Nez très Italien à l’aveugle. Bouche fort avenante avec une acidité assez marquée mais balancée par le fruit qui malgré qu’il soit un peu cuit, me fait penser au Nebbiolo mais sans la finale du Negbiolo. Finalement un beau vin que j’ai bien aimé.
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This 2010 Calderara Sottana (L 1-03-12) has outstanding aromatic complexity, structure, balance and finesse. It seems to be in a prefect place, I would drink to 2025 or so. Decanted through a gravity aerator one hour before dinner, it was fully open at the 90 minute mark. With tart and sweet cherries, rosemary, mint, flowers, leather, smoke, and a balsamic hint, the wine rewards small sips and relaxed contemplation. It has a medium+ body, 14% ABV, an excellent structure with plenty of acid and well-integrated tannins and a long, mineral finish. Very good QPR.
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My last bottle of this, and it was the longest held bottle in my collection. Tannins have softened and the fruit has turned from intense fresh cherries into more subtly flavored dried cherries. There are some mushroom and tea notes as well. I think I liked it a little more in 2017 despite the tannins, but I don’t think this wine is in danger of falling off a cliff.
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The ugly duckling has turned into a swan! The tannins have mellowed but their imprint is noticeable as a sort of background structure. The red berries feel youthful and complex. The attack is, well, not soft, but very very fine. The freshness is all there.
And the minerality is laced around the fruit in a way that makes me think of Clos Rougeard or Thierry Germain cab franc (Domaine des Roche Neuve).
Extremely delish and at the same time contemplative and structured, but in a way that feels so much more light in style than when I tried the first bottle in 2013. Well worth the wait!
Decanted 1 hour, and that was sufficient. Dark translucent red with some umber hints. Black cherry, cherry, plum, mineral/stone, wood/leather subtle notes. With decant and a bit more airtime well integrated with crisp acidity and light tannin but fine balance. Fruit was reticent at first but developed well. Moderately long finish with nice clean palate of lightly lingering fruit and stone. Tasty if tending to austere, drinking well but no hurry. Been wanting to try this for some time, but held off on reading 2017-2018 notes, but now I think it's hitting its stride. (Interesting to compare to 2010 Vajra Barolo Albe from night before--that was a bit rounder, more aromatic, less stone.)
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Another great wine from Mt Etna. Ther are strong notes of cherry in the nose, a bit of leather and forest floor. There are still some unresolved tannins, but nothing that a good steak wouldn't solve. The acidity is moderate and the finish lingers. A very good wine that still has more life ahead of it
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Truly a grand cru Etna Rosso with strong minerality and structure, great acidity and very attractive redcurrant and cherry notes. An enigma within a riddle and inspirational. Really like this but do not pop and pour, 3.5 hour decant to release aromas and flavours.
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Tasted along with the La Vigna di Don Peppino 2010 and 2013 from the same producer.
Developing, earthy nose showing dried cherry, dried strawberry, slight raisin, paint bucket, dry soil, rose hips, oak spice and coffee.
Bone dry on the palate with medium(+) acidity, medium(+) tannins and medium(+) body. Warm and dried fruit on the palate with a liiiittle too much raisin-action for my taste. It lacks a bit of lift so to speak. Drying and woody mouthfeel. Medium(+) intensity of flavors with a long and drying finish.
This is the first time for me tasting any Etna Rosso with some age to it. From this bottle I got the feeling that the fruit is slowly fading and can't match the tannins and the wood. I'd say drink within 3 years or so.
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Heavy red berries, kirsch like cherry aromas. The palate is earthy with drying tannin. Almost woody character as the fruit seems to have faded. Too old or unbalanced?
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Wow! Absolutely beautiful wine. It may be lazy to compare Etna to Burgundy, but the comparison works for this wine. It reminds me of Lafarge's Volnays. Lovely tart cherries bathed in aromas of coffee and flowers. Medium bodied with chalky tannins that aren't quite resolved, but not too overpowering. Probably even better in 2020 and beyond.
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Have had past vintages which were really lovely, this however, was not the case. The 2010 vintage was just ok. Nothing remarkable in the bottle. For the price, this is not a good value.
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Pretty medium nose is very floral with red cherry and earth. Palate is seemingly tight with light bodied earthy red fruit, some herb and light spice. Fairly understated in depth and concentration. A simple wine and somewhat underwhelming.
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I'm with those that think this is drinking well is. The self-styled Bourgogne of the South is light coloured (think "damn, another light coloured red grape I can mistake for Pinot Noir / Nebbiolo") but has a strong tannic backbone and sweetness of fruit which still needs a little time in he glass to open up. Try with a steak at the moment. Nice, but not stunning.
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Drank well after a two hour decant. Cherry, savory notes and some spice and ash. Still a bit tight, and could use some more time, but worked very well with food. Tannins need to integrate a bit, but the fruit and acidity offer good enough balance to allow that.
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Firm style. underneath there is a lot of floral notes wafting in the glass aongside fresh raspberries and spice. Elevated acidity and balanced. I imagine this has a long life ahead.
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Not scoring as I think something was off with this bottle. It was not corked but was just flat and lifeless. Everyone agreed it was likely an off-bottle.
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Dense red cherries and gravel/ash, but the body/alcohol (14%) may too big for the wine; there's a prettiness to the fruit that might show better on a lighter, less tannic frame
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Great acidity, some tertiary notes on the nose. Fine tannins but slightly bitter. I'd say the wine is at peak and should be drunk in the next 2 years. QPR is not good though, especially compared to the Etna Rosso
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Lots of red fruit, mostly cherry, on nose and palate. Spice hints. Good mineral notes throughout. Slightly firm start, good burst of energy from middle to end.
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Something of a savory element to the dark-cherry and stone fruit mixture. Aerated to decanter one hour, but that was not nearly enough as this showed best on the last glass, some 4 hours in. Even then, this was just beginning to unfold. Give this several more years of rest, or serious aeration if opening anytime soon; Nothing wow about it at this point. Medium-bodied(+), with the slightest EtOH signature still attached. Absent the elegance I've come to look for. Thru 2023
https://italianwine.blog/
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Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and chewy tannins. The structure is very youthful and bordering on overwhelming. Beneath the structure lie dark red cherries, red berries, spices, ash, and some earth tones.
Overall: This is very young and elegant. It's showing off a lot to like and can certainly improve.
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Rich, but still elegant wine with ample red berry fruit; cranberry, strawberry, fresh- not tart, but with structure, balanced by a earthy viscosity with a hint of juniper, wild herbs and pine.
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This was closed down the first night. Not giving up anything. 24 hours later the nose had opened up with predominant floral notes, strawberry and raspberry, plus underlying tobacco and herbs. Medium plus body with dusty, firm tannins balanced by concentrated sour cherry and tangy cranberry, flowers, dried herbs, and bold, racy acidity. A long, tart finish. A enjoyably mouth-puckering experience.
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Transparent cranberry red color. Big time ash on the nose, along with soil, leaves, dried herbs, and coffee, with cherry and strawberry sitting underneath. I'm a fan of the nose on this wine. Medium body, high acid, and medium+ finish—body and complexity gaining with air. Loads of red fruit, minerals, and bright acid on the palate. Lovely now; probably better in a few years.
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Elegant, pale coloured, tight, fresh, with very good grip, not giving much on the nose right now - one should really wait another five + years. There is only upside (90-92) from here on.
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Pale garnet. Such a unique compelling nose swinging between meaty, bacony aromas and fresh, savoury cranberry. Scents of violets add to its complexity but the dominant basil notes identify the wine being present also on the palate. Tannins strike on the attack but are tamed by the rich fruit and the bright acidity to portray a zesty, racy, alluring experience. Truly one of a kind.
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The 'cru's' of Mount Etna (Salone di Gusto, Torino, Italy): Medium(-) ruby with garnet rim, viscous. Medium(-) developing nose rather closed nose of red berries, dried red fruits, some spice. Dry, medium acidity, light-medium(-) tannins, medium(-) body and medium alcohol. Medium flavors of strawberries, small red fruits with savory notes penetrating later upon opening. Elegant, light-footed. Good length with focussed fruit-driven finish.
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7/22/2023 - Mario17 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nez très Italien à l’aveugle. Bouche fort avenante avec une acidité assez marquée mais balancée par le fruit qui malgré qu’il soit un peu cuit, me fait penser au Nebbiolo mais sans la finale du Negbiolo. Finalement un beau vin que j’ai bien aimé.
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4/17/2022 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 95 Points
This 2010 Calderara Sottana (L 1-03-12) has outstanding aromatic complexity, structure, balance and finesse. It seems to be in a prefect place, I would drink to 2025 or so. Decanted through a gravity aerator one hour before dinner, it was fully open at the 90 minute mark. With tart and sweet cherries, rosemary, mint, flowers, leather, smoke, and a balsamic hint, the wine rewards small sips and relaxed contemplation. It has a medium+ body, 14% ABV, an excellent structure with plenty of acid and well-integrated tannins and a long, mineral finish. Very good QPR.
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4/1/2022 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine:
My last bottle of this, and it was the longest held bottle in my collection. Tannins have softened and the fruit has turned from intense fresh cherries into more subtly flavored dried cherries. There are some mushroom and tea notes as well. I think I liked it a little more in 2017 despite the tannins, but I don’t think this wine is in danger of falling off a cliff.
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4/22/2021 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 97 Points
The ugly duckling has turned into a swan! The tannins have mellowed but their imprint is noticeable as a sort of background structure. The red berries feel youthful and complex. The attack is, well, not soft, but very very fine. The freshness is all there.
And the minerality is laced around the fruit in a way that makes me think of Clos Rougeard or Thierry Germain cab franc (Domaine des Roche Neuve).
Extremely delish and at the same time contemplative and structured, but in a way that feels so much more light in style than when I tried the first bottle in 2013. Well worth the wait!
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8/25/2020 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Well balanced
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8/23/2020 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Well balanced and smooth red fruit with a hint of smoke and earth. Drinking very nicely.
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4/14/2019 - wayfarer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour, and that was sufficient. Dark translucent red with some umber hints. Black cherry, cherry, plum, mineral/stone, wood/leather subtle notes. With decant and a bit more airtime well integrated with crisp acidity and light tannin but fine balance. Fruit was reticent at first but developed well. Moderately long finish with nice clean palate of lightly lingering fruit and stone. Tasty if tending to austere, drinking well but no hurry. Been wanting to try this for some time, but held off on reading 2017-2018 notes, but now I think it's hitting its stride. (Interesting to compare to 2010 Vajra Barolo Albe from night before--that was a bit rounder, more aromatic, less stone.)
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1/22/2019 - Edouard84 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle was much better than my previous experience.
Still some fruits with tertiary notes reminiscent of a very earthy Pinot Noir
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1/6/2019 - Levinsb wrote:
Fruit nearly gone. Smoky charcoal note present.
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7/19/2018 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well.
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6/24/2018 - Saxman1984 wrote:
Another great wine from Mt Etna. Ther are strong notes of cherry in the nose, a bit of leather and forest floor. There are still some unresolved tannins, but nothing that a good steak wouldn't solve. The acidity is moderate and the finish lingers. A very good wine that still has more life ahead of it
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10/24/2017 - trumpcoup Likes this wine: 94 Points
Truly a grand cru Etna Rosso with strong minerality and structure, great acidity and very attractive redcurrant and cherry notes. An enigma within a riddle and inspirational. Really like this but do not pop and pour, 3.5 hour decant to release aromas and flavours.
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4/1/2017 - karl.1480 wrote: 89 Points
Tasted along with the La Vigna di Don Peppino 2010 and 2013 from the same producer.
Developing, earthy nose showing dried cherry, dried strawberry, slight raisin, paint bucket, dry soil, rose hips, oak spice and coffee.
Bone dry on the palate with medium(+) acidity, medium(+) tannins and medium(+) body. Warm and dried fruit on the palate with a liiiittle too much raisin-action for my taste. It lacks a bit of lift so to speak. Drying and woody mouthfeel. Medium(+) intensity of flavors with a long and drying finish.
This is the first time for me tasting any Etna Rosso with some age to it. From this bottle I got the feeling that the fruit is slowly fading and can't match the tannins and the wood. I'd say drink within 3 years or so.
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3/30/2017 - Mascarello59 wrote: 87 Points
Heavy red berries, kirsch like cherry aromas. The palate is earthy with drying tannin. Almost woody character as the fruit seems to have faded. Too old or unbalanced?
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2/18/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
All red cherry, starting to mature elegantly. Spice and earth hints with a mineral undercurrent I enjoyed. Good now through the next 5 years.
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2/17/2017 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow! Absolutely beautiful wine. It may be lazy to compare Etna to Burgundy, but the comparison works for this wine. It reminds me of Lafarge's Volnays. Lovely tart cherries bathed in aromas of coffee and flowers. Medium bodied with chalky tannins that aren't quite resolved, but not too overpowering. Probably even better in 2020 and beyond.
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11/14/2016 - John Dunlap wrote: 88 Points
Have had past vintages which were really lovely, this however, was not the case. The 2010 vintage was just ok. Nothing remarkable in the bottle. For the price, this is not a good value.
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10/31/2016 - Nanda wrote: 87 Points
Pretty medium nose is very floral with red cherry and earth. Palate is seemingly tight with light bodied earthy red fruit, some herb and light spice. Fairly understated in depth and concentration. A simple wine and somewhat underwhelming.
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5/22/2016 - Lordswood wrote: 89 Points
I'm with those that think this is drinking well is. The self-styled Bourgogne of the South is light coloured (think "damn, another light coloured red grape I can mistake for Pinot Noir / Nebbiolo") but has a strong tannic backbone and sweetness of fruit which still needs a little time in he glass to open up. Try with a steak at the moment. Nice, but not stunning.
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1/18/2016 - Rechrom wrote: 90 Points
Drank well after a two hour decant. Cherry, savory notes and some spice and ash. Still a bit tight, and could use some more time, but worked very well with food. Tannins need to integrate a bit, but the fruit and acidity offer good enough balance to allow that.
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12/17/2015 - THECORKDORK Likes this wine: 90 Points
Firm style. underneath there is a lot of floral notes wafting in the glass aongside fresh raspberries and spice. Elevated acidity and balanced. I imagine this has a long life ahead.
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11/16/2015 - Rich S wrote: flawed
Not scoring as I think something was off with this bottle. It was not corked but was just flat and lifeless. Everyone agreed it was likely an off-bottle.
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9/15/2015 - bklynwine wrote:
Dense red cherries and gravel/ash, but the body/alcohol (14%) may too big for the wine; there's a prettiness to the fruit that might show better on a lighter, less tannic frame
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7/5/2015 - Edouard84 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great acidity, some tertiary notes on the nose. Fine tannins but slightly bitter. I'd say the wine is at peak and should be drunk in the next 2 years. QPR is not good though, especially compared to the Etna Rosso
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5/31/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Lots of red fruit, mostly cherry, on nose and palate. Spice hints. Good mineral notes throughout. Slightly firm start, good burst of energy from middle to end.
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11/26/2014 - Floyd77 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Spice, white pepper, bright fruit, long finish -- Balanced -- old world elegance and new world seduction
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9/10/2014 - Eric wrote: 91 Points
Always ethereal. Soaring nose, white pepper, rose and cherry. So vibrant and fresh yet with deceptively chewy structure. Love this!
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6/13/2014 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Something of a savory element to the dark-cherry and stone fruit mixture. Aerated to decanter one hour, but that was not nearly enough as this showed best on the last glass, some 4 hours in. Even then, this was just beginning to unfold. Give this several more years of rest, or serious aeration if opening anytime soon; Nothing wow about it at this point. Medium-bodied(+), with the slightest EtOH signature still attached. Absent the elegance I've come to look for. Thru 2023
https://italianwine.blog/
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5/4/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Mostly red cherry with some red berries as well. Good fruit with modest spice and very good minerality and acidity. Lacy, exciting textures.
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4/21/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Chicago Italian Lovers round 10- Mt. Etna wines (Caro Mio, Chicago IL): Nose: There is a real elegance to the nose with dark red cherries, ash tones, minerals, red berries, spice notes, some earth, and perfumes. There is excellent depth with the tones just melding together.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium acidity and chewy tannins. The structure is very youthful and bordering on overwhelming. Beneath the structure lie dark red cherries, red berries, spices, ash, and some earth tones.
Overall: This is very young and elegant. It's showing off a lot to like and can certainly improve.
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3/30/2014 - ekenneth wrote: 92 Points
Rich, but still elegant wine with ample red berry fruit; cranberry, strawberry, fresh- not tart, but with structure, balanced by a earthy viscosity with a hint of juniper, wild herbs and pine.
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3/7/2014 - epiphany Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Disappointing at best.
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2/25/2014 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 89 Points
This was closed down the first night. Not giving up anything. 24 hours later the nose had opened up with predominant floral notes, strawberry and raspberry, plus underlying tobacco and herbs. Medium plus body with dusty, firm tannins balanced by concentrated sour cherry and tangy cranberry, flowers, dried herbs, and bold, racy acidity. A long, tart finish. A enjoyably mouth-puckering experience.
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10/10/2013 - studleytrey wrote: 92 Points
Transparent cranberry red color. Big time ash on the nose, along with soil, leaves, dried herbs, and coffee, with cherry and strawberry sitting underneath. I'm a fan of the nose on this wine. Medium body, high acid, and medium+ finish—body and complexity gaining with air. Loads of red fruit, minerals, and bright acid on the palate. Lovely now; probably better in a few years.
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6/18/2013 - Omar Khayyam wrote:
Elegant, pale coloured, tight, fresh, with very good grip, not giving much on the nose right now - one should really wait another five + years. There is only upside (90-92) from here on.
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4/9/2013 - Umay Ceviker wrote: 92 Points
Pale garnet. Such a unique compelling nose swinging between meaty, bacony aromas and fresh, savoury cranberry. Scents of violets add to its complexity but the dominant basil notes identify the wine being present also on the palate. Tannins strike on the attack but are tamed by the rich fruit and the bright acidity to portray a zesty, racy, alluring experience. Truly one of a kind.
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10/29/2012 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 88 Points
The 'cru's' of Mount Etna (Salone di Gusto, Torino, Italy): Medium(-) ruby with garnet rim, viscous. Medium(-) developing nose rather closed nose of red berries, dried red fruits, some spice. Dry, medium acidity, light-medium(-) tannins, medium(-) body and medium alcohol. Medium flavors of strawberries, small red fruits with savory notes penetrating later upon opening. Elegant, light-footed. Good length with focussed fruit-driven finish.
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