A gift from a neighbor, I was not sure what to expect.  A slight bricking on the edges of an otherwise pale purple sheen.  On the nose, a beautiful bouquet of mushroom, cherry and bacon.  On the palate, strawberry, cherry and upfront tannins.  The mid palate reveals more cherries, but darker this time.  The tannins are really starting to grip and the wine finishes very dry indeed.  The gaminess I sensed on the nose has all but disappeared, taken over by brutish tannins.  This is not a delicate wine, nor is it very fruit forward anymore.  But it is good.  In its own way, this wine exudes power and poise at the expense of fruit and finesse.  I am going with 91 points for this $50 wine.  4 stars.  Salut….

I got this bottle as a gift and thought I would open it to pair with some hearty pasta.  The wine turns out to command a lofty price in excess of $50, and got decent scores from the pros.  Here’s my take:

Slight bricking on the edges with a coppery tint in the glass.  A delightful nose of cherry and earth.  The first taste is sour cherry and green peppers.  The acidity that this wine opens with carries on through to the mid palate.  Right now it is one dimensional.  There are some good tannins that round the wine out but to be honest it is too young.  89 points from me and pretty much a pass unless it shapes up and gets a little bit of flab, some more fruit and a little less acidity.  This may happen if it gets some bottle age and nature is kind.  2 stars from me.  Salut….

A very young wine that the critics loved.  I popped this one because of the Italian nature of dinner tonight.  I figured I would go to the Barolo for a themed feast of tomato chicken, spaghetti squash and salad with an avocado starter.  It worked a treat…

Violet in the glass and showing a lightness and agility reminiscent of Pinot Noir, it had similar characteristics on the nose.  Cherry bouquet with thyme and some coffee came jumping out of the glass.   I need to remind myself of the first aged Barolo I tasted….  It was in Alaska and my buddy Mr. Leebering brought it for a Christmas dinner back in 2006.  It was a ’97 Ratti that blew me over with it’s seductiveness and complexity.  The amazing part of the adventure was my total lack of knowledge in Barolo territory.  I did not realize Barolo takes on such Pinot flavors and nuances.  I digress….

The wine tasted of tart cherries, cranberry, leather and Muduro.  It is a young wine with sprite tannins and a juicy mouthfeel from the beautiful acidity.  WS and others gave this wine a whopping 94 points.  I can’t see it personally.  I am going with 92 and for $50 it is a 4 star wine on one condition- cellar it for at least 5 more years to allow it to meld into the mature Barolo I feel it is capable of becoming.  Patience will reward on this one.  Serve with meatballs and red sauce for the best results.  Salut….