Barbaresco, Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy
Color looks pretty advanced but the nose is more youthful. Shows classic old school Barbaresco scents of macerated cherry, faded rose petals, old barrels, and gravelly earth. In the mouth it’s pretty vigorous, showing those angular and mouth-coating ‘17 tannins, and while they’re prominent they’re not green or astringent. Intense, dry flavors are of dark cherry extract, savory dark, dried herbs, and cracked rock. Pretty good acidity and the finish is long. The tannins make food a requisite.
UPDATE: After 2 hours of air, the fruit is deepening and lessening the prominence of the tannins. Upping from initial 9.1 to 9.2. Air helps this puppy.
Color looks pretty advanced but the nose is more youthful. Shows classic old school Barbaresco scents of macerated cherry, faded rose petals, old barrels, and gravelly earth. In the mouth it’s pretty vigorous, showing those angular and mouth-coating ‘17 tannins, and while they’re prominent they’re not green or astringent. Intense, dry flavors are of dark cherry extract, savory dark, dried herbs, and cracked rock. Pretty good acidity and the finish is long. The tannins make food a requisite.
UPDATE: After 2 hours of air, the fruit is deepening and lessening the prominence of the tannins. Upping from initial 9.1 to 9.2. Air helps this puppy.
Double decanted through an aerator. Not impressed. Scorchy and lots of old, dried fall leaves on the nose. A little old prune fruit and moth balls. Scorchy, bitterly tannic, and even tasting a little oxidized in the mouth. I’ll put it away and re-taste tomorrow (so I can drink something pleasant tonight), but I’m not optimistic this old caterpillar will metamorphasize overnight.
Double decanted through an aerator. Not impressed. Scorchy and lots of old, dried fall leaves on the nose. A little old prune fruit and moth balls. Scorchy, bitterly tannic, and even tasting a little oxidized in the mouth. I’ll put it away and re-taste tomorrow (so I can drink something pleasant tonight), but I’m not optimistic this old caterpillar will metamorphasize overnight.
Mar 1st, 2021
Already a lot of bricking. Took a while for a sharp edge to soften. Became a very nice classic Barbaresco with good balance of fruit and secondary notes. Glad I opened it now.
Already a lot of bricking. Took a while for a sharp edge to soften. Became a very nice classic Barbaresco with good balance of fruit and secondary notes. Glad I opened it now.
Apr 14th, 2023
