Mauro Molino 2005 Langhe Nebbiolo

i first discovered this one by accident a few years ago. i was interested in trying a barolo that i had tasted at a wine festival. then i found out how much a barolo was, and had someone point me in the direction of this wine. same grape, cheaper price. i took some time with this one to let it open up, decanting it for at least an hour. nose of blackberry, spicy cinnamon and a minty herbal note, like rosemary. i also picked up a hint of chocolate after the wine sat for a while. on the palate, somewhat sour cherries, tea, bold tannins, and some cranberry notes toward the finish, which was not as long as i would hope. i seem to remember this wine being a whole lot more interesting the first time i tried it, which is why i decided to get another bottle and write about it here. i can't say i was really disappointed, it was an interesting wine. but it was almost a bit too tannic for me. it did soften as it sat and opened up, so maybe a good couple of hours decanting is what is required for this wine. sells for about $17, so considerably cheaper than a $50+ bottle of barolo.