Bruno Giacosa Nebbiolo d’Alba 2008 (Langhe, Piedmont, Italy)

12.5%, Cork, $50

I’m not the biggest fan of ’08 Langhe reds, with the scorched flavours never looking all that appealing.

Here we see a normally high quality Nebbiolo d’Alba blunted by the warmth of the vintage, giving volatility, advanced colours and Muscat like concentrated fruit jamminess. Still, like many 08s, the warm year shrivel has given this particularly drying and rough tannins, which are a little angular, yet prop this up reasonably well.

Not a classic Barolo, nor an approachable Langhe Neb, this gives some tannin chew but fails to back that up with enough palate life, the wine just an under/overripe shell on day two. Still, there lies some ferrous charm for lovers of ‘woodsman style’ dry reds.

Not me though.

Source: Retail

Tasted: January 2014

Drink: 2014-2019

Score: 16/20, 87/100

Would I buy it? No. Real Barolo is only a fraction more expensive. I know where my money would go.