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Super Tuscans (Reasonably priced)
Lou's
Tasted March 29, 2017 by Loren Sonkin with 376 views
Introduction
Last night our tasting group met to taste Super Tuscan's that were priced reasonably (whatever that means) and (mostly) available in the market place. We had a nice selection. Although nothing blew us away, it was a very interesting tasting. Given the mix of styles, vintages and grapes, it was perhaps not surprising but there was a lot of disagreement. Lots of wines got first and last place votes. Three wines tied for first place.
The wines were consumed blind for a couple of hours and then revisited once revealed. Scores were tabulated first for the group. Breads and cheeses were available.
Flight 1 - A White Starter (1 note)
White
2014 Teruzzi & Puthod Vernaccia di San Gimignano
87 points
A blast from the past. 15 years ago, we used to drink a lot of this. Its been a while. Still priced around $15. Light golden in color. The nose is tight at first. Some weird notes but eventually it settles down with some peach and melon notes along with a bit of hay. Jeff mentioned almonds which I agreed with. On the palate, this is tart, mostly grapefruit with some lemons. Biting, perhaps a bit much on the finish. Almost tannic. Still, for the price, this is an excellent value. I would suspect the 15 to be a bit better.
Flight 2 - The Red Flight (10 notes)
Red
2003 Le Cinciole Camalaione Toscana IGT
87 points
This was divisive. Although it got no first place votes it was tied for the groups #1 wine. It also got some poor scores including my last place vote. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has dusty leather, dried cherries almost craisins, and a green streak. To me more herbal but Jeff said Alfalfa. Maybe. Anyway, that should have been a clue to think 03 I suppose. On the palate, I found it hollow with a clipped yet tart finish. It was certainly drinkable but not something I particularly want to drink. Some had it higher as I said.
Red
2012 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Terre di Pisa Il Nero di Casanova
flawed
Ruby in color, clear but a bit flat. This looked like it had some age and I was surprised to see it was a 2012. I don't think this was a proper bottle given that. The nose was dominated by a green streak, call it herbal or even dill with little fruit. Very soft on the palate. Some black cherry fruit but the green carries over. Tart acidity. One of the few wines we agreed upon as it was easily the last place vote.
Red
2014 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Ateo
87 points
Though this finished second last, it did get a first and a third place vote. So the night went. Ruby/purple in color. The nose is dusty with cherries and a slight almost vinegar note that increased with air. The palate has some cherries but pretty simple. Clipped on the finish. A victim of the vintage? Not sure, but disappointing.
Red
2013 Ca' Marcanda (Gaja) Promis Toscana IGT
90 points
Another divisive wine. About half liked it and half did not. I liked it but not for the $49 price tag. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black raspberries, cherries and some charcoal. A bit dusty. On the palate, this is slightly candied. Black raspberries and cherries. medium tannins. Nice wine. A bit of depth but not a ton. Slightly clipped on the finish.
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Red
2012 Montepeloso A QUO Toscana IGT
90 points
This ended up being the WOTN for the group (on tie breakers) with 2 first and a third. For $23, that is pretty good value. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has sandalwood, cherries, cassis, and tobacco. On the palate, this is delicious. Black raspberries, dusty with black licorice and just a hint of barnyard that comes out with air. Nice finish. Seems like it has some upside but drinking great right now.
Red
2008 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Fontalloro
90 points
Another excellent wine but for $48, it gets hard to justify that cost. I was frankly surprised at this as i expected a bit better. Ruby/purple in color. The nose is a bit dusty with dark cherries. On the palate, a bit sweet on the front end with dark cherry fruit. Firm tannins. I suppose it may still develop a bit, and I did enjoy it, but it was below expectations.
Red
2014 Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto Toscana IGT
91 points
Another divisive wine. It got two first place votes including mine and a third. I will say my first round with it was disappointing. Light bodied and off aromas. When I cam back to it, however, it had put on weight and sorted itself out and was getting better IMO at the end of the night. Ruby, clear and bright. The nose has cassis, slight cherries and a bit of herbal notes. On the palate, the cassis dominates. It is light to medium bodied. Mild tannins. I doubt it gets much better but for what it is, i enjoyed the energy and the fruit. At $30, its debatable though.
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Red
2013 Tenuta di Trinoro Le Cupole Toscana IGT
90 points
This is always a hit in these tastings although it was pretty middle of the road this time. $33. Purple in color. The nose is dusty with cherries and blueberries. Pretty ripe. On the palate, this is very easy to drink. Some depth. Delicious if a bit ripe. Nice finish.
Red
2010 Domus Vitae Dragone Toscana IGT
87 points
$18, there is some value here. It is also pretty divisive mostly due to the Brett. Jeff called is sewer gas. Lou loved it. For me, it was pushing my (tolerant) limits. Inky purple in color. The nose has a ton of barnyard, some spice and dark cherry fruit. The barnyard continues to the palate as does the fruit. A bit drying on the finish. Lou said there is some bottle variation on these.
Red
2012 Podere Sapaio Volpolo
89 points
Ruby/purple in color. The nose is dusty and pretty tight. With air, some cassis and plums come out. On the palate, this is medium weight. There is a nice complexity here. Cassis and plums. Good finish. International tasting, but that's fine. $29.
Closing
I like these kinds of tastings. It does put a premium on quality but lets one factor in value as well. We all had a lot of fun and laughs as well. There are a couple I might seek out, especially on a restaurant list if offered for reasonable mark ups.