Blake Samuels

9.0

Dining with my love after some some apartment searching❤️ — 15 days ago

Roman Ochocki

9.0

Very good zinfandel. Probably the best one I have bought in supermarkets. I regret that I do not have access to other labels from this producer. Very good value for money. It’s not a jam wine, it’s characterized by clear and crisp acidity, and dark fruit, maybe blueberry, vanilla and leather. I will be happy to buy more vintages. — 6 months ago

Dimes

9.0

Better than S but just slightly — 2 years ago

Kevin McHugh

8.9

Citrus and green apple are the dominant notes, above average acidity. — 2 years ago

Jerry Clayton

9.4

Very nice and right. — 3 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

As a wine professional, there are few greater pleasures than a bottle that surprises. All too often, our prejudices influence the experience which is why it’s so important to taste wines in double-blind fashion, and often. This bottle of 2005 Terlato Family Vineyards, “Cardinal’s Peak” blew me away. I don’t know anything about the wine making or fruit source but what was in the glass was simply beautiful.

Poured into a decanter about 90 minutes prior to service and then enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2005 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some light signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of mostly ripe, but also some dried black and red fruits: blackberries, black cherry, black plum, raspberry, pipe tobacco, the purple Now and Laters®️, oiled leather, purple flowers, dark chocolate, coffee, dried forest floor, and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and overwhelmingly satisfying. A somewhat, no scratch that, remarkable wine. End stop. Drinking so well right now and absolutely in its prime. Don’t think twice to drink now to enjoy at its very best, but this will continue to drink well through 2030 if you must. 13.8% ABV. — 4 months ago

Raquel Sanabria

9.1

Very balanced — 2 years ago

Robert B

9.0

Wild blackberry and bramble with oaky notes on the nose. Gravel, leather and oak on tongue as blackberry rolls over the middle with notes of black cherry and pepper. Full bodied, nice tannins, finishing in leathery oak. Very impressive for the price, lives up to its name… i can feel a wine revolution in the air as california reds continue to display the richness and complexity on their french counterparts. — a month ago

Sharon B

9.2

Happy Birthday America! 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙 — a year 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