Still kicking, quite effortlessly too. Cork in perfect shape, decanted for sediment. Had over almost 6 hours.
Pretty classic. Still plenty of freshness in the fruit showing. Dried rose, tar, mushrooms and a meaty finish as one person noted, I agreed.
As it opened up more fruit and eucalyptus came out and the meatiness went away.
Drank great, lovely to pair with NY Strips, black garlic butter, mushroom duxelle and vegetables. This probably is on a plateau for 5+ years, at least out of a magnum.
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Rather dark. Berries on the nose ( not blackcurrant ). Smooth at the start- still strong tannins. Long and spicy at the end. Guess it need 5 more years to reach the top.
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From magnum. Prune and menthol on the nose. On the palate, black cherry, prune, and notes of cranberry, rose petal, and savory spice on the medium finish, with moderate to strong silky tannins and good acidity. The Cellartracker drinking window for this is too short, even taking the magnum bottle into consideration.
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Mature color - brick on the rim. Nice smell, dried fruits, leather and kind of walking In the woods after rain. Starts quite smooth on the palate, hint of sweetness- strong tannins at the end. Long. Ready now- but will be alive for 5 more at least...
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This did not disappoint, although I prefer, for now and the future, the 2008 Produttori Barbaresco Paje I had a couple of nights earlier. The Massolino is completely ready. It has smoke and bacon in the bouquet, and in the mouth. The tannin is supportive, Good acidity, this is fully secondary. It can hold, but is drinking well now and I don't see much point in letting it hang five or ten years.
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Not Mussolini, Massolino! Also topical as we just elected our own version of Silvio Berlusconi. He was fun....right? Er....well, the wine was delicious. All you want from a Barolo, the tar & roses & subdued but somehow still pippin fruit, behind. En magnum (my bride and I required).
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wow...last of three and big time bottle variation...nose of integrated dusty raisins and pomegranate. raisin, pomergranite, kiwi, a little tart...but not distracting or offputting, dusty firm structured tannins....nice and the best of the 3!
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nose of dried raisins, fall leaves, bleach. transparent purple with rust edges. Dried raisins, cranberries, faded fruit punch, tannins still firmly there...one dimensional Sangiovese that pairs well with Italian food...won't improve from here at all so drink up!
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One of the best wines I have had in a year, maybe two.
First, impeccable fruit. Black cherry, hints of walnut, classic road tar. The nose may be bigger than the palate. The palate however is truly a delight. It holds true to the nose. The tannins are notable without being overwhelming, especially when served with food. A rustic pasta with beans and a deconstructed pork chop, and kale with some parm. Whew! There is no fatigue here. You will stop only when the bottle is empty. If you own this in big glass, forget it for 3-5 years at least.
This is wine that makes me thank my mentors in the early 80's. I recognize it for its value, specifically the intellectual value. They shared their aged wines with me. Give it back!
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Slow ox'd for the day. Decanted for sediment and followed over three hours. Garnet colour with a bit of bricking at the rim. Aromas of dried roses, worn leather, dried cherries, prunes, aniseed. Medium-bodied, with dried cherry, prune, currant, blood orange notes on the palate. Tannins are surprisingly still pretty hefty, leaving a chalky feeling in the mouth and clamping down on the moderate-length, 25-30s finish. An enjoyable wine, but I'm unsure if the fruit will hold out long enough for the tannins to resolve fully. Drink now with rare meat or hold for 3-5 years and cross your fingers. This is, after all, a base Barolo. Drink now-2020.
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Now this wine was ready for business. Four years after opening the last bottle, this wine delivered wonderful and elegant notes in the nose. Still a bit high on acidity to go well with food. The wine is showing secondary flavors now. Not much sediment. Color is starting to turn brown. This Barolo is more on finesse than in power. Delightful to drink. Not overly complex, but quite enjoyable.
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Very pleasurable. Intense fruit with menthol edge. Opens nicely the first evening, and stays strong at 24 hours. Galloni who is very knowledgeable, say 89, but that is definitely too low.
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Excellent + Strong brick-ish hue color in the glass. Nose wasn’t as strong as I had anticipated but had great floral aromas, cherry and a little earth. On the palate again I was taken aback about the overall lightness of the wine. I did pick up some coffee tones while drinking to go with the mentioned notes on the nose. Tannins were mild and finish came with a little acidity. Lovely wine.
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From Magnum. Spice and red fruit on the nose. Plum, spice, flowers on the initial attack. this wine still feel young and has a wonderful structure. Tobacco and mineral finish. Tannins still could use some time. A lovely drinking Barolo.
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Drank from magnum. Opened at 4pm and consumed over the next 7 hours. This was a light ruby color in the glass, showing some very light bricking towards the edges. Nose had lovely rose petals, light tobacco leaf and candied cherries. Much like the last bottle, this had a really enjoyable earthiness to it with mushroom and dried leaf flavors woven together with a persistent ripe cherry flavor. The finish has integrated tannin with a nice acidic kick - no rush to consume this.
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Sunday Night Wines at Tooch's (Tooch's - Washington, D.C.): ruby colored, bit of brick at the rims. the nose is really intoxicating. violets, roses, bay leaf, but there's an underlying sweet, candied cherry aroma that is lovely. the palate is very balanced. the tannins have smoothed out, the acid isn't harsh, it's right on point. lovely sour cherries, sweet tobacco and even some blackberry fruit. i get a little bit of balsamic thing going on, but that's not to say that the acid is overdone. this is really smoothed out and balanced. not incredibly complex, but what it does, it does well. long, smooth finish with tobacco leaf, earth and cherries.
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Much more enjoyable than the last bottle, possibly due to a decant this time around. Very aromatic on the nose, with a sweet floral oaky musty perfume. The palate shows more depth than last time around. I think a couple more years of bottle age will serve this well.
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Decanted for 2 and a half hours and the wine opened up beautifully. Very nice floral/strawberry nose and nicely balanced palate with very good acidity. It went great with a chicken and Italian sausage pasta dish with spicy tomato sauce. Very nice.
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Wine Night @ Brian and Sarah's (200 E. 72nd Street): Drank from a magnum. Lovely nose of dried rose pedals, tobacco, and asian spices. Elegant flavors of roasted pork, saddle leather, and autumn leaves. Took a couple hours for the wine to open up and I think this will only continue mature over the next 15 years.
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aromas of tar, roses, wet iron, then dark fruit presence on the palate, with plenty of balancing acidic and tannic support. young, but appealing, and certainly already showing some of its promise. very fine wine at this level.
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No detailed notes. I didn't get much from this bottle. Could have been a function of the food pairing....it did have the strength / fruit depth to go up against a NY strip. On its own, didn't seem to have a lot of power, fruit concentration, complexity, etc. Enjoyable enough, but didn't create any excitement. 87-89 points.
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My first Barolo. Splash decanted. Right after pouring it was not giving aways much. After about 2 hours nose of strawberries burst out with undertones of leather and licorice. Medium bodied and a good bit of acidity and a nice long finish. Evolved as the night when on. Second glass the licorice was much more pronouced and there was more oak. This will not be my last Barolo this is for sure.
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Followed the earlier notings and decanted for 1.5-2 hours.... at 2-2.5 hours it was as good as it got, very smoothe - not a rich of a barolo flavor as I had hoped but very enjoyable... drank with brisket/chanterelle mushrooms/polenta... *tried again after 6 hours and it was super tangy, i think it must have worn out its welcome so I would NOT over-decant...
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Some piney fragrance, on the palate, tarrily intense, lots of oak and tannin, but the oak added richness and brought out the essentially mineral quality of the wine, while the tannin was nicely buffered. Really rather wonderful - what must the crus be like?
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Beautiful ruby red color, nose of raspberry, strawberry, oak and freshly cut grass. Medium bodied with intense heat that dissipated after a while, perhaps the high alcoholic content. Tannic but mellowed nicely. Taste of spice, blueberry, red fruits, hints of leather. Long finish, exceeding 30 seconds.
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When I bought this one I was told that I should decant it for two hours. Tried it after 1 hour and still found it quite tannic. However, almost like clockwork, the wine really came into its own after 2 hours in the decanter. Light ruby in color with slight bricking at the rim and floral notes on the nose. Medium body and smooth with a nice finish. The 2 hours of decanting made an amazing difference.
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5/7/2023 - diffwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Out of a magnum.
Still kicking, quite effortlessly too. Cork in perfect shape, decanted for sediment. Had over almost 6 hours.
Pretty classic. Still plenty of freshness in the fruit showing. Dried rose, tar, mushrooms and a meaty finish as one person noted, I agreed.
As it opened up more fruit and eucalyptus came out and the meatiness went away.
Drank great, lovely to pair with NY Strips, black garlic butter, mushroom duxelle and vegetables. This probably is on a plateau for 5+ years, at least out of a magnum.
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9/18/2022 - KarlO_CC Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rather dark. Berries on the nose ( not blackcurrant ). Smooth at the start- still strong tannins. Long and spicy at the end. Guess it need 5 more years to reach the top.
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9/12/2022 - wineoracle Likes this wine: 91 Points
Violet, plum, black cherry with soft tannin. Enjoyed tremendously on my daughters 21st Birthday.
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11/16/2021 - RichardP wrote: 91 Points
From magnum. Prune and menthol on the nose. On the palate, black cherry, prune, and notes of cranberry, rose petal, and savory spice on the medium finish, with moderate to strong silky tannins and good acidity. The Cellartracker drinking window for this is too short, even taking the magnum bottle into consideration.
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4/24/2021 - KarlO_CC Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mature color - brick on the rim. Nice smell, dried fruits, leather and kind of walking In the woods after rain. Starts quite smooth on the palate, hint of sweetness- strong tannins at the end. Long. Ready now- but will be alive for 5 more at least...
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1/3/2021 - RightBankKane Likes this wine:
This did not disappoint, although I prefer, for now and the future, the 2008 Produttori Barbaresco Paje I had a couple of nights earlier. The Massolino is completely ready. It has smoke and bacon in the bouquet, and in the mouth. The tannin is supportive, Good acidity, this is fully secondary. It can hold, but is drinking well now and I don't see much point in letting it hang five or ten years.
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12/28/2020 - SteveHyde Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely, classic Barolo at a great point in its drinking window.
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9/6/2020 - kcdutt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Amazing. Still big abd can be decanted first 20 minutes.
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3/19/2018 - winepog Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured from magnum. Smooth and rich - delicious and in its element. Might have some more time left, but now is a great time to drink up.
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4/3/2017 - jcha24 wrote:
drinking really nicely right now, showing age slightly, but nicely balanced.
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11/10/2016 - Boatdrinker Likes this wine:
Not Mussolini, Massolino! Also topical as we just elected our own version of Silvio Berlusconi. He was fun....right? Er....well, the wine was delicious. All you want from a Barolo, the tar & roses & subdued but somehow still pippin fruit, behind. En magnum (my bride and I required).
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5/1/2016 - DesMarteau Likes this wine: 92 Points
wow...last of three and big time bottle variation...nose of integrated dusty raisins and pomegranate. raisin, pomergranite, kiwi, a little tart...but not distracting or offputting, dusty firm structured tannins....nice and the best of the 3!
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2/21/2016 - DesMarteau wrote: 90 Points
nose of dried raisins, fall leaves, bleach. transparent purple with rust edges. Dried raisins, cranberries, faded fruit punch, tannins still firmly there...one dimensional Sangiovese that pairs well with Italian food...won't improve from here at all so drink up!
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2/4/2016 - Beaunedoc Likes this wine: 98 Points
One of the best wines I have had in a year, maybe two.
First, impeccable fruit. Black cherry, hints of walnut, classic road tar. The nose may be bigger than the palate. The palate however is truly a delight. It holds true to the nose. The tannins are notable without being overwhelming, especially when served with food. A rustic pasta with beans and a deconstructed pork chop, and kale with some parm. Whew! There is no fatigue here. You will stop only when the bottle is empty. If you own this in big glass, forget it for 3-5 years at least.
This is wine that makes me thank my mentors in the early 80's. I recognize it for its value, specifically the intellectual value. They shared their aged wines with me. Give it back!
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9/25/2015 - xtype wrote: 90 Points
Ready to go.
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7/4/2014 - otisabdul wrote: 88 Points
Unremarkable, but delivered the appropriate violet and dried plum notes to make it a nice companion to a veal chop.
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2/10/2014 - futronic wrote: 90 Points
Slow ox'd for the day. Decanted for sediment and followed over three hours. Garnet colour with a bit of bricking at the rim. Aromas of dried roses, worn leather, dried cherries, prunes, aniseed. Medium-bodied, with dried cherry, prune, currant, blood orange notes on the palate. Tannins are surprisingly still pretty hefty, leaving a chalky feeling in the mouth and clamping down on the moderate-length, 25-30s finish. An enjoyable wine, but I'm unsure if the fruit will hold out long enough for the tannins to resolve fully. Drink now with rare meat or hold for 3-5 years and cross your fingers. This is, after all, a base Barolo. Drink now-2020.
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5/27/2013 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk Louis' 50th. My one of my WOTN. 92-
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9/3/2012 - djdaqm wrote: 91 Points
Now this wine was ready for business. Four years after opening the last bottle, this wine delivered wonderful and elegant notes in the nose. Still a bit high on acidity to go well with food. The wine is showing secondary flavors now. Not much sediment. Color is starting to turn brown. This Barolo is more on finesse than in power. Delightful to drink. Not overly complex, but quite enjoyable.
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5/23/2011 - ParkHill wrote: 92 Points
Very pleasurable. Intense fruit with menthol edge. Opens nicely the first evening, and stays strong at 24 hours. Galloni who is very knowledgeable, say 89, but that is definitely too low.
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1/15/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:
Excellent +
Strong brick-ish hue color in the glass. Nose wasn’t as strong as I had anticipated but had great floral aromas, cherry and a little earth. On the palate again I was taken aback about the overall lightness of the wine. I did pick up some coffee tones while drinking to go with the mentioned notes on the nose. Tannins were mild and finish came with a little acidity. Lovely wine.
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11/25/2010 - Drink&Trade wrote: 92 Points
From Magnum. Spice and red fruit on the nose. Plum, spice, flowers on the initial attack. this wine still feel young and has a wonderful structure. Tobacco and mineral finish. Tannins still could use some time. A lovely drinking Barolo.
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10/11/2010 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Drank from magnum. Opened at 4pm and consumed over the next 7 hours. This was a light ruby color in the glass, showing some very light bricking towards the edges. Nose had lovely rose petals, light tobacco leaf and candied cherries. Much like the last bottle, this had a really enjoyable earthiness to it with mushroom and dried leaf flavors woven together with a persistent ripe cherry flavor. The finish has integrated tannin with a nice acidic kick - no rush to consume this.
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10/10/2010 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 90 Points
Sunday Night Wines at Tooch's (Tooch's - Washington, D.C.): ruby colored, bit of brick at the rims. the nose is really intoxicating. violets, roses, bay leaf, but there's an underlying sweet, candied cherry aroma that is lovely. the palate is very balanced. the tannins have smoothed out, the acid isn't harsh, it's right on point. lovely sour cherries, sweet tobacco and even some blackberry fruit. i get a little bit of balsamic thing going on, but that's not to say that the acid is overdone. this is really smoothed out and balanced. not incredibly complex, but what it does, it does well. long, smooth finish with tobacco leaf, earth and cherries.
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6/27/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 89 Points
Much more enjoyable than the last bottle, possibly due to a decant this time around. Very aromatic on the nose, with a sweet floral oaky musty perfume. The palate shows more depth than last time around. I think a couple more years of bottle age will serve this well.
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6/27/2010 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 and a half hours and the wine opened up beautifully. Very nice floral/strawberry nose and nicely balanced palate with very good acidity. It went great with a chicken and Italian sausage pasta dish with spicy tomato sauce. Very nice.
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5/2/2010 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
Wine Night @ Brian and Sarah's (200 E. 72nd Street): Drank from a magnum. Lovely nose of dried rose pedals, tobacco, and asian spices. Elegant flavors of roasted pork, saddle leather, and autumn leaves. Took a couple hours for the wine to open up and I think this will only continue mature over the next 15 years.
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4/14/2010 - i musicisti di boston Likes this wine:
aromas of tar, roses, wet iron, then dark fruit presence on the palate, with plenty of balancing acidic and tannic support. young, but appealing, and certainly already showing some of its promise. very fine wine at this level.
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3/21/2010 - vanpe003 wrote:
No detailed notes. I didn't get much from this bottle. Could have been a function of the food pairing....it did have the strength / fruit depth to go up against a NY strip. On its own, didn't seem to have a lot of power, fruit concentration, complexity, etc. Enjoyable enough, but didn't create any excitement. 87-89 points.
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10/18/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
October 2009 Wine Salon (Chez Brian): Fresh, seems high alc, thin fruit, better on its own than with food
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12/26/2008 - CTwine wrote: 90 Points
Understated. Lght cherry and red fruit on the nose. Tart tannic but smooth.
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10/4/2008 - gellie wrote: 92 Points
keeps getting better
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6/2/2008 - Kellious wrote: 91 Points
Decanted about 4 hours. Rose, red plum, a little cherry, some earthiness, a little licorice. Silky tannins. Very good wine.
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5/5/2008 - djdaqm wrote: 90 Points
A bit thin and high acidity and not that memorable. Open and poured. It was a bit closed. The wine might need some air before drinking.
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12/24/2007 - Arch57 wrote: 87 Points
Found this wine to be thin and flat. Not much on the nose but tart cherries.
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7/21/2007 - pitt71 wrote: 92 Points
My first Barolo. Splash decanted. Right after pouring it was not giving aways much. After about 2 hours nose of strawberries burst out with undertones of leather and licorice. Medium bodied and a good bit of acidity and a nice long finish. Evolved as the night when on. Second glass the licorice was much more pronouced and there was more oak. This will not be my last Barolo this is for sure.
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4/3/2007 - www.jasonskitchen.com wrote: 90 Points
Followed the earlier notings and decanted for 1.5-2 hours.... at 2-2.5 hours it was as good as it got, very smoothe - not a rich of a barolo flavor as I had hoped but very enjoyable... drank with brisket/chanterelle mushrooms/polenta... *tried again after 6 hours and it was super tangy, i think it must have worn out its welcome so I would NOT over-decant...
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2/17/2007 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
Some piney fragrance, on the palate, tarrily intense, lots of oak and tannin, but the oak added richness and brought out the essentially mineral quality of the wine, while the tannin was nicely buffered. Really rather wonderful - what must the crus be like?
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12/13/2006 - mburke wrote:
Decanted for two hours plus. Nice, well balanced wine, a good bit of acidity so I'd wait awhile to open another.
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12/7/2006 - Medium Toast wrote: 90 Points
This baby needs mucho more cellar time, don't drink for at least 3 years
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7/3/2006 - guile wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful ruby red color, nose of raspberry, strawberry, oak and freshly cut grass. Medium bodied with intense heat that dissipated after a while, perhaps the high alcoholic content. Tannic but mellowed nicely. Taste of spice, blueberry, red fruits, hints of leather. Long finish, exceeding 30 seconds.
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1/26/2006 - Rob MacKay wrote: 91 Points
When I bought this one I was told that I should decant it for two hours. Tried it after 1 hour and still found it quite tannic. However, almost like clockwork, the wine really came into its own after 2 hours in the decanter. Light ruby in color with slight bricking at the rim and floral notes on the nose. Medium body and smooth with a nice finish. The 2 hours of decanting made an amazing difference.
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