, with a finish that goes on and on. This is a real treasure, and a great example of Barolo. Too bad we only bought the one, but now I know what the younger versions of this wine might hold in store!