David Stein

9.4

Boom. In Venice..: — 14 days ago

with Marc and Bruce

Jay Kline

9.4

This was served to me single-blind, after the 2016 Cascina Fontana Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto. I knew it was Barolo, but from where? It seemed like a broader shouldered wine that I might associate from the Comune di Barolo, but I wasn’t certain. The wine pours a deep, garnet color with a near opaque core. Medium viscosity, with no staining of the tears. On the nose, developing and much darker fruited than the Cascina Fontana with notes of dark cherry and some blackberry notes too. There was some tobacco, tar, red roses, minerals and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and delicious. Again, there is real quality here and a very lovely texture. And there it is: Borgogno’s Riserva Cannubi, 2011! I am not surprised this is Cannubi, with there being no shortage of quality fruit and all. This was really fun to enjoy. Drink now with some patience or through 2041. — 3 months ago

Jamie Lauder

9.1

2017 vintage.
Bright ruby colour.
Raspberry, dried dark flowers, tar and tobacco.
It has a floral and freshness.
Dried cherries, truffles, sweet spices and menthol.
Rustic with earthy richness.
Harvested in 4 sites. Rive in La Morra, Scarrone in Castiglione di Falletto, Baudana and Broglio in Serralunga.
I had a kilo of local fresh Matsutake mushrooms and made risotto with compound truffle butter. — 6 months ago

Nicolas Greinacher

9.1

First vinified in 1978, Bric del Fiasc is only produced from the best plots of the South/Southwest Fiasco site in Castiglione Falletto. Pale to medium-ruby, the nose reveals precise aromas of rose and violet paired with orange zest, dried herbs and sweet tobacco. Full-bodied and with zesty high acidity, the palate is dominated by painfully chalky tannins, and I wonder if they will ever fully integrate into the wine. It will be interesting to taste this again in a couple of years, but for the time being, I'm not sold. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.2

The fruit for the Oderro Poderi e Cantine “classico” comes from a combination of the Bricco Chiesa in La Morra and the Bricco Fiasco in Castiglione Falletto MGAs. The former being considered Oddero’s “home vineyard”.

Poured into a decanter about 30min before service. In the glass, the wine displays a beautiful ruby color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with very pretty notes of Montmorency cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, a bed of roses, orange peel, fresh sage, eucalyptus and crushed rock. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, drying and grippy. This is all about balance and freshness. These are quite giving already but undoubtedly have a long life ahead. Drink now with patience or through 2044. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.3

I’ve been so looking forward to experiencing one of my bottles of the 2018 Margherita Otto and decided tonight was the night since it was -17°F here in Omaha. While a relative new-comer as far as Barolo producers are concerned, Alan’s approach leans heavily towards the traditional. Until now, his Barolo remains a blend of Nebbiolo from different communes in an effort to make a more complete expression of the zone. The first few vintages incorporated fruit from Monteforte, Serralunga and Castiglione Falletto. This vintage was the first to incorporate some fruit from the Vignane MGA in Barolo.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three days. There was some evolution but it was consistent, with no noticeable dip in enjoyment. The 2018 pours a deep ruby with a translucent core and a slightly garnet rim; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, youthful with a pleasant mix of red and black fruits: bright Morello cherry, strawberries, raspberries, Marionberries, pomegranate, roses, dried herbs, tar, orange peel and dry gravelly earth. On the palate, bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long with a touch of anise and red rope licorice thing. Just lovely and definitely a producer I'll be following. Drink now with some patience and over the next 20 years. Fewer than 4000, 750ml bottles were produced. — 4 months ago

Makoto Someya

8.9

Madison like spice flavors. Mid body? High viscosity, spicy. 2012 Toscany, 230813; — 9 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Beautiful aromatics showing sweet red berry, savory spices, cedar, balsamic, orange peel, rose petal & tobacco — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Brought to V. Mertz from my cellar. Cascina Fontana is an ultra-traditional producer located in the commune of Castiglione Falletto; just across the border from Monforte d’Alba. The bulk of their holdings are western-facing parcels within the Mariondino MGA that were formerly part of the “Valletti Zone”. However, as an ultra-traditionalist, they only produce two Barolos and both are blends of fruit from different MGAs. One is labeled simply "Barolo" (which is a blend of fruit sourced from their holdings in both Castiglione Falletto and La Morra) and this wine, labeled under the “del Commune di Castiglione Falletto” designation. It is a blend fruit from Mariondino and the neighboring Villero MGA. Their holdings in Villero don’t suck either. Their parcels reside next to those of Vietti and Giacomo Fenocchio.

The 2016 Cascina Fontana pours a bright garnet with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity and no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous aromas of Morello cherry, bruised strawberry, pink and white roses with freshly cut stems, crushed rock and some tar. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and savory. The texture? Simply divine. A debonair Barolo from Castiglione Falletto that paired well with Morgan Ranch wagyu tartar. Because it’s 2016 (and with a little Villero), you can drink now with patience and through…well…probably 2066. No cap. — 3 months ago

Aravind A

9.3

Pop and pour. About 7 years since my last btl and this has evolved in a beautiful warm blood orange. rose, soft tar, and loads of red fruit. On the palate: lovely acidity and balance, with intense blood orange and cherry confit. Softer tannin than expected on the backend give this a comforting finish. Yum. Drinks very well now, but no rush whatsoever either. — 8 months ago