1999 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Vecchie Vigne Sorì Paitin
Dark fruits, worn, not the high-toned red Nebbiolo that I was expecting, more mature, slightly compote-like, with tar and a dose of coffee grounds. There are still tannins here, but they’ve smoothed out. This bottle was given to me and signed by Giovanni Pesquero Elia when I visited Paitin in Neive in 2006. Opened during our NYE gathering.
1999 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis
Solid wine. I did not try this young, but right now it’s at the point where the outside edges have smooothed out and at the same time the palate is dark, dense and shows plenty of underlying power and energy. I opened this the night before Thanksgiving, and drank it over the course of two nights. By the second night, it showed more youthful red raspberry on the palate, excellent concentration, and the soft yet firm tannins were more noticeable on the back end than on the first night. Overall, a terrific Barolo that is still showing youthful and has years to go. Even the “basic” wines from Cavallotto can be excellent.
2001 Giovanni Rosso Barolo Serralunga
Another solid showing. This wine is probably as good right now as it’s going to get. Opens with a hint of menthol. Terrific fruit, from the red to the darker side of the spectrum, very juicy, with notes of liquorice, good acidity, and a nice, almost fully resolved texture. So easy to drink right now. Giovanni Rosso may be somewhat dark in profile, but I’ve never considered the oak to be excessive. Very pleasing wine.
2004 Giovanni Rosso Barolo Serralunga
Good showing. Had the usual Giovanni Rosso dark fruit profile (more dark berry and black cherry than Nebbiolo red), but if oak is the reason for the darkness, there are no attributes of excessive oaking, and this wine shows good balance. There is good depth to the fruit, with a tarry, sappy center. The tannins seem to be soft; good grip to the palate and on the finish, but not overly tannic. This is similar in style to the 2001 G. Rosso Serralunga, younger, but heading in the same direction. Seems a few years from peak, maybe 4 or 5 years.
2004 Giovanni Rosso Barolo Cerretta
Drank this over the course of three nights, and it was best on the third. Initialy, this showed the standard dark Giovanni Rosso profile, more dark berry and black cherry than lighter red Nebbiolo, with a tarry, balsamic core, and with serious underying structure and yet the sides were soft, seemingly from age, rather than hard or angular. The tannins even seemed somewhat green on the second night. But by the third night, the structure relented and the wine showed a more feminine, prettier face, just lovely. Give this one A LOT of air.
2006 Giovanni Rosso Barolo Serralunga
I have no difficulty drinking Barolo young, and I am ok with lots of structure and tannin. But there is little point in opening this wine currently. It’s just not effusing much at all. It’s not an issue of structure or tannin, as the tannins aren’t especially fierce and the wine does have a surprisingly soft and approachable mouthfeel. But, apart from an initial hint of menthol-cherry, the nose and palate are mute, which is why there isn’t really a reason to open a bottle. I left 3/4 of the bottle for the second night and not much better. Soft palate not saying much. Except, oddly, a very strong note of cocoa. Try again in a few years.
2009 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo Le Brunate
By the glass at Ragazzi on Grand Cayman. The food is forgettable, but the wine list was amazing, especially for Cayman. I don’t have much experience with F. Rinaldi Barolo, but this was fabulous. Very pure on the palate, with uncomplicated raspberry fruit and a very silky mouthfeel. This shows no oak, is weightless and silky, feminine and finessed. Just a lovely expression of Barolo.
2009 Ca’ du Rabajà Barbaresco
Another great bottle, this one needing about an hour of air to unwind, further suggesting that this wine is tightening up over the past few months. By the second hour, this is all fruit, wild strawberry and red and dark berry tones.
1996 Cappellano Barbaresco
Another bottle from a cache bought from Crush back in around 2006, and like some of the others from that offering, also showing some heat damage. This was better after a few nights of air, but something was still off.
1999 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino
Still very young and lively. One would think a fourteen year old Brunello would be broad on the palate, but this is still rather inward and reduced, a core of red fruit with touches of leather, but smooth on the sides from age. Cohesive palate, streamlined. Vibrant, juicy acidity. This '99 Brunello doesn’t even seem to be at middle age. Very satisfying wine.
2001 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Vigna "La Casa"
Nice showing. Opens quickly to rich red fruits, spices, cranberry tea notes. This is linear and streamlined, not showing any excessive oak, nor plushness. Big burst of bright acidity on the finish. Still quite fresh and also shows nice secondary qualities. Good energy, yet I like the restraint and the balance. In a nice spot currently.
2001 Fontodi Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo
Two years since my last bottle, and this has hardly budged. Lovely red currant and cherry fruit, fuzzy tannins, with a notable richness - - I believe there may be some Cab Sauvignon in this (I might be wrong about that) and this Cab component seems to give this a certain richness above and beyond the Sangio, which itself is pretty damn rich. There are some Sangio herbs, too. There is a polish here, it’s almost Napa-esq in its definition and richness, without really being spoofy or manipulated. This is still showing some tannin to resolve, and there is plenty of acidity as well (very Sangio), so this has years to go in the cellar, and it also has just a touch of oak to still resolve (more on the first night, not showing much oak on the second night). Surely this tasting note is one big contradiction - richness and polish and oak suggests spoof and manipulation . . . and yet, it’s not, and you can take that from this old world oakphobe. This is good wine. It could use a few more years, too.
Addendum: I’ve gone back and read my tasting notes on this wine going back to 2008. My impression of various bottles since 2008 was that this was an excessively oaky wine. The oak seems to have integrated over the years, and today this is much less oaky overall, but some oak remains to be absorbed further. It appears that this was indeed a spoofy wine in the past, and much of that spoof seems to have integrated. I like this wine much more at the end of 2013 than I did in the past. I suspect I would like it even more in, say, 2016.
2001 Azienda Agraria Lisini Brunello di Montalcino
On the first night, the hint of raisin in the fruit and the feeling that the fruit had thinned out since my last tasting a few years ago, caused concern. However, on the second night, after being sealed in a .375 and then decanted for an hour or so, this was excellent - juicy fruit, no raisin, lively acidity, Sangio leather and herbs, and a great texture of tannins breaking down. Just fantastic. Decant 2 hours and enjoy.
2008 Azienda Agraria Lisini Rosso di Montalcino
By the glass at Ragazzi on Grand Cayman. At around US$20 by the glass (probably close to what the entire bottle would cost), this was no bargain, but it sure tasted good. Initially served at room temperature, this needed to be cooled down a bit, and then delivered a cozy palate of warm strawberry fruit, earth, spice and leather tones. Blind, I might not have picked this as a Rosso, as it was close to Brunello quality, not showing thinner or weaker. Surprisingly good Rosso.
2006 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici
Decanted for about an hour. Very focused and distinct notes of cinnamon on the nose; I can’t recall a clearer expression of cinnamon spice in a wine that I’ve had. On the palate, this is starting to soften texturally and it’s not the tannic and structured wine that I expected. But, as the structure has yielded, it hasn’t really developed that much complexities around the black fruit. Enjoyable, but I would hold another couple of years and see what emerges.