Les deux bouteilles ouvertes hier soir étaient dans une forme splendide. Beau rouge grenat à peine tuilé. Dépôt important au fond des bouteilles. Le nez est très invitant avec des notes boisées et fumées. La bouche est tout en fruit, sur la griotte, très expressive et complexifiée par le bois qui ajoute des nuances de café, de noix de coco. Les tanins ont fondus, mais il reste suffisamment d'acidité pour donner du relief à tout ce fruit exubérant et presque sucré. Superbe!
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Goodbye dear friend. My last bottle. When I drank my first bottle ten years ago it was a fiery youngster full of sharp tannins. Over the years it has slowly mellowed into a softer wine, perhaps a little thin in the mid-palate, but gone are the tough tannins. Amazingly no sediment and color that makes it look much younger. Enjoyed it with a Bolognaise.
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This (LR8012) is consistent with previous bottles. It opens up after a short decant with a lot of aromatic and flavor complexity. It is smooth and balanced, with a medium+ body, a hint of sweetness on the mid-palate, and a nice mineral finish. Lovely. Great QPR.
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This bottle is drinking very young. Just a hint of mature earth, leather. A touch hot, with some moderate bitter notes. Overall this was drinking well. Tannins were sticking out a bit much and were pretty drying. This was best after about 3 hours open. No rush to open this.
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This is drinking well, but with plenty of life ahead of it. Light tobacco and leather accent the earthy mixed red and darker fruit. There is quite a bit of structure here. I liked this more than the 2016 we drank with it. The 16 has a lot of potential, but is as you would expect, more primary and simple.
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Another very nice bottle, this (LR 8012) is smooth, balanced, savory and sappy. Very similar to the previous bottle in August 2020, those detailed notes apply.
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Another delicious bottle of the 2008 Monsanto CCR. This vintage, as others have noted, needs less air than many to bring forth the wine’s aromatics, which were present right away; the wine was fully open after 35-40 minutes. On the darker side of Chianti, with dusty aromas of leather and tobacco, a lovely sweet mid-palate, great acid backbone, and a sappy, savory, long finish of minerals and fresh sliced beetroot. A very good, balanced wine with an outstanding QPR. There is some bottle and even case variation with Monsanto, but based on this bottle, and depending on your cellar, I would say that the wine is in decline and you should drink up by 2023 or so. Many Chiantis and many Monsantos are better on night two, but not this one.
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Dark red almost opaque color with a slight rim of brick orange at the rim (I have always liked to let the older wines “relax” in the glass instead of decanting). Dusty dark red and blue fruit with muted tones of allspice and nutmeg along with a hint of cocoa on the nose. Natural cellar with gradual seasonal temperature (52-64 degree F) variation, which I believe more positively influences the wine’s evolution. Beautiful vibrant Sangiovese fruit that initially out of the bottle, dries out mid palate with little but residual barrel-imparted vanilla on the finish. Tannins are more present, in the medium-light mouthfeel, than the predominant sweet dried cherry flavor with a contributory acidity that lifts the fruit to the roof of the mouth. We will have grilled steak shortly and I expect the wine to reveal more of its secrets. To be continued. With dinner the fruit became more expansive and darkly sweeter with the same mouthfeel, but with a longer tail of fruit throughout the three phases of the palate, and still gratifyingly earthy on the finish.
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Good stuff here. Nicely traditional, showing violet, pine, dried cherry. Structure is firm and this ought to age nicely over the next decade. I'd suggest waiting to drink; it really did gain complexity on the 2nd day.
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Very nice bottle, had with lamb chops with a dill sauce.....good match. My wine was also properly stored...FYi
I agree with 8/24/2018 - PAULUSLOZEBRA notes:
This wine comes from a cellar with very good conditions but with deliberate and substantial seasonal fluctuations, so that wines will age a bit faster than in "perfect" cellars at constant temperature and humidity. My sense is that this bottle shows the beginning of the wine's decline. That says more about the vintage 2008 than about Monsanto. This bottle still has a great, great fragrance profile of sweet cherries and hints of tobacco, raw meat and dark spices. And it still has excellent balance and integration among the acid, tannin and extract. But it has begun to lose something in the mid-palate. I recommend a 30 minute decant and that the wine be served slightly on the cool side. If you have a perfect cellar then drink to 2025, otherwise drink to 2022.
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At ten years of age this is the best bottle I've had of this wine. Darker than a typical Monsanto, with a big aromatic profile of dark, sweet fruits, black pepper and rosemary; firm acid backbone; big, silky tannins; excellent balance; long finish with dry mineral notes and a hint of residual sweetness. Drink to 2030.
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This wine comes from a cellar with very good conditions but with deliberate and substantial seasonal fluctuations, so that wines will age a bit faster than in "perfect" cellars at constant temperature and humidity. My sense is that this bottle shows the beginning of the wine's decline. That says more about the vintage 2008 than about Monsanto. This bottle still has a great, great fragrance profile of sweet cherries and hints of tobacco, raw meat and dark spices. And it still has excellent balance and integration among the acid, tannin and extract. But it has begun to lose something in the mid-palate. I recommend a 30 minute decant and that the wine be served slightly on the cool side. If you have a perfect cellar then drink to 2025, otherwise drink to 2022.
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Another good bottle and wish a had more of these as I only gave one left. Great balance of acid, tannin, and fruit. Tannins are now softened leaving a silky texture.
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This needed 45 minutes after decanting to show itself, as a pop n pour it is wasted. Another very good bottle, this wine is all about balance, silkiness, and a harmonious integration of the aromatics, flavors, acid and tannin. Excellent with a variety of dishes.
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Another fine bottle, I have five left from this vintage of 24. Consistent with my notes from six months ago, this needed 45 minutes to show fully, and is subtle, persistent and understated, with firm acidity and tannin underpinning sweet and sour cherries, pepper, red meat, and a long mineral finish. Medium bodied, with a nice residual sweetness on the finish. As with previous bottles, it has more complex and interesting flavors than fragrances, where it is a bit simple, particularly on night two. Overall, a very good food wine and QPR.
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Another great bottle of the 08, this one is now in its peak-drinking window, which should probably last a further 5 or 7 years. Closed at first, it needed 45 minutes of air before showing dark cherry, earth, minerals, and herbs, with hints of mint. Acid and tannin are both prominent yet balanced; medium mouth-feel and medium length. Hit its aromatic peak at about 2 hours. Finished the bottle after 24 hours, and while the aromas were less prominent the flavors were even more pronounced, the wine seemed richer (and darker!?). Great stuff.
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Medium-intense, promising nose of dark cherry, plum, iron, vanilla, espresso beans, and a hint of printer's ink. Medium-bodied, with bracing acidity and few unresolved tannins. The primary fruit comes through on the palate, though the effect is a bit muted compared to the wonderful nose. The length is medium, and there is a bit of leafiness on the finish. Overall a solid effort, offering very good value.
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Close to past its peak, this wine is still very good if you bottle is in good shape. I opened a bottle 3 weeks ago which was past, but opened one of my remaining bottles last night and it was still solid. Fruit is now in the background, some surprising layers at this point. The glass left on day 2 was gone. I'd say time to drink up.
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Last of three bottles of this, and I dare say that this wine is still on the appreciating side. The last bottle I had was a little strange, but this bottle was MUCH better. The fruit today out of this bottle was much more expressive. Cork withdrawn intact, sealed well, no bleed up the cork. The nose was minerals and red cherry, with a hint of clay and dirt. The entry of this wine revealed a locked up chianti, black cherry fruit that seemed muted, and a medicinal, herbal note in the middle. Black tea, black cherry, and mint on the finish, with a black cherry backbone. These notes ALL warmed over 3 hours as the wine was slowly consumed. Best bottle of this I've had to date I think. Very sad to see this one go, but I think a friend has another case in his cellar, so I think I'm going to try to revisit this one every six months over the next few years. Drink by date of 2018 is a little silly. I'd say that 2025 is probably much more appropriate. I was a little hesitant at the last bottle I will definitely say. But this bottle has really sealed the deal for me as this one being a "real" chianti riserva that can keep and age for another 10 years. Cheers!
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Has evolved nicely over the past three years since the last time I had this. Full bodied and earthy with notes of cherry, mushroom, earth, mineral, and herbs. Dry chewy tannins, abundant acidity, and a lingering finish. (90+)
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Ruby red in color. Dark cherries, underbrush, hint of licorice and dusty soil on the nose. Medium bodied palate with sweet-tart pit red fruits like plums and cherries, medium (+) acidity, slightly bitter tannins and a clipped & earthy finish. Good wine for its price but there is a bit of astringency and bitterness that keeps this CCR from getting to the next level.
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So, I expected more tonight, but this one could still stand to sit another 2-3 years. Very locked up, and opened with a little cranberry and sour apple. However, about 90 minutes later it was showing a raspberrry bouquet, a little herbal notes, some crushed limestone. I am firmly convinced that this wine just doesn't have the complexity of those that accompany it from the same year. Still happy t run into a few of these. I can understand the 75-point ratings, but I think that 86-89 is probably a little more appropriate.
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VG Chianti, it aged well, good fruit balanced with tannin with some terroir, a refined Chianti but it keeps that Chianti tang, drank with lasagna, will drink other vintages again, Monsanto is one of my favs.
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Nose shows some oak, cherries, dusty earth and dry herbs. Palate is young, fine Sangiovese fruit with some blood and tin can, red cherries and tart berries, a bit short and closed, but fine and balanced if undeveloped. Some oak spices and earthiness present. Very young, but fine and promising. Leave this alone in a good place for another at least 5 years I would say, and good things will happen. (90 – 92)
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Ruby in color. Slightly muted nose upon opening but much more expressive after some time. Cherry, plum and currant. Needs a lot of air to shows its true potential. Overall, solid chianti.
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A nice, well priced Chianti. A savoury nose of red currant, red plums, mushroom beef stew, tobacco and some earth. In the mouth, red cherries, red currants, underbrush, tobacco and soil. Good weight and decent acidity. Finishes a little rustic and drying. Give this 2-3 hours air, minimum. Drinking well now, I'd expect it to drink like this for 5-8+ years.
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Ruby red in color. Airy nose revelas underbrush, leather, soil inflected cherries and currants. Medium bodied with silky cherry fruit, good acidity, light violet perfume and an earthy finish. Nice value.
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Light ruby red in color. Takes a long time for the aromas to come together-, red cherry, currants, strong underbrush and new saddle leather make up a rather classic Chianti nose. Light to medium bodied with tell-tale underbrush notes framing bright red crushed cherry fruit, good acidity and a soft, round and soil inflected finish. True to its terroir and a whale of a bargain for $17.
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Wow. Much better than a bottle opened two years ago. This wine is now open and strutting its fruit. The fruit is red and slighly sweet but balanced by typical chianti acidity. A great wine to pair with Italian dishes that demanded an wine that can handle the acid in tomato sauce.
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Has the basic characteristics of good Chianti Classico Riserva, but a bit lean and austere at this point with diminished fruit; quite acidic and a little rough on the finish. Perhaps an off bottle or needing decanting time. Didn't pair as well as expected with veal osso bucco.
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Popped and poured directly from the cellar. Lovely transparent ruby. Muted nose. This wine has a lot of grip between the acids and the tannins. Not particularly fruity. A bit austere. Needs time to warm up and show itself. Better with air as well.
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Garnet red. This was ripe enough to be rich, but restrained enough to be balanced, lifting nicely off the palate and leaving pleasant Sangio perfume in the mouth. Not as nervy and tense as the 2007, and probably will be shorter-lived.
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Needs a long decant. Not balanced on opening, but evolved over 3 nights and, by night 3, showed nice red fruit and remaining tannins. I should taste side by side with the 2008.
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From magnum….dark plum/cherry color…smoky tar, fresh crushed berries, menthol tobacco, flowers and cherry spice nose. Ok….this is a STEAL at $22! I can already tell……nicely smooth and pure dark berry fruit with good balance…good tight structure with some earth and minerality, yet chewy easy drinking tannins. Love that subtle tar…as well as licorice, cedar spice, dark chocolate covered oranges, dried flowers. Drinks feminine…with a long dusty spicy finish. Outstanding!
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Decanted 90 minutes before serving and enjoyed over 4 hours with zucchini soup and osso buco. Lovely, smooth, classic medium bodied Chianti Classico Riserva whose flavors are more impressive than its fragrances. Darkish color, nose took some time to open up to medium-weight fragrances of red and blue fruits, earth, hints of cedar. When fully open the wine showed a nice balance of fresh acidity, smooth tannins, a hint of residual sugar and medium length; no wood was noticeable. Drinking well now, it surely has a long, slow evolution ahead of it.
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Very characteristic Chianti, which is more than I can say for the handful of other bottles so labeled that I have sampled recently. Actually tastes like Tuscan Sangiovese (not like Syrah or Cabernet grapes used to boost color and extract, or like oak). This bottle really makes me wish I had tried the 2007 version--a better vintage. This is good, and perhaps it will be really good with a bit more time in the bottle. Very high on the QPR scale.
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This Chianti had quite a bit of complexity for a Chianti, notes of tobacco and fruit, and I thought a very enjoyable wine on the first night. Note that my partner didn't love the wine. I decanted the first night and then put back in the bottle. Night two it had lost the charm with more plum flavors and the subtly gone. I'm guessing this shouldn't be decanted and that it is a short term drinker, still if you are a Chianti fan it is a good wine at a good price.
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This is such an excellent Chianti Classico. It has really come around with a bit of bottle age. Lovely, juicy cherry fruit followed by some nice grip from the tannins and acids. Finish has gotten longer with age. Really good stuff and terrific QPR!
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Love the 07. Wanted to love this and do not. The tannins are much too heavy for the material behind it. Granted, a bad vintage. It tastes good, but does not give the purity that 07 did. Day 3 actually have a little brett on this and I don't mind it, adds some rusticity. Must have the 2010!!!
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90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo & Colorino. Had over 2 days. 1/5 of cork streaking upon popping. Slow-o'd X 2.5 hours on first night. Nose of red cherry, cedar, spice, tobacco leaf & herbs. Old World earthiness w/flavors of tart red cherry, plum, dark licorice, & damp oakiness in mid-palate. Firm chewy tannins, good acidity, full-bodied & a dry, moderately lingering finish.
2nd day brought more of a ripe black cherry note on the nose. Tannins softened a bit on the palate, and overall became better balanced. Believe this should age well over 2-3 more years.
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Decanted for 3 hours and it continued to improve thereafter. I suspect people are not giving this wine enough time either in the bottle and/or decanter. Loaded with slightly overripe red fruits, earthiness, truffles and modest Oak. No rush on this wine. A great value if you have the patience.
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Nice chianti, good with food, but a definite step behind the 2007 in a way that speaks to vintage character, not aging curve. Prefer the 2009 as well. Slight raisin character in this wine compared to those, but still a very nice chianti and a great value.
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First bottle from a case. This wine is still pretty primary and needs about an hour of air to begin showing itself. Medium ruby in color. Muted nose. Tastes of subtle cherry fruit with some juicy acidity and underlying tannins. This wine is not as good as the 2004, 2006 or 2007. Not bad, just not as good.
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Good chianti, more refined than more basic chiantis. Nice balance between tannin and fruit. This a dependable wine with a good price. No need to over analyze. Enjoyed the bottle with my pizza.
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Unclear what real rating is. Highly touted at a restaurant. Not ready. Monsanto ages wonderfully, so this may not just be a lesser vintage. Breeding is discernible. Tasted a bottle that had been opened the day before as well as a fresh bottle. Neither exhibited the warm, terroir driven and cherry- led taste of some 04s or 05s. Wait
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Gambero Rosso 2013 (Metropolitan Pavilion): The nose was restrained and youthful showing cool red berry fruits, plum, woodsy notes and dusty spice. On the palate, I found tart red fruits and inner floral notes with a lean, medium body. Forget this bottle in the cellar for many years, and it should reward patience; otherwise decant and be prepared to wait.
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I can almost taste the sauce, crust, and cheese from my favorite pizza when I drink this wine. The first pour was disappointing, but the flower and cherry flavors opened up nicely after several hours.
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Melange of red/black fruits, some herbs and earth. Palate follows with very nice grippy tannins to finish. Elegant but with depth and power. Nice long finish. Well done.
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Wine is a little bit two faced at the moment. After 30 minutes of decanting the wine is still very sharp, not showing much except this strange metallic plum. Not too pleasing. After this one had a chance to sit open for a few hours, the wine had mellowed out quite a bit and the acidity was dead. This one is very fruit expressive from the get-go, but not in a dramatic or overdone way. This Chianti gives you a medium bodied offering of ripe red fruits, a hint of mocha and sweetness, some brambly characteristics, and just good ol' fashioned chianti fruit with a hint of earth but still rather smooth. First bottle I tried a bit ago was after the acid burned off, and this one is still young. Will improve with aging. Glad I have a couple more. A good wine that is affordable to open at the 4th of July company party as it will please a large variety of folks.
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Really nice wine at this price point. Fairly forward fruit with some leather and earth and good balancing acidity. Just a great food wine and pretty enjoyable on its own as well.
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Surprisingly deep colour for a Chianti here. Fresh and bright on the nose, showing red fruit, candied cherry, olive brine, charcoal and vanilla notes, as well as an animal, gamey aspect. Likely to be some brett present here? On the palate, a nice balance between structured and big, with lots of acid and aggressive, grippy tannins balanced by sweet, somewhat dried red fruit and a bit of oak. Some herbaceous notes on the long finish, and just a touch of heat shows through. Nice level of intensity though, and definitely to be consumed alongside a nice bistecca.
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This is a nice chianti. I'm rather impressed by the fruit texture up front. The one distinguishing characteristic about this one is that the acidity is nearly absent in the front. We were expecting a lot of acid and had some rather pungent cheeses and berries to enjoy with this. Instead, the wine showed a lot of red cherry and licorice up front with mild acidity. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much with a heavy meal due to the lack of acidity. The wine turned a little darker and more herbal in the middle, but still had a nice red fruit backbone. The finish was actually a bit earthy, a bit of dry tannin. Enjoyed with herbed goat cheese and manchego and this seemed to go better than the Gruyere and blue cheeses that were already cut and ready to go. The wine finished with an earth to it - seemed like I had stepped back in time to an old wine grotto and pulled out a bottle of the specially made stuff. This one could probably hold 5-7 more years, but I believe it's showing most of what it will show right now.
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Honestly, I'm not overly familiar with Chianti's in particular, more familiar with Sangiovese in the Brunello context.
That said, this wine was fantastic to my palate. Opened poured below the neck and let sit for 3 hours before tasting. Drank the bottle over the course of an hour and a half. It was at its best near the end. Next time I'll be leaving it out for closer to 5-6 hours before drinking and I would suggest the same to anyone.
Great tannin's and long finish. I'll be stocking up on more.
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A very nice Chianti, especially for the price point. Fully open after only 30 minutes. Nothing particularly distinctive but a training/tutoring wine for newcomers to Chianti at a modest price point.
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Pop and pour and followed over 5 hours. Served with food. Linguine in a marinara sauce. The food was delicious. the wine - meh. Not so much. Showed some ripe tomato notes with mushrooms and oak. A bit dry in the mouth. I have had this vintage before. Methinks this was a bad bottle. it wasn't flawed; just didn't have a good backbone of fruit to match the mushrooms and tomato notes.
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Subtle nose, palate a little sour with hints of cherries and raspberry. fairly tannic. Definitely a food wine. Plenty of better Chiantis at this price.
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Really funky nose upon opening, not sure if it was brett or oak, but it took about an hour to blow off. Red fruit driven nose and palate, with tart dried cherries and licorice. Moderate finish. with prominent chalky tannins. Decent for the price but not exceptional.
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Nose: Tart cherry & raspberry, spice, mocha, eucalyptus. Palate: Tart cherry, red fruit, mocha, and slight balsamic note. Med ++ acid, med + finish, dusty tannins. Very nice bottle for the money!
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Starts off with roasted (not stewed) black cherry, a coffee undertone, and savory dried herbs. On the palate there is dried black cherry, a little powdered cocoa on the mid palate, moderate acidity, and fine tannins. Finishes very nicely with a pleasant grip, lingering dried herbs,tobacco, and that subtle dusty cocoa note, all supported by understated acidity. Later,rose petals distinctly on the nose. Complex, balanced, and impressive at this age and price point.
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Dark red color, good clarity. Somewhat shy initially on the nose, with cedar, dried cherry, and slight herbal notes. Ripe red cherry with cedar and dusty tannins. Strong finish. Fine and ripe tannins. Ought to last and improve. 90+
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The nose showed ripe crushed raspberries with leather and hint of roasted nuts. On the palate it had a medium body but with acidity to spare which counter the red berry fruit and shortened it's length. Herbs and red berries lingered through the finish with hints of tannin. I doubt this wine improve much with time, but at this price, it's worth putting a couple away to see.
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Scents of dark berries with hints of cedar, spice, tobacco, and eucalyptus. Tastes of black cherries, a little chocolate, and hint of mint. Medium-to-heavy tannins. Perhaps a little more mellow than the 2007. We liked this a lot.
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Fresh blackberries, pretty floral, earthy minerals, tobacco and spice. This is well rounded, with fine-grained tannins and a long finish. Composed of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo and Colorino.
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Slow Wine Guide 2012 (Release tasting) (Metropolitan Pavilion): The nose showed classic Chianti notes of strawberry, herbs, leather and cedar. On the palate, it was rich with apparent structure and red berry fruit. The finish was cut short by the wine’s underlying structure.
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7/15/2023 - poste244 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Les deux bouteilles ouvertes hier soir étaient dans une forme splendide. Beau rouge grenat à peine tuilé. Dépôt important au fond des bouteilles. Le nez est très invitant avec des notes boisées et fumées. La bouche est tout en fruit, sur la griotte, très expressive et complexifiée par le bois qui ajoute des nuances de café, de noix de coco. Les tanins ont fondus, mais il reste suffisamment d'acidité pour donner du relief à tout ce fruit exubérant et presque sucré. Superbe!
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10/20/2022 - Doanebob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Goodbye dear friend. My last bottle. When I drank my first bottle ten years ago it was a fiery youngster full of sharp tannins. Over the years it has slowly mellowed into a softer wine, perhaps a little thin in the mid-palate, but gone are the tough tannins. Amazingly no sediment and color that makes it look much younger. Enjoyed it with a Bolognaise.
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7/1/2022 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points
This (LR8012) is consistent with previous bottles. It opens up after a short decant with a lot of aromatic and flavor complexity. It is smooth and balanced, with a medium+ body, a hint of sweetness on the mid-palate, and a nice mineral finish. Lovely. Great QPR.
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5/13/2022 - ericindc Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle is drinking very young. Just a hint of mature earth, leather. A touch hot, with some moderate bitter notes. Overall this was drinking well. Tannins were sticking out a bit much and were pretty drying. This was best after about 3 hours open. No rush to open this.
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12/17/2021 - DaveBoyd wrote:
I left this bottle too long it should have been drank 5 years ago😪
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12/4/2021 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
Best bottle from this case. Some others seemed a tad mature and tired.
Drank great with saffron risotto and capriolo nel chianti... :)
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8/7/2021 - cbforever1 wrote: 92 Points
Adding an extra point this time, the wine seems immortal, much younger than it should show
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5/25/2021 - jkoenen wrote: 90 Points
Subdued nose. Underbrush, brown spice, balsamic hints, fresh acidity. Rusty iron notes are starting to emerge, so drink sooner rather than later.
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4/18/2021 - Outplaying Likes this wine:
This is drinking well, but with plenty of life ahead of it. Light tobacco and leather accent the earthy mixed red and darker fruit. There is quite a bit of structure here. I liked this more than the 2016 we drank with it. The 16 has a lot of potential, but is as you would expect, more primary and simple.
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4/5/2021 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another very nice bottle, this (LR 8012) is smooth, balanced, savory and sappy. Very similar to the previous bottle in August 2020, those detailed notes apply.
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8/13/2020 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another delicious bottle of the 2008 Monsanto CCR. This vintage, as others have noted, needs less air than many to bring forth the wine’s aromatics, which were present right away; the wine was fully open after 35-40 minutes. On the darker side of Chianti, with dusty aromas of leather and tobacco, a lovely sweet mid-palate, great acid backbone, and a sappy, savory, long finish of minerals and fresh sliced beetroot. A very good, balanced wine with an outstanding QPR. There is some bottle and even case variation with Monsanto, but based on this bottle, and depending on your cellar, I would say that the wine is in decline and you should drink up by 2023 or so. Many Chiantis and many Monsantos are better on night two, but not this one.
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5/15/2020 - Josch48 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark red almost opaque color with a slight rim of brick orange at the rim (I have always liked to let the older wines “relax” in the glass instead of decanting).
Dusty dark red and blue fruit with muted tones of allspice and nutmeg along with a hint of cocoa on the nose. Natural cellar with gradual seasonal temperature (52-64 degree F) variation, which I believe more positively influences the wine’s evolution.
Beautiful vibrant Sangiovese fruit that initially out of the bottle, dries out mid palate with little but residual barrel-imparted vanilla on the finish. Tannins are more present, in the medium-light mouthfeel, than the predominant sweet dried cherry flavor with a contributory acidity that lifts the fruit to the roof of the mouth. We will have grilled steak shortly and I expect the wine to reveal more of its secrets. To be continued.
With dinner the fruit became more expansive and darkly sweeter with the same mouthfeel, but with a longer tail of fruit throughout the three phases of the palate, and still gratifyingly earthy on the finish.
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3/26/2020 - cbforever1 wrote: 91 Points
Showing good
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10/14/2019 - nectar14 Likes this wine:
Good stuff here. Nicely traditional, showing violet, pine, dried cherry. Structure is firm and this ought to age nicely over the next decade. I'd suggest waiting to drink; it really did gain complexity on the 2nd day.
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2/16/2019 - jayrod wrote: 91 Points
Very nice bottle, had with lamb chops with a dill sauce.....good match.
My wine was also properly stored...FYi
I agree with 8/24/2018 - PAULUSLOZEBRA notes:
This wine comes from a cellar with very good conditions but with deliberate and substantial seasonal fluctuations, so that wines will age a bit faster than in "perfect" cellars at constant temperature and humidity. My sense is that this bottle shows the beginning of the wine's decline. That says more about the vintage 2008 than about Monsanto. This bottle still has a great, great fragrance profile of sweet cherries and hints of tobacco, raw meat and dark spices. And it still has excellent balance and integration among the acid, tannin and extract. But it has begun to lose something in the mid-palate. I recommend a 30 minute decant and that the wine be served slightly on the cool side. If you have a perfect cellar then drink to 2025, otherwise drink to 2022.
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12/27/2018 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points
At ten years of age this is the best bottle I've had of this wine. Darker than a typical Monsanto, with a big aromatic profile of dark, sweet fruits, black pepper and rosemary; firm acid backbone; big, silky tannins; excellent balance; long finish with dry mineral notes and a hint of residual sweetness. Drink to 2030.
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8/24/2018 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine comes from a cellar with very good conditions but with deliberate and substantial seasonal fluctuations, so that wines will age a bit faster than in "perfect" cellars at constant temperature and humidity. My sense is that this bottle shows the beginning of the wine's decline. That says more about the vintage 2008 than about Monsanto. This bottle still has a great, great fragrance profile of sweet cherries and hints of tobacco, raw meat and dark spices. And it still has excellent balance and integration among the acid, tannin and extract. But it has begun to lose something in the mid-palate. I recommend a 30 minute decant and that the wine be served slightly on the cool side. If you have a perfect cellar then drink to 2025, otherwise drink to 2022.
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6/22/2018 - Jimswinecellar wrote:
corked. On a positive note, I was able to demonstrate to my non-wine drinking sister why we always smell the cork before drinking.
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4/8/2018 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine:
Another good bottle and wish a had more of these as I only gave one left. Great balance of acid, tannin, and fruit. Tannins are now softened leaving a silky texture.
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2/21/2018 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points
This needed 45 minutes after decanting to show itself, as a pop n pour it is wasted. Another very good bottle, this wine is all about balance, silkiness, and a harmonious integration of the aromatics, flavors, acid and tannin. Excellent with a variety of dishes.
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8/25/2017 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another fine bottle, I have five left from this vintage of 24. Consistent with my notes from six months ago, this needed 45 minutes to show fully, and is subtle, persistent and understated, with firm acidity and tannin underpinning sweet and sour cherries, pepper, red meat, and a long mineral finish. Medium bodied, with a nice residual sweetness on the finish. As with previous bottles, it has more complex and interesting flavors than fragrances, where it is a bit simple, particularly on night two. Overall, a very good food wine and QPR.
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5/2/2017 - laetulos wrote: 89 Points
Still really enjoying this wine.
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4/2/2017 - mike l. wrote: 85 Points
opened for a party. wasnt really my thing though it did fit the bill for old world; albeit in a very one dimensional way.
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1/29/2017 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another great bottle of the 08, this one is now in its peak-drinking window, which should probably last a further 5 or 7 years. Closed at first, it needed 45 minutes of air before showing dark cherry, earth, minerals, and herbs, with hints of mint. Acid and tannin are both prominent yet balanced; medium mouth-feel and medium length. Hit its aromatic peak at about 2 hours. Finished the bottle after 24 hours, and while the aromas were less prominent the flavors were even more pronounced, the wine seemed richer (and darker!?). Great stuff.
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1/4/2017 - Guy Des Rosiers Likes this wine: 86 Points
Medium-intense, promising nose of dark cherry, plum, iron, vanilla, espresso beans, and a hint of printer's ink. Medium-bodied, with bracing acidity and few unresolved tannins. The primary fruit comes through on the palate, though the effect is a bit muted compared to the wonderful nose. The length is medium, and there is a bit of leafiness on the finish. Overall a solid effort, offering very good value.
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12/14/2016 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP. At peak but not yet declining. Well balanced with pretty fruit. 14%
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11/11/2016 - WST Likes this wine:
Very solid, out of a magnum tonight. Started hard and tannic, but softened with time and air. Beautiful CCR.
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9/12/2016 - laetulos wrote: 90 Points
Close to past its peak, this wine is still very good if you bottle is in good shape. I opened a bottle 3 weeks ago which was past, but opened one of my remaining bottles last night and it was still solid. Fruit is now in the background, some surprising layers at this point. The glass left on day 2 was gone. I'd say time to drink up.
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8/24/2016 - mflesh wrote:
Last of three bottles of this, and I dare say that this wine is still on the appreciating side. The last bottle I had was a little strange, but this bottle was MUCH better. The fruit today out of this bottle was much more expressive. Cork withdrawn intact, sealed well, no bleed up the cork. The nose was minerals and red cherry, with a hint of clay and dirt. The entry of this wine revealed a locked up chianti, black cherry fruit that seemed muted, and a medicinal, herbal note in the middle. Black tea, black cherry, and mint on the finish, with a black cherry backbone. These notes ALL warmed over 3 hours as the wine was slowly consumed. Best bottle of this I've had to date I think. Very sad to see this one go, but I think a friend has another case in his cellar, so I think I'm going to try to revisit this one every six months over the next few years. Drink by date of 2018 is a little silly. I'd say that 2025 is probably much more appropriate. I was a little hesitant at the last bottle I will definitely say. But this bottle has really sealed the deal for me as this one being a "real" chianti riserva that can keep and age for another 10 years. Cheers!
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5/22/2016 - DRS-Inc wrote: 90 Points
Has evolved nicely over the past three years since the last time I had this. Full bodied and earthy with notes of cherry, mushroom, earth, mineral, and herbs. Dry chewy tannins, abundant acidity, and a lingering finish. (90+)
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4/1/2016 - devraj Likes this wine: 88 Points
Ruby red in color. Dark cherries, underbrush, hint of licorice and dusty soil on the nose. Medium bodied palate with sweet-tart pit red fruits like plums and cherries, medium (+) acidity, slightly bitter tannins and a clipped & earthy finish. Good wine for its price but there is a bit of astringency and bitterness that keeps this CCR from getting to the next level.
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3/2/2016 - mflesh wrote:
So, I expected more tonight, but this one could still stand to sit another 2-3 years. Very locked up, and opened with a little cranberry and sour apple. However, about 90 minutes later it was showing a raspberrry bouquet, a little herbal notes, some crushed limestone. I am firmly convinced that this wine just doesn't have the complexity of those that accompany it from the same year. Still happy t run into a few of these. I can understand the 75-point ratings, but I think that 86-89 is probably a little more appropriate.
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1/2/2016 - mwneil Likes this wine: 91 Points
VG Chianti, it aged well, good fruit balanced with tannin with some terroir, a refined Chianti but it keeps that Chianti tang, drank with lasagna, will drink other vintages again, Monsanto is one of my favs.
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11/22/2015 - Ramberg wrote: 90 Points
Nose shows some oak, cherries, dusty earth and dry herbs.
Palate is young, fine Sangiovese fruit with some blood and tin can, red cherries and tart berries, a bit short and closed, but fine and balanced if undeveloped.
Some oak spices and earthiness present.
Very young, but fine and promising.
Leave this alone in a good place for another at least 5 years I would say, and good things will happen.
(90 – 92)
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9/14/2015 - LINY08 wrote: 91 Points
Ruby in color. Slightly muted nose upon opening but much more expressive after some time. Cherry, plum and currant. Needs a lot of air to shows its true potential. Overall, solid chianti.
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8/26/2015 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 88 Points
A nice, well priced Chianti. A savoury nose of red currant, red plums, mushroom beef stew, tobacco and some earth. In the mouth, red cherries, red currants, underbrush, tobacco and soil. Good weight and decent acidity. Finishes a little rustic and drying. Give this 2-3 hours air, minimum. Drinking well now, I'd expect it to drink like this for 5-8+ years.
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8/21/2015 - devraj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ruby red in color. Airy nose revelas underbrush, leather, soil inflected cherries and currants. Medium bodied with silky cherry fruit, good acidity, light violet perfume and an earthy finish. Nice value.
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7/3/2015 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
4hrs of decanter time. Classic Sangiovese herbs and fruit mixture, lots of promise, next bottle in 2 years. Great wine from a not so great vintage.
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5/11/2015 - Chrisinroch wrote:
As always, this wine seems to deliver a reliable traditional profile.
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5/8/2015 - devraj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light ruby red in color. Takes a long time for the aromas to come together-, red cherry, currants, strong underbrush and new saddle leather make up a rather classic Chianti nose. Light to medium bodied with tell-tale underbrush notes framing bright red crushed cherry fruit, good acidity and a soft, round and soil inflected finish. True to its terroir and a whale of a bargain for $17.
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3/15/2015 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wow. Much better than a bottle opened two years ago. This wine is now open and strutting its fruit. The fruit is red and slighly sweet but balanced by typical chianti acidity. A great wine to pair with Italian dishes that demanded an wine that can handle the acid in tomato sauce.
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2/15/2015 - alden.vansolkema Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened 5 hours before. Lovely fruit and very nice overall
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1/24/2015 - jconig Likes this wine: 90 Points
Complex with medium finish
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1/1/2015 - midtownmac wrote: flawed
Flawed
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12/31/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 90 Points
friendly, juicy wine that went well with the bolognese served with New Year's Eve dinner.
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12/16/2014 - laetulos wrote: 90 Points
Still a great wine at a good price. This is what inexpensive Chianti should taste like.
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12/9/2014 - winepaw Likes this wine: 88 Points
Has the basic characteristics of good Chianti Classico Riserva, but a bit lean and austere at this point with diminished fruit; quite acidic and a little rough on the finish. Perhaps an off bottle or needing decanting time. Didn't pair as well as expected with veal osso bucco.
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7/31/2014 - winemaker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured directly from the cellar. Lovely transparent ruby. Muted nose. This wine has a lot of grip between the acids and the tannins. Not particularly fruity. A bit austere. Needs time to warm up and show itself. Better with air as well.
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6/14/2014 - nectar14 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Garnet red. This was ripe enough to be rich, but restrained enough to be balanced, lifting nicely off the palate and leaving pleasant Sangio perfume in the mouth. Not as nervy and tense as the 2007, and probably will be shorter-lived.
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3/24/2014 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 89 Points
Needs a long decant. Not balanced on opening, but evolved over 3 nights and, by night 3, showed nice red fruit and remaining tannins. I should taste side by side with the 2008.
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3/18/2014 - winemaker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very consistent. Drinking well.
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3/11/2014 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum….dark plum/cherry color…smoky tar, fresh crushed berries, menthol tobacco, flowers and cherry spice nose. Ok….this is a STEAL at $22! I can already tell……nicely smooth and pure dark berry fruit with good balance…good tight structure with some earth and minerality, yet chewy easy drinking tannins. Love that subtle tar…as well as licorice, cedar spice, dark chocolate covered oranges, dried flowers. Drinks feminine…with a long dusty spicy finish. Outstanding!
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3/3/2014 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Way better than the last bottle. Really hitting the sweet spot. Lovely sour cherry with plenty of grip and acidity. Long finish. Stunning QPR.
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2/21/2014 - mxpbuy wrote: flawed
Horribly corked
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2/8/2014 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 90 minutes before serving and enjoyed over 4 hours with zucchini soup and osso buco. Lovely, smooth, classic medium bodied Chianti Classico Riserva whose flavors are more impressive than its fragrances. Darkish color, nose took some time to open up to medium-weight fragrances of red and blue fruits, earth, hints of cedar. When fully open the wine showed a nice balance of fresh acidity, smooth tannins, a hint of residual sugar and medium length; no wood was noticeable. Drinking well now, it surely has a long, slow evolution ahead of it.
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2/5/2014 - slanum wrote:
Very characteristic Chianti, which is more than I can say for the handful of other bottles so labeled that I have sampled recently. Actually tastes like Tuscan Sangiovese (not like Syrah or Cabernet grapes used to boost color and extract, or like oak). This bottle really makes me wish I had tried the 2007 version--a better vintage. This is good, and perhaps it will be really good with a bit more time in the bottle. Very high on the QPR scale.
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2/2/2014 - winemaker wrote: flawed
CORKED! Damn!
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2/1/2014 - winemaker Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tasty. Cherries. Decent enough, but not outstanding. Nice tannic grip.
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11/5/2013 - DavidDay Likes this wine: 89 Points
Cherries, plums, spices, and cedar in the nose, took awhile to come around in the glass, better on the second day.
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10/16/2013 - laetulos wrote: 90 Points
This Chianti had quite a bit of complexity for a Chianti, notes of tobacco and fruit, and I thought a very enjoyable wine on the first night. Note that my partner didn't love the wine. I decanted the first night and then put back in the bottle. Night two it had lost the charm with more plum flavors and the subtly gone. I'm guessing this shouldn't be decanted and that it is a short term drinker, still if you are a Chianti fan it is a good wine at a good price.
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9/23/2013 - VancouverRay wrote: 88 Points
Excellent Chianti
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9/14/2013 - Nerdy Earth Boy wrote: 89 Points
Seemed alright. Nicely aged, but I will keep exploring alternative options for Chianti
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9/12/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is such an excellent Chianti Classico. It has really come around with a bit of bottle age. Lovely, juicy cherry fruit followed by some nice grip from the tannins and acids. Finish has gotten longer with age. Really good stuff and terrific QPR!
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9/5/2013 - kenhoeve wrote: 87 Points
Love the 07. Wanted to love this and do not. The tannins are much too heavy for the material behind it. Granted, a bad vintage. It tastes good, but does not give the purity that 07 did. Day 3 actually have a little brett on this and I don't mind it, adds some rusticity. Must have the 2010!!!
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9/2/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine seems to have filled out more with additional bottle age. Really drinking well right now. Seems more rich now than previous bottles.
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8/27/2013 - DRS-Inc wrote: 89 Points
90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo & Colorino. Had over 2 days. 1/5 of cork streaking upon popping. Slow-o'd X 2.5 hours on first night. Nose of red cherry, cedar, spice, tobacco leaf & herbs. Old World earthiness w/flavors of tart red cherry, plum, dark licorice, & damp oakiness in mid-palate. Firm chewy tannins, good acidity, full-bodied & a dry, moderately lingering finish.
2nd day brought more of a ripe black cherry note on the nose. Tannins softened a bit on the palate, and overall became better balanced. Believe this should age well over 2-3 more years.
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8/18/2013 - rickfell-new wrote: 91 Points
Really enjoyed it, had the classic chianti profile
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8/15/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking better as it gets more age on it. Lovely cherries with some nice minerality. Nice sangio bite from the acids and tannins.
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8/9/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 3 hours and it continued to improve thereafter. I suspect people are not giving this wine enough time either in the bottle and/or decanter. Loaded with slightly overripe red fruits, earthiness, truffles and modest Oak. No rush on this wine. A great value if you have the patience.
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8/3/2013 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Nice chianti, good with food, but a definite step behind the 2007 in a way that speaks to vintage character, not aging curve. Prefer the 2009 as well. Slight raisin character in this wine compared to those, but still a very nice chianti and a great value.
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7/23/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 89 Points
Solid effort. Slightly below the 2004 and 2006 in overall quality.
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6/22/2013 - JoshA wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful, elegant, well-balanced with brambly dark cherry and firm tannins.
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6/9/2013 - MS92 wrote: 92 Points
Always my favorite go-to vino!
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6/6/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Better than the last bottle. These wines seem to need a few years to show their best. The '04, '06 and '07 are all drinking very well now.
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5/29/2013 - MS92 wrote: 92 Points
Always a great bottle of wine. The perfect go with almost anything or with nothing. My absolute favorite everyday wine!
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5/3/2013 - Votefordennis Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good food wine, thin, nice fruit
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4/13/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 88 Points
First bottle from a case. This wine is still pretty primary and needs about an hour of air to begin showing itself. Medium ruby in color. Muted nose. Tastes of subtle cherry fruit with some juicy acidity and underlying tannins. This wine is not as good as the 2004, 2006 or 2007. Not bad, just not as good.
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4/7/2013 - HRFishbowl wrote: 88 Points
needs more time. hints of plumb starting to express. we enjoyed it, but will enjoy it much more down the road.
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4/1/2013 - mwneil Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good chianti, more refined than more basic chiantis. Nice balance between tannin and fruit. This a dependable wine with a good price. No need to over analyze. Enjoyed the bottle with my pizza.
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3/26/2013 - Sotto325 wrote: 90 Points
Unclear what real rating is. Highly touted at a restaurant. Not ready. Monsanto ages wonderfully, so this may not just be a lesser vintage. Breeding is discernible. Tasted a bottle that had been opened the day before as well as a fresh bottle. Neither exhibited the warm, terroir driven and cherry- led taste of some 04s or 05s. Wait
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3/20/2013 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gambero Rosso 2013 (Metropolitan Pavilion): The nose was restrained and youthful showing cool red berry fruits, plum, woodsy notes and dusty spice. On the palate, I found tart red fruits and inner floral notes with a lean, medium body. Forget this bottle in the cellar for many years, and it should reward patience; otherwise decant and be prepared to wait.
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3/17/2013 - aleksds Likes this wine: 89 Points
I can almost taste the sauce, crust, and cheese from my favorite pizza when I drink this wine. The first pour was disappointing, but the flower and cherry flavors opened up nicely after several hours.
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3/13/2013 - James Kim wrote: 91 Points
Melange of red/black fruits, some herbs and earth. Palate follows with very nice grippy tannins to finish. Elegant but with depth and power. Nice long finish. Well done.
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3/8/2013 - mflesh wrote: 89 Points
Wine is a little bit two faced at the moment. After 30 minutes of decanting the wine is still very sharp, not showing much except this strange metallic plum. Not too pleasing. After this one had a chance to sit open for a few hours, the wine had mellowed out quite a bit and the acidity was dead. This one is very fruit expressive from the get-go, but not in a dramatic or overdone way. This Chianti gives you a medium bodied offering of ripe red fruits, a hint of mocha and sweetness, some brambly characteristics, and just good ol' fashioned chianti fruit with a hint of earth but still rather smooth. First bottle I tried a bit ago was after the acid burned off, and this one is still young. Will improve with aging. Glad I have a couple more. A good wine that is affordable to open at the 4th of July company party as it will please a large variety of folks.
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3/8/2013 - boreddoughboy wrote: 86 Points
too much stewed prunes for a better score
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2/25/2013 - usherenb wrote: 86 Points
Did not care much for the wine. Did not seem to be well balanced. Pleasant and easy on the nose but not much else on the palate.
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2/21/2013 - dke wrote: 88 Points
Tangy, darker style chianti. Very good acidity, and nice with dinner but not as expressive as the previous bottle several months ago. 87-88
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2/19/2013 - 560 B&W wrote: 92 Points
Tasted again April 11, 2013. Started well but got poopy mid bottle. V odd. 90-91
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2/11/2013 - PIntag wrote: 88 Points
Really nice wine at this price point. Fairly forward fruit with some leather and earth and good balancing acidity. Just a great food wine and pretty enjoyable on its own as well.
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2/11/2013 - braisedlambshank wrote: 89 Points
Surprisingly deep colour for a Chianti here. Fresh and bright on the nose, showing red fruit, candied cherry, olive brine, charcoal and vanilla notes, as well as an animal, gamey aspect. Likely to be some brett present here? On the palate, a nice balance between structured and big, with lots of acid and aggressive, grippy tannins balanced by sweet, somewhat dried red fruit and a bit of oak. Some herbaceous notes on the long finish, and just a touch of heat shows through. Nice level of intensity though, and definitely to be consumed alongside a nice bistecca.
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2/7/2013 - JenXH Likes this wine: 89 Points
Spicy cherry & herbs, faint oak, good amount of dryness. Needs a decant. Went well with filet mignon. Nice Chianti.
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2/4/2013 - SoundinBetween wrote: 88 Points
very solid. a great value under $20.
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2/2/2013 - mflesh wrote: 89 Points
This is a nice chianti. I'm rather impressed by the fruit texture up front. The one distinguishing characteristic about this one is that the acidity is nearly absent in the front. We were expecting a lot of acid and had some rather pungent cheeses and berries to enjoy with this. Instead, the wine showed a lot of red cherry and licorice up front with mild acidity. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much with a heavy meal due to the lack of acidity. The wine turned a little darker and more herbal in the middle, but still had a nice red fruit backbone. The finish was actually a bit earthy, a bit of dry tannin. Enjoyed with herbed goat cheese and manchego and this seemed to go better than the Gruyere and blue cheeses that were already cut and ready to go. The wine finished with an earth to it - seemed like I had stepped back in time to an old wine grotto and pulled out a bottle of the specially made stuff. This one could probably hold 5-7 more years, but I believe it's showing most of what it will show right now.
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2/2/2013 - Mejh wrote: 90 Points
Great body, dry, but not too. Would buy again but overpaid at restaurant ($54 / bottle)
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1/30/2013 - alden.vansolkema Likes this wine: 93 Points
Honestly, I'm not overly familiar with Chianti's in particular, more familiar with Sangiovese in the Brunello context.
That said, this wine was fantastic to my palate. Opened poured below the neck and let sit for 3 hours before tasting. Drank the bottle over the course of an hour and a half. It was at its best near the end. Next time I'll be leaving it out for closer to 5-6 hours before drinking and I would suggest the same to anyone.
Great tannin's and long finish. I'll be stocking up on more.
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1/25/2013 - PIntag wrote: 88 Points
Enjoyable old-world style Chianti that exhibits its Tuscan origin very well. Fairly light-bodied, but an excellent choice for many Italian dishes.
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1/18/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very nice Chianti, especially for the price point. Fully open after only 30 minutes. Nothing particularly distinctive but a training/tutoring wine for newcomers to Chianti at a modest price point.
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1/17/2013 - Arch57 wrote: 88 Points
This wine was just okay. I was expecting a bit more of the rustic tones that I like in a Chianti. I prefer the Carpineto over this one.
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1/7/2013 - wineOK wrote: 89 Points
This wine got better as time went on and on night 2. Seemed a bit thin at first but developed nicely. I'll decant next time.
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1/2/2013 - wineshlub wrote: 89 Points
Opened 1 hour in advance. Cherry/leather/cloves aroma. Beautiful cherry and forest floor flavors up front. Cocoa shows up in the finish.
Traditionally styled. A little softer on the finish than I would like, other than that it has pretty much everything I'm looking for in a chianti.
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12/30/2012 - t_moderne wrote:
Pop and pour and followed over 5 hours. Served with food. Linguine in a marinara sauce. The food was delicious. the wine - meh. Not so much.
Showed some ripe tomato notes with mushrooms and oak. A bit dry in the mouth. I have had this vintage before. Methinks this was a bad bottle. it wasn't flawed; just didn't have a good backbone of fruit to match the mushrooms and tomato notes.
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12/29/2012 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Still improving with air. Seemed a bit raisiny at first but with time it becomes smooth and floral. Nice wine just needs a short decant
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12/27/2012 - TheSohs wrote: 80 Points
Subtle nose, palate a little sour with hints of cherries and raspberry. fairly tannic. Definitely a food wine. Plenty of better Chiantis at this price.
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12/16/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 88 Points
Really funky nose upon opening, not sure if it was brett or oak, but it took about an hour to blow off. Red fruit driven nose and palate, with tart dried cherries and licorice. Moderate finish. with prominent chalky tannins. Decent for the price but not exceptional.
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11/6/2012 - Mythlogic Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had with a lasagna dinner with family. With the commotion did not get much of a handle on the nose and palette. Seemed well balanced.
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10/2/2012 - SoundinBetween wrote: 87 Points
needed a good amount of time to open up, and was still a little too dry for my taste
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9/2/2012 - gregwood wrote: 90 Points
Nose: Tart cherry & raspberry, spice, mocha, eucalyptus. Palate: Tart cherry, red fruit, mocha, and slight balsamic note. Med ++ acid, med + finish, dusty tannins. Very nice bottle for the money!
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9/2/2012 - dke wrote: 89 Points
Smoky and tangy good acidity and finish, really nice wifh lassagna. Consumede too quickly for a detailed assesment but this is in 88-90pt range.
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9/2/2012 - Bob Fyke wrote: 91 Points
Starts off with roasted (not stewed) black cherry, a coffee undertone, and savory dried herbs. On the palate there is dried black cherry, a little powdered cocoa on the mid palate, moderate acidity, and fine tannins. Finishes very nicely with a pleasant grip, lingering dried herbs,tobacco, and that subtle dusty cocoa note, all supported by understated acidity. Later,rose petals distinctly on the nose. Complex, balanced, and impressive at this age and price point.
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8/8/2012 - Pontycellar wrote:
Light and full of ripe red fruit flavors. Very nice wine with pasta. Let it breath about 1 hour
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7/28/2012 - nectar14 wrote: 90 Points
Dark red color, good clarity. Somewhat shy initially on the nose, with cedar, dried cherry, and slight herbal notes. Ripe red cherry with cedar and dusty tannins. Strong finish. Fine and ripe tannins. Ought to last and improve. 90+
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7/14/2012 - Eric Guido wrote: 88 Points
The nose showed ripe crushed raspberries with leather and hint of roasted nuts. On the palate it had a medium body but with acidity to spare which counter the red berry fruit and shortened it's length. Herbs and red berries lingered through the finish with hints of tannin. I doubt this wine improve much with time, but at this price, it's worth putting a couple away to see.
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7/8/2012 - Doblk wrote: 90 Points
Nice cedary nose. Complex palate - dark fruit, wood, spice. Tannin and acid finish. Should get better for a little while.
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7/7/2012 - GEMon wrote: 91 Points
Scents of dark berries with hints of cedar, spice, tobacco, and eucalyptus. Tastes of black cherries, a little chocolate, and hint of mint. Medium-to-heavy tannins. Perhaps a little more mellow than the 2007. We liked this a lot.
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6/24/2012 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 91 Points
Fresh blackberries, pretty floral, earthy minerals, tobacco and spice. This is well rounded, with fine-grained tannins and a long finish. Composed of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo and Colorino.
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6/18/2012 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Drank very well from opening but best with about three hours air, exhibiting floral scents to compliment the dusty cherry.
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3/19/2012 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Fruit has plenty of interest, but the wine seemed a bit flabby. May have been a bit too warm and probably needs some time to settle into itself.
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1/30/2012 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 89 Points
Slow Wine Guide 2012 (Release tasting) (Metropolitan Pavilion): The nose showed classic Chianti notes of strawberry, herbs, leather and cedar. On the palate, it was rich with apparent structure and red berry fruit. The finish was cut short by the wine’s underlying structure.
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1/30/2012 - EMichels wrote: 86 Points
Reasonable fruit; Lacks structure
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