Rare Italians

wines

This is drinking so beautifully now with so much plum, licorice, and berry character. It's full body and very soft with polished tannins and a super long finish. The round texture ad decadent fruit is wonderful.James Suckling | 97 JSThe limited cuvee made from four blocks of the Falletto Vineyard called Rocche, the 1998 Barolo Rocche di Falletto, borders on perfection. This massive, full-bodied wine is spectacular. A dark plum color reveals lightening at the edge. Stunning aromatics offer up scents of crushed stones intermixed with cherry jam and sweet tobacco. There are loads of glycerin, moderately high tannin, and an amazingly long finish of nearly 50 seconds. As staggering as it is now, I am sure it will close down and require 7-8 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035.Robert Parker | 96-98 RPBruno Giacosa's 1998 Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto is another gorgeous wine. The fresh, floral bloom the wine had in its infancy has softened and the aromas today are moving towards sensations of dried flowers and spices. The wine retains a lovely inner sweetness backed up by considerable structure, which leads me to believe that the tannins might very well outlast the fruit. This is a beautiful Le Rocche, but probably won't be one of the longest-lived vintages of this wine. The wine can be enjoyed today if opened several hours prior to serving, but should also drink well for at least another decade.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGExotic, almost jammy aromas, with hints of spices and flowers. Full-bodied, with big, round tannins and a ripe, almost sweet fruit finish. This is a young and lively red. Like tasting crushed berries. Best after 2006. 1,200 cases made, 400 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Barolo “Rocche di Falletto” Riserva- Bruno Giacosa) The 1998 Rocche di Falletto Riserva from Bruno Giacosa was not tasted at the same tasting as the regular Falletto, and it may well be that it might show better alongside the normale. But at the particular tasting where the wine was shown, the Rocche riserva seemed a tad marked by new wood and was not as structurally rigorous as the regular Falletto. The bouquet is certainly deep enough and quite complex, as it offers up notes of pure red cherries, woodsmoke, camphor, fresh herbs, coffee, tarry tones and a bit of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, quite deep and offers up a sweet core of sappy fruit, with excellent length and nascent complexity. However, the wine seems surprisingly soft at this stage for a Giacosa riserva, with fairly moderate tannins and not a whole lot of grip on the finish. This is certainly a very good bottle of wine, but by the high historical standards of the Giacosa red label bottlings, this is really a tad disappointing. Will it gain in structural integrity with further bottle age? (Drink between 2014-2040)John Gilman | 91+ JG

This has been such an exciting addition to the Luciano Sandrone portfolio. The 2018 Barolo Vite Talin is a bigger-styled Barolo with dark fruit, ample oak shadings and generous concentration. Overall, it is a wine of considerable fruit weight, and that richness is reflected in the grippy nature of the young tannins and the very plump and primary nature of the fruit. There is a note of dried Mediterranean herb, or something like a dried chili husk. You need time to tame that bossy tannin. Production is limited to 2,500 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2018 Barolo Vite Talin is a sexy, opulent Barolo. Although the 2018 does not quite have the pedigree of the best years, it comes pretty close. Succulent dark fruit, clove, gravel, mocha and incense are all front and center. This dense yet mid-weight Barolo will drink well with minimal cellaring.Vinous Media | 96 VMA rich style for the vintage, this dense red exhibits cherry, raspberry, earth, leather and wild herb aromas and flavors. Ripe and spicy, with a vibrant structure and a wide swath of tannins on the energetic finish. Still needs time. Best from 2026 through 2043. 208 cases made, 25 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSForest floor, new leather, blue flower and exotic brown spice aromas come to the forefront on the deeply-hued 2018 Vite Talin along with whiffs of crushed mint. Full-bodied and firmly structured, the still rather austere palate offers layers of dried cherry, prune, bitter orange, licorice and tobacco before closing on a note recalling almond liqueur. A backbone of tightly knit, fine-grained tannins provides support. Drink 2028–2038. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOGrown on the top of the Cannubi Boschis vineyard, this wine bowls out of the glass with aromas of black cherry, crushed raspberries, black tea and a melange of spices. Driven, polished and well-crafted, the palate is firm yet the generous fruit shines through as savory herbs and compelling hints of earth peek through, giving insight into how the wine will age. Drink now through 2045.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe aromas of dark fruit, mushrooms, tar and and asphalt come through clearly. It’s medium-bodied with integrated and polished tannins and a savory and juicy finish. Already open and very drinkable, but it will age nicely. Better from 2026 and onward.James Suckling | 94 JS