Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2014 Classico pours a slightly hazy garnet with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing. Initially showing notes of stewed red fruits, however with about 30 minutes of air, the fruits freshened up. Morello Cherry, macerated strawberry, dried roses, tar, leather, gravelly earth, and a pleasant mix of cool spices. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium plus; grippy and savory. An often maligned vintage in Piemonte, particularly in Barolo (though some outstanding examples exist). However, in Barbaresco, there was more success and this is an example. Drink now through 2034. — 3 days ago

Devin Bray

9.4

Herbs, roses, cherry fruit, tons of mineral complexity and a backbone of asphalt and coal. Amazing. — 7 months ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Nice nose. Plum and underbrush with roses and dried apricot. Very clear with a hint of band aid and great purity with a slightly bitter black pepper note near the end. Very soulful and clear. Excellent — 7 months ago

with Jonathan, Paul and 1 other

Brandon Boesch

9.6

Wow! So glad I bought a bottle of this. Funky on opening. After 2 hours it is so good. Violets, roses, cherry, baking spice is in background, there’s an earth/herbal component I cannot pinpoint. It is so drinkable but evolves with almost every sip. Need more Pinots like this in my life. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Vigorously poured into a decanter about 30 minutes prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2017 Gabutti “Pie Rupestris” pours a deep garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with heavy notes of ripe and tart Morello cherry, fresh cut roses (stems and all!), tar, dried herbs, exotic eastern spices, talcum powder and dried earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, though everything seems to be enhanced on the palate; powerful! The finish is super long. This is a gorgeous example of 2017 Barolo and likely one of the very finest of the vintage. Drink now through 2067. — 5 months ago

Mary H

9.2

Yeasty bread, ripe and slightly browned Fuji and honeycrisp apple, hint of pineapple. Crisp but not bracing, fine bubbles. — a year ago

Peter Sultan

9.4

Feels about the right drinking window w 12 yrs post release; fairly translucent rose/ brick red, supreme leather & dried roses on nose, balanced tannins & full yet soft on palate. Overall balanced affair, drunk out of limited stemware with a large bday party contingent so imagine would notice much more in quieter circumstances — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of four days. Best of Day 4. The 2020 Classico pours a beautiful garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart and ripe red fruits: strawberries, cherry lozenges, pink roses, tar, talcum powder and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose though the fruit comes across more ripe than tart. The finish is long and saline. This is an elegant, sexy Barolo with sneaky power that’s only revealed with enormous exposure to air at this stage. Drink now with patience and through 2040. — 7 months ago

Emily Ferrin

9.2

J&K’s 50th @ Gibson’s Italian — 9 months ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

For the price, I expected a lot more. So did the rest on the table. Probably too young as it did improve with air, but I’ve had youthful (and cheaper) Champagne’s that performed far better than this. Started off with heaps of pears, bruised apples, and almonds on the nose. The palate was concentrated, juicy and almost too fruity for me (apples and apricot for days!). Air brought about more cut and chalkiness, as well as some floral notes. In short, I expected more depth. I suspect I’m just not a fan of the vintage. Time will tell. — a year ago