Name the time and the place! Throw in the Vajra riesling while we’re at it
For my palate, I enjoy the 2008 vintage as well. In the range that I buy (G/B Mascarello, G Conterno, G Rinaldi, Cappellano, Giacosa) I have enjoyed the few I’ve tasted. They lean to the lighter side and show the red fruit that I love.
I think the wines are still very young, and it’s generally a waste to open them now (thanks to all of you guys that night who sacrificed your good bottles). I bought quite a bit myself but I ended up sourcing a bottle since I am covetously guarding my own.
We had the 2004 Pie Rupestris over dinner last week and it was absolutely singing - just a most beautiful barolo, true in every dimension - though clearly will benefit from a further softening of the tannins.
Nice notes. I haven’t had much 08 Barolo but the 08 Bartolo Mascarello was one of the loveliest young Baroli I can remember.
Cappellano is probably my favorite Barolo producer, and 04 my favorite recent vintage. I can only imagine how good that bottle was. I’m not touching mine yet…
Mr. Klapp had it right. MT really amped up the quality at the cantina. I own some of this myself but it’s another wine I’m content to let others open for me 
That’s my take. I’m long on the 08 vintage and prefer it to anything since excluding 2010.*
*I’ve not tasted enough 2013 Baroli to comment knowledgeably so that date range is 2008-2012.
It took me a little bit to get my notes in, but, here they are:
2008 BAROLO&BARBARESCO CHECK-IN - Osteria Langhe, Chicago IL (3/7/2018)
-
2016 Vietti Roero Arneis - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Roero
Nose: The nose is pristine and fresh with lemon peels, white fruits, pears, and a good bit of mineral tones.
Taste: Light bodied with high acidity. The acidity really cuts and is quite refreshing. The feel is light and crystalline with lemon peels, mineral notes, white fruits, and some pears.
Overall: This is an excellent Arneis. It shows off the linear quality that the grape provides, but with real freshness to the tones as well. (90 pts.)
-
2008 Elio Grasso Barolo Riserva Rüncot - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Nose: The nose is a bit volatile and clearly modern with licorice, oak, black currants, black cherries, vanilla, violets, and black raspberries. While the oak was there, it integrated a bit with air.
Taste: Full bodied with medium+ acidity and high tannins. The tannins are chewy and with a woody-quality to them as well. The feel shows off an intense side with black cherries, licorice, black raspberries, and oak tones.
Overall: This is still showing extremely young. The barrique influence is certainly there, but it dials back with air. This is in need of another 5+ years of aging to hopefully have the oak integrate more and round into form. (87 pts.)
-
2008 Moccagatta Barbaresco Cole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Nose: There was a bit of a funk at first, but it seemed more like a bit of reduction with air along with some toasty oak, red cherries, raspberries, violets, roses, tar, and some roasted herbs.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with high acidity and high tannins. The tannins are on the youthful, but silky side with the acidity having real punch to it. The feel is well balanced and shows a slight sleekness with red cherries, raspberries, violets, tar, and roasted herbs.
Overall: This is certainly on the youthful side, but, it starts to really open up with air. This shows off a nuanced-quality, but with a slight sleekness too. (90 pts.)
-
2008 Massolino Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Nose: The nose is reticent at first, but it blooms as it opens up and fills the glass with rose petals, red cherries, raspberries, strawberries, tar, licorice, and incense tones. There is a perfumed and hi-toned quality to it along with excellent depth.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with high acidity and high tannins. The tannins are silky, but with noticeable youth to them. The feel has a regal-ness to it with rose petals, red cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and tar tones.
Overall: This is an outstanding young Barolo. It is barely scratching the surface of what it can bring and could certainly use another 5-8 years at the least. (93 pts.)
-
2008 Schiavenza Barolo Prapò - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Nose: The nose is a bit reticent at first, but as it opens it shows off a robust side with raspberries, dark red cherries, tar, roasted herbs, violets, leather, earth tones, and some burning embers.
Taste: Full bodied with high tannins and high acidity. The tannins are on the chewy side with the acidity having some real punch behind it. The feel is robust with an understated power behind it along with raspberries, dark red cherries, tar, roasted herbs, violets, and earth tones.
Overall: While this showed off excellent complexity, it is yet to fully be in harmony. The wine feels like it’s holding back a bit and it will almost certainly show more in 5+ years of time. (90 pts.)
-
2008 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Nose: The nose is expansive and perfumed that fills the glass with rose petals, red fruits, red cherries, tar, crushed rocks, some morning dew, violets, leather, and a touch of black pepper.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with high acidity and high tannins. The structure is extremely youthful with the tannins being extremely chewy. Beneath the structure lies a regal feel backed up with rose petals, red fruits, red cherries, crushed rocks, leather tones, and some black pepper.
Overall: This is a tremendous, young Barolo. This possesses a deft touch while still having some weight and backbone. Though it is gorgeous right now (after 3+ hours of air), there is a lot more that this can give in 5+ years. (94 pts.)
-
2008 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo Ravera - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Nose: The nose is flowing, deep, and perfumed with violets, wild flowers, rose petals, earth notes, strawberries, red cherries, licorice, and tar tones. There is an ethereal quality to it all with an understated purity.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with high acidity and high tannins. The structure is extremely youthful with the tannins having a real taught quality to them. The feel is refined and feminine with violets, wild flowers, rose petals, earth tones, red cherries, and strawberries.
Overall: This was an absolutely beautiful, young Barolo. It is filled with a poise and finesse that speaks to its top class quality. Still, this could easily use another 8-10 years to fully show itself and can go much longer than that. (95 pts.)
-
2008 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Nose: The nose is still very tight, but, what is there is filled with strawberries, red cherries, red berries, earth tones, morning dew, rose petals, violets, raspberries, truffles, and some licorice. It takes some work to coax everything out, but what shows through is all together beautiful.
Taste: Medium bodied with high acidity and high tannins. The structure is noticeably youthful with the tannins being extremely firm and the acidity a bit biting right now. The feel is lithe and understated with strawberries, red cherries, red berries, earth tones, rose ptals, licorice, and raspberries.
Overall: Even though this received over 8 hours of air, it was still tight and far from showing all it can do. This needs at least another 8+ years before it will start to really show itself. (93 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
I realize that this thread is not entirely just to answer my question, but i appreciate the thoughts and notes all the same.