I haven’t had as much Barolo as other varietals, but I liked this one. Balanced, still in its prime. I need to drink more Barolo and write my tasting notes sooner after I finish so I don’t forget all the details…
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Uncorked in advance and serving into Zalto Burgundy glass ("Leaf" day):
Some hints of reductive notes and savoury chocolate notes that blew off over time in glass. More meaty and slightly dusty on the nose with mature red cherry fruits and white spices.
Good integration of acidity, flavours and to me this is very much a textbook Monforte, i.e. slightly rustic, dusty, well integrated fruits with less edgy acidity and tannin structure.
To me this is 93-94 points (sadly in face of such tough competition in the line-up).
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Lovely mature Barolo from a vintage that is showing somewhat unevenly these days. Neck-level fill. Cork in good shape. Pale garnet with ample bricking. Lovely fruit, with structure enough to support it. Soft aromatics. Very nice.
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Barolo Ginestra: This bottle had (imho) the best behind. The palate was still rather fresh with gripping tannins and acidity but the bouquet showed signs of lovage and was just not appealing anymore.
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Bottles vary - reading earlier comments I can hardly believe we are talking about the same wine. This bottle was sublime. From the moment the cork was pulled it was ultra delicious. I struggled to work out what it reminded me of and then I realised that it was of Voerzio wines. It really was that good: lovely orange lightness, apricots, cinnamon etc. Wow. (It died quickly like any shooting star would. What an experience).
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Champagne and Nebbiolo Afternoon (aka Drink Like You're in Piemonte) (Private residence, San Francisco): Healthy looking ruby core with tawny rim. Fragrant high tones of mint and balsam wood. Warm feel, gentle and round with an oaky base, still good volume of fresh fruit, adequate acidity, some soil. This was the most obviously woody wine of the tasting. While the fruit had terrific persistence, it came across as less detailed and more diffuse than the best wines.
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The Great Barolo Tasting (Taberna): The most modern wine of the night, and perhaps the most disappointing. There was a richness to the nose that brought this beyond even the 1990 Aldo Conterno Bussia, which in itself had some modern shadings. This had deeper, darker fruit aromas - black cherries and blackberries - along with a dose of exotic spice and fragrant herb, and then a twist of menthol and orange peel on bed of dried earth aromas. Not bad, but certainly different from the gentle perfume of the previous wines. The palate was decent. Again, ripe dark cherries and blackberries, herb and spice, and that twist of menthol in there. Very consistent with the nose. It was well balanced, with nice clear acidity bringing a much needed sense of purity to the wine. However, this somehow seemed rather simple and one-noted. I think it needs time - I would wager it would be better in 5-6 years from now. The finish was a bit drying, with some woody extraction still obvious in the wine. All in all, quite good, and one can really sense the quality of the raw material used here. On the other hand though, you can certainly also see the winemaker's hand behind the wine. Not my favourite style of Barolo.
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Decanted four hours, placed back in bottle sealed for another four, and then decanted for another two at the restaurant. The last two hours integrated the finish and added warmth to the fruit. Mmmmm, Barolo.
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Bottle seemed a little past its prime when first opened and tasted. It had a medium ruby color and tasted of ripe berries and currants. Decanting for 4 hours turned this wine into a beauty and completely changed my mind. The wine was still wonderful and paired well with beef braised in Borolo.
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(at Della Note – Baltimore) Deep ruby. Menthol, beef blood and tobacco on the nose. Sweet red berries and a touch of rubber. Somewhat juicy and mature. Delicious. (91)
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Dirty nose blows off quickly to reveal classic notes of anise, tar, dried rose and violet petals. Lush middle, rich, somewhat overripe finish. Shows beautifully and gets better to the end of the btl. Hitting its peak and should hold there form a good while.
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8/25/2021 - apg23 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I haven’t had as much Barolo as other varietals, but I liked this one. Balanced, still in its prime. I need to drink more Barolo and write my tasting notes sooner after I finish so I don’t forget all the details…
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10/11/2020 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 93 Points
Uncorked in advance and serving into Zalto Burgundy glass ("Leaf" day):
Some hints of reductive notes and savoury chocolate notes that blew off over time in glass. More meaty and slightly dusty on the nose with mature red cherry fruits and white spices.
Good integration of acidity, flavours and to me this is very much a textbook Monforte, i.e. slightly rustic, dusty, well integrated fruits with less edgy acidity and tannin structure.
To me this is 93-94 points (sadly in face of such tough competition in the line-up).
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9/4/2019 - SteveHyde Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely mature Barolo from a vintage that is showing somewhat unevenly these days. Neck-level fill. Cork in good shape. Pale garnet with ample bricking. Lovely fruit, with structure enough to support it. Soft aromatics. Very nice.
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2/15/2019 - Klugi Wine wrote: 89 Points
Barolo Ginestra: This bottle had (imho) the best behind. The palate was still rather fresh with gripping tannins and acidity but the bouquet showed signs of lovage and was just not appealing anymore.
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12/8/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Fourteenth Annual White Truffle Dinner (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): In vertical. Everything good here. Mature red fruit, licorice, pepper, with earth just behind the fairly robust fruit. Good weight and length, everything in excellent balance.
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11/8/2018 - rjpbath Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bottles vary - reading earlier comments I can hardly believe we are talking about the same wine. This bottle was sublime. From the moment the cork was pulled it was ultra delicious. I struggled to work out what it reminded me of and then I realised that it was of Voerzio wines. It really was that good: lovely orange lightness, apricots, cinnamon etc. Wow. (It died quickly like any shooting star would. What an experience).
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9/16/2018 - drwine2001 wrote:
Champagne and Nebbiolo Afternoon (aka Drink Like You're in Piemonte) (Private residence, San Francisco): Healthy looking ruby core with tawny rim. Fragrant high tones of mint and balsam wood. Warm feel, gentle and round with an oaky base, still good volume of fresh fruit, adequate acidity, some soil. This was the most obviously woody wine of the tasting. While the fruit had terrific persistence, it came across as less detailed and more diffuse than the best wines.
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11/27/2014 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
The Great Barolo Tasting (Taberna): The most modern wine of the night, and perhaps the most disappointing. There was a richness to the nose that brought this beyond even the 1990 Aldo Conterno Bussia, which in itself had some modern shadings. This had deeper, darker fruit aromas - black cherries and blackberries - along with a dose of exotic spice and fragrant herb, and then a twist of menthol and orange peel on bed of dried earth aromas. Not bad, but certainly different from the gentle perfume of the previous wines. The palate was decent. Again, ripe dark cherries and blackberries, herb and spice, and that twist of menthol in there. Very consistent with the nose. It was well balanced, with nice clear acidity bringing a much needed sense of purity to the wine. However, this somehow seemed rather simple and one-noted. I think it needs time - I would wager it would be better in 5-6 years from now. The finish was a bit drying, with some woody extraction still obvious in the wine. All in all, quite good, and one can really sense the quality of the raw material used here. On the other hand though, you can certainly also see the winemaker's hand behind the wine. Not my favourite style of Barolo.
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10/26/2013 - cseanb1 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted four hours, placed back in bottle sealed for another four, and then decanted for another two at the restaurant. The last two hours integrated the finish and added warmth to the fruit. Mmmmm, Barolo.
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12/21/2008 - dave8989 wrote: 95 Points
Bottle seemed a little past its prime when first opened and tasted. It had a medium ruby color and tasted of ripe berries and currants. Decanting for 4 hours turned this wine into a beauty and completely changed my mind. The wine was still wonderful and paired well with beef braised in Borolo.
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3/11/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
(at Della Note – Baltimore) Deep ruby. Menthol, beef blood and tobacco on the nose. Sweet red berries and a touch of rubber. Somewhat juicy and mature. Delicious. (91)
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1/22/2006 - baroloboy55 wrote: 92 Points
Dirty nose blows off quickly to reveal classic notes of anise, tar, dried rose and violet petals. Lush middle, rich, somewhat overripe finish. Shows beautifully and gets better to the end of the btl. Hitting its peak and should hold there form a good while.
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