94 points Wine Spectator: "Ripe and rich Barbaresco with loads of velvety tannins, toasted oak and ripe fruit. Full-bodied, round and unctuous. Hard to resist now but will age very well indeed. Best after 2006." (02/05) 92 points Stephen Tanzer: "Saturated ruby-red. Textbook Barbaresco nose of tar, dried flowers, chocolate and coffee, with an overlay of spicy oak. Fat and dense but backward and not especially sweet in the middle palate, with somewhat medicinal dark fruit flavors. Then turned increasingly rich and sweet on the back half, with sheer fruit ... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

Finally, a value priced Barbaresco that really hits the spot: great vineyards, talented winemaking, large well-maintained barrels, long macerations, and more than the minimum time in wood. Castello di Verduno is run by Mario Andron, a young winemaker with great respect for the traditional method of making big Nebbiolo. His straight Barbaresco is just outstanding. From vineyards in Rabaja, Rabaja' bass and Faset aged for 17 months in large Slavonian oak. 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2005 Barbaresco is a gorgeous, captivating Barbaresco that reveals superb depth in its sweet red cherries, menthol, pine, spices and minerals. The wine is vibrant and poised, with firm tannins that give it a somewhat austere personality. With some time in the glass its perfumed core of sweet fruit emerges, and a few years in bottle should help it come together even more. This is a very pretty Barbaresco from Cantina del Pino. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2023." (10/08) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: " have been looking forward to tasting the estate's 2004 Barbaresco Ovello for some time. It is an exceptional wine that expresses the pedigree of the vintage in its sweet, expansive personality. Ripe dark fruit, toasted oak and balsamic nuances are all woven together in a powerful, structured style. Ovello is one of the cooler micro-climates in Barbaresco and this wine remains quite powerful and tannic today. It should develop beautifully over the following years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024." (10/08) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Once again, the Produttori have turned out a gem in their 2005 Barbaresco. A beautiful, perfumed Nebbiolo, the wine flows effortlessly from the glass with captivating notes of crushed flowers, raspberries, sweet herbs and spices. This classic, mid-weight Barbaresco possesses plenty of clean, bright fruit framed by elegant tannins, showing notable harmony. Simply put, this is a classic wine Piedmont lovers won’t want to miss. Ideally, the wine should be cellared for a few years, but readers will have a hard time e... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is one of the more reticent wines in this lineup of 2004 Riservas. Its vibrant, fresh color is followed by notes of violets, roses, black cherries, menthol, smoke and licorice. The wine possesses tons of structure and sheer muscle behind the fruit, suggesting this will be an especially long-lived Barbaresco. In recent vintages I haven’t been the biggest fan of the Montestefano, but this superb 2004 is impossible to resist. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024." (10/08) 91-93 po... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2005 Barbaresco Santo Stefano is striking in its beauty. This firm, structured wine bursts from the glass with layers of dark red fruit, spices, flowers and menthol. Medium in body, the wine possesses notable inner beauty in a transparent, almost weightless style. There is superb pedigree here, not to mention tons of class. Once again the Santo Stefano bottling delivers the goods. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2025." (10/08) 90 points Wine Spectator: "Perfumed and very beautiful, with strawberry and flowers. Su... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

Olek Bondonio is a decorated Italian snowboarding champion who traded the thrills of conquering the snowy mountains for the thrills he now creates from the grapes grown on the hills of the Bondonio family estate. this particular offering by Olek is already gaining attention in Europe. This past summer, Enogea, the premiere Italian wine industry publication dedicated to the tasting and rating of wines, gave this wine a rating of 'very good,' noting that "the sometimes rough tannins give way to a wine that is a good traditional offering of this variety" an... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood San Francisco

93 points from the Wine Spectator (Sep 15, 1989). 

Inventory: Redwood City

93 points Wine Spectator: "There's a very pretty nose of blackberry and blueberry. Full-bodied, with big, racy tannins and a long, lingering finish of fruit, vanilla and cream. Yet this is subtle and impressive. Very clean. Best after 2011. 660 cases made." (12/07) 92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2004 Barbaresco Coparossa is sweet and ample, with a more obvious toasted oak presence complemented by scorched and macerated cherries. This deeply-colored, beautifully-proportioned Barbaresco offers superb balance, yet it is also a fairly struct... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is deep, dense and incredibly primary. Although the wine clearly possesses remarkable stuffing, there is very little tertiary development here. With air, suggestions of menthol, pine, spices and licorice gradually emerge, but this remains a wine in need of serious bottle age. Lingering notes of sweetness resonate on the long finish. This austere, but beautiful Barbaresco is destined to develop beautifully in bottle and should offer glorious drinking down the road. Anticipated mat... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

According to the Wine Spectator: "Subtle aromas of berries and minerals, with hints of spice. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a long, elegant finish. Best after 2003. 755 cases made." (09/01) 

Inventory: Redwood City

Birthday bottles are always a fun idea, but in most cases the idea is tastier than the actual wine! If you're in search of a birthday bottle from 1974, you could hardly do better than this perfectly stored Riserva Barbera from Le Colline. Mature notes of cedar and dried bed berries open to reveal fading flower and silky tannins. A wine of contemplation, best enjoyed with old cheeses and a birthday girl or boy who can appreciate the maturity that comes with a bit of age! 

Inventory: Redwood City

91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is a dense, chewy offering loaded with ripe red cherries, licorice, tar and sweet wild herbs. The wine’s sheer concentration and power are impressive but today the tannins seem to lack the extra level of elegance that characterizes the best wines in this vintage. Despite its slightly rustic personality, this medium to full-bodied Barbaresco delivers plenty of drinking pleasure in an intense style. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. " (10/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

According to the Wine Spectator: "A pleasant red, with plum and light spice character, medium body and a soft, creamy texture. Drink now." (Web only, 2001) 

Inventory: Redwood City

Brooding and very elegant, this Rieserva Barbaresco from back in the day proves that Nebbiolo is the undisputed king of Italian reds, and a long-lived beauty, too. Le Colline is a well known producer making old school wine full of classic Barbaresco characters, most notably purple flowers, tar and blackberry. 30 years old and going strong! 

Inventory: Redwood City

93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico is another of the larger-scaled wines in this lineup. It reveals a profile of ripe red fruits, spices and menthol wrapped into a seamless yet structured frame. This Barbaresco doesn’t quite have the level of profoundness of the finest wines in this vintage, but it comes awfully close. Shades of Bruno Giacosa’s 1971 Barbaresco Montefico linger on the long and immensely satisfying finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024." (10/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo is one of the better versions of this wine I can remember. There is considerable depth and richness in the fruit here as this sweet, layered Barbaresco opens up in the glass. The typical spiced, floral Rio Sordo notes are amply present in the wine, but in 2004 there is an additional level of concentration and richness that has eluded previous vintages. This is a beautiful Rio Sordo from the Produttori. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020" (10/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Moccagatta suffers only by virtue of being placed among this group of phenomenal wines; most producers would be delighted to have this as their top Barbaresco. As is often the case, the Moccagatta is a relatively accessible, forward wine, but like the Rio Sordo, it has an unusual level of plumpness and inner sweetness that makes up for any complexity that may be missing. Sweet spices, plums, prunes and espresso are just some of the nuances to be found in this compelling wine. The Moccag... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood