June 2009
Alba Wine Exhibition 2006 Barbaresco tasting notes
While this is a follow up post to my 2005 Barolo tasting notes, which can be found here, these wines were actually tasted first. The intro to the Barolo post hold some valuable background information as to the style of the tasting... Read moreAlba Wine Exhibition 2006 Barbaresco tasting notes
While this is a follow up post to my 2005 Barolo tasting notes, which can be found here, these wines were actually tasted first. The intro to the Barolo post hold some valuable background information as to the style of the tasting and the limitations that imposes on the ultimate value of these notes.
92-93
Cascina Saria (Neive) - a really penetrating pine note balances some mulling spices on the nose, the perfumes of the fruit are really deeply embedded here but the quality, ripe and slightly wild, gamy, and spicy berries is very attractive, there's a touch of dusty ash top note, , really attractive nose - a bit thick for the first second then rich and focused with great, pure fresh red fruit, really wonderfully ripe tannins and fine acidity that supports the precise ripe earthy raspberry fruit, great persistence, a really great showing, very clean 92-93
91-92
Cascina delle Rose Rio Sordo (Barbaresco) - clear fruit, a touch smoky but elegant, cherry in alcohol, soil, spice, limestone, white earth, nicely layered with a touch of raspberry and green sap wood, very cool and crisp on entry, nicely proportioned with deep fruit edged in spice and earth tones, there's a nice tension here but the tannins do grow and gain the upper-hand on the mp though the fruit sort of red currant/ raspberry toned, does fight through, nice tarry, licorice spice tones on the backed lead to a long finish which has flashes of sweet berry fruit, earth, herb and spice, 91-92
Pertinace Marcarini (Treiso) - porcini, truffly, a bit woody, unusual but interesting, with an animale fur note to the spicy rosehip, a nice nuttiness too, hazelnut with a touch of nougat, smoke, this has a really attractive entry with ripe, clean, precise fruit, the mp gains a bit of layered depth, very nicely done with elegance and style, bitter cherry, wild raspberry, a hint of medicinal bitterness, tannins superbly managed, classy wine 91-92
La Ganghija (Treiso) - sauvage, spicy, earthy, pine cones, dried flowers, deep and intense with leather, dried berry, savory tones, full and nicely rich with good flesh backing the ripe tannins, the fruit is a touch dark and towards the earthy end of the spectrum with a lovely vein of bitter cherry fruit that carries through to the long finish which shows a nice tension between savory tones and fruit 91-92
Terrenostre (Treiso) - a touch funky but friendly with a bit of wet dog, soft subtle fruit, transparent, lovely oystershell tones and ranier cherry fruit, with a real nuance of blood orange, precise, classic feel, medium bodied, transparent on the palate as well with subtle strawberry and blood orange fruit, a bit simple but very attractively styled and easy to drink even today, fresh and clean on the bracing finish with a lovely floral note that carries 91-92
Albino Rocca (Alba) - this is great on the nose with deep oily herbs, drying grass, fine precise forest floor, mushroom, and small berry fruit ones - polished, glossy yet so fresh with mushrooms right up front, fresh cut white, a touch of bitter roots, very refreshing, very pure with a fairly elegant if slightly rustic feel, very nice and pure if slightly bitter fruited finish, good length 91-92
Cascina Luisin Sori Paolin (Neive) - pretty and citrusy with kafir lime leaf, amarena cherry, very focused, very lean and very pure, a bit softer in the mouth than expected from the nose, nice tannins are really crisp and the acidity is very well integrated, this is a more subtle wine with layered and nuanced fruit, lots of detail on the mp with a lovely bitter cherry and wild strawberry fruit tone and a background of funghi, savory and forest floral notes, lovely cleansing finish, excellent length 91-92
Angelo Negro Basarin (Neive) - wooly, green, herbal, crisp lovely fruit then a touch too much diesel sulfur, the underlying fruit smells really crisp tense and fresh with tarry, oily herbal notes, big and powerful with sweet ripe tannins, lots of depth, very young but packed with potential, a touch monolithic and dark but with nice harmony in the mouth and a naturally ripe feel, nice finish with a hint of fruitiness popping out on the finale, a powerful wine 91-92
90-91 Produttori Torre (Barbaresco) - so clean, smells like sand and old bones with some freshly picked raspberries and a touch of roasted bouquet garni, cool, crisp and focused with essence of strawberry right up front then followed by earth tones and a crisp hint of violet, very bright with well managed tannins, there's a hint of eggshell and a touch of licorice bitter on the backed adding tension to the fruit, aggressive finish, with a long menthol finale, 90-91
Pietro Rinaldi San Cristoforo (Neive) - bit sharp and aggressively balsamic, forest floor, Christmas spice, a touch of chocolate mint, obviously terpene woody, spicy, a bit of smoked, sweet ham - slightly sweet entry, then very focused with a nice lean yet well fleshed feel, no fat but nice inner mouth tension, tannins are fine if drying, lots of crisp wild berry fruit, well balanced and well done, finishes with strong tannins but plenty of backing fruit, good length 90-91 Ugo Lequio Gallina (Neive) - nice nose, toasty spiced, more French oak than fruit with tons of cinnamon spice but lots of fruit as well, enchanting nose with subtle layers of fruit and spicy, a nice sweet entry before finding focus though this is a very well fruited wine, rich almost chewy fruit has a really nice profile with ripe herbs and strong strawberry tones, a bit muddled perhaps but with even a nice orange peel note on the finish leading to a long spiced, wild berry fruit finish, some drying tannins, 90-91 Fratelli Giacosa Basarin (Neive) - a fair amount of oaky spices but backed up by some very nice fruit, really beautiful pool of raspberry coulis smoke and tobacco that subsumes the oaken spice, adds a balsamic tone and really just perfectly balances the oak if you don't mind oak, a touch lose at first then finding excellent focus with nicely forestall balsamic fruit, fresh and transparent with slightly monolithic fruit, but clean and fairly deep wild raspberry fruit tones, tannins are very well managed and the finish has a nice orange rind tone that really caries through on the long finish, has elegance and finesse 90-91
La Contea Ripa Sorita (Neive) - lovely floral notes greet the nose, this has really nice incense notes on the nose, fresh and downright pretty with building notes of licorice and medicinal spice, fresh and precise in the mouth with fairly deep and very fresh red berry fruit, a touch of peach and lovely soil tones keep this engaging though it lacks the depth of the best wines it still has great purity and a lovely slightly minty/sage finish with crisp fine grained tannins and good length 90-91
Battaglio (Neive) - cherries in alcohol, slight green herb, reticent but showing some hints of very nice potential, really nice presence in the mouth, bright and vibrant with great acidity and fresh fruit that is taut and tight yet has lovely balance and freshness, turn slightly drying on the backend and lacks the complexity of the best but his will be a deliciously pure bottle of wine, lovely rosehips, and dried cranberry on the finish 90-91
89-90
Ca' del Baio Valgrande (Treiso) - lovely nose this has it all, spicy, full of ripe fruit, savory tones, soil, limestone oyster shells, full, rich and round with a very ripe tannins this is soft and full yet has acidic verve, lovely bitter cherry fruit, a slight astringency plays with the sweetness of the fruit, tastes of mineral and earth, finish is clean and brisk, could use more length, actually is fairly short, still very nice 89-90
Fontanafredda Coste Rubin (Multi Commune) - spicy, sausage, sausage casing, black pepper, richly fruited, very cherried, a bit fuller but still medium with a slightly chewy feel to the darkish black raspberry fruit that shows nice almost salty minerality, tarry, brisk, not terribly complex but with very good purity, really strong finish with lovely purity to the fruit which is transparent and allows the mineral and spice tones to shine through. 89-90
Cantina del Pino (Multi Commune) - deep and penetrating with herbal, weedy tones that show off the peachy berry fruit very well, there is a bit of cola sweetness here but there's also a ton of that attractive, herbal complexity - very soft in the mouth with a lovely bitter cherry, apricot pit tone to the fruit, nice chalk and medicinal tones follow with herb and floral notes leading to the finish which is brisk and transparent, a touch rustic but very attractive 89-90
Poderi Elia Serracapelli (Neive) - very high toned floral and game notes with sweet spiced plum fruit, little raspberry dusty, delicious start nicely ripe tannins, a touch tarry but with very fresh acidity and nice solid earthy fruity tones, really good length, nice slightly chunky tannins on the finish with good length and a plumy/ raspberry return 89-90
Ressia Canova (Neive) - brisk, salty with background wood sweetness, turning woodier but then with some nice seashells for relief, just a bit too much wood at this point, a touch tarry, crisp entry, ripe raspberry and peach skin fruit, a touch of tree bark, with nice underlying minerality, a nicely austere wine, very well done, with a classic fruit profile on the backend, brisk bricky and cleansing through the moderately long finish 89-90
Tenuta San Mauro (Neive) - more masculine on the nose with lots of dried rose, earth, touch of minty spice, clean and menthol cool, sweet lingonberry cranberry fruit up front, a leaner style with vibrantly sweet fruit but of a less sweet king, a bit simple but with god purity and juicy, fine tannins are rather soft for the vintage, a pretty wine with a lovely aromatic wood finish and really good length to the golden raspberry finale, 89-90
Fattoria San Giuliano (Neive) - Very earthy, roast meat, candy, sassafras, fairly noticeable oak, underneath has some drying grass freshness, and camphor, nice mouthfeel, a bit matte but fresh with a bit of a compressed feel, not terrible fruit but rich with earthy, savory tones and a touch of wood, very nice in this sort of non fruity intense way, needs time but will be a very nice wine in a masculine, earthy style 89-90
88-89
Moccagatta Bric Balin (Barbaresco) - cedary, sweet sassafras notes, lighter nose with a fleshy, muddy medicinal tone, lots of licorice and bitter root tones, big and fairly powerful with a nice deep core of fruit, tannins are a bit finer grained than many though still a touch aggressive, nice peachy tone to the fruit, finishes with the tannins really grabbing hold but there is nice purity to the fruit here, not terribly expressive but intriguing, with a real nice bitter cherry tone on the finish 88-89
Molino Ausario (Treiso) - a touch gamy and musky with an intense dark fruit and spicy herb nose, a bit sweet perhaps but with nice backing freshness, wood comes out with air, nice and cool, then matte and opaque on the mp, pretty well balanced, nice wild cherry and raspberry fruit, a bit of coffee here and some bresoala savory tones as well, finished with a very strong menthol note, impressive wine, but a bit matte 88-89
Molino Teorema (Multi Commune) - woody, hard candy fruitiness, chocolate - very cool and crisp and tense with dark fruit, lacks some detail but has power and depth, really tannic on the finish, sacrifices same detail and elegance for power but in that style quite good, 88-89 Fratelli Barale Serraboella (Neive) - apricot, really strong apricot and cinnamon, baked stone fruit, roses, lovely if slightly atypical nose, bright and crisp with very fine but abundant tannins, the mp is a touch austere with sandlewood and red currant notes, a touch of austerity keeps this really fresh and a nice mineral note lead from the back end to the cleansing finish, a touch short but very typical 88-89
87-88
Carlo Giacosa Narin (Barbaresco) - woody, then roses, bitter roots, bitter berried fruits, touch of exhaust - sweetness on entry, lean with a bright acid backbone, refreshing with nice raspberry toned fruit, a bit stern but very nicely put together with a drinkable, attractive character, minty on the finish with some dried tarragon notes and a nice wash of raspberry 87-88 Pertinace Nervo (Treiso) - vanilla, dirty, oystershell, dried herbs, savory, dried alpine flowers, subtle but attractive, not fruity, very lithe, really high toned and lightly styled with tender tannins and bright acids, fruit is a bit shallow but pretty with rosehips, strawberry, and hay tones, a touch of menthol, sandy soil notes, very clean and fresh finish, moderate length 87-88
Armando Piazzo (Alba) - nice candied herb nose with sweet fruit lurking, a touch of apricot to the baked black raspberry fruit, lighter in the mouth, not much depth but very bright with nice tension to the dark berry fruit with cactus, herb, and parsley root backing 87-88
Pasquale Pelissero Bricco San Giuliano (Neive) - a touch of caramel and spice but well integrated wood, cinnamon spiced, very fresh fruit, a little peachy, macerated flowers, a bit of roast meatiness, a little bit of sweetness, fairly elegant, tannins are a bit prominent but nice and crisp, lovely bitter cherry fruit tone, with some sandalwood and rosehip notes, finishes with very drying tannins, a bit tough but balanced 87-88
Oddero Gallina (Neive) - rather restrained, slightly meaty, slightly oaky, nice floral tones and some mineral spice lurking, very taut and focused in the mouth, cold use more detail to the flavors but this has harmony with lots of somewhat rounded tannins, good supporting acids, and a nice density on the mp, turns a bit woody and drying on the finish, 87-88
Marco e Vittorio Adriano Basarin (Neive) - rather sweeter aromatic profile though with some animal fur, peppery spice, a touch hot, gentle use of well integrated oak, slightly raspberry jammy, nice clean limestone entry, then a bit loose and matte, nice but a bit dead in the mouth though the black cherry fruit is deep and the acidity refreshing then the tannins clamp down on the finish, 87-88
Fontanabianca Sori Burdin (Neive) - sandy, wild cherry and flowers macerated in alcohol, a touch candied, medicinal and autumnal, lighter, high acid, very rounded tannins, a nice core of bitter sweet raspberry fruit, not the most complex but well proportioned and with nice earthy/savory depth, a bit short finish but a really attractive flavor profile 87-88 Montaribaldi Palazzina (Neive) - a bit jammy, and flat, closed with hints of very ripe fruit - clean, crisp, nicely fruited and with good balance but noticeably closed. Probably 87-88
Punset (Neive) - really fine herbal note at first, a touch of bacon and black pepper, lovely bouquet garni nose, cool entry, lovely light medium bodied feel, a bit toward the drying grass end of the spectrum, fine granular tannins, good acids, moderately intense fruit, 87-88
86-87
La Ca Nova Bric Mentina (Barbaresco) - lovely nose, soft and subtle, cherries in alcohol, mineral tones, rosewater, a touch of old wood, clay, fresh, crisp, berried right up front with a simple freshness, not complex but not trying too hard either, smaller scaled and true to type, enjoyable to drink even now. 86-87 Albina Rocca Vigneto Brich Ronchi (Barbaresco) - very high toned, raspberry, floral, touch of chamomile, baked clay, a little orange zest, low key, nice earthy bitterness up front, soft yet crisp tannins, good acids, subtle easy styled wine, with a powdered sugar toned raspberry core of fruit, a bit rough on the back end with a brief finish but pleasant 86-87
Ca'del Baio Asili (Barbaresco) - root beer, light, dried floral tones, fleshy, simple - in the mouth this is light and fresh with an easy character and lovely purity to the fruit, nice ripe tannins, integrated acids solid if uninspiring though this gains a nice tarry edge, short finish shows some tomato leaf 86-87
Orlando Abrigo Montersino (Treiso) - deep and intense with limestone backed ripe berry fruit, penetrating and lovely, picks up a meaty tones and rosehips, nice depth but a bit simple in the mouth with nice deep, dark berry fruit and a very engaging mineral aspect, a solid showing if in a slightly softer, more approachable style with a touch of menthol and spice on the finish and growing fruit. 86-87
Rizzi Nervo Fondetta (Treiso) - deep, woody, strawberry tops, dirt, strawberry jam, salame, laundry detergent florality, low intensity if fresh in the mouth with shallow flavors but nice texture, lovely finish, burnished sandalwood, bitter cherry, short and simple but what's there is attractive 86-87
Rivetto Ce Vanin (Treiso) - almonds, sweet candied tones, jammy strawberry, fat though with some dried herb tones and a hint of citrus peel easy in the mouth, dark fruit, decent freshness, a nice bitter tone adding freshness bitter almond, interesting, very well managed tannins 86-87
Mainerdo (Multi Commune) - dark and medicinal again, spicy strawberry almost jammy fruit, nice and deep if not very complex, wow this is packed with sweet fruit, really pure with subtle complexities but this is all about expressing the purity of sweet strawberry fruit, there's a touch of cocoa on the back end, which leads to a shortish finish 86-87
85-86
Castello di Verduno Rabaja (Barbaresco) - lovely nose, sweetly fruited, ripe, intense with a handful of fresh herbs sitting atop a bowl of freshly picked raspberry with a hint of sassafras and espresso adding complexity, a bit matte up front then turning fresher with nice but not exceptional fruit, a bit monolithic with a spicy strawberry tone but not much detail, quite spicy and long with that spiciness but simple. 85-86
Michele Chiarlo Asili (Barbaresco) - a bit jammy on the nose with lots of cola character, sweet woodiness, root beer, biter herbs, jammy root beer, cool and seamless if monolithic with prominent tannins backing nice bitter cherry fruit, uncomplicated if impressively structured, nice fruit fights to get out on the backend, finishes fairly strong with really nice fruit but bit short, 85-86 Montaribladi Sori Montaribaldi (Barbaresco) - clean and deep with a cedary note embedded in dark, forest floor scented fruit, polished, astringent frutti del bosco, tobacco, drying tannins but with a decent amount of fruit buffering, quire red curranty, menthol, a bit chunky and even a touch coarse, 85-86
Rizzi Pajore (Treiso) - slightly jammy, cinnamon hint, stemmy, herby, sharp, aggressive, a bit lifeless in the mouth at first then turns a bit more focused but this feels lazy and poorly composed, decent fruit and a really nice finish with sour cherry tones and spice soil notes that is long and drying, this might just need time to pull itself together 85-86
Pelissero Nubiola (Treiso) - jammyish, woody, wood spice, gamy, forest floor, floral, animal, passionfruit, woodsy, polished smooth and soft with nice fruit but not much depth and extracted tannins, really lovely fruit on the finish but the tannins are out of balance here, length driven by the rustic tannins, could improve 85-86
Marco e Vittorio Adriano Sanadaive (Alba) - smoky, dried strawberry fruit, VA, rustic nose, cool entry, herbal, poppy seeds on the attack with subtle strawberry fruit tones leading to a light, bright finish with ok detail, tastes a bit dull 85-86
84-85
Castello di Morassino Ovello (Barbaresco) - a bit off with heavy soil tones and dried herb notes, gains sandalwood, rose hips and roses, really opens very nicely, still at it's core there is some off putting oak and a weird, sweet candied funghi kind of notes - polished and dull in the mouth, again there is the discordant juxtaposition of really good fruit with some bitter wood and terribly drying, aggressive tannins, the fruit is very pretty though and particularly aromatic in the mouth, aggressively tannic finish 84-85
Orlando Abrigo Vigna Rongalio (Treiso) - shy nose, smoky, a touch of oak, really not showing much, a bit fat, a bit flat, fruity, softer style, easy and not very interesting but nothing wrong 84-85
Vigin Noemy (Treiso) -pork products, wood, aromatic, nice if high toned and a touch candied medicinal, moderately big in the mouth with deeply earthy fruit, and nice fruit that shows a nice spice/quinine edge but is a bit matte, finished chunky and a touch clumsy 84-85
Eredi Lodali Lorens (Treiso) - woody, raw wood, touch of caraway, spicy, very spicy, touch hot, violet pastille, big and full, a touch clumsy, dark, anonymous fruit on the mp, dark and anonymous over all, drying, extracted, 84-85
Terre da Vino La Casa in Collina (Multi Commune) - jammy, spicy, a bit woody, normal modern nose with more violet and medicinal but still sickly sweet, nice dark fruit in the mouth, lots of coffee character, nicely managed tannins, bitter sweet, bitter cherry long finish, lots of tannin on the finish, a bit clumsy on the finish 84-85
Prunotto (Multi Commune) - a bit volatile, sandy and jammy, a bit hot, innocuous, not very expressive but fairly well textured, some nice sour strawberry fruit, simple 84-85
Antiche Poderi dei Gallina Vigneto ‘l Ciaciaret (Neive) - a bit stinky, sour meats, soil tones, reductive, a bit lean, a bit sour and simple, might flesh out with time, decent harmony but will always be a small scaled wine, very nice Nebbiolo, lean drying finish 84-85
Castello di Neive Santo Stefano (Neive) - noticeable toasty wood, some nice macerated fruits and flowers underneath but mostly noticeable wood, cool and crisp with good focus in the mouth but overall a muted wine with fairly woody tannins and a nice bitter cherry core trying to fight through, bitter drying finish, 84-85
83-84
Cascina Brusciata Rio Sordo (Barbaresco) - coarse, raw woody, penetrating, leathery, rustic, gains a bit of toastiness to the wood and a strong, green quinine tone, drying tannins, a bit green and raw, dark fruit, clumsy, 83-84
82-83 Armando Piazzo Sori Fratin (Alba) - shallow nose, a bit fishy, not much going on, cool and easy, lightly fruited, 83-84
Michele Taliano Ad Altiora (Alba) - candied with deep herbal accents, drying, simple, fresh but not terribly interesting, 83-84
82-83
Romano Bonino Basarin (Neive) - vanilla and candied violets/blackberry, artificial fruit tones, fake coffee, road tar, much better in the mouth where the fruit veers toward the green and fresh with crisp green notes up front then more artificial coffee and fruit on the mp, some dichotomy on the finish, 82-83
Massimo Rivetti Froi (Neive) - lots of sweet oak and vanilla pudding on the nose, a bit dried out in the mouth without much of anything but structure, some very subtle rose and raspberry notes, 82-83
under 82
Cascina delle Rose Tre Stelle (Barbaresco) - a bit hot, a bit jammy, plenty of green notes and spicy angelica root to give it some freshness but overall it's heavy and sweet smelling - a bit matte in the mouth, correct medium bodied feel but the tannins seem forced and drying and the fruit is a bit too bitter, and medicinal without freshness or detail, a bit heavy handed, with an extracted finish 80-81
Giuseppe Nada Casot (Treiso) - dirty barrel, gasoline, fart, dried out, extracted, not much interest, 70-72
Cigliuti Serraboella (Neive) - dirty, old wood, kind of cola character of dirty old barrel, a bit stripped, and bitter, primitive, rustic and drying, totally without charm 70-72
Fratelli Giacosa Basarin Sori Gian Mate (Neive) - a bit stinky at first, then turning sterner and a touch aggressively mineral, a lean angry wine, some nice fruit here but this is indeed a lean angry wine with angular tannins and sharp acidity obscuring much of the fruit, nicely aromatic in the mouth though, 76-77 Punset Campo Quadro (Neive) - sandy, a touch dirty, very chamomile herbal/weedy, a touch chemical, taut and lean and dirty 70
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