March 30, 2021 - incredibly fresh and pure on taste. very floral, lavender and some lovely red fruits. with more air some deeper medicinal cherry notes. With ample air this becomes heavier somehow and losing its grace. kind of a strange turn,
May 14, 2020 - Red and black cherry with good brightness, length and weight. Tannins have never fully resolved and integrated, and this finishes a little warm. Mostly unchanged on Day Two, maybe even more firm and less forthcoming. Better when younger.
March 31, 2020 - Fresh, slightly sweet raisiny black cherry/plum fruit, nice earthiness, but the alcohol (labeled 14%) is too noticeable on the back end and mars the wine. Don't imagine this will get better from here.
November 5, 2017 - Minerally, earthy, structured. Fantastic
July 21, 2016 - Served blind, and this proved a bit tricky. First off, this did not show 10 years of age. The wine was still big and firm, and the fruit fairly bold, with an almost raisined ripeness. Nice balance overall though and this one should get even more interesting in a bunch of years.
April 23, 2014 - Colore già abbastanza evoluto, con unghia mattone.
Naso molto buono, caldo ma delicato, finemente speziato: con frutti rossi maturi (amarene), fiori di campo, erbe officinali, zaffate di humus, leggera cannella, torroncino ed un poco di tabacco dolce.
Bocca in linea col naso, lievemente balsamica, con tannino ben domato e levigato, acidità ancora rigogliosa e molto piacevole. Finale lungo e dolce.
Questo Calderara Sottana sembra giungere ora alla giusta maturità, si trova ad un punto di ottimo equilibrio, pare vicino al suo apogeo.
Da bere subito, o da attendere per scoprirne l'evoluzione nel campo dei sentori terziari (la buona acidità lascia intendere che invecchierà bene).
August 15, 2013 - Lots of red fruit aromas with slightly sweet spice. Red cherry flavors, somewhat austere. Firm tannins all the way start-to-finish, a bit more new oak spice than I would prefer for the wonderful quality of this fruit.
June 19, 2013 - Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio are not grapes with which I have any experience. 98% the former, 2% the latter. Tight and somewhat herbal, with a pinot funk nose for those that like such. Plenty of tannin structure that hints at long life. Tart cherry, some plum, and a puckering finish. Odd but interesting.
August 11, 2011 - Blind tasted after 3 days open but vacuum conserved. Big red fruits with oak on the nose. Big fruit on the palate but with an inky, mineral quality (think volcanic) and very fresh despite the provenance from Sicily. Good stuff and very quaffable!
May 20, 2011 - another one that is fairly 1-d.
Makes it a bit boring.