Bart Bartlett

9.0

This is a phenomenal, well balanced blend. It actually starts with with a dark chocolate, graphite taste that gives way to the dark fruit middle. The end is ink. It's more complex than most Pinots. — a year ago

with Jennifer

Jean

9.0

Smooth and easy to drink. For the price point it was a great value. Got it on sale at total wine. Had complex flavor highly recommend. Good bourbon — 3 years ago

DAL 9000

9.3

Light straw color. Bouquet of light minerals. Creamy upfront with muted citrus and minerals in the middle and back. An interesting grape. At West Center Wine dinner — 4 years ago

Jerry Raphael

9.0

Campfire is one of my favs. I liked the earlier bottlings (Batch ISH-14) better as there seemed to be a bourbon start, a rye middle and a nice peaty scotch finish. The more recent bottlings seem to be more integrated. — 5 years ago

with Barbara

Johnno Harris

9.7

Stunning mod Oz Chardonnay. Beautiful core of ripe white and yellow stone fruits, with creamy, mealy middle to back palate. Impeccable acid,oak, fruit and lees balance. Outstanding wine. 🤤🤤👌🏽👌🏽 — 2 years ago

Rob B

8.9

Solid standard gin, bit of sweetness — 2 years ago

DAL 9000

9.3

Deep inky color. Dark berries bouquet and initial taste. Jammy and dark berries in the middle and finish. At West Central Wine dinner. — 4 years ago

DAL 9000

9.0

Light straw color. Muted citrus upfront with a buttery oak middle and finish. Creamy. At West Central Wine dinner. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Cascina Ornato is located in the southern portion of Serralunga d’Alba, right along the ridge. The elevation is higher here and the Ornato MGA falls to the west and south from there. Ornato is nearly a monopole for Pio Cesare would it not be for a couple of parcels that are controlled by Palladino. This bottle of the 1982 was generously provided from the cellar of a good friend; it was opened and enjoyed over two days. On Day 1, half the bottle was poured into a decanter and served immediately. The color was a slightly hazy garnet with an orange rim. On the nose and the palate, the wine came across rather tired. It wasn’t dead…and it definitely wasn’t vinegar, it just was...a bit dull. Since there were other wines open that were showing very well, we let it sit. At the end of the night, we poured what was left back into the bottle and I elected to take it home; hoping that it might wake up overnight. On Day 2, the wine had transformed. The color had deepened and everything had brightened up! The nose is loaded with tar, desiccated red fruits, sweet pipe tobacco accompanied by porchini, forest floor and dried, cracked leather ball glove…like after pitching 6 innings of baseball in the middle of July (IYKYK). On the palate, the wine is dry with surprisingly vigorous structure! The tannins are more pronounced than they were the day before and there’s also great acid to give everything a buoyant lift and some youthful energy. The fruit and non-fruit notes from the nose are confirmed with an added element of red rope licorice. Somehow, this is younger today than it was yesterday. At forty years old, this bottle clearly needed time to stretch its legs. Drink now with several hours of air but remarkably well-cellared examples could last for many more years. An illuminating experience in so many ways!

Something worth noting: Pio Cesare did not begin bottling single-cru Barolo “Oranato” until 1985. Curiously, this bottle was labeled “Vino da Tavola del Piemonte”. I reached out to Pio Cesare in hopes of getting some additional information and they were very kind to share some helpful detail. It turns out this bottling was an idea from their former importer, Terlato, with grapes for this wine sourced by Cascina Ornato. It was a traditional blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera! A long time ago they had a small amount of Barbera planted there. Now, Ornato is more or less 100% Nebbiolo. The “Vino da Tavola del Piemonte” was a sort of predecessor to the “Langhe Rosso” designation since there were not many appellations back in those days. The more you know!
— 2 years ago

DAL 9000

9.0

Mild dark berries on the nose. Old world dusty berries in the middle with with a dark berry finish. — 4 years ago