M called to a Barolo Boys tasting. Lots of great wines, food and talk. All wines tasted double blind.
2014 Barolo, Sergio Giudice
A high, fine nose with notes of leather, red apples, rosehips and iron. A hint of maturity. Very, very good.
The taste is on the bring of maturity with soft red fruit, silky tannins and a fine minerality.
91p (tasted 2025/04)
2008 Barolo Le Coste-Moscone, Parusso
A big, all over the place nose with notes of Finnish licorice, coconut, ripe cherries and moist earth.
The taste is rich and concentrated, lots of oak tannins and a bitter finish. Not to my liking.
82p (tasted 2025/04)
2017 Barolo Bricco San Pietro, Anna Maria Abbona
A deep, warm nose with notes of dried flowers, ripe cherries, smoke and moccha. Open and fine.
The taste is elegant and fine with notes of red beets, leather, cigarette ashes and Lange earth.
90p (tasted 2025/04)
2019 Barolo Cascina Tiole, Massimo Grasso
A high, fine nose with notes of violets, ripe flowers, red currants and a fine balsamic note.
The taste is tight and seedy with fine red fruit, steady tannins and a long, lingering finish. This is fine. 8+ years.
1993 Barolo Bricco Boschis Vigna S. Giuseppe, Cavallotto
A mature, earthy nose with notes of dried raspberries, clay and licorice. Soft and fine, although on the fragile side of things.
The taste has a dry velvety feeling about it, with fine tannins and nice dried up red fruit. Seemed a bit murky at first but it evolved nicely over the evening.
88p (tasted 2025/04)
1979 Barolo Cannubi, Alfredo Prunotto
This 46 year old Barolo display a mature, soft nose with notes of sugared coffee, worn leather, dried flowers and fir smoke.
The taste is more linear and dry than the nose leads you to believe, some dried red fruit and road dust.
78p (tasted 2025/04)
1993 Barolo Vigna Rionda, Massolino
An old, murky nose with notes of dried up vanilla ice cream, old furniture, gravel and dry rosehips. A tad hollow.
The taste is short and foursquare but the dried up fruit is nice and the finish is ok.
80p (tasted 2025/04)
2020 Barolo Brunate, Enzo Boglietto
A dark, nicely focused nose with notes of ripe cherries, Lily of the Valley, asphalt and leather. Very, very good.
The taste is tight and concentrated with notes of licorice, dried flowers, asphalt and rosehips. Long and fine. 6+ years.
90p (tasted 2025/04)
2015 Barolo Riserva Gramolero, Manzone
A rich, high nose with notes of Finnish licorice, hard cherry candy, incense and ripe flowers. A touch of oak which adds to the complexity.
The taste is young and layered with lots of ripe red cherries, forets floor, minerals and rosehips. 6+ years.
92p (tasted 2025/04)
2018 Barolo Riserva Brunate, M. Marengo
A very deep, balsamic nose with notes of leather, red licorice, nutmeg and Langhe earth. Just lovely.
The taste is brilliant and perfectly balanced with fruit, tannins and acidity in harmony. Great wine. 8+ years.
96p (tasted 2025/04)
2016 Barolo Vignarionda, Luigi Pira
I scored this beauty 99p when I tasted it with Gianpaolo upon release. Now it has gone into hiding but every knot and bolt are in their right places. Gorgeous fruit, seamless, broad tannins and a minute long finish. Wait 10+ year for perfection.
97p (tasted 2025/04)
2005 Barolo, Bartolo Mascarello
Somewhat of a disappointment, the nose is cool and tight but also linear and fleeting. Even with time in the glass it doesn´t evolve.
The taste is tight and rather elegant but the fruit is of the low keyed kind and the mouth feel is slender aking to anorectic. But then again, 2005 is far from a favourite vintage for me.
87p (tasted 2025/04)
2015 Barolo Monvigliero, Burlotto
A delicate, finely tuned nose with notes of dried strawberries, smoke, incense and paint. Very fine.
The taste is racy and elegant with cool tannins and a fine red fruit. Very nicely balanced. 4+ years.
92p (tasted 2025/04)
2004 Barolo Romirasco, Aldo Conterno
I have had even greater bottles of this fabolous juice, but this no slouch in any shape or form. The nose oozes up from the glass with notes of expensive tobacco, ripe cherries, asphalt and ripe flowers. Very fine.
The taste is tight and concentrated with gorgeous black cherry fruit, silky tannins, a fine touch of mint and a long, juicy finish. 4+ years.
2013 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione, Brovia
As with most of the finer 13´s, this is locked up and need plenty of time. On the nose, when you vigoursly swirl the glass, there are fine notes of tar, violets, spices and Langhe earth.
The taste is taut and structured with plenty of black fruit, tobacco notes and wet asphalt. Very, very long. Needs 8+ years.