April 1, 2017 - Opened roughly 1.5 hours prior to serving, sniffed, cork stuck back in bottle.
Beautiful nose - cranberry, tomato leaf, hints of tar, sour cherries, and spice box.
Rich and full-bodied on the palate, yet the acidity was well integrated and helped provide balance. Chewy spicebox, cherry, plum notes at first. Good tannic structure too.
As the wine opened, it gained a lot of bretty funk, which eventually overwhelmed the fruit and led to a more savory side emerging. Band-aid, hoisin, and campfire notes dominated after another hour. The texture changed a bit too, hollowing out on the mid-palate a bit.
The evolution was fun to watch and taste through, though I definitely preferred the first hour versus the last. Once it lost the fruit character, it became a bit tougher to enjoy, for my palate.
October 14, 2010 - Rich nose of leather, smoke and plums. Palate is chewy with rich smoky fruit and good acid. Finishes long with these flavors carrying on. Top notch riserva from Felsina -- probably could be excellent for a couple more years -- no sign of trailing off.
August 3, 2010 - Modest smoky fruit nose. Palate is rich with smoky, chewy fruit. Good tartness and balance. But definitely at the top, and needs to be drunk.
April 12, 2010 - Nose is rich with leather and dark dark plums. Palate is smoky, chewy, richly fruity. Good bit of tartness towards the end, and a touch of tannins at the end. I think I'm right that this year is the year to finish this up. Not over the hill at all at the moment, but definitely at a peak, and may not last another year or two.
August 9, 2009 - Big nose of leather and dark fruit. Chewy, nicely acidic taste with bright and dark fruit and a long length. Still lots of life in this riserva.
March 8, 2009 - Dense nose with leather and deep deep fruit. The taste is chewy, with bright acid and big bold cherry notes, and light tannins at end. More than moderate length.
August 7, 2008 - Intense and dense nose with leather and deep deep fruit with a menthol hint. The fruit was so whopping coming off the nose, it was as if there was a fan inside the glass driving into my nose! The taste is chewy, with bright acid and big bold cherry notes, and light tannins at end. More than moderate length. Even better than last time. This riserva just seems to be growing with each bottle. A real pleasure, just on its own -- but with a little tuscan bread and salami it is heaven. Not sure my 2010 end date for this wine is long enough.
February 14, 2008 - Delicious nose, full of earth and leather. Strong sangiovese fruit with nice acidity and rolling tannins as the flavors develop. Keeps on giving and is quite chewy and satisfying.
July 21, 2007 - Stylish and rich Riserva, without the flashy new oak of the Rancia; classic Sangiovese aged in large old oak; lovely balance and soft fruit, beautifully integrated acidity, elegant and firm, lovely length, drinking well.
June 18, 2007 - Same as January bottle, see notes