Conrad Green

9.3

Beautiful clear cherry. Bright acid and lifted purity. A long time ahead but great quality — 22 days ago

with Peter and Gregg

Jay Kline

9.5

Rounding out the flight of legendary Barolo estates, Francesco Rinaldi certainly takes its rightful place in the pantheon of Piemonte’s history. By 1970, the estate had been under the leadership of Luciano Rinaldi for nearly three decades. I can’t verify but I believe Luciano was sourcing fruit from Cannubi, Sarmassa and Vignane in Barolo; Codana in Castiglione Falletto; and Rocche dell'Annunziata and Boiolo in La Morra.

This particular bottle was poured into a decanter and allowed to breath for five hours. It was subsequently returned to its bottle a couple hours prior to service and enjoyed alongside the ‘41 Conterno and the ‘61 Cappellano. The 1970 Classico pours a ruddy garnet color with a translucent core and a slightly orange rim; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and dried Morello cherry, shiso, alpine herbs, cola nut, dried roses, truffle, and dried gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long. Stunning stuff. As expected, this bottle came across noticeably more youthful than the two elder statesmen poured alongside. An outstanding pairing with the agnolotti del plin. If this bottle is representative, there is still quite a bit of life left in this. Drink now with patience and through 2040+. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

The fruit for the Oderro Poderi e Cantine “classico” comes from a combination of the Bricco Chiesa in La Morra and the Bricco Fiasco in Castiglione Falletto MGAs. The former being considered Oddero’s “home vineyard”.

Poured into a decanter about 30min before service. In the glass, the wine displays a beautiful ruby color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with very pretty notes of Montmorency cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, a bed of roses, orange peel, fresh sage, eucalyptus and crushed rock. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, drying and grippy. This is all about balance and freshness. These are quite giving already but undoubtedly have a long life ahead. Drink now with patience or through 2044. — 2 years ago

romo

9.4

Eucalyptus all day. Still years to go. Happy Anniversary, Gary! - at Laurelhurst — a month ago

Steven Heydemann

9.1

Not the best showing of this wine. — 4 months ago

Steven Heydemann

9.3

Fully mature and one of the better 93s I’ve tasted. One of the earlier vintages after Roagna bought La Roca e la Pira vineyards in Barolo, extending beyond their base in Barbaresco. The cork on this wine still has the imprint of Roagna Barbaresco, so the transition to Castiglione Falletto was still underway. Really wonderful wine with classic tertiary notes of tobacco, leather, smoke, and dark berry fruit. Tannins fully resolved. Good balance and depth. Time to drink up for sure, but very enjoyable. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.4

This was served to me single-blind, after the 2016 Cascina Fontana Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto. I knew it was Barolo, but from where? It seemed like a broader shouldered wine that I might associate from the Comune di Barolo, but I wasn’t certain. The wine pours a deep, garnet color with a near opaque core. Medium viscosity, with no staining of the tears. On the nose, developing and much darker fruited than the Cascina Fontana with notes of dark cherry and some blackberry notes too. There was some tobacco, tar, red roses, minerals and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and delicious. Again, there is real quality here and a very lovely texture. And there it is: Borgogno’s Riserva Cannubi, 2011! I am not surprised this is Cannubi, with there being no shortage of quality fruit and all. This was really fun to enjoy. Drink now with some patience or through 2041. — 2 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Livia Fontana – Fontanin – Nebbiolo 2021, Barolo DOCG – Piemonte, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
100% Nebbiolo sourced from vineyards around Castiglione Falletto in the Barolo DOCG. A classic expression of Nebbiolo showing the grape’s aromatic intensity, bright acidity, and structural elegance typical of the Langhe hills.

Aromas & Flavors
Highly aromatic with lifted notes of rose petals and tart red fruits. Cherry, cranberry, and subtle earthy undertones emerge with aeration.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with vibrant acidity and firm yet refined tannins. Elegant structure with a smooth and persistent finish.

Food Pairings
Braised meats, truffle dishes, mushroom risotto, lamb, aged cheeses.

Verdict
A beautifully aromatic Barolo that highlights Nebbiolo’s classic rose and red-fruit profile while remaining approachable and expressive.

Did You Know?
Nebbiolo is named after the Italian word nebbia (“fog”), referring to the autumn fog that blankets the Langhe hills during harvest season.

🍷 Personal Pick
Aromatic, elegant, and delicious, rose-driven Nebbiolo at its finest.
— 2 months ago

Jamie Lauder

9.2

2016 vintage.
From 2 plots in Castiglione Falletto and 5 plots in Serralunga d’Alba. Vines are 50 years old.
Cherries, black licorice and smoke on the nose.
Wild cherries, laurel leaf, dried flowers, mineral and savoury.
The purity of fruit is incredible.
Smooth and round tannins with a juiciness on the finish. — 6 months ago

Ericsson

9.1

Some old Barolo for good ol Italian with an even older friend. Cheers. — 2 years ago