1971 Francone Barolo Riserva
Nebbiolo
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Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: points
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9/23/2020 - SteveG wrote: 90 Points
Best bottle yet, perfectly intact cork, fresh color and taste right from opening, light but distinctly Barolo.
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8/15/2018 - SteveG wrote: 88 Points
Decanted one hour off heavy sediment. Distinctly tart night one, along with pleasantly fresh fruit. Night two retained the fruit, but tamed the tartness, apparently much longer airing is required.
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3/5/2018 - forceberry wrote: 95 Points
13% alcohol. The bottle size is only 72 cl and the label carries serial number #5135.
Luminous, transparent and moderately orange-hued pale raspberry red color. Complex, developed and surprisingly toasty nose with intense, roasted aromas of mocha and espresso, dried dark berries, some sweet strawberry-driven red fruit, a little bit of tar, a hint of beef consommé and a touch of charred meat. The wine feels smooth, moderately full-bodied and beautifully developed on the palate with still relatively youthful flavors of crunchy dark berries, peppery spice, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of sanguine gamey character, a hint of wizened dark fruit and a touch of tobacco. The structure relies on bright, high acidity as the tannins feel almost completely resoved and very gentle, offering only a slightest hint of grip. The finish is very complex, bright and persistent with lengthy, developed flavors of tar, sour cherries, some sanguine gamey character, a little bit of tobacco, a hint of wizened dark fruits and a touch of leather.
A very beautifully evolved Barolo that seems to have reached its plateau of maturity some time ago and apparently is in no hurry to be leaving it anytime soon. The nose was surprisingly smokey and full of coffee-like mocha notes from the start, but although that roasted character remained there all the time, it blew off a little bit, revealing more fruitier hints underneath. The tannins feel so gentle and silky the wine really doesn't need to be paired with anything, but due to its acid-driven structure I can imagine it will pair very nicely with lighter and more delicate main courses. A stunningly pretty wine that shows perfectly why you should drink your Nebbiolo wines later rather than sooner.
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11/9/2017 - SteveG wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1 hour, unusually large amount of sediment, even for an old Barolo, seemed a little fresher than the previous bottle. Enjoyed with sous vide ribeye roast.
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10/5/2017 - SteveG wrote: 88 Points
From memory. Decanted 8 hours off lots of sediment, fresh and lively for dinner, but pretty dead the next day.
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