Stephen Osgood

10

can't believe how good these are. i have detected some bottle variability but whatever botti this one came from is 🤯🤯🤯. — 5 years ago

David Kaplan

9.6

This Soave Classico Vigneto Sengialta Balestri Valda 2017 comes from a single hillside parcel of black basaltic soil planted to Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave. The grapes are hand-harvested, fermented separately, and matured in neutral 2000-liter botti for twelve months. In the glass, the wine has a saturated, deep yellow-gold color, with flashes of green-gold just at the edge. Aromas of sun-warmed yellow peaches, crystallized honey, marzipan, and acacia blossoms emerge at first, then alternate with fleeting suggestions of beeswax, grated nutmeg, and sage, as the nose evolves in the glass. On the palate, the wine honeyed and opulent, with a round, juicy core of sweet stone fruit and honey that echoes the nose, along with plenty of dry extract, deep saline minerality, and ripe tartaric acidity. The layered sweet core of honeyed melon and almond paste is seasoned with delicate bitterness, and the long elegant finish is punctuated with fine mineral grip. Drink now – 2030 (yes, the wine is irresistible today, but according to Laura Rizzotto, a bottle that hid unnoticed for fifteen or more years in a good cellar would be a treasure). — Moore Brothers, Brooklyn — 6 years ago

Shun Kikuchi

8.9

Balanced. Red cherry, plum, earthy and some black berries, botti aged stability, with some ripasso. Dry, mid+ acidity and mid- tannin. Straightforward and mid+ intensity aroma. Good with food. ABV13.0%. at Estro Vino in Venice. — 7 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.1

Light ruby; honey, acacia and cherries; high acid, robust tannins and medium length. Produced at 4000 bottles in large botti of Slovenian oak in the South. — 7 years ago

Steven Heydemann

8.9

Like what this estate is doing. Moving more toward large botti, and no overt oak in this wine. Still room for improvement but worth watching.

— 7 years ago

Max Kelly

9.6

Tasted with Roberto straight from the botti. Richer and more generous than the ‘15 Francia, but just as powerful. A slightly redder fruit profile, oodles of complexity, and well-hidden structure to age gracefully. Astonishing way to try Monfortino for the first time. — 8 years ago

thibaut bourtembourg

9.2

3 vineyard. 30 m oak botti. Nice mouth structure. Big. Big tannins. Quit young. Fresh. Aromatic grippy. 46. 6 packs — 8 years ago

Barbara Spizzirro

9.0

Dolcetto with some spine. Attack no impressive, but kicks into gear mid palette and finish. Impressive dolcetto. $35 — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Mid to deep Ruby in colour. Plenty happening on the nose with menthol, balsamic notes, dried rose petals, cherry, loam and mushrooms. On the medium weight palate a savoury cherry note with liquorice finishing with very fine, light powdery earthy tannins. The description that sums up this wine best is classy restraint. It is Rabaja after all. The quality of the 55 year old vines showing through. Matured in large Austrian Oak botti so next to zero oak influence. An enjoyable wine. — 5 years ago

Martinez

9.1

Deeply colored, fruity, very aromatic skin-contact orange wine made with Jakot/Tocai Friuliano from 60 years-old vineyards in Oslavia (Italy’s Collio region, right on the border with Slovenia) that Princic has been farming without pesticides since the 1980s. Alongside Oslavia neighbors Josko Gravner and Stanislao Radikon, Princic is recognized as one of the region’s natural and orange wine pioneers, known for the early adoption of bio-dynamic practices and use of extended skin macerations and lengthy aging – in this case, 22 days on skins and 2 years in botti. Rich, concentrated, with beautiful aromas of apricot, honey and peach gummy hearts. Some spice, herbal notes. Mineral, salty, great finish. — 6 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.5

Brick color; perfumed nose with honeysuckle and lillies accompanied with concentrated dried fruits; powerful almost port-like on the palate with dried red and black fruit and caramellized nuts and a very long finish. A cru made in botti in the center of the region of around 4000 bottles. — 7 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.3

Light ruby with some brick hue and a viscous swirl; earthy nose, spices like thyme and sage; more complex taste with finer tannins, darker fruit, and longer finish than the Pieve. Around 12.000 bottles produced; large botti used. — 7 years ago

Manuel Buergi

9.0

A special bottling of the producer Villadoria, 100%-owner of the "Cappallotto" MGA in Serralunga d'Alba (next to "Baudana" & "Meriame") and home of the famiglia Lanzavecchia. "Paradiso" is the official single vineyard here (best exposition, old vines). The vinifciation is traditional in botti grandi. A very beautiful, succulent entry level Serralunga Barolo, showing quite youthful in 2010, as expected. Dark fruit, menthol, lavender and a bit of leather are the prime flavors. High tannins, that are well integrated. Pretty good structure and length. — 7 years ago

Garret Nagle

9.2

Great balance between traditional and modern winemaking with the use of barique and shorter maceration time to create an approachable wine in its youth, while also incorporating the use of large traditional botti.
While there is a presence of new oak, it doesn't dominate and the purity of the Nebbiolo fruit still comes through well. Luscious brandied sour cherry, stewed raspberry, dried violets, rhubarb, cedar, baking spice, black truffle, tar, animal. Delicious. Good acidity and smooth yet structured tannins. Well balanced. Would have rated higher if there was less reliance on new French oak to add structure. Would have been interesting to see how this wine would have tasted with more fine grained tannin from the fruit instead of from wood. Excellent value alternative to barbaresco or Barolo. Rich yet elegant and finessed. — 9 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

This bottle was one in a brace of Brunellos, generously shared and curated by our friend Tim.

Served blind after a lengthy slow-ox, I knew we were drinking Brunello di Montalcino but that’s it. No visual signs of age. Initially quite the performer with gorgeous cherry fruit, baking spice, earth, mushroom. On the palate, slightly darker fruited, cocoa and what I sometimes refer to as “Tuscan dust”. After about an hour, I started to pick up a touch of brettanomyces which made the earth more pronounced. Another remarkable quality of this wine was its plush texture; almost velvet-like.

Revealed as the 1997 La Rasina. I believe this is my first experience with this producer though I’ve seen it around for years. This came across a touch modern yet I was told that this was back when botti were being used. Regardless, a lovely wine and a lovely showing for a 23 year old wine. At about hour two in the glass, I thought this started to lose some of its energy, just as the “La Palazzetta” started to come into its own. I would drink these sooner than later if I had some hanging out in my cellar. — 5 years ago

Shengli Hu

9.0

Pale ruby with orange rim. Aromatic, Tart and ripe red fruit: sour cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, some blackberry, def VA, lifted fruit and floral note: Roses, violets. On the palate there is amaro-like bitter smell, tar with notes of gravel and wet stone. Some oxidation-dried out quality. No new oak, but definitely some old, large botti or something similar. Grippy tannins. Long finish. A thing of beauty. — 6 years ago

Ashley Loafman

9.3

Palladino is one of the oldest wineries in Serralunga, dating back to 1870. Powerful yet elegant. Strong aromas of anise, forest floor, leather, cherry. That typical beautiful expression of blue marl (calcarous clay) from Serralunga D’Alba. 36 months in botti. Paired excellent with a chanterelle truffle risotto. Very much age worthy! Excellent Barolo! Roscioli wine club. — 7 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.4

More brick hues; robust and delicate nose of asphalt, diesel hints, white flowers and citrus; nice round tannins, medium acids and alcohol, dark fruits, and a miles-long finish. Small production in the south, single cru Spuntali also made in large botti. — 7 years ago

Joe D'Angelo

9.9

Poggio di Sotto only produces their Riserva Brunello only in exceptional vintages, and the 2013 is an absolutely brilliant release from this renowned estate in Montalcino. This is beautiful Sangiovese Grosso comes from 20+ year-old vines which are planted to rocky marl soils that are farmed biodynamically. The Riserva is aged for 5 years in 25 to 35-hl Slavonian oak botti, and 1 year in bottle prior to release. The result is a stunning expression of Brunello that begins to impress with striking its purity and gorgeous aromas of dried wild berries, crushed flowers, spices, white truffles, leather and hints mineral nuances all taking shape in the glass. On the palate this medium-bodied red is about balance and precision, while displaying outstanding structure with remarkable focus through the long, lingering finish. While the 2013 will require some additional bottle age before it becomes fully accessible, it certainly possesses the potential to have an incredible evolution and extremely long drinking window ahead. Year after year Poggio di Sotto's Riserva is one of the finest Brunello’s made in all of Montalcino, and the 2013 is certainly no exception. — 7 years ago

web bond

9.0

Great purity of fruit, very little oak influence(nothing newer than 5 year used botti), extremely gulpable. A true Rosso. — 8 years ago