A beautiful nose of black cherry, violets, earth, mint and ironstone. The palate is layered and fleshy. It has great depth and complexity. Tannins are ripe and supportive and there’s a thread of licorice weaving through the flavour profile. Still supremely youthful, but utterly delicious.
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This is really good; open enough to drink now, but still with loads of time ahead; absolute essence of Barolo for me; raspberry, black cherry, tar, tobacco, forest floor, mint, and floral notes; so powerful and yet balanced on the palate; deep and long; so good and with loads of time to go.
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Old Guy's Potluck Lunch at Lonny's. Dave's btl. I love G Conterno's Cascina Francia. Especially in a a more accessible riper year like '09. Barolo is one of those reds that could out-live today's 45yr old collector before its drinking well:). The '09 is very enjoyable now & will surely improve with cellar time. And, in some "off vintages" the vaunted Monfortino even gets declassified into this cuvee. I'm super glad to still have 2 '09s left. Even more, that Dave D owns a few more than I :). As MN Wine Junkie, also in attendance noted, any red wine lover should own some of these! I'd also point anyone curious about Barolo to try the, always amazing, Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole which drinks earlier & is still a great value. Only thing keeping me from rating this a point or 2 higher was drinking it at warm "room temp". Had this just seen 20-30 minutes in the frig, it would have rocked even more!
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Old guys luncheon (Lonny's Manor): This is only the second Barolo I have ever had that WOW'd me! Still not convinced to load up on Barolos, but this one makes a pretty good case on why you should! Drinking remarkably well for such a relatively young wine! Still, in a great spot for my palate! Leaning slightly on the fruit side of the spectrum (which I love), but still showing tertiary flavors in spades! I.e., the fruit is more prevalent, but does not dominate the palate, you still get that tertiary goodness!
The wine shows mostly red fruit (cherry) and some black raspberry with some dusty earth notes, dried herbs (mostly tarragon) and rose water, coupled with hints of anise, forest floor and tree bark. Drinking quite nice now! I would definitely have a hard time keeping my hands off this (and would not feel an ounce of guilt, as it is drinking that well right now!) 94+ for me, and my co-WOTN! (with the 1994 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle)
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OG Lunch - Holiday Party (Lonny's Place, Mpls): Medium dark red color or more. Drank a glass over 45 minutes. We had this back in April and it impressed then. Nothing's changed now, just slowly getting better. Very nice fruit, strawberry preserves, roses, herbs, dusty, really plush giving tannins, sleek and well balanced, medium plus bodied, love it!
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Ruby color with a hint of browning at the edge. Decanted beforehand and rebottled, ATW said, which was good, because our request for a decanter was ignored. Tar and roses and plums on the nose. Medium to full bodied. Quite tannic at first until some food arrived, then bliss…across all the courses but especially paired with the pulpo and with the rigatoni with truffles. Lovely.
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tasted blind at a white truffle dinner with several friends. wine was opened 5 hours prior to drinking and double decanted by Oldwines. wine showed aromatics of rose and mint with a hint of sous bois. on the palate, the wine was medium bodied with a lovely soft mouthfeel. coming from a very ripe vintage, the wine managed to show excellent varietal characteristics despite the heat of the year. many producers failed in that respect with their baroli but this wine had to be one of the wines of the vintage. the wine showed beautiful cherry fruit, raspberries, wet earth, and menthol along with some old leather. this was a classic barolo that i found to be simply wonderful in virtually every respect hence the high score. oldwines is a big believer in a long decant and he certainly captured the drinking window on this one. the wine paired well with the truffle dishes but was particularly excellent with the venison carpaccio and white truffle appetizer
Double decanted around 1pm and taken to a white truffle dinner with OenoEd and vinus_operandi at v_o's house. There was a great selection of truffle dishes that were spot on with the wines...'09 G. Conterno Francia Barolo, '16 M. Rostaing Cote-Rotie Blonde, '13 Cavallotto Bricco Boschis, and '15 Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano Riserva, all blinded when served with some of the wines double blind to each of us. Dishes included a very creative seared and lightly smoked venison carpaccio with morels, blackberries and white truffle et al, soft scrambled eggs with white truffles, classic homemade tajarin with butter and white truffle, and a fried porcini risotto cake, not to mention a delicious apple tart dessert. I thought this wine was gorgeous, picked it as traditional Barolo about 12-15 years old. Very classic and yet quite fruit forward, suggesting the warmer vintage it was. Tar, roses, cherry, light herbal notes, a very long finish, and no noticeable oak influence. Great depth and yet elegant and pretty much ready to drink. Not harsh with good energy, but not high acidity, integrated tannin and a relatively smooth texture for Nebbiolo. Wonderful package that was particularly good with the venison and tajarin. Very enjoyable now and certainly not at risk of being too old, but I am inclined to drink it in the relative short run. 95+
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A magnum.Double decanted 12 hours before consumption.certainly still young.I haven't previously tasted a Barolo of this quality and am beginning to realize what I have been missing.Nicely scented nose, rich and powerful fruit with good tannins which will resolve further.This is still very young but drinking beautifully and will evolve for years to come.Bravo.
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Opened, double decanted back into the bottle and let rest in the cellar for two hours.
One of the better vintages I've had recently. The tannin structure is in a really nice place for the age. Tar, menthol, black cherry, super lifted and just a touch of leather and forest floor.
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Old Guys lunch on Ciao Bella's lovely patio (CV, DM, TS, JV, DD, LS, KB). 80 degrees Friday & 45 degrees Saturday :). We got super lucky Friday by MN standards. Well as I stated after my first sniffs & sips of this; "if I only knew then what I know now" I'd have at least a couple cases of Giacoma Conterno. This is superb now and likely to only get better for the next 5-10yrs. 20 plus years from now it likely won't be my cup of tea as I've yet to taste a 40yr old plus Barolo I've remotely loved. This is great now & look fwd to tasting one of these again down the road. Classic old school Barolo with tar, menthol and mineral but also a very nice dab of pure raspberry and cherry flavors. This wine has excellent, concentration, intensity on a suave harmonious frame. 95-96 Dave D's btl and my wine of the afternoon! Thanks Dave! Wish my Burolo had played nice too!
Old Guys Lunch: Hittin' the Patio (Ciao Bella, Mpls): Medium dark red plus color with a 6mm transition. Decanted for about 2 hours. Drank a glass over an hour plus. Lovely nose, dried strawberry, rose petals, dried herbs, fresh, red berries, dusty, hints of anise. The palate shows firm but plush tannins, medium weight, strawberry, cherry, dried wood, anise, good depth and length. Just a baby, but starting to strut its stuff.
Tiefes Rubinrot, noch praktisch keine Alterstöne. Die Nase ist offen, sehr komplex, Herbstlaub, welke Rosen, reife Kirschfrucht, Süsshzolz, Bienenwachs, Honig, Birnell, Humus, darüber florale Töne, ein Gedicht. Im Gaumen kräftig, gut strukturiert, die Gerbstoffe sind bereits schön integriert, die Frucht ist noch immer da, der Wein hat eine sehr gute Säure, zeigt Sortentypizität, Charakter und im Abgang eine grosse Länge. Ausgezeichnet und aktuell ein Gedicht, mit Reserven. 96 vvPunkte www.vvwine.ch
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Have a few of this and made a truffle based dinner so wanted to try a top end Barolo; this was a baby, but did not disappoint. These wines rarely do... hence the prices! The nose has beautiful red fruits, dried tobacco leaf, floral and herb notes, a hint of tar that becomes more potent with air, and just a touch of blood orange. The palate is initially pretty open with plush fruit (for a young Barolo, not Napa), floral hints and spice. With air it actually becomes more tannic and while the nose stays open, the palate starts to close. Excellent and will drink well for another 20 years easily.
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Slow oxygen for two hours then decanted in the big Zalto for one hour, nice deep red brick color, nose had some balsamic notes aftertaste was fresh with a rather agressive tannic attack! No touch for 5 years.
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Very ripe fruit. Atypical fruit-driven flavor profile for this wine and uncharacteristically straightforward for Conterno Cascina Francia. Totally okay wine in the large scheme, but a weak Cascina Francia vs. usual standard.
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In a tasting of Barolos from B. Giacosa, G. Mascarello, A. Conterno, G. Conterno, Roagna, Anselma, and more. Deep brown-red. A nose that I struggle to understand, even after being in the glass for more than 2 hours: earthy, dark forest berries, and a clear nutty tone (charred hazelnuts). Gives much more in the mouth. The fruit is phenomenal, lots of dark berries and plums, combined with hints of nuts, tar and iron. Lacks a bit freshness to balance the enormous fruit (and alcohol), but the aftertaste is enticing: dark plums, raw mushrooms, nut, and dry wood. A wonderful mouthful that don't match with the somewhat unprecise nose. I may be too conservative in my score here.
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Color: light ruby with a bit of bricking Nose: cherry and flowers Taste: cherry, anise, raspberry, white pepper and rose I decanted fior 6 hours, determined to finally open the 1st bottle of a case purchase now that it has entered the very beginning of the drinking window. The fruit is not as upfront as the smell would have you think rather it’s anise, rose and white pepper first. The wine lingers for a full minute or so and tannins are present with good structure. Will try bottle number two next year.
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At the open: Smells of damp dark earth Tastes of light cherry and dirt with an astringent burn Big chalky tannin that first hits the gums and then lingers heavily on the back of the tongue Full bodied
After 1 hour (decanted): Smells of black cherry, almost plums, humus earth, and a touch of menthol Tastes of coiled dense red fruit, earth, and bitter chocolate (cocoa powder) with great length
After 2.5 hours (decanted): Smells of dark brooding fruit and animal earth Tastes of lean dark cherry fruit, chocolate, and wood
After 4 hours (decanted): Smells of rich complex black fruit, earth, and licorice Tastes of ripe cherries, cocoa powder, savage earth
This wine needs many more years to rest in the cellar, but it is a stellar, compelling release. It really started to find its stride at the 5th hour of open air, showing all those beautiful, rugged complexities of dark red fruit and animal earth that we love from Conterno.
4 hour decant. Full bodied. displays dark red fruit, cherries, candies, tar. very high quality of fruit. smooth. Excellent quality of tannins - Sweet and never overpowering yet at the same time giving good structure. Smooth velvety texture no hard edges. Approachable at this young age and at the early stage of its drinking window but shouldn't open the next bottle too soon. This seems like it has much more potential to come.
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This is drinking beautifully now. After a couple of hours in the decanter, it’s bright yet complex, aged yet fresh. Some bricking on the colour. Lovely acidity, fruit and structure on the palate. Red cherry centric nose, but with elements of sous bois, licorice, and rose petals. Just lovely.
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Outstanding, as always (Conterno never disappoints!). A bit young, but showing a lot of potentials yet approachable in many dimensions. Nose of violets, red fruit (cherry), tar, tea bags, sous bois. Super fresh acidity, grippy yet not aggressive tannins, good fruit concentration, high alcohol. Full body. Largely primary and secondary notes in the mouth (including, red fruit, mushroom, mineral, wet rocks), balanced, perhaps not fully integrated yet. Extremely persistent. Revisit in 5-10 years.
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The 2009 is drinking beautifully today. Nose is predominantly ripe raspberries and hints of anise and damp earth. On the palate this barolo doesn't punch at quite the weight class of greater vintages of Francia but the fruit is of excellent quality. A true crowd pleaser of a wine with delicious ripe red fruits and streak of mint. Definitely the Francia to drink now while waiting on other vintages to peak.
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After one hour decant, color deep bricked, nose liquorice, earth, dark berries, taste soft well integrated tannins, finish perfect with some freshness.
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A 30 min decant, drunk from Zalto Burgundy, colour dark red, nose big with dark berries, minerals, no balsamic notes or rose petals, taste is delicious, Serralunga shines through, I like this kind of Barolo which has power.
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Roses, tar, spices, cumin, apricot, classic Barolo nose, but distinctive Elegant, but intense, prolonged strength, good gradual finish, dense; not extraordinary, but excellent
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Powerful and ripe with a pronounced mineral streak, this is surprisingly drinkable. It was edged about by the 08 Cascina Francia last night, which I found a touch more layered and complex, but this is a great wine, with a long future, that is tasty now.
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This is definitely a power house. A massive dark berries fruit layer with some chalky drying tannins. I think this will need some time in the bottle to integrate those big tannins that contributed to the sappy, drying finish. Full bodied, yes, but balance, no. Need more time to balance all the components, especially the tannins. The nose was also not as expressive as the 09 Sandrone drank next to it. However, detected a nice layer of red and dark berries aroma. Clearly a great wine, but needs time. Would not recommend PnP on this one.
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Open and ready for business. Nice floral nose and gained some weight with time in glass. Remained fairly balanced throughout the evening and had good structure of acids/tannins.
Light translucent ruby color. Nose heavenly, roses and sour cherry. Palate delicate, tea and tar/roses, initially some slight stewed fruits, great complexity. 94 pts
Here we are in Serralunga... darker notes of black tea, tar, anise, licorice, also some dark berries and dark red berries. It's pretty full-bodied, but balanced, with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin, good length too. A clear standout it this difficult vintage. Still a step or two down from the very best vintages. Provides a lot of pleasure now.
Decanted for 3 hrs then back in the open bottle overnight, med. ruby, roses on the nose, ripe cherries on the palate, mod. tannins, med/long finish; delicious, drink with long decant or hold, I suspect that there is greatness to come
Continue to improve later in the evening, really great Barolo!
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Wow, this is much more accessible than expected, a truly gorgeous Barolo, with sappy berry, tar, and liquorice on the nose. Although certainly youthful and dense, the 2009 Cascina Francis is quite gorgeous today. This includes the Monfortino juice, which wasn't made in 2009. Preferably one can wait a few more years, but this is already great.
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A lovely marriage of power and finesse, this is best after aerating at least 90 minutes in wide-bottom decanter. Smoky, mineral, earthy, with some assertive secondary aromas already, this is quite a treat for the senses. The texture is all about finesse, and at all times the wine reminds one of the structure within. Already in a good spot, should be just a few more years before it's in a great spot, where it will no doubt remain for a decade at least. highly recommended
Served non-blind; last sip was the best.
https://italianwine.blog/
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Brought to Peppoli at Spanish Bay, had with their famous Lasagna Tradizionale Classic-Style, Stuffed with Filet Mignon, Calabrese Sausage & Parmesan Cheese...decanted and shook vigorously for 30 mins……no Monfo this year, so this has all the good juice! SO young right now, but fantastic with an amazing future! Such pretty and intoxicating florals here….dried roses, red licorice, flowers, tar, orange grove……surprisingly the tannic grip is not too strong….silky smooth red berry fruits….pretty, yet has a deep dark power to it…..little mint, tobacco spice, leather…..tilled rose garden, dusty cherry spice. Just SO tasty to drink right now…if you like the dry pucker, which I do…..but 10+yrs will do you wonders! Need more for the cellar.+pts
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Medium dark ruby turning transparent at the rim with a nose of earth, tobacco, and smoke. The palate is medium-to-full-bodied, dry, with a silky texture. The palate is very rich with black currant, espresso, smoked oak, dry, mineral-filled earth leaning towards iron and graphite. Very attractive wine, but not for the faint of heart. Finishes dry and spicy. Drink now with a 2-hr decant until 2029. 94++
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This is a baby. Excellent nose, floral, red fruits, nutty. Good fruit on the palate, high acidity and grippy firm tannins. Delicious, revisit in a decade or two.
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Giacomo Conterno Dinner with Roberto Conterno (La Pizza Fresca Ristorante): Big wine, with a hint of animal aromatics and ripe sexy fruit. On the palate, the wine is round, lush, forward, yet short, with little follow through. Sweet, attractive, here and now wine. Should gain in complexity, but the minerality is lacking.
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Blizzard Night, had to try. Dark rich floral perfume- citrus and chocolate notes. Big palate of raspberry, earth, and tobacco. Strong minerality overwhelms the midpalate and drives the heart of the wine. Endless chewy finish. Will last a long time.
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From 1.5L from Doug Polaner's personal cellar. DCWino's tasting note from a few months ago is spot-on. Intensely mineral with a surprisingly cool profile and overall precision given the vintage—just another example of how great producers do great work even in "off" vintages. All of the Cascina Francia hallmarks are here—tobacco, mint, floral elements—and I can't wait to tap into my own bottles years down the line. Hold if you can, drink if you must. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.
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Perhaps the most mineral/iron driven palate of my life. Subtle black and red fruits, mostly cherry with a hint of strawberry jam, only a slight hint of petrol and licorice, mineral and strong presence of earth. Ripe yet cool, lean and precise, medium acidity, incredible amount of iron, nicely integrated tannins and seamless clean finish. This shows more precision and mineral but less concentration compare to the 07. It is not as detailed and delicate as the 08. Still needs minimum ten more years but if one wishes to try, I recommend minimum six hours of decanting.
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Australia Day Weekend Tasting: Both pretty and complex on the nose - roses, camphor, tea leaves, five spice, some VA and some appealing herbal notes. Delicate with restrained fruit and a fine line of acidity that lifts and extends the wine. More savoury than fruit driven, it is showing well even this young.
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Light red; quite closed, raspberry; light tannins, tight and lean, some fruit and power underneath; quite young and austere; clearly needs cellaring, but potential
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Concerto del vino italiano workshop “Barolo 2009 vs 1999”, Pairing 4: Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia. Both wines were poured into the glasses approximately four hours prior to the tasting.
The 1999 was medium garnet in colour and offered a rather reserved nose, with shy red fruit aromas, hints of hey and marzipan, and herbal notes. On the palate the wine seemed equally tight, with rosewater, cherry, tea and herbal notes, paired with medium-plus to high fine, ripe tannin and incredible length. The finish of the elegant and very balanced wine actually lingered for quite some time. This was the most youthful and potentially the longest-lived of the six 1999s tasted and the only 1999 that showed further upside potential. My second favourite wine of the tasting – second only to the Cascina Francia 2009. 91
The 2009 was medium ruby in colour and offered floral notes, red fruit, hey and ethereal notes on the nose. On the palate the wine showed red fruit, rosewater, some mild tea, herbs and mineral notes, paired with medium-plus to high acidity, high, ripe, ultra-fine tannin and incredible length. The medium- to full-bodied Barolo was elegant and very balanced and showed good energy on the palate. My favourite wine of the twelve Barolos poured at the tasting. 92
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Italy 2012 - Piemonte; 7/8/2012-7/14/2012 (La Morra): Tasted at the winery. From barrel. Big floral nose with ripe red fruit, spice and licorice. This was surprisingly open and fairly approachable on the palate with fine tannins, solid acidity and excellent length. The finish is quite dry. I find young Barolo difficult to judge but this seems to have all the materials to be something very nice. (90-93).
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3/13/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
A beautiful nose of black cherry, violets, earth, mint and ironstone. The palate is layered and fleshy. It has great depth and complexity. Tannins are ripe and supportive and there’s a thread of licorice weaving through the flavour profile. Still supremely youthful, but utterly delicious.
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2/11/2024 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is really good; open enough to drink now, but still with loads of time ahead; absolute essence of Barolo for me; raspberry, black cherry, tar, tobacco, forest floor, mint, and floral notes; so powerful and yet balanced on the palate; deep and long; so good and with loads of time to go.
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12/29/2023 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Old Guy's Potluck Lunch at Lonny's. Dave's btl. I love G Conterno's Cascina Francia. Especially in a a more accessible riper year like '09. Barolo is one of those reds that could out-live today's 45yr old collector before its drinking well:). The '09 is very enjoyable now & will surely improve with cellar time. And, in some "off vintages" the vaunted Monfortino even gets declassified into this cuvee. I'm super glad to still have 2 '09s left. Even more, that Dave D owns a few more than I :). As MN Wine Junkie, also in attendance noted, any red wine lover should own some of these! I'd also point anyone curious about Barolo to try the, always amazing, Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole which drinks earlier & is still a great value. Only thing keeping me from rating this a point or 2 higher was drinking it at warm "room temp". Had this just seen 20-30 minutes in the frig, it would have rocked even more!
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12/29/2023 - MN Wine Junkie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Old guys luncheon (Lonny's Manor): This is only the second Barolo I have ever had that WOW'd me! Still not convinced to load up on Barolos, but this one makes a pretty good case on why you should! Drinking remarkably well for such a relatively young wine! Still, in a great spot for my palate! Leaning slightly on the fruit side of the spectrum (which I love), but still showing tertiary flavors in spades! I.e., the fruit is more prevalent, but does not dominate the palate, you still get that tertiary goodness!
The wine shows mostly red fruit (cherry) and some black raspberry with some dusty earth notes, dried herbs (mostly tarragon) and rose water, coupled with hints of anise, forest floor and tree bark. Drinking quite nice now! I would definitely have a hard time keeping my hands off this (and would not feel an ounce of guilt, as it is drinking that well right now!) 94+ for me, and my co-WOTN! (with the 1994 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle)
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12/29/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
OG Lunch - Holiday Party (Lonny's Place, Mpls): Medium dark red color or more. Drank a glass over 45 minutes. We had this back in April and it impressed then. Nothing's changed now, just slowly getting better. Very nice fruit, strawberry preserves, roses, herbs, dusty, really plush giving tannins, sleek and well balanced, medium plus bodied, love it!
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12/19/2023 - M.Batard wrote: 94 Points
Ruby color with a hint of browning at the edge. Decanted beforehand and rebottled, ATW said, which was good, because our request for a decanter was ignored. Tar and roses and plums on the nose. Medium to full bodied. Quite tannic at first until some food arrived, then bliss…across all the courses but especially paired with the pulpo and with the rigatoni with truffles. Lovely.
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11/7/2023 - vinus_operandi Likes this wine: 97 Points
tasted blind at a white truffle dinner with several friends. wine was opened 5 hours prior to drinking and double decanted by Oldwines. wine showed aromatics of rose and mint with a hint of sous bois. on the palate, the wine was medium bodied with a lovely soft mouthfeel. coming from a very ripe vintage, the wine managed to show excellent varietal characteristics despite the heat of the year. many producers failed in that respect with their baroli but this wine had to be one of the wines of the vintage. the wine showed beautiful cherry fruit, raspberries, wet earth, and menthol along with some old leather. this was a classic barolo that i found to be simply wonderful in virtually every respect hence the high score. oldwines is a big believer in a long decant and he certainly captured the drinking window on this one. the wine paired well with the truffle dishes but was particularly excellent with the venison carpaccio and white truffle appetizer
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11/1/2023 - oldwines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted around 1pm and taken to a white truffle dinner with OenoEd and vinus_operandi at v_o's house. There was a great selection of truffle dishes that were spot on with the wines...'09 G. Conterno Francia Barolo, '16 M. Rostaing Cote-Rotie Blonde, '13 Cavallotto Bricco Boschis, and '15 Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano Riserva, all blinded when served with some of the wines double blind to each of us. Dishes included a very creative seared and lightly smoked venison carpaccio with morels, blackberries and white truffle et al, soft scrambled eggs with white truffles, classic homemade tajarin with butter and white truffle, and a fried porcini risotto cake, not to mention a delicious apple tart dessert.
I thought this wine was gorgeous, picked it as traditional Barolo about 12-15 years old. Very classic and yet quite fruit forward, suggesting the warmer vintage it was. Tar, roses, cherry, light herbal notes, a very long finish, and no noticeable oak influence. Great depth and yet elegant and pretty much ready to drink. Not harsh with good energy, but not high acidity, integrated tannin and a relatively smooth texture for Nebbiolo. Wonderful package that was particularly good with the venison and tajarin. Very enjoyable now and certainly not at risk of being too old, but I am inclined to drink it in the relative short run. 95+
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10/21/2023 - Rpfe Likes this wine: 95 Points
A magnum.Double decanted 12 hours before consumption.certainly still young.I haven't previously tasted a Barolo of this quality and am beginning to realize what I have been missing.Nicely scented nose, rich and powerful fruit with good tannins which will resolve further.This is still very young but drinking beautifully and will evolve for years to come.Bravo.
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9/2/2023 - Dave_Gurton Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened, double decanted back into the bottle and let rest in the cellar for two hours.
One of the better vintages I've had recently. The tannin structure is in a really nice place for the age. Tar, menthol, black cherry, super lifted and just a touch of leather and forest floor.
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4/14/2023 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Old Guys lunch on Ciao Bella's lovely patio (CV, DM, TS, JV, DD, LS, KB). 80 degrees Friday & 45 degrees Saturday :). We got super lucky Friday by MN standards. Well as I stated after my first sniffs & sips of this; "if I only knew then what I know now" I'd have at least a couple cases of Giacoma Conterno. This is superb now and likely to only get better for the next 5-10yrs. 20 plus years from now it likely won't be my cup of tea as I've yet to taste a 40yr old plus Barolo I've remotely loved. This is great now & look fwd to tasting one of these again down the road. Classic old school Barolo with tar, menthol and mineral but also a very nice dab of pure raspberry and cherry flavors. This wine has excellent, concentration, intensity on a suave harmonious frame. 95-96 Dave D's btl and my wine of the afternoon! Thanks Dave! Wish my Burolo had played nice too!
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4/14/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Old Guys Lunch: Hittin' the Patio (Ciao Bella, Mpls): Medium dark red plus color with a 6mm transition. Decanted for about 2 hours. Drank a glass over an hour plus. Lovely nose, dried strawberry, rose petals, dried herbs, fresh, red berries, dusty, hints of anise. The palate shows firm but plush tannins, medium weight, strawberry, cherry, dried wood, anise, good depth and length. Just a baby, but starting to strut its stuff.
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1/9/2023 - vvWine.ch wrote: 96 Points
Tiefes Rubinrot, noch praktisch keine Alterstöne. Die Nase ist offen, sehr komplex, Herbstlaub, welke Rosen, reife Kirschfrucht, Süsshzolz, Bienenwachs, Honig, Birnell, Humus, darüber florale Töne, ein Gedicht. Im Gaumen kräftig, gut strukturiert, die Gerbstoffe sind bereits schön integriert, die Frucht ist noch immer da, der Wein hat eine sehr gute Säure, zeigt Sortentypizität, Charakter und im Abgang eine grosse Länge. Ausgezeichnet und aktuell ein Gedicht, mit Reserven. 96 vvPunkte www.vvwine.ch
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12/30/2022 - Haze78 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose has some wood or mushroom aromas that disturbs it a bit for me.
Explosive in the mouth, licorice, tar, roses, dark fruit. Powerful wine, not as complex as the Produttori Asili next to it.
Still, very good in a challenging vintage.
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11/15/2022 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Have a few of this and made a truffle based dinner so wanted to try a top end Barolo; this was a baby, but did not disappoint. These wines rarely do... hence the prices! The nose has beautiful red fruits, dried tobacco leaf, floral and herb notes, a hint of tar that becomes more potent with air, and just a touch of blood orange. The palate is initially pretty open with plush fruit (for a young Barolo, not Napa), floral hints and spice. With air it actually becomes more tannic and while the nose stays open, the palate starts to close. Excellent and will drink well for another 20 years easily.
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2/3/2021 - Voodoo_Champagne wrote:
Slow oxygen for two hours then decanted in the big Zalto for one hour, nice deep red brick color, nose had some balsamic notes aftertaste was fresh with a rather agressive tannic attack! No touch for 5 years.
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1/6/2021 - bill00 wrote: 89 Points
Very ripe fruit. Atypical fruit-driven flavor profile for this wine and uncharacteristically straightforward for Conterno Cascina Francia. Totally okay wine in the large scheme, but a weak Cascina Francia vs. usual standard.
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10/30/2020 - dagij wrote: 93 Points
In a tasting of Barolos from B. Giacosa, G. Mascarello, A. Conterno, G. Conterno, Roagna, Anselma, and more. Deep brown-red. A nose that I struggle to understand, even after being in the glass for more than 2 hours: earthy, dark forest berries, and a clear nutty tone (charred hazelnuts). Gives much more in the mouth. The fruit is phenomenal, lots of dark berries and plums, combined with hints of nuts, tar and iron. Lacks a bit freshness to balance the enormous fruit (and alcohol), but the aftertaste is enticing: dark plums, raw mushrooms, nut, and dry wood. A wonderful mouthful that don't match with the somewhat unprecise nose. I may be too conservative in my score here.
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10/18/2020 - smahk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Color: light ruby with a bit of bricking
Nose: cherry and flowers
Taste: cherry, anise, raspberry, white pepper and rose
I decanted fior 6 hours, determined to finally open the 1st bottle of a case purchase now that it has entered the very beginning of the drinking window.
The fruit is not as upfront as the smell would have you think rather it’s anise, rose and white pepper first. The wine lingers for a full minute or so and tannins are present with good structure.
Will try bottle number two next year.
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5/18/2020 - Woodford Likes this wine: 94 Points
At the open:
Smells of damp dark earth
Tastes of light cherry and dirt with an astringent burn
Big chalky tannin that first hits the gums and then lingers heavily on the back of the tongue
Full bodied
After 1 hour (decanted):
Smells of black cherry, almost plums, humus earth, and a touch of menthol
Tastes of coiled dense red fruit, earth, and bitter chocolate (cocoa powder) with great length
After 2.5 hours (decanted):
Smells of dark brooding fruit and animal earth
Tastes of lean dark cherry fruit, chocolate, and wood
After 4 hours (decanted):
Smells of rich complex black fruit, earth, and licorice
Tastes of ripe cherries, cocoa powder, savage earth
This wine needs many more years to rest in the cellar, but it is a stellar, compelling release. It really started to find its stride at the 5th hour of open air, showing all those beautiful, rugged complexities of dark red fruit and animal earth that we love from Conterno.
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5/10/2020 - ANWW89 Likes this wine: 94 Points
4 hour decant. Full bodied. displays dark red fruit, cherries, candies, tar. very high quality of fruit. smooth. Excellent quality of tannins - Sweet and never overpowering yet at the same time giving good structure. Smooth velvety texture no hard edges. Approachable at this young age and at the early stage of its drinking window but shouldn't open the next bottle too soon. This seems like it has much more potential to come.
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4/5/2020 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
This is drinking beautifully now. After a couple of hours in the decanter, it’s bright yet complex, aged yet fresh. Some bricking on the colour. Lovely acidity, fruit and structure on the palate. Red cherry centric nose, but with elements of sous bois, licorice, and rose petals. Just lovely.
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2/24/2020 - Andrea1975 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding, as always (Conterno never disappoints!). A bit young, but showing a lot of potentials yet approachable in many dimensions. Nose of violets, red fruit (cherry), tar, tea bags, sous bois. Super fresh acidity, grippy yet not aggressive tannins, good fruit concentration, high alcohol. Full body. Largely primary and secondary notes in the mouth (including, red fruit, mushroom, mineral, wet rocks), balanced, perhaps not fully integrated yet. Extremely persistent. Revisit in 5-10 years.
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12/12/2019 - frqntflyr Likes this wine: 95 Points
The 2009 is drinking beautifully today. Nose is predominantly ripe raspberries and hints of anise and damp earth. On the palate this barolo doesn't punch at quite the weight class of greater vintages of Francia but the fruit is of excellent quality. A true crowd pleaser of a wine with delicious ripe red fruits and streak of mint. Definitely the Francia to drink now while waiting on other vintages to peak.
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11/19/2019 - gzim Likes this wine: 91 Points
Showing very well at this young point in its evolution. Fine tannins from beautiful dark red fruit, very focused with a great finish.
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11/10/2019 - Superjojo57 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Joli barolo, un peu brut avec des tannins légèrement grossiers en l'état. Déçu au vu du pedigree.
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10/19/2019 - Voodoo_Champagne Likes this wine:
After one hour decant, color deep bricked, nose liquorice, earth, dark berries, taste soft well integrated tannins, finish perfect with some freshness.
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8/21/2019 - Voodoo_Champagne Likes this wine:
A 30 min decant, drunk from Zalto Burgundy, colour dark red, nose big with dark berries, minerals, no balsamic notes or rose petals, taste is delicious, Serralunga shines through, I like this kind of Barolo which has power.
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6/28/2019 - wineappreciation wrote: 92 Points
Roses, tar, spices, cumin, apricot, classic Barolo nose, but distinctive
Elegant, but intense, prolonged strength, good gradual finish, dense; not extraordinary, but excellent
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12/31/2018 - ljones Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent with steak on NYE. Remarkably drinkable for a young Barolo. But needs a longer decant.
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12/6/2018 - rc@ughey wrote: 93 Points
Powerful and ripe with a pronounced mineral streak, this is surprisingly drinkable. It was edged about by the 08 Cascina Francia last night, which I found a touch more layered and complex, but this is a great wine, with a long future, that is tasty now.
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8/25/2018 - NathanT wrote: 93 Points
This is definitely a power house. A massive dark berries fruit layer with some chalky drying tannins. I think this will need some time in the bottle to integrate those big tannins that contributed to the sappy, drying finish. Full bodied, yes, but balance, no. Need more time to balance all the components, especially the tannins. The nose was also not as expressive as the 09 Sandrone drank next to it. However, detected a nice layer of red and dark berries aroma.
Clearly a great wine, but needs time. Would not recommend PnP on this one.
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2/15/2018 - mrbry83 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Open and ready for business. Nice floral nose and gained some weight with time in glass. Remained fairly balanced throughout the evening and had good structure of acids/tannins.
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2/15/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
Light translucent ruby color. Nose heavenly, roses and sour cherry. Palate delicate, tea and tar/roses, initially some slight stewed fruits, great complexity. 94 pts
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1/20/2018 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Here we are in Serralunga... darker notes of black tea, tar, anise, licorice, also some dark berries and dark red berries. It's pretty full-bodied, but balanced, with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin, good length too. A clear standout it this difficult vintage. Still a step or two down from the very best vintages. Provides a lot of pleasure now.
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12/17/2017 - Vman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Way too young, but after a few hours of decanting showed nice fruit and melting tannins. Buy and hold for another 5-10 yrs.
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9/2/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 3 hrs then back in the open bottle overnight, med. ruby, roses on the nose, ripe cherries on the palate, mod. tannins, med/long finish; delicious, drink with long decant or hold, I suspect that there is greatness to come
Continue to improve later in the evening, really great Barolo!
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8/26/2017 - rlove wrote: 94 Points
Wow, this is much more accessible than expected, a truly gorgeous Barolo, with sappy berry, tar, and liquorice on the nose. Although certainly youthful and dense, the 2009 Cascina Francis is quite gorgeous today. This includes the Monfortino juice, which wasn't made in 2009. Preferably one can wait a few more years, but this is already great.
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10/21/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
A lovely marriage of power and finesse, this is best after aerating at least 90 minutes in wide-bottom decanter. Smoky, mineral, earthy, with some assertive secondary aromas already, this is quite a treat for the senses. The texture is all about finesse, and at all times the wine reminds one of the structure within. Already in a good spot, should be just a few more years before it's in a great spot, where it will no doubt remain for a decade at least. highly recommended
Served non-blind; last sip was the best.
https://italianwine.blog/
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1/24/2016 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brought to Peppoli at Spanish Bay, had with their famous Lasagna Tradizionale Classic-Style, Stuffed with Filet Mignon, Calabrese Sausage & Parmesan Cheese...decanted and shook vigorously for 30 mins……no Monfo this year, so this has all the good juice! SO young right now, but fantastic with an amazing future! Such pretty and intoxicating florals here….dried roses, red licorice, flowers, tar, orange grove……surprisingly the tannic grip is not too strong….silky smooth red berry fruits….pretty, yet has a deep dark power to it…..little mint, tobacco spice, leather…..tilled rose garden, dusty cherry spice. Just SO tasty to drink right now…if you like the dry pucker, which I do…..but 10+yrs will do you wonders! Need more for the cellar.+pts
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8/14/2015 - Miceri Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium red; licorice, nice dark fruity bouquet; very agreeable and well balanced
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5/5/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 94 Points
Medium dark ruby turning transparent at the rim with a nose of earth, tobacco, and smoke. The palate is medium-to-full-bodied, dry, with a silky texture. The palate is very rich with black currant, espresso, smoked oak, dry, mineral-filled earth leaning towards iron and graphite. Very attractive wine, but not for the faint of heart. Finishes dry and spicy. Drink now with a 2-hr decant until 2029. 94++
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3/28/2015 - AWBryce Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a baby. Excellent nose, floral, red fruits, nutty. Good fruit on the palate, high acidity and grippy firm tannins. Delicious, revisit in a decade or two.
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2/9/2015 - swapdoc wrote:
Giacomo Conterno Dinner with Roberto Conterno (La Pizza Fresca Ristorante): Big wine, with a hint of animal aromatics and ripe sexy fruit. On the palate, the wine is round, lush, forward, yet short, with little follow through. Sweet, attractive, here and now wine. Should gain in complexity, but the minerality is lacking.
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1/26/2015 - The Guzz wrote: 93 Points
Blizzard Night, had to try. Dark rich floral perfume- citrus and chocolate notes. Big palate of raspberry, earth, and tobacco. Strong minerality overwhelms the midpalate and drives the heart of the wine. Endless chewy finish. Will last a long time.
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11/4/2014 - kevinacohn wrote:
From 1.5L from Doug Polaner's personal cellar. DCWino's tasting note from a few months ago is spot-on. Intensely mineral with a surprisingly cool profile and overall precision given the vintage—just another example of how great producers do great work even in "off" vintages. All of the Cascina Francia hallmarks are here—tobacco, mint, floral elements—and I can't wait to tap into my own bottles years down the line. Hold if you can, drink if you must. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.
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7/1/2014 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Perhaps the most mineral/iron driven palate of my life. Subtle black and red fruits, mostly cherry with a hint of strawberry jam, only a slight hint of petrol and licorice, mineral and strong presence of earth. Ripe yet cool, lean and precise, medium acidity, incredible amount of iron, nicely integrated tannins and seamless clean finish. This shows more precision and mineral but less concentration compare to the 07. It is not as detailed and delicate as the 08. Still needs minimum ten more years but if one wishes to try, I recommend minimum six hours of decanting.
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1/24/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
Australia Day Weekend Tasting: Both pretty and complex on the nose - roses, camphor, tea leaves, five spice, some VA and some appealing herbal notes. Delicate with restrained fruit and a fine line of acidity that lifts and extends the wine. More savoury than fruit driven, it is showing well even this young.
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12/15/2013 - Miceri Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light red; quite closed, raspberry; light tannins, tight and lean, some fruit and power underneath; quite young and austere; clearly needs cellaring, but potential
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9/1/2013 - PSPatrick wrote: 92 Points
Concerto del vino italiano workshop “Barolo 2009 vs 1999”, Pairing 4: Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia. Both wines were poured into the glasses approximately four hours prior to the tasting.
The 1999 was medium garnet in colour and offered a rather reserved nose, with shy red fruit aromas, hints of hey and marzipan, and herbal notes. On the palate the wine seemed equally tight, with rosewater, cherry, tea and herbal notes, paired with medium-plus to high fine, ripe tannin and incredible length. The finish of the elegant and very balanced wine actually lingered for quite some time. This was the most youthful and potentially the longest-lived of the six 1999s tasted and the only 1999 that showed further upside potential. My second favourite wine of the tasting – second only to the Cascina Francia 2009. 91
The 2009 was medium ruby in colour and offered floral notes, red fruit, hey and ethereal notes on the nose. On the palate the wine showed red fruit, rosewater, some mild tea, herbs and mineral notes, paired with medium-plus to high acidity, high, ripe, ultra-fine tannin and incredible length. The medium- to full-bodied Barolo was elegant and very balanced and showed good energy on the palate. My favourite wine of the twelve Barolos poured at the tasting. 92
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7/13/2012 - godx wrote:
Italy 2012 - Piemonte; 7/8/2012-7/14/2012 (La Morra): Tasted at the winery. From barrel. Big floral nose with ripe red fruit, spice and licorice. This was surprisingly open and fairly approachable on the palate with fine tannins, solid acidity and excellent length. The finish is quite dry. I find young Barolo difficult to judge but this seems to have all the materials to be something very nice. (90-93).
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