8/9/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Before I bought this bottle (caught my eye while browsing the Italian section during a recent visit to Hi-Time), I looked it up on CT as I'd never heard of the producer before. There was kdsipe's note, and that was good enough for me to try one. Now i'm wishing I'd bought a few more, as our experience was just as good as kdsipe's - with the only real difference being that our bottle never saw day #2. Love that this was under screwcap, too. 12,5% abv., recommended

SnP, served non-blind. Definite repurchase.

https://italianwine.blog/

3/29/2010 - kdsipe wrote:

A study in velvet tannin. Dry and dusty. Surprisingly refined. Consumed out of a tin cup while camping on the Kern river.

1/23/2016 - stubbie999 Likes this wine:

This is not great wine. But it is perfectly lovely and palate refreshing with a light chill alongside a burger. And somehow it made it to my table from halfway around the world, through an importer and three tiers of distribution, for under $10. I live in CA. Why can't I get a bottle like this DTC for $5 or $6? Property costs that haven't been absorbed by generations? Fruit that would go into this sort of bottle being purchased by the big boys (Bronco, Constellation) and made into Menage a Trois? It's not like there aren't bulk producers in Italy or multi-generation growers in the U.S. I don't get it. [Sorry for the rant ]

6/25/2016 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine:

We are not Riesling fans, in general, but we always are up for an opportunity to try. Thick, nectar-like, dark yellow on the eye. Given the age, we were not surprised. Very pleasant. Soft petrol on the nose with hints of pineapple, peach and pear. Inviting. Palate very smooth, broad shouldered and elegant. Excellent! Long, lingering finish. The sort of Riesling that could change the composition of our cellar! Great QPR

5/20/2016 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine:

We picked up a few bottles of this popular Greek wine from the island of Santorini, the birthplace of the Assyrtiko varietal. Straw yellow with hints of green. Subtle aromas of citrus fruit with with a strong dose of wet stones in a humid forest. Nice, medium-bodied structure with well-meaning and received acidity, dry, slightly creamy and offering a long, slightly salty after-taste. We tried Assyrtiko several years ago while visiting Athens. It remains pretty much a mystery to us. Having said that, it is very pleasant when reasonably cool and a nice way to spend an afternoon with a little dry salt at the end.

9/19/2015 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine:

What a marvellous wine! I guess previous tasters w/low scores wish to assist in keeping Sherry prices at the lower end of the scale... (...and ultimately totally killing everything that is or ever was Sherry...)

This one has burnt hair, burnt skin, dead cows and carcasses in the desert, dried up Dali elephants etc as well as a round, welcoming acidic component w/fruity aromas and freshness that make you think this wine was born last week but, yet, somehow, was also gently oxidized over several years.

Nuts, spice, a longer finish than any human can hold hen's (a Swedish thing, don't ask!) breath AND a rich aroma spectrum to d i e for... It makes zombies wish for a better destiny than Hollywood!

Speaking of it's length: no man can ever honestly say that he's in possession of something longer.

And WHICH other white wines do you award higher scores than this one? And: Why???

Wife: slight frown...

Moi: Yah! Gimme! Gimme!
I need more! :-)
And at this timid price, I'm game for a few cases.

5/15/2016 - kdsipe wrote:

I've been meaning to try an Assyrtiko for some time now, heard good things, and this surpassed my expectations. Unique, beguiling and delicious. Rich, ripe aromas of walnut oil, lemon rind, roasted pineapple and peach pit. Medium to full bodied with strong acid, a touch of tannin and a clean, chalk filled finish. So smoky. So effusive. So good. However I enjoyed this less as it approached room temp. Serve slightly chilled. Paired well with grilled mako shark in a tomato, caper sauce.

4/16/2016 - Tim Heaton wrote:

I'm finding a lot of the same things that kdsipe did - boysenberry, cherry, etc.; it's a fine note. The nose takes you in one direction (dark-ish), and the palate whips you back toward the middle, with plenty of acids, and a medium-body. Seems to lack energy, appeal, zip, character, whatever you'd like to call it. I let this slow-O for 4 hours, and had it with a vegetable/pomodoro pasta dinner in Chianti, and the food continually trumped the wine. There's a tang at the finish, not sure I'm a fan. Also, the persistence is medium at best. Unexciting to be sure; not sure there's much of a future here. 13,0% abv. Would not repurchase, and I paid just €12.90 at Enoteca del Chianti in Greve in Chianti.

Served non-blind. Going to save 4 oz for night 2 and see if some fairies sprinkle some magic dust during the night. Let's hope.

*update* on day 2, some earth, mineral and old forest aromas add a touch of interest, but the palate remains the same, quite boring.

https://italianwine.blog/

9/16/2014 - kdsipe wrote:

Dirt, dirt, fertilizer and dirt. Hints of red berry, violets and capsicum. Shimmering aromas, clean and mineral. Light to medium bodied, powdery tannin, broad on the palate, great acid, seamless and full of class. Savory. Gains weight and sweetness with time in the glass. I think this will improve over the next three to five years. Classically styled Loire Cabernet Franc with out the rough edges. Lacks some concentration in this vintage but has good energy. Very claret like. Not for the dirt averse.

7/19/2014 - TannicBeast Likes this wine:

The best of several whites from Campania we tasted. Clear pale lemon, with a clean, aromatic nose of medium intensity. This was served colder than the last time I had it, and the aromas were less tropical with more citrus (lemon and lime), a herbal component (freshly cut hay and straw) and an interesting hint of chalk dust. The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and minerality. The alcohol is medium at 12.5% and nicely integrated. This wine is harmonious, with a medium body, medium flavor intensity and a medium long finish. It is quite elegant and structured. It does exhibit fairly different characteristics depending on the temperature and time opened. It is drinking well now and is likely to continue drinking well for several more years.

3/11/2014 - kdsipe wrote:

Light, natural, floral, fruity and mineral. Good wine, reminiscent of a Beaujolais. But not what I was looking for on this occasion and I am not any closer to understanding piedirosso. Not a good match with tagliatelle alla bolognese, it would have been better with the kale and chickpea stew.

2/18/2014 - Winetex Likes this wine:

Having a tannic moment that wasn't in previous bottles. Root day? Same lot L9.105.

1/29/2012 - kdsipe wrote:

Dark cherry, rusty nail, spice, purple flowers. Rich and concentrated, with fine, drying tannins, plemty of acid and a good finish. More than I usually expect from this bottling. Good for another three or five years. And yet... some how... this doesn't excite. Consumed at Nishiki Arashiyama.

11/2/2012 - kdsipe wrote:

A fine bead, with aromas of petrol, lemon and lime. Delicate, not complex. Opens up with some time in the glass. Feels a bit disjointed, with the sugar and acid at opposite ends, though nicely balanced. The acid is persistent. Lacking intensity. Good value at 16.

1/16/2012 - kdsipe wrote:

Cream, kirsh and spice. Rather lush, round and polished. Medium acid, good tannin, decent finish. Not inspiring.