Community Tasting Note

Fractalage wrote:

Tuesday, October 24, 2023 - Left 2/3 of the open bottle to slow-ox on my counter for three full days.

6oz pour direct from bottle revealed to my nose creme brulee, smoke, black smoldering volcanic earth with burnt vanilla.

On the palate it had excellent texture with quality written all over it. It was on par with most of the top tier Bordeaux and Napa. That disjunct vanilla and charr had very well evened out, but was still there, but it didn't bother me as much. I still argue that it did nothing for making this wine better, but distracted enormously, yet I'm sure this will be very appealing to the Parker Palates that proliferate the population.

After about 10 minutes the nose closed up. This is typical good Nebbiolo. These things stay tight in the open bottle for many days, then when decanted, at least this is my experience, they close down for a bit, then open back up. When they open back up depends on the wine.

After another 30 minutes there was very faint nose of earth, tart and charr.
Palate was soft with dusty Nebbiolo tannins that built to a crunch and held stars of a lengthy finish. Quality indeed. On the finish the oak was obviously there but did not bother me so much now. I would like to know of the cooperage.

With each swig the depth of the crunchy tannins built and left a good thick coating on my mouth that held burnt tart with traces of vanilla Madeleines.

Again, if you like this sort of wine, with the oak and all, then this is a good one.
At this stage, compared to all of the Napa and Bordeaux I've tasted, I would have to say that price for price at $60 is about $100 underpriced. Yep, when you go to Napa you'll get lots of new oak of quality wine such as this for over $100. Skip Napa. Go here. This is better than the majority of Napa, which is in my back yard, and though my notes here don't reflect it, I've tasted all of the big boys and most of the obscure from the 16 AVA. (I prefer Calistoga.)

1 hour after decant the nose came roaring back with copious vanilla, again turning me off to the wine. Diving in, swimming through the vanilla I looked around to see cherry, volcano, embers, some bourbon notes.

Palate held dusts like from grandmother's attic, some astringent medicinal qualities like rubbing alcohol, (I swirled it too much!) it was flatter, and was fading fast.

My recommendation for this wine at this stage is to open the bottle pour out 1 glass, let the bottle slow-ox for 3 days, decant and drink after 30 minutes trying not to oxidize too much.

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