Barolo, Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy
I had high expectations for this wine. Had the 2017 San Lorenzo a few months back, and it was at a really good place, so I was thinking this wine would show well too. Unfortunately, the Monvigliero is really disjointed right now. I decanted for three hours, and after the decant it was closed off. After a lot of air in the glass, it did seem to open a bit. The flavor profile reminded me of the San Lorenzo, with nice dark cherry, spice, and balsamic flavors coming through. It had good depth on the palate with a nice, autumn spice finish. But then the tannin monster decided it wanted to ruin the party. After a while the tannins seemed to completely dominate the palate and finish. Perhaps if it was paired with a more robust dish the tannins would soften a bit? I had it with a traditional bolognese, and the tannins were over the top. I saw glimpses of tastiness, so rating this at a 9.1, and I’m thinking the tannins will soften further in a few years. I left a glass worth in bottle for day 2 to see how it develops. At day 1 though it’s definitely not at a good place.
I had high expectations for this wine. Had the 2017 San Lorenzo a few months back, and it was at a really good place, so I was thinking this wine would show well too. Unfortunately, the Monvigliero is really disjointed right now. I decanted for three hours, and after the decant it was closed off. After a lot of air in the glass, it did seem to open a bit. The flavor profile reminded me of the San Lorenzo, with nice dark cherry, spice, and balsamic flavors coming through. It had good depth on the palate with a nice, autumn spice finish. But then the tannin monster decided it wanted to ruin the party. After a while the tannins seemed to completely dominate the palate and finish. Perhaps if it was paired with a more robust dish the tannins would soften a bit? I had it with a traditional bolognese, and the tannins were over the top. I saw glimpses of tastiness, so rating this at a 9.1, and I’m thinking the tannins will soften further in a few years. I left a glass worth in bottle for day 2 to see how it develops. At day 1 though it’s definitely not at a good place.
1 person found it helpfulMar 22nd, 2026
Impressive showing for this Monvigliero with cherry, strawberry, balsamic, savory spices, floral & tobacco notes
Impressive showing for this Monvigliero with cherry, strawberry, balsamic, savory spices, floral & tobacco notes
Oct 14th, 2025Floral, silky tannins with red berry, cherry, rose petal, spice, leather & tobacco
Floral, silky tannins with red berry, cherry, rose petal, spice, leather & tobacco
Sep 3rd, 2025Really enjoyed this Monvigliero showing red cherry, strawberry, rose petal & spice box. Youthful with silky tannins that needed some air
Really enjoyed this Monvigliero showing red cherry, strawberry, rose petal & spice box. Youthful with silky tannins that needed some air
Jul 7th, 2025
