Fratelli Brovia Fratelli Brovia Barolo Rocche, Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

La Festa del Barolo Castiglione Falletto Dinner (Locanda Verde, New York) : Perfumed mint. Medium bodied. Supple, open, and spicy with fine acidity. This is easier and less intense than the the 2 younger vintages and it fades on the finish, but it is attractive now and has enough backbone to drink well for a few years, at least from this larger format.

North & Central Italy (Terra Rossa) : More developed than the last bottle but also slightly richer - both nuances work. Excellent depth and dimension- this one is a winner.

North & Central Italy offline (Terra Rossa, London N1) : A bit of soy sauce on the otherwise muted nose. Quite sandy tannins that were cloying and likely teeth staining! Slightly tertiary delicious red fruit on the palate. Really good yet slightly under delivering...

Nose is soft and elegant spicy with dark plum, cola. Lovely deep and sapid plum and blackcurrant and cassis. Tannins hit you a bit. Excellent but not quite as good as the last showing.

Piedmont chez Josh (Josh's house) : Dark red. Rich, round, and complete. Lovely. It's sweet, with elements of red cherry, rosehip, vanilla pod - just succulent and moreish. There is some mouth-coating chewiness on the finish to remind you that this nebbiolo, like grain whisky.

Piedmont at Josh's : Lovely mature nose with dried cherry and rose petals and orange peel. Wonderful intense palate, tangy cherry and grenadine, really sapid lip smacking fruit and tannins in a good spot. Lovely

Piedmont dinner (Home) : Superb blend of delicacy, perfume and drive. Balanced, round and complete- it still has a sweet fruit character and while there’s a sense of smoothness it also has great life and energy.

First bottle of a recent auction purchase, thrilled with the addition to the cellar. Drinking well, though still quite tannic. Not showing the heat of the vintage I've seen in some other 05s, really felt more classic than I expected. No reservations about opening now, though this feels like it has the stuffing for another decade plus.

Drunk together with 2006 and 2007, decanted 2 hours before. Prune and cherry, a hint of earth and meat, high acidity, lot of fine tannin, full bodied and long finish, classical and powerful, is not as elegant as 2007. Needs a lot of air to open, just at the beginning of the drinking window, will hold for many more years, 92-93.

Brovia Rocche vertical: 2004-2008 (Our place, Bern, Switzerland) : Blind Brovia Rocche tasting. Fine fruit on the nose, a very clean cherry. It's mixed with other notes which remind me of beef broth. Still young, open and lovely. Classic profile on the palate with a very fine-grained and grippy tannin. It seemed young and very fine to me. I thought it could be 2008. Retasted over two more days, it was in great shape. Lovely red fruit, both on the …

corked