Scott E. Becker

9.3

[Tasted on January 25, 2025 at Home with Tom, Kathy, Mark and Lucille]

84% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5.5% Merlot; 5.5% Cabernet Franc; 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Blackberry and black currant fruit, with chocolate, espresso, earth and a mineral note. Nicely balanced. — a month ago

Boris Mathiszik

9.1

Delicious. — 7 months ago

Vino Joe

9.5

Stunning wine. Lots of depth and earthy heft. The fruit is quite mature but in balance with the chewy tannic base. This wine is in the zone. Also the right compliment for mom’s homemade lasagna! — 8 months ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Big and blowsy. Dark plummy fruit, tangy cherry. Reduced and intense. Long. — 2 months ago

with Paul

Laueen Anronino

9.7

had it at corso wine dinner. balanced. easy to drink. medium body. had it with polenta with cured egg yolk. mushroom and veal@bolognese — 5 months ago

Jay Eagan

9.8

Always fantastic with a Kobe ribeye — 9 months ago

with Kristine

Dave Parker

9.6

So beautiful. Defines Sonoma coast Pinot — 2 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.1

Reunion comida luis corral en san juanito — 3 months ago

Chris MacLean

9.1

Expressive, surprisingly rich, and energetic. But also a touch heavy especially on day 2. — 5 months ago

with Sarah

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

2010 a strong vintage & still accending. Costco Ribcap vs Allen Brothers.

Sofia & I stayed in downtown Alba in 2015. Arrived early evening & sadly after their big wine festival. Pio Cesare was around the corner and down two blocks from our hotel. Historic as hell.

I bought this at Costco for around $49.

Nebbiolo young is a huge tarry grape. The Italian’s ferment this with a lot of new wood. They actually hold Nebbiolo/Barolo in bottle and extra year or more before release. Also, longer than most other world regions based largely on the grape & even more their wood use.

This is drinking nicely after a four hour decant, but it is still ascending and another 10-15 years of good drinking ahead…properly stored.

Even with this age, its tarriness is the first descriptor. Followed by heated dark spices, slightly, dry b lackberries, dry, slight tart, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum, some strawberries, tea leaves, black licorice to anise, sandstone, limestone, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil & brush, dry herbs, dry tobacco, light; clove, nutmeg & hints of vanillin, forest floor w/ dry leaves, some mint, dry, withering, dark, red flowers framed in violets, excellent acidity with a nicely evolved, well; structured, tensioned, balanced, smartly polished finished that goes on & on! — 9 months ago