WineSpectator Review:
Lots of raspberry, mushroom and black cherry, with a hint of vanilla. Fullbodied, with fine tannins and a long, fruity finish. Still a little reserved, but shows lovely fruit. A gorgeous wine. Goes on and on. Best after 2008.
Parker Review:
The utterly perfect, dense ruby/purplecolored 1996 Barbaresco Asili (Red Label Riserva) is a heroic offering brilliantly displaying both power and elegance. The bouquet develops incrementally, offering up aromas of black raspberries, cherries, cigar box, licorice, and leather. The wine impresses with its nuances as well as its extraordinarily rich, dense midpalate, and a finish that lasts nearly a minute. There is huge tannin, but equally massive concentration, extract, and overall harmony. Anticipated maturity 2006 to 2025.
Tanzer Review:
Saturated rubyred color. Knockout nose combines plum liqueur, cherry, dried rose and menthol complex, vibrant and perfumed. Then extremely young and sharply focused, with powerful acid spine and tannic backbone giving the superbly sweet, thoroughly ripe flavors great cut and thrust. But this extremely dense Barbaresco is still an infant. Smoke and animal notes add complexity. Finishes with huge, sweet, molarcoating tannins and explosive length. This classically styled Barbaresco has all the components for greatness.
