Belated short notes on a trade tasting I attended with Dani, Oliver and Rainer, at Il Caratello on September 2nd, 2006. Goodness gracious, were the girls pretty who assisted the producers pouring samples... Wines presented here not in the order we tasted them, but as they appear in the flyer. Did not come close to sample all the wines that were on show, proabably did not even taste half of them.
Azelia Barolo Bricco Fiasco 2001
Quite candied black cherry, not too dry tannin, quite mouthwatering, a bit simple, fair enough length. Rating: 86+?
Azelia Barolo San Rocco 2001
40% new oak. A touch more evolved colour and Riserva-like taste. More terroir expression and depth, marzipan, good complexity, more warmth to fruit and alcohol. Tasty already. Rating: 87
Azelia Barolo Riserva Voghera Brea 2000
Also a bit evolved but nice colour. Complex, subtle and long. Not weighty but concentrated enough. Dani and I were quite pleased, as the style seemed on the traditional side for Azelia, but that may just be because it is a Riserva from an early-mature vintage: 90-/89?
Piero Busso Barbaresco San Stefanetto di Treiso 2003
Aged 18 months in 70% oak barrel, 30% barriques. 14.5% alcohol. 5’800 bottles made. Leafy tobacco, a touch of roasted marzipan, little depth, not fresh enough, a bit tired already. Drinks easily. Rating: 84-?
Aldo Conterno Barolo Bricco Bussia Vigna Colonello 2001
Medium-plus ruby-black, barely any orange. A bit tarry-oaky. Roasted orangey cherry. Do not really like the style, and seem to have liked the wine better a year earlier. Rating: Rating: 87+?
Monti Merlot Langhe Rosso 2001
Opaque pruney purple, deep at the center. Very modern-styled. Quite complex and a bit milky Merlot. Tannin quality is all right, a bit rustic and tarry. Fruit is ripe but a bit heterogeneous. Medium-plus body and warmth. Medium length. Ridiculously expensive for what it is. Rating: ~85
Paitin di Pasquero Elia Barbaresco Sori' Paitin Vecchie Vigne 2001
Too modern-styled, still sufficiently variety-typical. Not the most concentrated, nor even extracted or most superficial vintage of this bottling, but still reminiscent of a cough drop-like Cabernet Sauvignon, medium blackcurranty freshness. Rating: 85+/-?
Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2000
Not too fresh ruby-black, orange hue and rim like so many 2000s. Macerated rose, rose-hip, a touch of camomile, marzipan, a bit oaky-dry tannin. Rating: ~88
Vietti Barolo Ravera di Novello 1999
Ruby-black, orange hue and rim. Racier tannin, fresher, longer, but not sweeter or fruitier, actually a bit grassier. Rating: ~88
Vietti Barolo Lazzarito di Serralunga 2000
Somewhat less fresh ruby-black, orange hue and rim also. Round, clearly readier than the year before. Smoky marzipan, green licorice, a bit leafy tannin, shorter. Rating: 87+?
Vietti Barolo Brunate di La Morra 2001
Ruby-black, orange hue and rim. Fresher, racier black cherry, more cut, a touch of graphite, nice mouthcoating tannin. Rating: 89
Vietti Barbaresco Masseria 2003
Ruby-black, not a hint at orange. Smoky and grey-peppery oak, a touch of bitterness to the tannin, dried tomato, olive, dried black cherry, medium-short on the finish. Rating: 87+?
Alfredo Buglioni Ripasso Il Bugiardo 2003
Opaque glossy purple-black. Frozen strawberry, cream, chewing-gum-like cherry, some violet. Concentrated and tannic for a Ripasso. Round if a touch saline, but not really fruity. Long enough. Rating: 86+?
Alfredo Buglioni Amarone Classico 2001
A bit more evolved colour. Longer, sweeter, fruitier. Finesse notes of coffee and toffee. Slight greenish toughness, but still not bad at all. Rating: 87+/88?
Fratelli Tedeschi Recioto Classico della Valpolicella 2003
A blend of Corvina and Rondinella. Full ruby-black. Good sweetness and mouthfeel, some milk chocolate. Almost Riesling-like acidity that leaves behind an appley aftertaste. Medium length. Needs a little time to round off in bottle, maybe half a year to a year. Rating: 86
Castellare Coniale 1999
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Evolved, early-mature, good sweetness, Christmas spice box if not mulled claret spice, fairly oaky, long. Not one to cellar. Rating: 86-
Castellare Poggio ai Merli 2001
100% Merlot. Nicely fresh, deep ruby-black, watery at the rim. Lightly muted on the nose and short on the finish, I am convinced this was ever-so-faintly corky, but the producer who poured this himself at this booth did not agree (and/or was unwilling to open another bottle). Quite precise and crisp fruit. Good mouthfeel and tannin quality. Rating: ~88?
Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate 1999
Last had this two years ago, this is evolving well. Full ruby-black. Sweet and a bit glyceric black cherry, a bit warming, slightly roasted tannin, medium length. Rating: 88
Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino Schiena d'Asino 1999
Red-ruby. Slightly bitter, sweaty-cooked black cherry. Barely medium length. Liked this better a year ago. Rating: 85
Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso Superiore Paleo 2002
100% Cabernet Franc. Warm ruby-red, black reflections. Touch of yoghurt, modern-styled, dark chocolatey fruit, good body, warming alcohol but tasty, fair length. Could be racier. Dani liked this. Rating: 88+?
Le Macchiole Scrio 2001
100% Syrah. A bit cheesy-animal top note and flavour, Parmesan-like wine that now smells and tastes just as weird as the 1997 at about the same age. Still coffee-chocolatey. Well-balanced, medium-plus length. The worst possible stage to taste this, I guess, this may have been in a closed phase and should grow into itself again, but even if, it is one costly wine and I am not surprised it is not sold out. Rating: 89+
Tua Rita Giusto di Notri 2004
A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, aged in barrique. Glossy-fresh purple-black. Lactic medium-thick fruit, a touch of asphalt-like cassis. Fairly firm. Not too long, plus the finish was really a bit imprecise and disappointing. Rating: 85+?
Palari di Salvatore Geraci Santa.Nè 2001
A wine Rainer urged me to taste, and I could see why: this actually smelled and tasted like juice pressed from grapes. Glossy-lively ruby, black reflections, verging on orange at the rim. Lovely fruit, mouthwatering yet smooth blood-orangey blackcurrant. Long, clean and pure, precise, very harmonious. Finely-grained, tasty tannin. Love the fresh, a bit archaic-viscous style. Ultimately not really complex, though. Too expensive for what is. Rating: ~90
Greetings from Switzerland, David.