Jay Kline

9.2

As someone who has been described as an Italophile, I’m particularly enamored with the wines of Piemonte. You’ve probably all heard the saying, “the more you learn, the less you seem to know”. Yeah, I don’t know that it really makes sense. Yet, it seems to apply more and more these days. This wonderful bottle from Giovanni Rosso was an entire lesson of its own for me.

Okay, so I’ve been enjoying the Barolo’s from Giovanni Rosso for almost a decade now and it was not until this bottle that I realized this is not their “classico” but instead, a blend of their holdings exclusively throughout Serralunga d’Alba. A sort of “super classico” (I just made that up) I guess one could say. Since the mid-1990’s, they have been best known for their Serralunga parcels in Cerretta (Bricco). Later, in 2004, they were the first to release a single-vineyard bottling of the Serra MGA (not to be confused with the La Serra MGA in La Morra 🙄). More recently, they have picked up parcels in other Serralunga MGA’s including Costabella, Sorano, Lirano, Damiano, as well as the up and coming Meriame and their most famous of all, Vignarionda (the only other MGA from which they do a single-vineyard besides the aforementioned Serra and Cerretta). I know…it’s a lot to absorb. Let’s just get to the notes.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2019 “Del Comune Di Serralunga d’Alba” pours a pale garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful, heady notes of red (mostly) and black fruit: fresh raspberries, pomegranate, blood orange, roses, talcum powder, freshly tarred roof and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is a powerful expression of the 2019 vintage that needs some time to settle down. The fruit profile is quite big but the classic Serralunga structure is there in the background. You can drink now if you’re a hedonist (guilty) but I suspect a bigger reward to come from 2029-2040+. — 3 months ago

Ellen Clifford

9.3

Dammit. Like, damn why is this wine so fun, friendly, interesting and beautiful? It’s like when you meet a famous person and they are as marvelous as the press makes them out to be. Very much into this. Deep purple (goth Ellen like), very rich (hedonist Ellen turned on), very spicy (living vicariously Ellen clings to) and balanced (Virgo Ellen makes checkmark in wine planner) and very I want more in my glass. All hail Priorat. — 6 years ago

Daniel M

8.9

An Aussie Tempranillo with a bit of age on it. Why not?
I would not have been able to identify the varietal blind, especially on the nose. There are cherry notes, pomegranate, some smoked bacon. It's a mix between Pinot Noir from new Zealand and smoked bacon notes that I usually associate with goof quality northern rhône syrahs. The palate shows great cherry notes and almost an earthy note, a good acid drive but not overpowering, a good width, some silky tannins and a lovely savoury note in the rear over that silky tannic layer. It's an expression that has nothing to do with Rioja's or ribera del duero's classical, muscular take but I like it. — 6 months ago

Dawn Cole

9.0

Try!!! Rated to show notes. Wine and spirits reading. Frankly right, but I did it Beam of creamed plan a Kia and boysenberry fruit flavors, listening with vanilla Dash assented toast through a polish finish. Ames squarely at the hedonist crowd. — 4 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.2

Oh zippy. It is less a hedonist and more and artist. An artist keen on committing to a movement whilst retaining its agency. It has a bit of a funky nose so do the swirl decant dance. Then you’ll have fun earth and every color of pepper and tannins that speak up then stand down yet linger respectfully in the background a like a chaperon who keeps just enough distance. Prob my fave Chinon yet. — 5 years ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.0

Very pale rose robe, nose of flowers and cassis, very elegant and dry on the mouth but with an hedonist note, great bottle. Excellent as drink but will go really well with light meals. — 2 years ago

with Jose, veronique and 1 other

LM Segal

9.7

Rookie mistake to drink this beauty right after the SQN…but the error of a hedonist, to be sure. This was devoured before it could warm up from cellar but just wow. Iconic. Luscious. — 3 years ago

Sarah Mac

9.5

Easy drinking rosé — 4 years ago

Michael Ross

9.8

Hedonist California Red — 6 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.6

Dancing with bears tonight. It took me more than an hour to teach this bear the Texas Two Step, but after that we were cutting a rug. The initial bright red fruit notes eventually slide into a darker, richer profile of blackberry, charcoal, currant, cassis, and a mix of dark and milk chocolate. What really takes this from good to great is the constant background of baking bread infused with rosemary. For the hedonist, this is a pure pleasurefest, with more than enough complexity and nuance to satisfy the intellectual, but like a soaring ballad, the real appeal here is to the romantic. — 7 years ago