Nebbiolo

This is 100% Nebbiolo from the commune of Serralunga d'Alba of Barolo.  Bright ruby/burgundy in color with a bit or orange on the rim, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is very nice with cherries, tea, slight tar and wild thyme.  Medium bodied.  Great energy and balance.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this has  some depth.  Flavors of cherries, black cherries, slight tea and char.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own but better with food.  It would work very well with pasta in a cream and mushroom sauce.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

This is 100% Nebbiolo from Piemonte in Italy.  Organic.  Pale ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with sour cherries, slight strawberries, and a hint of rose petals.  With air, some chalky dustiness comes out.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  A nice backbone of acidity.  On the palate, flavors of sour cherries and black cherries with a touch of spice.  Moderate finish.  This wine really needs food.  Pizza would work but it can handle pasta with a (spicy) meat sauce.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

This is a very nice Barolo that is reasonably priced.  Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, some sour cherries, char and spice.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this has some depth.  It seems to be drinking well now though and about at peak.  Flavors of cherries with some spice and char.  It really needs food to show its best (what a shock for a Barolo).  Good finish.  This will be great with braised meats but also a nice mushroom pizza.  Drink over the next eight to twelve years.  

From Magnum.  Nice showing at age 25.  Brick red in color but no browning, clear and bright.  The nose is great with cherries, dust, dried flowers and a hint of anise.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, this has depth and some complexity.  Flavors of cherries with some anise and light char.  There is some oak showing but it seems mostly integrated.  Good finish.  This needs food to shine (duh).  It would be great with a plate of pasta with a mushroom cream sauce.  In regular 750ml format, it probably should be consumed in the next five years or so.  

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