Nebbiolo

This bottle (bought on release) was allowed to breathe for 6 hours, then decanted for four more before being double decanted back into the original bottle.  It needed every bit of that as it was still a bit on the young side.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  Great nose with cherries, slight menthol, slight dark chocolate, fresh asphalt and dried flowers.  Firm tannins.  Medium to full bodied.  Great acidity and balance.  On the palate, juicy cherries with some tar and dried earth.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  This needs food to really shine and it went quite well with mus

This is 100% Nebbiolo from the Piedmont in Italy.  This is a soft accessible version of Nebbiolo.  Ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries along with some mustiness, ash and mint.  Soft texture but firm tannins.  It comes alive on the palate with cherries and a hard cherry candy note along with a slight earthiness.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Very open and drinking well.  This was a hot vintage but the fruit is not raisined or under ripe.  It drinks well on its own but will be better with food.  A great choice for a weekday pasta or pizza night.  Drink over the nex

This was tasted blind among a group of Cabernet based wines.  Upon opening this was off a bit, perhaps showing some oxidation.  However, with about 30 minutes of air, it really came back strong.  Purple in color, opaque but flat.  The nose has black cherries, cedar, earthiness and dust.  Soft texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this has depth and complexity.  A bigger in style Barolo.  Black cherries and spice.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This will benefit from getting some air at this point if just to blow off bottle stink and revive a bit.  It worked great with a Portobello Quesadil

Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight asphalt, slight rose and iron.  Medium bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great acidity.  On the palate, this is tight but opens in the glass.  Cherries with some asphalt and minerals.  Deep.  This is just entering its drinking window and should be there for another eight to twelve years.  Nice on its own but better with food.  A plate of truffle pasta would be perfect.  

A friend turned 60 and purchased this wine to share with his friends.  This was an excellent vintage and the wines at the time were meant to age a long time often not enjoyable in their youth.  Of course, sixty years is pushing it, and then add to that questions of storage, etc., but this wine was very  enjoyable if showing some age.  The wine is pretty in the glass but bricked all the way across.  Still, it was bright and clear.  There is some volatile acidity on the nose but not a lot and it helps bring out the aromatics.  The nose is dusty with cherries, dried cherries and dried floral n

Great showing for this wine.  Light ruby with slight orange/brown near the edges.  Mostly clear and bright.  The nose is classic with cherries, slight dried cherries, roses and slight tar.  Medium to full bodied with medium tannins.  On the palate, this is complex and delicious.  Cherries, dried cherries with underlying char.  Layers of flavors that unwind in the glass.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This is close to peak at this point, but no hurry.  It should be at this level for ten or more years.  Better with food.  A perfect match for a mushroom or truffle dish.

This is a more accessible style of Barolo.  Ruby in color with slight browning (normal even in a young Barolo).  Clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, anise, cranberries, and a very slight floral quality.  Medium to full bodied.  Very firm tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, cherries and slight rhubarb note with underlying char and slight anise.  Long finish.  This drinks easy for such a young Barolo, but this should continue to mature over the next five to seven years.  Either way, it should drink well of ten years.  Nice on its own, but this wine was made to go with food.  Pasta w

This is the wine that comes in an odd shaped bottle that almost looks like it melted and was disfigured.  Made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, this is the Riserva version which means the best parcels are harvested from Travaglini’s oldest vineyards (35-60 years).  The wine is aged for 4 years: 3 years in Slavonian oak casks of different sizes. The wine then rests in bottle for 12 months.

A very nice, moderately priced (on release) Barolo.  With 13 years from vintage, this one is in a great place.  Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has hot tar, cherries, spice and char.  Medium bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, nice cherry fruit with some complexity.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This will work better with food.  Pasta with a mushroom cream sauce was perfect.  Drink over the next five to eight years.