Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. No formal notes due to the setting but yeah, this was pretty special from the beginning. I have long been a fan of Renato Ratti’s “Marscenasco” however Conca, the MGA for which they are most proud of, has been more modern in recent history, spending some time in French barrique (for the record, I lean traditionalist). On top of that, many 2009 Barolo’s have come across overblown to my palate. Yet this was sublime. Proving, once again that there is always something to learn. The fruit was 2009 powerful but balanced with acid and freshness. There was plenty tar and roses and all the tannin one should expect from Conca. Fabulous stuff. Drink now through 2044. — 5 months ago

Matthew Cohen

9.7

Effed up on pop and pour. Needs an hour. Then it’s Magic.

Nose: dusty pink roses. 90 minutes in - black truffles. Liquid sex.

Palate: sweet pink roses. Savory. Juicy. So good.

So distinctive. A must own.

Fass selections — 5 months ago

Kland Aida

9.5

Second time having the 2021. Didn’t disappoint—tannic but right length. Complex palette and powerful but not overpowering. Great wine. — 9 months ago

Anthony De Blasi

9.5

Sour candy and coca cola. Very soft tannins. This Arborina is in a great spot and truly singing! — 10 months ago

Will Stanley

9.4

My first time trying one of the wines from Cantina del Pino, an estate with greater ties to Barbaresco’s roots than most. The Vacca family were long a part of the Produttori but in 1997 branched out (yes, a pun: it was they who in the 1920s planted the now iconic pine tree on the highest point of the Ovello lieu-dit), and now produce two single vineyard Barbaresco bottlings (this, and an Albesani), as well as a generic Barbaresco and Langhe, Barbera and Dolcetto wines.

Tragically, winemaker Renato Vacca died in March last year after a yearlong battle with cancer. The 2016 vintage, just bottled, is supposed to be superb.

For now, though, the Ovello from the less lauded 2012 vintage. This is a knockout wine, still young, and with great promise. The nose is very exotic, quite heady & oaky even after a two hour decant, but opened up as the evening progressed, to give gorgeous aromas of macerated cherry, blackberry preserve, cinnamon, cedar and old leather. It screams Nebbiolo, and it’s the first Nebb I’ve had in a year or so.

The palate is very concentrated, with ripe and intense flavours of cranberry, dried cherry, cured meat and tobacco leaf. There is great tension and energy through the mouth, which only this village - or its neighbour - can achieve. The finish is long and impressive. A seductive, ageworthy wine.

94+ — 5 years ago

Darren Stevens

8.9

Tim’s Wine Market $22 — 7 years ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.2

Clear, pale ruby to garnet in color; on the nose, it's clean with medium intensity primary aromas of raspberries, cherries, and roses; on the palate, it's dry with high acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, full body and pronounced primary flavors of cherry syrup, strawberries, and clay pots with a long finish. This wine is balanced and complex. Overall, I rate this wine as very good. — 5 months ago

with Nellie

Ted

9.3

Dried cherry and worn leather. Beautiful wine. — 6 months ago

with Jeni

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Consistent both days but this needed at least 3 to 4 hours to really start to strut. Day 2 this kept pulling like a freight train with no stop in sight. The 2019 Classico pours a garnet color with a slightly orange tinge and a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of ripe Morello cherry, roses, tar, new leather, dried sage, old wood and dry gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. I will say again, this really benefits from serious patience and air, but this is a beautiful Classico that has a very long life ahead. Drink now through 2059+. — 8 months ago

KP

9.0

Enjoyed in Maui. Herbal and oaky nose. Low tannins. High acidity. Smooth but short finish. — a year ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.3

So pure, fresh as spring water. Totally get the tangerine on this. Beautiful mid-palate. Alpine. — 5 years ago

with Judy, Alsu and 1 other

Jim Chen

9.2

Pale color belies its intensity. Enjoying a lovely dinner at Vue de Monde with renato and albane the sommelier. — 7 years ago

Guy Acheson

8.9

Pretty darn good. — 5 months ago

Christina

9.7

Wonderful! — 5 months ago

Paul Masson

9.2

More of a mid-weight, approachable vintage, not quite the highs of 2019, but a pleasure to drink, particularly after a day’s air — 7 months ago

Martijn

9.0

Big bold Barbera. Many of the colleague tasters placed it in Australia.
Nice effort! — 10 months ago

Matthew Cohen

9.7

Needs an hour decant. Prior to that discombobulated.

Immensely age worthy.

Nose: exquisite. Virgin pink roses. White flowers. The musk of beauty. So precise.

Hint of orange peel as it opens.

Palate: this ephemeral embryo of a cherry. Hint of cocoa. Silky. Just perfect.

Fass selections — a year ago

Pablo Cetlinski

9.3

Great dark cherry fruit with exposed tannins. Not much earth and tar. Great Barolo to pair with many Italian foods. — 6 years ago

Cathy Levy

9.0

Cheers Renato... we keep you in our hearts. — 6 years ago

Pierre Costa

9.3

Classic Barolo — 8 years ago