Italy

A well-structured, big red. Lots of spice, cinnamon and ripe fruit. Full-bodied and very silky, with lots of raisin, spice and berry character and toasted oak. Needs time to mellow. Best after 2003. 1,000 cases made.

Score: 93 James Suckling, Wine Spectator, June 2002

Mature ruby with brickstone rim. Cough-syrup herb liqueur, fine dried-fruit notes and quite balsamic oak notes. Fully open on the nose. Quite sweet fruit with a good dollop of tannin but not without depth. Very intense and sweet on the finish and perhaps could be a little fresher. 2005 - 2022

Score: 16.5 Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com, April 2013

Rating

(91 - 92)

Release Price

$150

Drink Date

2003 - 2016

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

30th Oct 2001

Source

137, The Wine Advocate

Dense, masculine, and muscular, the 1998 Barolo Brunate displays abundant quantities of blackberry and cherry liqueur aromas intertwined with vanilla, licorice, tobacco, and rose petals. The new oak is brilliantly absorbed by this medium to full-bodied, sweet, expansively-flavored Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2016.   

The 1999 Sorì Tildìn is a pretty wine, even if many of the site-specific notes aren't quite as evident in this vintage. This decidedly mid-weight Sorì Tildìn is notable for its balance and harmony, but otherwise today it is a bit flat and lacking the excitement of the very best vintages. I have seen Sorì Tildìn blossom in bottle though, so I am inclined to think I found the 1999 at a particularly closed stage of its life. (Magnum tasted Drink 2014-2024)

Score: 93+ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, August 2012

The 1999 Sori Tildin, is notably more powerful on the nose and more complex as well, with balsamic and resin sensations to accompany the mocha and vanilla. Rounder and ampler than Costa Russi, it is concentrated, sumptuous, and sensual as well as long and fresh on the development and finish. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2018.

Score: 93 Daniel Thomases, Wine Advocate (149), October 2003

Rating

94

Release Price

$142

Drink Date

2009 - 2021

Reviewed by

Antonio Galloni

Issue Date

26th Dec 2006

Source

168, The Wine Advocate

The 2001 Brunellos show the pedigree of the superior vintage. Gaja’s 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille is the more potent of the Brunellos. It displays a darker color along with notes of tar, smoke, spices, toasted oak and dark fruit on a full-bodied frame with terrific expansiveness and length on the palate. A lingering note of licorice frames the finish of this beautiful, deeply expressive Brunello. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2021.  

The 2001 vintage in Piedmont has long been a favorite of mine. Bruno Giacosa’s 2001 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto is explosive and decadently rich from the very first taste. The 2001 is arguably the last truly classic vintage for the Rocche Red Label. To be sure, the 2004, 2005 and 2007 are all compelling, but the 2001 has more in common stylistically with vintages like 1996 and 1999. Dense, perfumed and wonderfully intense, the 2001 is phenomenally great. Wow.

Score: 98 Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, March 2018

The 2001 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto is unbelievably reticent, which is hardly surprising considering how massive the wine was when it was relased. Readers will have to be especially patient here. The 2001 is best forgotten about for a number of years. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026.

Score: 97 Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate (200), April 2012

Darker and more backward than the Falletto in both its aromas and flavors, Giacosa’s staggering 2001 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto offers an explosive nose of spices, menthol, minerals, smoke and scorched earth followed by waves of sweet fruit that coat the palate in a potent mix of finesse and sheer power, with fine tannins, and a lingering balsamic note on the finish. This complex, multi-dimensional wine will require considerable patience and will age gracefully for several decades. Made from the oldest vines at Falletto, the 2001 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto is another towering achievement from Bruno Giacosa. An Azienda Agricola Falletto di Bruno Giacosa bottling. To be released in 2007.

Score: 97 Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate (167), October 2006

Rating

99

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2020 - 2040

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

28th Feb 2018

Source

235, The Wine Advocate

Holy gorgeousness! The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is a knock-out beauty. This wine far surpassed my expectations and the memory I have of it from when I first tasted it on release six years back. This vintage has gained in precision, length and focus. It has shed a lot of its baby fat to reveal a muscular and beautifully balanced body. Its core is composed of wild berry, spice, leather and balsam herb—that latter aroma is something of a signature touch for Casanova di Neri. Despite all that enormous complexity and depth, this 2006 vintage still tastes young and tonic. The tannins are youthful, and this wine still has more potential for a slow-aging evolution ahead.

Rating

99

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2020 - 2040

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

28th Feb 2018

Source

235, The Wine Advocate

Holy gorgeousness! The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is a knock-out beauty. This wine far surpassed my expectations and the memory I have of it from when I first tasted it on release six years back. This vintage has gained in precision, length and focus. It has shed a lot of its baby fat to reveal a muscular and beautifully balanced body. Its core is composed of wild berry, spice, leather and balsam herb—that latter aroma is something of a signature touch for Casanova di Neri. Despite all that enormous complexity and depth, this 2006 vintage still tastes young and tonic. The tannins are youthful, and this wine still has more potential for a slow-aging evolution ahead.

The 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva emerges with hints of smoke, underbrush, licorice, leather and wild cherries. The wine gains volume and depth in the glass as its sheer pedigree emerges over time. There is plenty of muscle to back up the delicate aromatics in a striking balance of elegance and power, all in an essentially classic, mid-weight style. The round, deeply satisfying finish makes it hard to put the glass down.

Rating

95

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2018 - 2035

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

31st May 2017

Source

Interim End of May 2017, The Wine Advocate

A blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, the 2007 Alzero is an Amarone-inspired red blend. The two Cabernet varieties undergo a three-month appassimento process and the Merlot is added at the last minute before bottling. This last grape adds a very evident layer of cherry sweetness and softness that goes a long way in defining this wine. Alzero has been in production since 1983 and no vintage has ever been skipped. This is a dark and brooding expression with a playful mix of sweet fruit intensity and dark tannic background shading.

Rating

98

Release Price

$420

Drink Date

2027 - 2047

Reviewed by

Antonio Galloni

Issue Date

27th Feb 2010

Source

187, The Wine Advocate

The 2007 Langhe Sori San Lorenzo is perhaps the most massive, virile wine in this lineup, and accordingly it will require the most time. Tannic and austere at the outset, the wine gradually opens to reveal staggering richness and depth in its dark fruit. The wine turns more elegant in the glass, revealing a myriad of black fruit, tar, licorice, spices and scorched earth in a dazzling display of class and elegance. This is one for the ages. Anticipated maturity: 2027-2047. My most recent visit to Gaja was quite an experience, as I tasted all of the estate’s 1989s, 1990s and 2007s. The 1989s and 1990s are reviewed in this issue’s What About Now feature. Angelo Gaja, always loquacious on a wide range of subjects, says virtually nothing about his wines, an approach I have increasingly come to appreciate in an era where so many producers are constantly in pitch mode. Then again, Gaja doesn’t really need to say anything, the wines speak for themselves. I tasted the 2007s at the winery in November 2009 and then again in New York in January 2010. Both times they were spectacular. Stylistically the 2007s remind me of the 1997s in terms of their opulence. Gaja’s wines are often immensely appealing when young – which is certainly the case with the 2007s – but then close down in bottle for a number of years, sometimes many years. My impression is that the Costa Russi and Conteisa are the most likely of these 2007s to offer the widest drinking windows throughout their lives with a minimum of cellaring. Fermentation and malolactic fermentation take place in steel. The wines then spend approximately one year in French oak and a second year in cask prior to being bottled. As has been the case for a number of years now, Gaja’s Langhe wines incorporate a small percentage of Barbera. On a final note, it’s great to see Gaja’s daughters Gaia and Rossana increasingly involved in the winery. They, and their younger brother Giovanni, have big shoes to fill, but couldn’t have asked for better teachers than Angelo and Lucia Gaja. 

Rating

92

Release Price

$74

Drink Date

2012 - 2018

Reviewed by

Antonio Galloni

Issue Date

28th Feb 2011

Source

193, The Wine Advocate

The 2008 Vintage Tunina is terrific. The wine’s trademark expansive bouquet and generous fruit are beautifully balanced by a vein of minerality that is the hallmark of this cool year. All of the elements come together beautifully in the glass as the 2008 Vintage Tunina shows off layers of succulent peaches, pears, apricots, flowers and mint, along with hints of sweetness from the late-harvested fruit that is such a big component of the wine’s signature style. Vintage Tunina is Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana and Picolit. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. These new releases from Silvio Jermann include a number of fabulous bottles. In particular, I was impressed with the top 2008s, a vintage where the cool minerality of the year prevails over the house’s typically lush style, an approach I tend to find less interesting. Jermann has a new red on the horizon, the Pignolo Vigna Truss, from recently purchased hillside vineyards in Dolegna, the home of his massive, new cellar. Previously, Jermann’s Pignolo had mostly come from the flats of Villanova, a far less prestigious village in Isonzo, rather than the Collio. I tasted all of the 2009 entry-level whites from screwcaps. Readers should be aware that Jermann is owned by my wife’s uncle. I have always viewed education as an important component of wine criticism. An article on Friuli without these wines would have been incomplete and ultimately the consumer would have been poorer for their exclusion. For those reasons I have chosen to include the wines in this report. Neither my wife nor I have any financial or other interest, direct or indirect, in this property.

Gaja's 2008 Sori San Lorenzo is impeccable from start to finish. The 2008 is a round, seamless San Lorenzo with seemingly no hard edges and terrific overall balance. The signature aromas and flavors are there, as is the wine's typical gravitas, yet the 2008 has an extra level of sweetness, its size notwithstanding. The wine possesses striking inner perfume and fabulous overall balance. The sheer excitement of the very finest years isn't quite there, but this is a fine bottle just the same. An explosive, juicy finish rounds things out in style. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033.

Score: 95

Mascarello's 2010 Barolo Monprivato shows good depth and volume in the glass, but the flavors are also a touch forward, which is a bit unusual for the year. Sweet red cherry, raspberry, mint, white pepper and orange peel linger on the delicate finish, all supported by silky, polished tannins. The 2010 is a bit more fully formed than it was a few months ago, but I don't find the pedigree of the best years, and I say that after having had the 1989, 2004 and 2008 in the days leading up to this visit.

Rating

100

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2018 - 2045

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

4th Mar 2016

Source

223, The Wine Advocate

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Bassolino di Sopra is the equivalent of the estate's Riserva. Only 3,000 bottles were made and the wine was not produced in 2009 or 2008. Nor will it be made in 2011 or 2013. Future editions are 2012 and 2015. Bassolino di Sopra is silky and smooth, but it also has a fine textural fabric that gives the wine an enormous sense of tactile intensity in terms of mouthfeel. This is a magnificent achievement with an extreme sense of purity and freshness that is elegant and streamlined. The bouquet reveals slight and miniature shifts in its evolution that keep your curiosity as you contemplate the wine in the glass. Wild berry is followed by a steady stream of balsam herb, cola, crushed oyster shell and delicate floral tones. The vineyards are located between 330 and 370 meters above sea level with limestone deposits and red soils. Farming is biodynamic.

Rating

93

Release Price

$65

Drink Date

2017 - 2028

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

28th Feb 2017

Source

229, The Wine Advocate

Altesino is now celebrating the release of its 40th harvest. In fact, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is inscribed with the words "our 40th Harvest" in gold letters on its front label. This is a truly delicious wine that exceeds my expectations. I love the way it takes full command of the slightly bolder and more opulent dark fruit aromas produced in this hot vintage. Black cherry, plum and crème de cassis converge on the bouquet. Grilled herb, forest floor, licorice and exotic spice play supporting roles. The finish offers moderate acidity on the Sangiovese scale. This means the wine is mush fresher and more tonic than most Tuscan reds. The finish is long and silky.

Rating

95

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2018 - 2035

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

19th Sep 2019

Source

September 2019 Week 3, The Wine Advocate

This was an excellent vintage in much of Italy, but unfortunately the weather was not as pleasant in this specific area of the Valpolicella. The season saw a lot of rain, and a good amount of fruit was cut and left on the ground because it could not be used. Considering these difficulties, Michele Dal Forno tells me he is "more than happy with the results." I tasted the 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta next to the 2009 vintage, and having these two wines side by side reinforces just how different they are. The 2010 vintages is sharper, more pointed and direct in comparison, and there is a tiny point of sourness on the close. This wine does not reach the same threshold for fullness, density or richness. It does come close. The wine's residual sugar measures between 5 and 6 grams per liter, which is normal for this wine, and the bouquet is redolent of familiar black fruit, raisin and spice. However, the wine feels a bit stuck in its tracks at the moment and is evidently experiencing a shy phase in its evolution. It has retreated.

Rating

96+

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2017 - 2038

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

26th Jun 2014

Source

213, The Wine Advocate

The 2010 Barolo is a singularly elegant expression that benefits from extremely long maceration time (up to 54 days) and a non-interventionists’ winemaking philosophy. The wine is superb in its elegance and finesse that caresses the palate in the most delicate and ethereal manner imaginable. Small fruit tones are enhanced by ash, crushed mineral, licorice and dried mint. Because of changes in how Barolo can be labeled, the wine no longer carries the names of the four single-vineyards that make up the traditional blend for this wine (Canubbi, San Lorenzo, Rue and Rocche di La Morra). Instead, this historic wine is now labeled straightforward “Barolo.” Drink: 2017-2038.

JAMES SUCKLING: 100

MONICA LARNER: 95

ANTONIO GALLONI: 94

Wow. Fabulous aromas of currants, rosemary, mint and orange peel. Perfect nose. Full body with perfectly integrated tannins. It's long and incredible with tangerine, toasted-oak, berry, terracotta and chocolate flavors. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This needs at least five years to soften but so spellbinding now. Oct 2014, www.jamessuckling.com

Rating

94

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2017 - 2035

Reviewed by

Monica Larner

Issue Date

29th Jun 2015

Source

219, The Wine Advocate

The 2011 Barolo Falletto is a beautifully balanced and determined wine. It spends 30 months in oak and this warm vintage is already showing a quick bottle evolution. This was an early vintage: Fruit was harvested on September 23, which is ten days before average. It shows soft, luscious lines and ripe fruit favors that are both generous and opulent. Yet, there is a healthy crunchiness and crackle in the mouth that makes for a long aging future ahead. Barolo Falletto closes with pretty aromas of dark fruit, spice and shaved truffle.

Rating 97

Drink Date 2020 - 2045

Reviewed by Monica Larner

Issue Date 30th Jun 2017

Source 231, The Wine Advocate

Here we have the venerated red label. The Bruno Giacosa 2011 Barolo Riserva Falletto Vigne Le Rocche commands attention and respect. The wine successfully, and somewhat magically, turns the tables on the overdone exuberance of the warm vintage and the natural heft that is inherent to Serralunga d'Alba. It does a great job of reining in all that power and transforming it into streamlined elegance instead. The wine opens to a dark and penetrating color and an immediately expressive bouquet. Thick layers of dark fruit, iron-rich earth, balsam herb, Darjeeling tea, dried ginger and cherry cola rise from the bouquet. The wine's Falletto signature is very strong. This is a Grande Vino with the proverbial capital G and capital V.

The 2012 Cepparello is just as compelling as it has always been. Sweet, ample and generous from the outset, the 2012 shows all of its pedigree, even at this early stage. Radiant fruit and exquisite aromatics make a strong opening statement as the wine fleshes out in the glass. Ample, creamy and super-expressive, the 2012 is shaping up to be a superb Cepparello. The only thing the 2012 needs is time. An up and down year with hot temperatures in July and early August, followed by rain in September forced DeMarchi to be especially selective and bottle only the best lots. Production is down to 30,000 bottles from 36,000 in 2013 and 32,400 in 2011.

95

The excellent 2012 Saffredi is one of the best wines I have tasted from Fattoria le Pupille. This is an exuberant and expressive blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a smaller part Petit Verdot from the gorgeous hills of Maremma near Grosseto, Tuscany. The wine is rich and penetrating with a stunning sense of balance and inner poise. Dark cherry, blackberry, spice, leather, tobacco and grilled herb flow freely from the bouquet. The wine is softly textured with full body appeal. This fabulous Saffredi should age forward ten years or more. The Cabernet component of the wine shows perfect ripeness. (Monica Larner)

Rating

95

Release Price

$550

Drink Date

2017 - 2037

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

30th Oct 2015

Source

221, The Wine Advocate

The 2012 Masseto is seductive from the first sip. The 2011 edition of this wine was very successful, and not too different in character from this wine. What the 2012 vintage offers instead is a level of textural richness and creaminess that is absolutely outstanding. The very nature of the fruit feels velvety and silky smooth, without a single ripple. The bouquet reveals upfront aromas of dark cherry and spice that are contrasted perfectly against one another. Classic vintages of Masseto include 2001 and 2006. The 2012 vintage doesn't offer the same backbone firmness as those years, but it offers lots more exuberant richness instead. Some 32,000 bottles were produced. The wine should hold forward for many, many years.

Rating

96

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2019 - 2040

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

30th Jun 2017

Source

231, The Wine Advocate

This wine shows the quintessential attributes of the Serralunga d'Alba appellation with dark fruit flavors and powerful intensity. The 2013 Barolo Sperss paints a very authentic picture of its unique territory with rich layers of black fruit, wet earth, black truffle, licorice and spice. The wine's tannic structure is firm and lasting. It shows broad shoulders and rich texture overall. This beautiful Barolo boasts a dark color and thick concentration with the aromatic elegance obtained in the 2013 vintage. This important wine is now part of the Barolo DOCG family.

Rating

95

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2019 - 2035

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

30th Jun 2017

Source

231, The Wine Advocate

The 2013 Barolo Conteisa is now officially a DOCG wine following years as a Langhe Nebbiolo or IGT wine. The first vintage was 1996 and fruit is sourced from the Cerequio cru in La Morra. This is a classic and coherent expression that is characterized by crunchy fruit flavors and sweet tannins. Fruit came into the winery at very low temperatures and saw slow fermentations. Generally speaking, the 2013 vintage is characterized by slow ripening and a long growing season (unlike 2012 that saw more concentrated heat). This is a balanced and homogenous wine with a softly caressing nature. It offers aromas of citrus, summer fruit and even a touch of watermelon pulp. This wine is usually considered the more immediate of Gaja's two new Barolo wines, yet this vintage surely needs extra time to evolve.

Rating

95

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2022 - 2045

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

29th Jun 2018

Source

237, The Wine Advocate

The 2014 Barolo Conteisa is an impressive wine that defies the odds of the vintage. Although the Cerequio vineyard did not suffer hail in 2014 (it did in 2016), grape production was reduced by half anyway. The remaining grapes delivered their best with intense flavors and crisp contours. Gaia Gaja tells me that the clusters harvested were perfect in appearance. This is a perfumed wine that offers defined aromas of wild cherry that rise to the top with intensity. The wine's tonality is dark and thick, and the tannins are full and structured.

Rating

94

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2020 - 2045

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

29th Dec 2017

Source

234, The Wine Advocate

This is a wine of profound elegance and grace. The 2014 Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn is fine and deeply finessed, with long and polished berry notes that are enhanced by mild spice and smoky mineral notes. The wine starts off slowly and subtly. You can follow its evident progression as it opens and evolves quickly in the glass. In fact, of Gaja's three single-vineyard expressions, this wine is the most fluid and changing. The tannins are fine and nicely integrated to give the wine power, grace and staying power.

Rating

95

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2022 - 2045

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

29th Dec 2017

Source

234, The Wine Advocate

Gaja's 2014 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is clearly at the beginning of a long and promising aging trajectory. At it's core, it shows a pinch of nervous energy and inner tightness that will surely unravel and soften as this beautiful wine continues along its magical journey in time. Angelo Gaja and his family present spectacular results in this controversial 2014 vintage. They have risen far above most of their peers and have shown a keen ability to understand their site and the versatility of their cherished Nebbiolo grape. The variety sings with a loud and exuberant voice, first offering plenty of primary fruit like blackberry and dried cherry. It then follows up with savory earth and spice. This is a bright and youthful wine that is set steady for a long aging future.

Superb aromas of ripe fruit such as plums and berries with peaches and tar. Very intense. Full body, great depth and density. Incredible richness and power with superb length and persistence. One of the most dense and vertical Falletos I have tasted. Try in 2025.

Score: 98James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, January 2019

The 2015 Barolo Conteisa is a heady, exotic wine, and also one of the most complete, alluring Conteisas I have ever tasted. Conteisa is usually a wine of grace and understatement. The 2015, on the other hand, is a bold, sweeping Barolo that saturates the palate with stunning depth and volume. Even with all of its intensity, the 2015 remains vibrant. This is such a complete, harmonious wine.

-- Antonio Galloni 97 Antonio Galloni 2023 - 2040 Not Available Nov 2019