Decanted 4 hours & could have opened earlier. Big bold leather color w/full nose & strong legs. Heavy blackberries w/ripe fruit fullness. Oak ever present. Full finish. Outstanding w/Prime tenderloin!
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Pleasant earthy and fruity notes, resin in the middle, but the smell and the finish are full of hot alcohol. Aftertaste a bit bitter, as well. Would not buy again.
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cola plum red, lots of clarity, amber hue Nose: burnt cherry, cola, vanilla, cigar, white pepper, oak Pal: burnt cherry, cola, vanilla, cigar, silver, white pepper, oak Feel: medium, savory Finish: medium T7
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Lively red color. Soil after rain, fresh sour cherry, clay, fresh plum, very fun nose. Tastes like it smells, great balance of sweetness and acidity, medium tannins. Very "fun" wine. ($15)
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Having read some of the comments on this wine, I wonder what the taste history is for those commenters. My thinking is that they reflect — for better or for worse — the current (as some would say "Parker") preference for the high alcohol, highly extracted, fruity, new-oak influenced style of wine.
While this wine very much is made in the so-called modern style of Barolo, it still bears the obvious taste profile of that region and grape: medium color, nose of violets, elusive nebbiolo flavors, an abundance of soft, lengthy tannins in the finish.
While so many other of the great red wine grapes — cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, syrah, to name the most obvious — have found suitable homes outside of their traditional appellations, nebbiolo is an obvious exception: Quality nebbiolo-based wines outside of Barolo, Barbaresco and a few other limited regions of the Piedmont simply do not exist.
In sum, I challenge any of those commenters of this wines who have classified it as less than commendable to suggest a better alternative with the same taste profile in the same price range. I know they cannot.
Bottom line: This is a terrific and rare example of affordable Barolo. For those who have had little or no opportunity to try Barolo at a reasonable price, this is your chance.
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Purchased on a whim. Drank over 2-3 hours. $14 at Trader Joes. At the beginning – with dinner - no discernible piedmont/Barolo taste. Tasted hot too
After a couple of hours (nobody wanted a second glass and mother-in-law preferred yesterday’s Costco Malbec) the heat disappeared but still no funk.
Continue to be the target-sucker for the Trader Joes store designers – who have the bottle that you think is the “find” winking at you while heading towards the checkout line with your milk and coffee beans!
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A little rough at this point with strong tannins and some wood notes. Rustic and with pretty good structure, this is a pretty decent Barolo for the price and should improve with age.
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Did a comparison with the 2009 Rocca dell'Olmo Barbaresco (which was $4 less than this) and a $30 VA Nebbiolo. Very clear orange/red brick color. On the nose, cranberry, cherry, and cedar. Very similar to the Barbaresco but notably, this one lacked the earthy funk the Barbaresco had, which is why I liked this one a little bit more. Flavors of cranberries, cherry, plum, and some cinnamon. Still had a very cough syrup quality to the wine. At $13.99, I may not be able to find a better "value Nebbiolo," but I can definitely find a better quality red in another varietal for less. I don't think I will be purchasing this again.
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12/26/2018 - casaallora Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 4 hours & could have opened earlier. Big bold leather color w/full nose & strong legs. Heavy blackberries w/ripe fruit fullness. Oak ever present. Full finish. Outstanding w/Prime tenderloin!
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6/26/2016 - putter520 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not much acidity. Nice finish
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11/22/2015 - Sandrockca Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needs a couple more years
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9/11/2014 - 422dbowlsby Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Dissapointing, even at the price. Cranberry color with thin legs. Lot's of sour cherry with a bitter finish.
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7/15/2014 - shleepy Does not like this wine: 83 Points
Pleasant earthy and fruity notes, resin in the middle, but the smell and the finish are full of hot alcohol. Aftertaste a bit bitter, as well. Would not buy again.
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7/13/2014 - Frijole wrote:
cola plum red, lots of clarity, amber hue
Nose: burnt cherry, cola, vanilla, cigar, white pepper, oak
Pal: burnt cherry, cola, vanilla, cigar, silver, white pepper, oak
Feel: medium, savory
Finish: medium
T7
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3/31/2014 - dismal Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lively red color. Soil after rain, fresh sour cherry, clay, fresh plum, very fun nose. Tastes like it smells, great balance of sweetness and acidity, medium tannins. Very "fun" wine. ($15)
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3/22/2014 - ddahl Likes this wine: 85 Points
Decent wine for value.
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3/7/2014 - Graylor wrote: 86 Points
Good but needs more time to hang out in the bottle. Highly tannic but interesting none the less.
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2/1/2014 - KSWinegeek wrote: 82 Points
The nose is Barolo like, but it ends there. Worked ok for Barolo risotto.
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1/31/2014 - oakville72 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Having read some of the comments on this wine, I wonder what the taste history is for those commenters. My thinking is that they reflect — for better or for worse — the current (as some would say "Parker") preference for the high alcohol, highly extracted, fruity, new-oak influenced style of wine.
While this wine very much is made in the so-called modern style of Barolo, it still bears the obvious taste profile of that region and grape: medium color, nose of violets, elusive nebbiolo flavors, an abundance of soft, lengthy tannins in the finish.
While so many other of the great red wine grapes — cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, syrah, to name the most obvious — have found suitable homes outside of their traditional appellations, nebbiolo is an obvious exception: Quality nebbiolo-based wines outside of Barolo, Barbaresco and a few other limited regions of the Piedmont simply do not exist.
In sum, I challenge any of those commenters of this wines who have classified it as less than commendable to suggest a better alternative with the same taste profile in the same price range. I know they cannot.
Bottom line: This is a terrific and rare example of affordable Barolo. For those who have had little or no opportunity to try Barolo at a reasonable price, this is your chance.
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12/1/2013 - ddahl Likes this wine: 85 Points
Good but needs more time.
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11/18/2013 - skywide wrote: 80 Points
Rustic with a "feel" of a Barolo. Cellaring a few years would probably smooth out the sharp edges. Not a bad $13 wine at all!
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10/8/2013 - CheapAndBest Does not like this wine: 78 Points
Purchased on a whim. Drank over 2-3 hours. $14 at Trader Joes.
At the beginning – with dinner - no discernible piedmont/Barolo taste. Tasted hot too
After a couple of hours (nobody wanted a second glass and mother-in-law preferred yesterday’s Costco Malbec) the heat disappeared but still no funk.
Continue to be the target-sucker for the Trader Joes store designers – who have the bottle that you think is the “find” winking at you while heading towards the checkout line with your milk and coffee beans!
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8/13/2013 - HarveyLarvae wrote: 78 Points
Way too early for this one. Needs two more years...
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7/12/2013 - PIntag wrote: 87 Points
A little rough at this point with strong tannins and some wood notes. Rustic and with pretty good structure, this is a pretty decent Barolo for the price and should improve with age.
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5/24/2013 - SmallvilleGirl wrote: 86 Points
Did a comparison with the 2009 Rocca dell'Olmo Barbaresco (which was $4 less than this) and a $30 VA Nebbiolo. Very clear orange/red brick color. On the nose, cranberry, cherry, and cedar. Very similar to the Barbaresco but notably, this one lacked the earthy funk the Barbaresco had, which is why I liked this one a little bit more. Flavors of cranberries, cherry, plum, and some cinnamon. Still had a very cough syrup quality to the wine. At $13.99, I may not be able to find a better "value Nebbiolo," but I can definitely find a better quality red in another varietal for less. I don't think I will be purchasing this again.
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5/19/2013 - KSWinegeek wrote:
Use for cooking Barolo braised beef
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