Finally, this wine got into the zone. The savory austerity and rugged masculinity melted into the wine to reveal a lovely balanced (and maybe even elegant) beauty.
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Big wine, no signs of fading. Cork was immaculate. Tar and dark fruit…bold and beautiful wine. Probably should have decanted longer - and probabably had 2-3 years left in bottle.
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Notes consistent with my previous bottles. Still fresh, with dark cherries in the nose and in the palate. Dense, minerally, with balsamic and licorice notes and coffee beans. Medium tannins, spicy, medium-long ending. Very good Aglianico, still youthful but very enjoyable.
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LMC has such interesting bottles, thanks for tickling our taste-buds at SKT's Diwali Italian Theme lunch party, with one of my first ever Southern Italian reds. This comes from 100% Aglianico di Taurasi, harvested in part from century-old pre-phylloxera vines. It is sometimes described as the "3rd greatest Italian grape" after Sangiovese and Nebbiolo!
Slightly cloudy, some initial funk on the nose which dissipated after 30 mins. Dense mouthfeel with a medium-full body, I stabbed a guess.. Is this a 15 year BdM?
Sweet cherries are starting to fade, but the grainy tannins are still there after 20 years. What an amazing structured wine! The medium+ acidity makes this still reasonably pleasant to have with heavy meats, such as the delicious Angus Tomahawk Chef LMK prepared from her kitchen.
Happy Diwali... Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 12 Nov 2023
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Seems insane that it has been almost 12 years since I opened one of these (where has the time gone?!). This one is quite dried out and stripped down on first approach. Rustic. Pretty devoid of pleasure. Hoping this is bottle variation as there are several more in the box (along with 04s).
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PnP. Slight bricking. Dried flowers and dust on the nose. Tannic but faded red fruit taste.
+1.5 hours (open bottle, not decanted). Nose softer. Old, ripe flowers. Still tannic but softer. A little fuller. Probably best to decant this wine. I can't tell if it would be worth holding for a few more years.
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Deep dark color, great nose with red cherries, dark fruit, some secondary notes. Full bodied with still strong smooth tannins. Long finish. Very good on own, better with food.
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Much better than the other bottles. This was a pop and pour - and it did not disappoint! Ink dark Aglianico, black fruits on the nose, tobacco leaves, cherries. Great acidity on the attack, and grainy tannins that tells you what a monstrous body this has! Nice balance between dark cherries, blackberries and more secondary notes like tobacco and licorice. The ending is medium long - this is such an enjoyable wine that will probably peak in 5-6 years but not any sooner. Great indeed!
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This is much like my earlier bottles rather than the one from a couple of years ago. Nose is rich with dark dark fruit (black raspberries for example) and earth and a bit of spice. Palate is dark, chewy with intense fruit, tobacco, and a good hit of acid. Lots of tannins develops toward the end.
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I am fully aware of the hype around this wine, particularly the 2010. Perhaps I picked the wrong year, but this wine remains edgy and rough. Ink, liquorice, garrigue, dark cherries and intense toast in the nose. Some development on the palate since my last tasting in 2019, with timid cedar notes appearing now, but still overwhelmed by adstringence and acidity to be sorted. Eucalyptus, bellpepper, rosemary, clove and roast aromas simply don't add up, leaving an impression of unbalanced, unfinished - and overpriced - work.
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PnP chilled bottle - opaque in the glass with a beautiful nose of refined dark berry. This lovely 2003 is incredibly smooth whilst still having a brightness on the tip of my tongue. Mid palate it broadens with a bit more complexity and it really opens up on the finish. Stems up!
Update: the next evening, it was flat with an unsavory note in the mid-palate. Suggest drinking up upon opening.
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Needs 1 - 1.5 hours to open...a mess upon opening...dark, syrupy fruit, tart, tar. begins to calm down and integrate a bunch...tartness subsides. Hard to imagine a 19 year old wine being tart. cherry, cinnamon, spice...a bit rustic. I think this can age longer.
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Deep ruby color. Nose shows lots of tertiary aromas - leather mostly - some eucalyptus, after a few minutes in the glass dark cherries and blackberries started to emerge. The palate showed ever so slight signs of oxydation at first, which dissipated after 15 minutes revealing more tertiary notes of leather, some tobacco, faint dark fruit, and then still chalky tannins, wild herbs, some oak - did I say leather?
Overall, a very good showing, but I’d say this is just past its peak and i will drink up on the next year or so. Very good. Previous score stands.
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Surprisingly fresh for a 2003 wine. Still drinking well and a nice but not exceptional bottle. Fine acidity and balance, but lacks terroir or complexity.
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Nose of incense, bacon fat. menthol. slight tar. Medium weight. Acids are present, but somewhat disjointed. I wonder if this might reveal that acids were supplemented artificially for this unusually hot vintage. Still enjoyable, but fear this is falling out of balance relative to what I recall.
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Briny nose. Acid is fairly high. Excellent energy on the palate. Fruit Flavors are fading, tannins are medium plus. Slight harshness mars balance. Drink yesterday.
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Très difficile à déboucher, le bouchon va même se briser (il était quand même parfait, sans trace de coulure ou quoi que ce soit. Pour la prochaine ne pas hésiter à bien enfoncer la vrille, le bouchon est très long). Excellent vin, à la robe grenat briquée démontrant des signes d’âge, vin sérieux qui se présente avec une complexité d’arômes dominée par la boîte à cigar, les épices, des notes empyreumatiques ainsi que de sous-bois et de champignons et une trame fruitée encore présente bien qu’en second plan. Un vin de grande classe. En bouche c’est bien équilibré, l’acidité encore présente et les tannins assagis mais lui conférant toujours une structure solide. À ce point, il ne pourra que décliné, mieux vaut ne pas trop attendre pour la suite
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Open from owc bought on ackerwines.com - perfect conditions.
Decanted for 30 minutes. Nose of anise, quite complex. Palate still has some good fruit - dark cherries, blackberries, with a lot of tertiary notes afterwards like licorice, wet forest floor, some iron, leather. Excellent with pot roast - this has still grippy tannins - a monster wine. As flavors are tending towards tertiary now, I will drink my case in the next 2 years. Very good and Aglianico proves itself to be a very interesting grape.
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Cork was clean, perfect and a tough pull. Needed an hour and spend up beautifully with deep cherry, sweet cranbury sauce, tobacco box and some f that road tar that seems to show up in many aglianicos. palate continued with the same fruits and some sweet spice. Fully mature with acids resolved and only the slightest softest tannin revealing itself on the end of the longish finish. Enjoyed with veal ravioli in cheese sauce. Drink up over the next couple years.
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Perhaps off the peak. This was still an excellent drink, but not as outstanding as the previous bottles. More muted on the nose and the palate. Just not as rich as earlier.
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Yes, this wine is tired--cork was nearly impossible to pull so can't fault that. It is just that the fruit and tannins have completed their long engagement with one another. Drink up.
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This bottle was well past its prime, or otherwise flawed/degraded. (Cork was perfect.) Intriguing nose, but mostly aged oak notes, with some raisiny fruit. No tannin or acidity to speak of, which was certainly surprising. Drinkable but not that interesting, sadly.
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Mouth-puckering acid, licked-stone minerals, savory, sanguineous secondary flavors...this is everything I want in a 16-year-old aglianico.
I've had 3 of these over the past 7 years, and they've been fairly consistent, but this has been the best of the three. These wines are lively and, for my money, in their prime. For me that means the the fruit has ebbed enough to reveal their true nature. If that doesn't make sense to you, this may not be the wine for you. For the rest, though, this is something special at this price for sure.
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30 minutes of decanting. This is now mature. The nose has intriguing notes of plum, blackberries and herbs with a faint whiff of barnyard that blows off over time. This is structured but mature where the tannins which are a tad rustic are now integrating pretty well into the wine. Black currant, tobacco, herbs with well integrated oak flavors show as this rolls into a long satisfying finish. Nicely balanced wine, only 13 percent abv. I suspect this has at least another five years to go.
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Well the reviews are all over the place. There must be amazing bottle to bottle variation here. This was my first bottle and it was surprisingly fresh with enough acidity to carry the heavy body. Dark and rustic with notes of of tar and leather. Fruit and tannins well integrated. Not an amazing wine, but nothing to complain about.
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Cork disintegrated but no signs of seepage. Tight nose. Very tart berry flavors with a hint of vinegar, even with several hours of air. Not particularly delicious. Hard to see where it goes from here.
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Several bottles had in the past proved hard like a rock and unapproachable. Finally some movement here, with timid black fruit appearing. Dark, dense, inky, with tea and herbs in the background, it takes some imagination that this will ever justify the relatively high price. To be revisited, but expectations remain on the low side.
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Dark berries, rocks, ash -- you can practically taste the volcano. Powerfully structured for the long haul but delicious now. I can't imagine how anyone could drink this on release though.
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Bright ruby color. Pretty nose of mineral, dark fruit, slightly smoky note. Palate shows a strong tannic backbone, but also nice acidity. Clearly a wine that will age, but I like its purity and length. Nice balance and long finish. I think the tannin works now, but might be too much for some. Pretty acid helps it avoid being heavy or clumsy. Quite nice
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On the nose black olive with a dark black olive tapenade,marmalade mixture of various dark fruits. Slightly corked even though the cork itself was in perfect condition. Cigar box, aged leather, incredibly dark black fruits along with blackberry syrup. Fairly lithe yet complex on the palate, with real defined tannins and rock solid structure. Stick with the 4 hour decanting rule on this one. Black olive and intense mushroom/ black truffle after 10 minutes in the glass. The acidity is a little forward, the volcanic soil’s terroir is definitely self evident, but if you have this stashed in your cellar, wait another 3-4 years and give it a shot then. 89+ points for the wine. 90+ for dealing with the 2003 warm vintage. Anton.
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Sweet berries and Doug fir in the nose. Never developed like th ‘01 but the blazing hot ‘03 vintage probably contributes to that. Flavors remain young and complex but dominated by tannin, blueberry, saddle leather and drying finish. Still about as good as this vintage got.
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Tasted blind. A “serious" wine. Lots of truffles and tar on the nose. Dark berries, dried fig, and cigar. Big concentration in the tannins, but the flesh is rather juicy. Tastes fairly mature, but this obviously could be aged for quite a while longer. Rating: 93.
Guess the wine: Barolo. 10+ years old.
Non-Blind p.s.: Aglianico gets my vote for most underrated varietal. Every time I drink it I'm taken aback by the seriousness.
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7 years in the cellar have really helped this wine, and it is much more enjoyable now than when I last tried it in 2011. Deep ruby, with a nose of black cherry compote, an overall frame of sweet oak, but nuanced by melted tar, wax, and the barest hints of tobacco and nutmeg. In a tart yet powerful style, with a very long mineral dominated finish.
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The 2001 version of this wine was my first Aglianico. This vintage never matched up to the ‘01, perhaps due to the heat of the vintage. Blue fruits are hidden underneath fine but drying tannins. The blue fruit extends to the nose. But little length and a gritty, dry finish keep this down. Drink now or save and hope.
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From Magnum. Even after several hours the wine was still a bit tight and monolithic. Simply too young in this format and the deep, thick and dark fruits brooding underneath might eventually develop some elegance and complexity, but it is not possible to say right now.
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Paired up with pasta al cingiale (wild boar). Big red tons of tannin great acidity but decanted for 3 hours opened up but needed more time. Deep rich dried fruit with blackberry, plum and tobacco. At hour 4 really came into a zone with great lingering pronounced earth and leather - following pasta came beef short rib with nice marbling truly supporting this unique red with years to come. A great journey.
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From Magnum. Took a couple hours to soften, but tannins were still rather firm. The nose was a 92, but on the palate black fruits, tar, smoked meats and some roses that were on the nose never really developed in full. The heat of the alcohol, which was not great, showed up more than expected. Will likely give my next mag another year or so and/or much more decanting time
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It took a long time, but this is now ready to drink. Decanted two hours before dinner. Very dark blue/purple color. Wonderful nose of black fruit, cedar, tobacco and a little sour cherry -- really, it smells better than it sounds. Aromatics fruitier than palate, where the secondary flavors take greater prominence. Saved a glass for night 2, and it faded considerably. Will keep, but no need to age further. Score from night 1.
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Like mclanew said this this showing much more integrated right now. It had dark black fruit, but the tannins are integrated and and soft all the way through the finish. It retains great acidity too so it showed well with fatty meats and sauces. So much better than the last time I opened one years ago. Therefore I think this is a "drink now" proposition. Not that it will fall apart, but it was just so good tonight, I see no reason to hold them.
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Dark red with a bit of brown under the light. Lots of alcohol on the nose, intense plums, some spice, intense purple. Intense plum skin notes. Delicious plum and blackberry bramble finish. Could use five more years.
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• went well with Puttanesca - nice pairing • went even better with eggplant parmigiana • medium bodied, mellow, lovely • cherry kernel finish (ever so slightly bitter, but pleasant)
Drinking really well now. Appears to have emerged from a relatively tannic phase. Still a big wine, with lots of fleshy body, flavors of red and black fruits, herbs, tobacco. Nice Long finish. Starting to show hints of tertiary development although I suspect this will always be a straight ahead type one.
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Powerful, tannic and still somewhat monolithic wine. Great concentration and flavour, but surprisingly still in a very primary state with many years ahead.
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Nose is rich with dark dark fruit (black raspberries for example) and earth and a bit of spice. Palate is dark, chewy with intense fruit, tobacco, and a good hit of acid. Lots of tannins develops toward the end.
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Very rich mouthfeel with earth and dried red berries. Drinking very well now. Long finish with dry tannins. I like this just as much as I did five years ago, but for different reasons, as this has evolved.
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Double decanted; moderate settlement. Four hours later: Deep garnet color. Nose is muted and hard to identify. On the palate it seems closed, but there is dark fruit and considerable acids along with prominent tannins. Average length finish. Day 2: Nose still subdued, but suggests dark berries. On the palate, perhaps it has opened up a little, but acid is more prominent than the fruit. Future: Not sure that this will improve with more bottle age, but since I have three more bottles, I will check again in a couple of years
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What a great nose, but this puppy needs some serious air. Dark garnet in color. Leather and cigar box. Still has strong tannins, almost mouth puckering. Consumed with some chicken pot pie. I'll wait a few years before opening another bottle.
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A rustic wine. An old geezer who keeps telling obsenely scabrous stories that children should never hear, that make ladies' ears wither and priests cross themselves.
Early drinking window. We dbldecanted for five hrs. Wife was not so happy with this btl.
JERWIN's note is right on. Enjoyed with spaghetti and homemade meatballs, yet still big, brusque, and tannic with some wonderful fruits and leather underneath.
I've tasted this over five days and still felt it continue to evolve in the bottle. Give it time and give it air.
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This was the first of six bottles, it was decanted for 2.5 hours leaving a significant sediment. * deep garnet with a tawny rim * full in the mouth with considerable weight * aromatics and palate impressions reflect a maturing mix of dark ripened fruits, baking spices, tobacco, tar, wet soil, seared orange peel, and a faint floral component * there is an intriguing acidic tension as the mouth impressions play across the senses, gaining momentum in mid palate, and ending with a slightly drying (but not harsh) finish Although sometimes put down as a poor heat stricken vintage, this Serpico is in no way a clumsy beast. It is a powerful angular wine with good structure, great depth, and a complexity that is just starting to emerge. Unfortunately, it was a little overpowering for the delicate spinach & ricotta crepes, wild mushroom sauce, sesame crusted eggplant steaks, and roasted red peppers I paired it with. It is still a bit wound up at this stage and could have used more time in the decanter. Give it another 3-4 years in the cellar and then enjoy it over the following ten. Drink sooner only with a good airing and a meal of big flavorful foods.
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Medium-dark garnet red. Muted nose of dark chocolate and a bit of red berry that changes to peppered raspberries with a bit of time. There is a sourness to this wine that pervades all stages and that becomes more pleasant in the lingering finish than it is up front. Other than that raspberries and a bit of vanilla. At its heart this is a peasant wine, not without its charms, that is much better with food than without.
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Rich, autumnal nose of macerated dark fruit, soft oak, chestnuts and spicebox. Powerful palate, strong tannines, great acidic backbone, needs a lot of decantertime to reveal the aromatics that are hidden beneath the enormous structure. Like.
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Drank over two days. Nicely put together; a unique wine. It shows the heat of the vintage, but there is so much underlying minerality, structure, and tannic grip, particularly from the middle back, that it comes together very well. It put my mind to the 2003 Ducru Beacaillou in body, weight, and texture. It is drinking nicely right now, and though it should hold nicely for the next 4 to 6 years, there's no reason not to enjoy it now, especially after a good decant. I would not hold it beyond 2018-2020. 92-93.
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First bottle opened in this case, and it is lovely. Nine years is a good start. Nose is rich with dark dark fruit and earth and a bit of spice. Palate is dark, chewy with intense fruit, tobacco, and some significant countervailing acid. A big hit of tannins develops toward the end and adds a luscious note.
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Never lived up to the promise of the 2001, but this is okay. Plenty of moderately steely blue fruit with tannins that coat and caress. A blue nose with just enough smoke on the back end.
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Complicated nose of cheese rind, dark flowers, leather and soy sauce. The palate is nicely acidic with a very smooth entry that breaks down into dusty, grainy tannins. Pretty simple on the palate with bright berries mostly. A bit of a clipped finish. Leaving some on the counter for tomorrow to see what happens. I imagine it'd be better with a hunk of rare beef.
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Very dry and tannic, and one gets the feeling this wine might always be that way. Not a lot of charm here. It's powerful and grippy but not that expressive. Not one of my favorites.
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Pop and pour. Dried rose petals and eucalyptus on the nose; on the palate, tart cranberry, cherry, ash, and notes of violets and roses, with powerful acidity threatening to overwhelm the fruit. There was a little sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Over the course of an hour or so, dark fruit came through the acid, the sour cranberry element retreated somewhat, the floral notes became more pronounced, and some drying tannins appeared. A bottle drunk a year ago was noticeably better than this. I agree with the other comments that say that the acid is beginning to overtake the fruit -- the imbalance is probably a consequence of the heat of 2003. I would say the drinking window is closing; it's time to finish these.
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There is some sour, burnt, red fruit in the nose, but that is all the fruit you get because there isn't much on the palate. There are also beautiful, long, red tinted legs on the glass so I'm guessing a fair amount of alcohol. It tastes sour or tart, but not much fruit. It has that tar flavor. I agree with prior tasting notes that the structure will outlive any fruit in this wine. I thought 2003 was a warm vintage so I would expected more fruit, even from aglianico, but it is not here.
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Drunk a part over Easter's lunch, then followed for a few days. Unfortunately the nose is very oaky, with evident vanilla notes. Underlying you still feel the fruit, which emerges best after two-three days, but you never get rid of the oak. On the palate it has good freshness, despite the level of extraction (which is on the high side), but you still feel the oak. Tannins are still strong but are starting to be well integrated. With food it went well. Overall I found it to be in a rather messy state: the oak is the worst part of it, but even if you forget that for a moment, you don't feel that the various other components make up a unity, yet. Too bad because the underlying grape material seemed to be good. *(*)
Pie cherry, flowers, broken rocks, crayon wax, chlorine, tar, tobacco ash, melted licorice, rose petal, EtOH. Quite aromatically appealing, it's easy to see this as the Barolo of the south, but tannin and tart fruit/sour cherry dominates the palate and the chemical aspect shows too. Tough and unyielding, even after being open for a day, needs food. This was never a great Serpico and will probably never become one.
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Structured/acidic, blood/tar black cherries/iron, in my opinion not enough fruit to outlast structure. Drink now w decant or hold for another few, but don't expect any more fruit to emerge. 90-91.
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Very structured as most reviewers say and somewhat rustic or even angular but oh so savory and food friendly! Color is medium garnet and the nose displays evolved aromas of undergrowth, earth, tart red cherries, tar and florals. Not so far from an evolved Barolo aromatically. On the palate it is medium bodied with massive and firm tannins, niticeable iron-like and earthy minerality, high acidity and freshness. Aftertaste is long. Will possibly improve further but can be enjoyed now with a suitable dish. Drink STRICTLY with food. Matched perfectly with oriental kebab. I was surprised to find out that everybody at the table (including non-wine-geeks) liked it, despite being anything but an easy wine.
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Ditto last note 1 yr ago, strong acidity, black tart cherries, tar, and hints of coffee. This wine is so structured I suspect it will not budge anytime soon. I question whether it will get better and would suggest rather than wait, decant and drink. A food wine for sure.
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NOt sure why I didn't believe my last note, but this wine gives nothing once again. Wait another decade then try it. Its' like drinking ink….even after 24 hours. I wonder about the future of it. Is it going to be a 100 year wine or a never wine????
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I am glad I had the patience to wait several years before drinking this wine. The color is clear, deep garnet. It is still showing some ruby, but there's also tawny on the rim. This is a concentrated, glass-staining wine, although there's surprisingly little sediment. The nose is clean, with dark baked fruits, dried roses, orange rind, sweet spices, leather, wood, and dry talcum powder. The nose is complex (-) and developing (+). The palate is very dry, with medium alcohol (13%) polyphenols and minerality. The acidity is medium (+) and the tannins are medium (+) to pronounced, even after 10 years. The palate shows mostly sweet black cherry, with medium (+) flavor intensity and a medium-long finish. This is a medium (+) bodied wine, which is finally at the stage of development where the tannins are cottony and silky but not overpowering. Still, it greatly benefits from rich, fatty foods. It is likely to have a drinking window of at least another five years, but I would be concerned about the fruit becoming muted much earlier than the tannins. A very interesting wine, particularly if you can find it on sale for under $50.
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Opened several hours before dinner and that seemed adequate. Very well balanced with nice fruits - a very nice aglianico. I think It has lots of years left, but unfortunately I've only got 1 bottle left.
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The Wines of Feudi di San Gregorio (Spacca Napoli Pizzeria - Chicago, IL): This was probably my favorite Serpico of the night. The dark, dense fruit was there but this seemed to have a floral airiness to it that the other vintages lacked. The total package seemed to have more balance and was drinking quite nicely this evening.
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This wine was served at a walk-around wine and food party, having been generously contributed by J.G. Although it was decanted, I strongly suspect that it would have benefited from several more hours in decanter. My impressions are those from serially tasting during the first two hours. By its opaque ruby appearance, I would not have been surprised if told that it was the current release. The nose ultimately opens to show moderately intense aromas of ripe blackberries, crushed rocks and cocoa. The palate is full-bodied and fresh, with ample fine-grained tannins and seamless alcohol (listed as 13%). The flavors are in line with the nose and the middle palate is solid. The back end is medium in length and fairly smooth. While certainly pleasant, I think that this wine would have merited a higher score with more prolonged aeration. Drink 1/15-12/25.
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Deep ruby color. Funky and barnyardy on the nose with loamy, earthy character. Racy acidity on the palate with some black fruit notes to accompany the funkiness. With two hours of air it began to take on more weight and presence. I think this may need a bit more time.
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Pop and pour: On the nose, a beautiful combination of bandaid, violets, and other spring flowers. Powerful dark fruit on the palate along with violets and rich spicy notes. With air, dusty tannins make an appearance and complement the fruit and floral elements. On the second day, the floral notes fade a bit, and the tannins are more prominent, and a bit astringent; the first day was better. An excellent wine at or nearing its peak.
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This struck me as one of the most unique quality wines I have ever tasted. The taste profile is different, but wholly agreeable. This also has considerable aging potential. It's tight upon opening but blossoms with air. Tastes great right now but will reward additional cellaring.
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The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like and Blackberry. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Coarse texture. The wine finishes Medium. Required Vinturi.
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At first on the pop n pour there are beautiful aromas of black fruit, sweet damp earth, and freshly cracked vanilla bean. Medium to full body with flavors of blackberry, more vanilla bean, and subtle dry mushroom. Very dry on the finish with gripping tannins. After an hour in the decanter the vanilla bean has dropped off and leaves the ripe blackberry and subtle sweet earth. Well balanced acidity. The dryness has softened to leave a very smooth finish with sweet tannins. I find this wine truly remarkable in that it is now ten years old and tastes so young. I think this easily has another five years to go, maybe even more.
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3 hour decant per the other reviews that I read. Paired well with the spaghetti but it was not close to the best wine tonight. It was simply too rough.
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Very sour dark cherry and a bit of anise. I normally love Italian wines for their acidity, but in this case it's a bit too much and leaves the wine seeming out of balance. However, this impression was from drinking it on its own. It would probably be better with food. Should hold up for awhile, but not sure if it will improve.
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Not sure of what to make of this...took hours in decanter to soften, but then the fruit jumped out of the glass. I guess its just too early unless you want to spend hours decanting now.
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At first, tannic, austere, and unyielding w strong acidity. Then, over 3 hrs w hearty meat sauce it opened to reveal dark black fruit, tobacco, coffee of moderate concentration and a strong backbone of acidity. This wine is a baby, and will last a while, however I wonder if more fruit will emerge to elevate the score.
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This is definitely not a wine that is going to appeal to everyone, but it does appeal to me. On the nose, black raspberry, smoke, ash, leather, tar, violets. On the palate black raspberry, black cherry, leather, spice, herbs, raisin, pepper. Finishes dry and dusty with searing acidity. Not a wine for sipping, this one has to have food and then it transforms. Great match with salame and sharp cheeses. Drink with a decant or hold. No hurry, this will last for years, but I don't see it gettting better, just different.
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Raspberry nose with good mineral, smoke and juicy berry flavors. More approachable than many aglianicos, it has a nice acidity and moderate tannin component to keep it interesting.
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Deep garnet. Ripe, developing nose, nutmeg, dried black fruit, coffee, sweet spice, elegant. Palate is dry with tonnes of structure (high acidity, high fine ripe tannins). Med+ length, chocolate, black cherry, toast. Very good. Intensity, complexity, ripe with lots of fruit, balanced by freshness. Still has a long life ahead due to the serious backbone.
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Opened and decanted for 2 hours. Served with dinner at home (pasta w/ pesto, beet salad, bread). Deep purple color. Nice nose. When the wine was first opened, the tannins were strong and the wine was tart with leather/burnt tobacco/ash flavors. After two hours, the wine mellowed some, the tannins became less prominent and there were growing prune/raisin/pepper flavors. After another hour, over the meal, the wine became more balanced with more dark fruit flavors but still far from jammy. Medium finish.
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popped this one late in the evening on the back porch...no decant, no nothing....still fairly tannic and fair bit of acid...too far gone for much beyond that
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Two years after my first bottle and not much has changed. Still very tannic and bitter. The nose is better than the palate as the fruit is still hidden behind bitter tannins and high acidity. Hopefully a few more years will put this wine in balance. If I had more I would hold.
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Very muscular wine. Finish has an intense tannic grip, while nose is surprisingly subtle and improves with air. I suspect this wine will age well for a very long time.
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In this stage a disappointing wine; there is an enormous amount of acidity and bitterness, something dusty as well. Very concentrated. Drying and a bit harsh tannin. No refinement now, even with a day airtime. Waiting at least until 2018 is probably the best thing to do. Difficult to score. 86 - 87 for the pleasure now plus 2 for the potential….?
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Opened and poured at 55 degrees. Took some time to open and warm up. Pretty and delicate red fruit. Not particularly long finish. Minimal signs of oak. May benefit from further bottle aging, but I think it's pretty close.
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This wine confused me. I assumed it would be huge, ripe, masculine, and (probably) very new worldy. Not exactly my style, but it was what I thought would work with the flavors of Persian food. Decanted for about a hour before drinking. This was strangely understated, and dare I say, delicate. Not delicate compared to a Volnay, but delicate compared to what I was expecting. It is clearly a well made clean wine, but it wasnt giving a lot last night. The wine has plenty of tannins and I look forward to seeing how it evolves. I may have just caught this one in a funny place (?bottle shock as it just arrived a month ago).
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A little disappointing in the fact that this was so disjointed. The oak was too pronounced and so were the tannins. After a couple hours of air the tannins resolved a little bit, but the balance was not there compared to several other bottles I've had in the past. Probably too young but noticeable bottle variation.
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Not as ripe as I thought it would be... the fruit aromas in this thing are a bit muddled and a bit prunish but sturcutrally I found it to be quite balanced with moderate ETOH and very high acidity/very high tannins that are not overripe at all... has the density of flavor and structure to age for many years if you are so inclined... drank quite well with 30-60 min decanting tonight. Great intensity of flavor, persistent finish, nice balance... for me lacked the clarity in flavor to be 90+
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Compared to 03 Radici this wine was perhaps a bit less traditional. Darker and more in the purple family, it was more forward, fruitier and showed more spice and cedar notes. Richer, riper darker fruited of the two, it was a bit more remiscent of a CdP or even bodeaux. Was more tannic of the two as well.
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Impenetrable and inky. Cloves, cinnamon, and chocolate, mouth-coating, infinitely deep and long. It’s worth drinking this vintage that got 92 points from WA. It’ s not the best vintage for sure...anyway it’s a good bottle of wine.
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Not a favorite vintage for me, for this wine. Deep blackish-purple color, nose showing walnuts and framboise liqueur, but harsh tannins dominate the fruit. Air helped a little. Awkward and not likely that the tannins will soften, I suspect. Garagiste says "once acidic and lean"... then mentions sandpaper. He thought it had turned a corner; no such luck for my bottle.
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Second bottle in 2 months. Very consistent with first bottle. Loads of dark berry and tobacco. Full bodied, chewy with prominent tannins. This will age very well. Years left.
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Wow! This is ripping my face off. Intense red and black fruits with the acidity to match. Deep, dark, and tannic. Drink now to experience a crazy lively wine, that is eight years old, or hold on to for at least ten more years.
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Initially very awkward/disjointed, but after a few hours of air it shows pretty typical Aglianico fruit, with perhaps a bit too much of an artificial oaky/vanillan creaminess layered on top of what would otherwise be a rather brambly/raspy/woody type of mouthfeel. Dark fruit with tons of minerality and herbaceousness (graphite, bitter roots, licorice) and even some floral characteristics (violets). Overall a little bit disjointed but ultimately the Aglianico pierces the veil of winemaking. PERHAPS this will become better with yet additional time, as it appears to have lots of stuffing...Not hot or syrupy at all, but the midpalate seems a bit thin and the oak a bit too vanilla-ish. My score is perhaps on the high side, as I'm "rooting" for this one, which seems to be in an internal struggle with itself...
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If not properly stored this bottle needs to be consumed now. The tannins in ours had disappear and left and extremely soft wine with scent of leather and licorice
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Double decanted and brought to dinner at Terragusto. Reserved nose, maybe a bit of iodine. Very deep purple color. Medium weight, not jammy. Good structure here, precise. Most well made Aglianico wine I've had to date but this didn't wow me. Needs more time, well worth the $35 I paid though.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Lovely nose of perfume, talc, rich berries, plums and currants. Solid flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now through the next 6-7 years plus or minus.
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Raspberry and cedar on the nose, with hints of spice, dirt, and bittersweet chocolate. Very soft on the palate, with dark red fruit and cedar, spice, and a nice dirty finish.
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Quite good, and very possibly quite a bit better still before too very long. But I'll probably wait until 2013 before the next as I think it's still on the upward curve. It's certainly not a wow experience right now.
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Wonderful, dark, brooding sort of wine. Tar and cherry. But very very young - needs a lot more air and age. I won't be drinking another for quite awhile
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nose vegetal with grassy and earthy notes. tastes of strawberry, cherries. early on there was a hint of mulling spices, but that want away with time. finish a bit pasty, a tad harsh. a very nice wine, though I'll be interested to see if the finish improves with time.
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Not as super tight as other notes indicate, though clearly time will do wonders here. The raw materials are very good. Nice nose of pencils, cedar and menthol. It is amazing when it hits your palate in that the color and nose leads you to expect a certain mouthfeel, yet it turns out to be very light on its feet. Sweet tannins, with almost a burst of sour cherry and an earthy component. A great food wine, and much better IMO than the cellar tracker notes to this point. Very italian, not a big CA bruiser, yet structure galore and a glorious future ahead if stored properly.
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Completely shut down just giving a hint of sweetness on the nose. The palate has hard, gritty, drying tannins. Loosens up with a bit of food. Needs time.
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When first opened at a great Itlaian restaurant, this wine was a bit disppointing. It was closed and really lacked the bouquet and structure that one would expect from a Serpico. But as the evening progressed, the wine opened up and showed its true potential. That said, I think that this wine needs several more years in the bottle before it will reach its full potential.
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At lunch with friends, together with another Aglianico from 2003 (Terra dei re Divinus). The nose is dominated by a caramel note on a background of spices. On the palate is full-bodied and austere, with powerful tannins. Very long. Very special, I loved it.
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Completely shut down and showing almost nothing right now. Aglianico often seems to go through an extended period of being almost undrinkably dumb. I was hoping that the 2003 would be a bit more approachable, but no luck. Hopefully the fruit will last as long as it takes for this wine to resolve. I'll try this again in 2015.
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After my dissapointment with the last bottle, curiosity got the better of me; after all this is a wine that was given 98pts by WA. Drum roll please....and ditto for my last note. With three more bottles to go, what should I think? On one hand, WA gave it a huge drinking window until 2034; on the other hand, the fruit is weak and that seems like a one way direction more often than not. Maybe it's bottle variation, but the CT avg score of 89 pts also tells you something.
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Very dissapppointing - could almost be a bad bottle - weak fruit, tannic, a little green - have 4 more bottles, so will withhold judgement until the next one gets opened.
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I was really curious to try this after all of the mixed reviews and I was pleasantly surprised. Very Italian. Dark fruit flavors and oak dominate the fairly complex palate. Fairly high in acid but in a good way. Tannins are noticable but not overbearing. Much more enjoyable than I expected.
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gorgeous dark color, hint of brown brick. intense nose of chocolate, smoked meat and oak. serious muscle wine, deep and complex, was perfect with steaks. Tannins losened up a bit as it sat in the glass. but great finish, a bit of coffee, dark and smooth.
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STG Southern Italian Wines: nose: tomatos with stems, some dill, very vegetal, but in the way that vegetables taste wonderful in the summer sun. palate: green, high acidity, but easy to drink. Reminded me of tomato juice - I would love to have this with pasta. My favorite of this flight, much preferred over both versions of the 2001.
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STG does Southern Italy (Ballard, WA): A1 steak sauce on the nose but in an appealing and spicy way. Earthy on the palate with a ripe tomato note. Some Brett. It may not sound appealing, but it was more immediately pleasurable than the 2001.
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Very dark and fragrant wine, with a lot of grip and depth. Impressive in the glass; the color gives one the impression that this is a serious wine, and it doesn't mislead. There is a degree of oakiness both in the nose and on the palate, but this is easily balanced by an abundance of dark fruit and just the right degree of tart acidity. An earthy, mineral note in the finish. This wine is drinking very well now (although it needs a couple of hours of air to soften up), but I believe it will show better in another 2 to 3 years. Impressive, and an excellent value.
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Tart, tannic, and a bit hollow. Flavors of cranberry and sour cherry on the mouth-puckering, short finish. How DT came to rate this 98 points remains a mystery to me.
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really cool rubber smell on the nose. just a bit too acidic to be great. It also needs more time to develop. The wine looked Purple in color, The legs are Medium. It smells like Rubber. It tastes like Blueberry. The body is Medium. The wine Leathery. The wine finishes Short.
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Decanted one hour. Muted nose. Very tannic. Lots of tobacco/cigar ash and earthiness mask most of the dark fruit. Slightly bitter. High acidity leaves some sting on the finish but not much flavor. After 2 1/2 hours open it's a little more open and integrated. Still very tanninc with high acidity masking flavors and slightly bitter finish. This could improve with more time but I'm a little skeptical that the fruit will come through, but I'll wait a couple of years to open the other bottle and score with some hope for now.
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Ruby red rim to blood core. Nose of damson plums, black raspberry, blackberry, smoke, graphite, old oak, cocoa, fennel. Full bodied, with high tannins...very dry, while maintaining a plump ripe fruit aspect. Ripe black fruit, pit fruit, plums, beef blood, medium-minus acidity, beef blood, ripe, sexy, but not out of proportion fruit, caramel oak, espresso, sangria. Still quite backwards for '03 Campania. Chalky tannic finish--really strips the enamel off the teeth. 2010-2020.
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Big tannins and not quite ready to drink. raspberries and blackberries and tasty. Great nose. Medium to full bodied. I have two more and will wait a couple of years before opening the next. Good value for the price ($50)
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Band-aid, prune and a melange of funk on the nose. Interesting; ageworthy for a 2003, with good acidity and balance. Very bordeaux in character. Much life ahead of it. Now - 2020.
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Beautiful young wine that should have been laid to rest for longer to soften the tannins. Aside frome the wild tannin the wine was well balanced and noted fruit of raspberry, plum and dried cranberries. All of this with a hint of dirt and clay. The finish has a minarally, crushed stone aspect and lingers for long.
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Very young and primary. Nose has deep and rich black fruit, floral notes and spice. Palate is huge with big brooding tannins. Enjoyable but needs lots of time to strut its stuff.
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Still young, but after 2+ hours open, this wine really strutted its stuff. A floral and anise nose started to poke its head out in a big way after a while, and the strong acidity made it a perfect match for the food.
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Opened and let it breathe in the bottle for five hours before pouring. Even after that, could have benefitted from decanting. Very nice wine. Almost a prune-like flavor. Enjoyable, albeit not terribly complex.
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A unique expression of Aglianico from a classic producer. Nose shows extremely pungent and funky aromas of stinky feet, pollen, spicy raspberries, cranberries, and black olive. The palate is medium bodied with nice acidity and displaying more earth driven aromas, cherries, and black vegetables. Very enjoyable. I was extremly attracted to it's super stinky personality. I will search out more of this varietal in the future.
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Seemed too ripe and fruity, almost pruny, for Aglianico. But not surprising given the environmental conditions in Europe in 2003. Oak and prunes in the nose, the wine lacks the steely, acidic backbone I love in Aglianico. Not unloveable, just no typical of varietal. Seemed much more mature than the 2001, which is clearly a better wine. Fruit includes sour cherries, hints of bluets, tannins, but not mouth puckering so. Just a bit sour. 2 hour decant.
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13.5% ABV. Deeply colored, translucent with a slghtly tawny cast. Dark fruit, tar. Slightly rustic, old world with sweetish plum and cranberry flavors turning tangy late. I'll retaste the leftovers tonight, but this didn't make a great impression on me.
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Blind Italians: Medium dark garnet red. More nuanced nose is herbal, bready, and peppery. High-riding on the palate, with a mentholly development and excellent persistence. Shockingly evolved in this showing. The group's WOTN.
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This is starting to open up, but still far from ready. Built like a tank. You get a glimpse of the potential of the wine, but a shame to open it now. Might need another five years + before showing properly.
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Maturing Aglianicos Blindtasted (Rich and Peggy's Home in Los Altos, CA): Group's #4 (my #6) – 58 pts; 5, 1, 0, 1 – dark red violet color; nice, big, berry, Satsuma plum and fig jam nose; big, tart black fruit, mineral, graphite, smoky and sage palate with a touch of salinity, like salty dried prunes; medium-plus finish
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Popped two days ago but completely closed. Rather than the tannic beast warned of, mine seemed thin and acidic. Two days later, it is opening very nicely. The acid seems better integrated and gives the wine a nice balance to its primarily red fruit characters. Good amount of earth and leather on the nose too, and even a bit on the palate. I suspect this was far too young and that it should drink best in five years or even more.
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A very expressive and complex nose of wild flowers, spices and red berries. Mid bodied and still very youthful with aggressive tannins, beautifully sculptured fruit and high acidity. Long finish. A wine of great character. You can drink it now if you are tolerant to aggressive tannins and you will get rewarded by the richness of fruit and the bright freshness. A suitable dish (meat with a rich red sauce) will help rounding it up. Otherwise you have to be patient. Tannins will take long to soften.
This wine was tasted alongside 8 more Italian reds from less-known regions (i.e. Tuscany and Piedmont were excluded) and I was amazed by the distinctiveness of these wines and the terrific job Italian winemakers have done with their indigenous grape varieties.
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Jon R wrote about how this has blossomed. I'm not sure my bottle was bearing fruit. Still rather tannic although certainly much more pleasant than the first bottle.
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Clearly not the wine that the 2001 is, at least at this point, it may develop. Time will tell. Decant and let this warm for at least an hour, more probably would be preferable. Earthy nose of prune and cut sticks, the wine has a bunch of tannin right now that may or may not settle down. Teeth staining purple, don't spill this on momma's white carpet, the wine has dried cherries and anise on the palate. Right now it is sour and very tannic, as noted, and that mouth coating tannin takes some oomph out of the wine. I agree, this has potential, but let it go at least another three years before trying. I was surprised how well the 2001 drank in late '08 making me conclude Aglianico needs 7-8 years to start to settle down. Big wine but not huge. Proportioned well if the fruit and tannins balance in a few years.
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13%. blackish core, ruby red rim. red cherry, raisins, plums.Fragrant deep scented complex nose. Densely structured, grippy tannin & tartness not yet integrated. 11-13 sec finish. With air time gorgeous nose (cola, rosewater, cedar, later chocolate & licquorice, then prunes & raisins) finish lengthens (20+secs). Very grippy. Very very good.
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Clearly outstanding, with a sultry, complex nose of cherries, spiced plum, and violets, with a touch of cedar too. Tannins have softened, and the wine is really coming into its own -- very much improved since I tried it upon release some 18 months ago, and may yet improve more in bottle. Try again in 12-18 months.
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Tasted over 2 days. Deep dark purple garnet color with rusty edges. Very complex and rustic nose of damp earth, fungi and mildew, mushrooms, red plum, tobacco leaf, tar, molasses, spice box, oak, vanilla, cedar plank, olives, hints of rusty iron, tomatoes, and tea notes. Tart red plums and sour pomegranate on the palate that lead into shroomy woodsy flavors, dry dusty tannins, and a nice lingering vanilla finish. Medium to full bodied. I wanted to score this higher for it's intriguing complexity, but it was a bit off balance for me... too acidic with some of its reasonable 13.5% alcohol showing through.
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Had this at an Italian Wine tasting -- one of my favorites of the night, which is why I brought home a bottle. Nose: dark wild berries, a touch of glycerin, coffee, dark chocolate. Palate: tart, definitely acidic, but in a wonderfully green way, almost like eating fruit which isn't quite ripe. There are a few green weeds/herbs rounding out the flavor. Finish: long, sour, fruity.
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Closed? This was popped and poured after the glorious 90 Santa Duc Gigondas and it gave nothing but an acidic taste and short finish. Not really tannic, so much as light on fruit. I corked the rest and will revisit. Not at all what I expected from an 03 or this grape/producer
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Southern Italian – Aglianico and Nero d’Avola Blindtasting (Kenwood, California): Group's #4 (my #3) – 70 pts; 2, 1, 2, 1 – Dark red violet color; beautiful blackberry and dried berry nose (someone suggested “auto body shop,” which somehow also fit); tasty, youthful, tart blackberry, berry, and black fruit with some obtrusive oak showing up mid-palate toward the medium-plus finish 91+ pts.
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Sweet Black Licorice, phenolic, Very nice woody aroma. Finish- Mouth Dry tannic assault, Cappuccino, warm woody-cassis after taste mixed in. Way too young but enjoyed the experience- best Aglianico yet. Decanted 3 hours - should have been 3 days.
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Very pleasant, but still very young. It opened up somewhat surprisingly fast, after about thirty minutes, big dense, oaky and full of dark red fruit. High tannins, but not mouth puckering so, trailing with a hint of hazelnut. Short to medium length finish. Give this wine some time, I’ll wait another two years before trying this again.
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South Italian wine dinner (Chicago, IL): Inky reddish-black in colour. Nose is again incredibly intense but lacking some of the complexity of the 01 - this shows more tar, black fruits and some herbs but there's some volatile acidity and a faint pruney note that spoils it a bit. Concentrated red and dark fruit flavours follow on the palate with moderate acidity, firm tannins and a medium length finish.
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After all the negative comments I heard about this vintage of Serpico I was pleasantly surprised to find I really liked this bottle. Great depth with mocha and dark fruit on the palate. The nose wasn't terribly expressive but very complex and enjoyable wine.
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Feudi di San Gregorio Serpico vertical (Parco dei Principi, Rome): Black core, ruby rim, deep/dark/dense. Aromas and flavours of fruit and new oak. Very acidic and very tannic, but in a good way. Full bodied, concentrated and savory. Developed nicely in the glass. Needs years.
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Very disappointed with this. Totallt hard, very acidic. We waited a long time to get it. I have one more bottle, I should probably wait 10 years, but I'm not convinved it's up to the task.
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Big deep rich inky almost black color and virtually no nose, indicating an extraordinarily closed-down tight wine, which is exactly what this is. Decant for two .... days? It is very acidic and tannic and absolutely needs food to go with it but even then I'm not certain that the acidic balance can be overcome. This wine certainly needs a lot of time in bottle. But the question is whether one will have very much to show for it in the end. I think there are other places one can spend one's money and bottle aging time with better results in the end
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Palm Bays Tasting: Lovely wine, with amazing fruit. Could have been WOTN if it weren't for the magnificant showing of the Piano. 90+, probably more like 93.
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Palm Bay Imports (Little Italy-Anchorage): This is delicious. Rich, extracted, well balanced red. Loads of toasted oak, vanilla, ripe black cherry, currants, and a spicy finish. The tannins held this one back, especially when compared to the '99 Piano. This will be absolutely gorgeous in 5 years or more.
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Served at a tasting at the Wine Club SF. Dark fruit with super mouth drying tight tannins that seemed kind of green and bitter. Needs years of aging and food to go with it. Would not recommend drinking by itself.
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dark plum red, silvery edges, some clarity, deep dark center Nose: deep berries, chalk, deep dark, oak, honey, caramel, vanilla, tannins Pal: deep berries, chalk, oak, tannins, complex, smooth and sour and savory, earth, salt, marjorum, stiff, pungent tannins Feel: full Finish: long TC9
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What a mistake! I was so impressed with the 2001 that I bought a case of this and a 6 litre. This is the 3rd bottle I have had and have been consistently dissapointed. don't buy this wine, It seems to be overly acidic. I don't know about the aging potential but I hope it can improve.
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Agree with some of the comments on 2001 about the vegetal aroma and taste. This is a young, hard and closed down wine. Pretty close to undrinkable the first day of an open bottle. Now it's day 6 and it's still a mouthful, but have to say that the vegetal overtone has gone away and some very nice pepper and tannins are starting to show through. Buy two, 'cause you're going to want to age one to see what this eventually turns into. Not much point rating this now, it's not very pleasant but has tremendous aging potential.
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1/27/2024 - A.J.Blau wrote:
95
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1/13/2024 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
Finally, this wine got into the zone.
The savory austerity and rugged masculinity melted into the wine to reveal a lovely balanced (and maybe even elegant) beauty.
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12/26/2023 - M.J.G. wrote: 93 Points
Big wine, no signs of fading. Cork was immaculate. Tar and dark fruit…bold and beautiful wine. Probably should have decanted longer - and probabably had 2-3 years left in bottle.
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12/11/2023 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Notes consistent with my previous bottles. Still fresh, with dark cherries in the nose and in the palate. Dense, minerally, with balsamic and licorice notes and coffee beans. Medium tannins, spicy, medium-long ending. Very good Aglianico, still youthful but very enjoyable.
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11/12/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 89 Points
LMC has such interesting bottles, thanks for tickling our taste-buds at SKT's Diwali Italian Theme lunch party, with one of my first ever Southern Italian reds. This comes from 100% Aglianico di Taurasi, harvested in part from century-old pre-phylloxera vines. It is sometimes described as the "3rd greatest Italian grape" after Sangiovese and Nebbiolo!
Slightly cloudy, some initial funk on the nose which dissipated after 30 mins. Dense mouthfeel with a medium-full body, I stabbed a guess.. Is this a 15 year BdM?
Sweet cherries are starting to fade, but the grainy tannins are still there after 20 years. What an amazing structured wine! The medium+ acidity makes this still reasonably pleasant to have with heavy meats, such as the delicious Angus Tomahawk Chef LMK prepared from her kitchen.
Happy Diwali...
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
12 Nov 2023
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10/26/2023 - Neurowine1 wrote:
Seems insane that it has been almost 12 years since I opened one of these (where has the time gone?!). This one is quite dried out and stripped down on first approach. Rustic. Pretty devoid of pleasure. Hoping this is bottle variation as there are several more in the box (along with 04s).
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4/14/2023 - kronfeld wrote:
PnP. Slight bricking. Dried flowers and dust on the nose. Tannic but faded red fruit taste.
+1.5 hours (open bottle, not decanted). Nose softer. Old, ripe flowers. Still tannic but softer. A little fuller. Probably best to decant this wine. I can't tell if it would be worth holding for a few more years.
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3/12/2023 - Moroo Does not like this wine: 67 Points
식초가되어버린...
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3/3/2023 - Geoff Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep dark color, great nose with red cherries, dark fruit, some secondary notes. Full bodied with still strong smooth tannins. Long finish. Very good on own, better with food.
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2/10/2023 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much better than the other bottles. This was a pop and pour - and it did not disappoint! Ink dark Aglianico, black fruits on the nose, tobacco leaves, cherries. Great acidity on the attack, and grainy tannins that tells you what a monstrous body this has! Nice balance between dark cherries, blackberries and more secondary notes like tobacco and licorice. The ending is medium long - this is such an enjoyable wine that will probably peak in 5-6 years but not any sooner. Great indeed!
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1/8/2023 - JWG wrote: 93 Points
Identical to the bottle from three months ago. Outstanding and very lively. Not at all heading over the hill.
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11/1/2022 - Invinoverytas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened and drank immediately with Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino. Very nice and drinking well
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10/30/2022 - KJHutch Likes this wine: 93 Points
Paired this with a filet mignon, baked potato, and asparagus. Popped and poured. Lots of character, good nose and taste.
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9/25/2022 - JWG wrote: 93 Points
This is much like my earlier bottles rather than the one from a couple of years ago. Nose is rich with dark dark fruit (black raspberries for example) and earth and a bit of spice. Palate is dark, chewy with intense fruit, tobacco, and a good hit of acid. Lots of tannins develops toward the end.
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9/9/2022 - CarpeDiem! wrote: 88 Points
I am fully aware of the hype around this wine, particularly the 2010. Perhaps I picked the wrong year, but this wine remains edgy and rough. Ink, liquorice, garrigue, dark cherries and intense toast in the nose. Some development on the palate since my last tasting in 2019, with timid cedar notes appearing now, but still overwhelmed by adstringence and acidity to be sorted. Eucalyptus, bellpepper, rosemary, clove and roast aromas simply don't add up, leaving an impression of unbalanced, unfinished - and overpriced - work.
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6/3/2022 - mshellow wrote: 93 Points
Tart, bright, light, finish for days. Unique bottle.
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4/28/2022 - pocchia Likes this wine: 89 Points
PnP chilled bottle - opaque in the glass with a beautiful nose of refined dark berry. This lovely 2003 is incredibly smooth whilst still having a brightness on the tip of my tongue. Mid palate it broadens with a bit more complexity and it really opens up on the finish. Stems up!
Update: the next evening, it was flat with an unsavory note in the mid-palate. Suggest drinking up upon opening.
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4/10/2022 - DesMarteau wrote: 90 Points
Needs 1 - 1.5 hours to open...a mess upon opening...dark, syrupy fruit, tart, tar. begins to calm down and integrate a bunch...tartness subsides. Hard to imagine a 19 year old wine being tart. cherry, cinnamon, spice...a bit rustic. I think this can age longer.
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2/21/2022 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine:
Deep ruby color. Nose shows lots of tertiary aromas - leather mostly - some eucalyptus, after a few minutes in the glass dark cherries and blackberries started to emerge. The palate showed ever so slight signs of oxydation at first, which dissipated after 15 minutes revealing more tertiary notes of leather, some tobacco, faint dark fruit, and then still chalky tannins, wild herbs, some oak - did I say leather?
Overall, a very good showing, but I’d say this is just past its peak and i will drink up on the next year or so. Very good. Previous score stands.
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2/21/2022 - hm$ wrote: 89 Points
Mature and while a solid wine, not noteworthy.
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1/4/2022 - LT98 wrote:
Surprisingly fresh for a 2003 wine. Still drinking well and a nice but not exceptional bottle. Fine acidity and balance, but lacks terroir or complexity.
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11/5/2021 - acorelli wrote: 91 Points
Acid is a bit high, but with food is ok. Intense dark fruit flavors. Tannins well-tamed.
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10/26/2021 - jmcelroy wrote: flawed
Corked
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10/24/2021 - BBBH Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Bitter, sharp. Decent tannins but the sharpness just wasn’t balanced
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9/17/2021 - juffer Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nose of incense, bacon fat. menthol. slight tar. Medium weight. Acids are present, but somewhat disjointed. I wonder if this might reveal that acids were supplemented artificially for this unusually hot vintage. Still enjoyable, but fear this is falling out of balance relative to what I recall.
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8/6/2021 - ephorn Likes this wine: 91 Points
Briny nose. Acid is fairly high. Excellent energy on the palate. Fruit Flavors are fading, tannins are medium plus. Slight harshness mars balance. Drink yesterday.
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7/10/2021 - Petit amateur wrote:
Très difficile à déboucher, le bouchon va même se briser (il était quand même parfait, sans trace de coulure ou quoi que ce soit. Pour la prochaine ne pas hésiter à bien enfoncer la vrille, le bouchon est très long). Excellent vin, à la robe grenat briquée démontrant des signes d’âge, vin sérieux qui se présente avec une complexité d’arômes dominée par la boîte à cigar, les épices, des notes empyreumatiques ainsi que de sous-bois et de champignons et une trame fruitée encore présente bien qu’en second plan. Un vin de grande classe. En bouche c’est bien équilibré, l’acidité encore présente et les tannins assagis mais lui conférant toujours une structure solide. À ce point, il ne pourra que décliné, mieux vaut ne pas trop attendre pour la suite
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6/7/2021 - Condrieu82 wrote: 92 Points
Open from owc bought on ackerwines.com - perfect conditions.
Decanted for 30 minutes. Nose of anise, quite complex. Palate still has some good fruit - dark cherries, blackberries, with a lot of tertiary notes afterwards like licorice, wet forest floor, some iron, leather. Excellent with pot roast - this has still grippy tannins - a monster wine. As flavors are tending towards tertiary now, I will drink my case in the next 2 years. Very good and Aglianico proves itself to be a very interesting grape.
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3/5/2021 - grub94 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cork was clean, perfect and a tough pull. Needed an hour and spend up beautifully with deep cherry, sweet cranbury sauce, tobacco box and some f that road tar that seems to show up in many aglianicos. palate continued with the same fruits and some sweet spice. Fully mature with acids resolved and only the slightest softest tannin revealing itself on the end of the longish finish. Enjoyed with veal ravioli in cheese sauce. Drink up over the next couple years.
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3/4/2021 - unionst Does not like this wine:
I was surprised to find both bottles were completely oxidized. If you have any, I would suggest opening before too late.
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12/26/2020 - 100pp wrote: 93 Points
Tasted from magnum.
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10/31/2020 - jsherdc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding. Very balanced. Went great with my wild mushroom risotto
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10/19/2020 - JWG wrote: 90 Points
Perhaps off the peak. This was still an excellent drink, but not as outstanding as the previous bottles. More muted on the nose and the palate. Just not as rich as earlier.
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10/19/2020 - acorelli wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wine. Red and dark fruits (Cherry, blackberry.) Plenty of acid and tannin - made for food.
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10/19/2020 - Dako wrote: 89 Points
Yes, this wine is tired--cork was nearly impossible to pull so can't fault that. It is just that the fruit and tannins have completed their long engagement with one another. Drink up.
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9/21/2020 - jonphillips wrote: 89 Points
Strong acidity, still slight tannin, and still some fruit. Open with a good pizza
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9/1/2020 - rojoloco Likes this wine: 90 Points
ok, after a little bit of air, but not great. Tough on opening but better with some air.
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5/10/2020 - lifeattable wrote:
This bottle was well past its prime, or otherwise flawed/degraded. (Cork was perfect.) Intriguing nose, but mostly aged oak notes, with some raisiny fruit. No tannin or acidity to speak of, which was certainly surprising. Drinkable but not that interesting, sadly.
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3/28/2020 - TwoDogs wrote: flawed
Last two bottles were bad. Imagine the tartest cranberry followed by an aspirin taste. It will be awhile before we try another bottle.
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3/26/2020 - wine4ever Likes this wine:
A Beautiful wine - in all respects. Perfect for celebrating the life of the best cat ever.
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3/15/2020 - cubswinws wrote: 87 Points
From magnum. Acidic and quite tart. Good fruit structure but drinking this requires a hearty meal with a lot of red sauce.
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1/19/2020 - dalondra Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite dry and minerally. Dark fruit. Acidic. Still tannic. Holding up well. Went well with a tomato, porcini, lemony pasta.
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9/28/2019 - alpha_ori Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mouth-puckering acid, licked-stone minerals, savory, sanguineous secondary flavors...this is everything I want in a 16-year-old aglianico.
I've had 3 of these over the past 7 years, and they've been fairly consistent, but this has been the best of the three. These wines are lively and, for my money, in their prime. For me that means the the fruit has ebbed enough to reveal their true nature. If that doesn't make sense to you, this may not be the wine for you. For the rest, though, this is something special at this price for sure.
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8/4/2019 - mclanew wrote: 92 Points
30 minutes of decanting. This is now mature. The nose has intriguing notes of plum, blackberries and herbs with a faint whiff of barnyard that blows off over time. This is structured but mature where the tannins which are a tad rustic are now integrating pretty well into the wine. Black currant, tobacco, herbs with well integrated oak flavors show as this rolls into a long satisfying finish. Nicely balanced wine, only 13 percent abv. I suspect this has at least another five years to go.
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7/28/2019 - LT98 wrote: 90 Points
Well the reviews are all over the place. There must be amazing bottle to bottle variation here. This was my first bottle and it was surprisingly fresh with enough acidity to carry the heavy body. Dark and rustic with notes of of tar and leather. Fruit and tannins well integrated. Not an amazing wine, but nothing to complain about.
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6/19/2019 - jimineff Does not like this wine: 70 Points
Well past it's prime - only notes of acidic tomato juice. No fruit or tannins left.
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5/25/2019 - Magnolian wrote: 86 Points
Cork disintegrated but no signs of seepage. Tight nose. Very tart berry flavors with a hint of vinegar, even with several hours of air. Not particularly delicious. Hard to see where it goes from here.
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4/13/2019 - CarpeDiem! wrote: 88 Points
Several bottles had in the past proved hard like a rock and unapproachable. Finally some movement here, with timid black fruit appearing. Dark, dense, inky, with tea and herbs in the background, it takes some imagination that this will ever justify the relatively high price. To be revisited, but expectations remain on the low side.
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4/12/2019 - Yankee Clipper Likes this wine: 91 Points
surprisingly still drinking well but nearing the end
flavorful with hints of oak
enjoyed with pasta as well as drinking on its own
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3/23/2019 - danibus Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark berries, rocks, ash -- you can practically taste the volcano. Powerfully structured for the long haul but delicious now. I can't imagine how anyone could drink this on release though.
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3/16/2019 - oldcabman Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dark fruits, tapenade and balsamic notes. Fully mature and ready to drink now! Medium length finish.
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2/1/2019 - Matthesen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright ruby color. Pretty nose of mineral, dark fruit, slightly smoky note. Palate shows a strong tannic backbone, but also nice acidity. Clearly a wine that will age, but I like its purity and length. Nice balance and long finish. I think the tannin works now, but might be too much for some. Pretty acid helps it avoid being heavy or clumsy. Quite nice
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11/25/2018 - ctjared Likes this wine:
dark fruit and dusty tannins. drinking very nicely
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10/27/2018 - redhead6971 wrote:
On the nose black olive with a dark black olive tapenade,marmalade mixture of various dark fruits. Slightly corked even though the cork itself was in perfect condition. Cigar box, aged leather, incredibly dark black fruits along with blackberry syrup. Fairly lithe yet complex on the palate, with real defined tannins and rock solid structure. Stick with the 4 hour decanting rule on this one. Black olive and intense mushroom/ black truffle after 10 minutes in the glass. The acidity is a little forward, the volcanic soil’s terroir is definitely self evident, but if you have this stashed in your cellar, wait another 3-4 years and give it a shot then.
89+ points for the wine. 90+ for dealing with the 2003 warm vintage. Anton.
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10/17/2018 - sastewart wrote: flawed
Badly corked! 3 out of 6 were corked.
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8/22/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: flawed
Last bottle on a restaurant’s wine list - corked!
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7/10/2018 - guitarguy wrote: 91 Points
Sweet berries and Doug fir in the nose. Never developed like th ‘01 but the blazing hot ‘03 vintage probably contributes to that. Flavors remain young and complex but dominated by tannin, blueberry, saddle leather and drying finish. Still about as good as this vintage got.
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6/2/2018 - Shrimp Likes this wine: 89 Points
This was better than the other bottle we had a week ago at Drinking with Kate. Dark, full flavored and bodied. Think we had this at the right time.
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3/29/2018 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted blind. A “serious" wine. Lots of truffles and tar on the nose. Dark berries, dried fig, and cigar. Big concentration in the tannins, but the flesh is rather juicy. Tastes fairly mature, but this obviously could be aged for quite a while longer. Rating: 93.
Guess the wine: Barolo. 10+ years old.
Non-Blind p.s.: Aglianico gets my vote for most underrated varietal. Every time I drink it I'm taken aback by the seriousness.
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3/16/2018 - KPB wrote: 91 Points
7 years in the cellar have really helped this wine, and it is much more enjoyable now than when I last tried it in 2011. Deep ruby, with a nose of black cherry compote, an overall frame of sweet oak, but nuanced by melted tar, wax, and the barest hints of tobacco and nutmeg. In a tart yet powerful style, with a very long mineral dominated finish.
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1/25/2018 - guitarguy wrote: 86 Points
The 2001 version of this wine was my first Aglianico. This vintage never matched up to the ‘01, perhaps due to the heat of the vintage. Blue fruits are hidden underneath fine but drying tannins. The blue fruit extends to the nose. But little length and a gritty, dry finish keep this down. Drink now or save and hope.
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11/26/2017 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 89 Points
From Magnum. Even after several hours the wine was still a bit tight and monolithic. Simply too young in this format and the deep, thick and dark fruits brooding underneath might eventually develop some elegance and complexity, but it is not possible to say right now.
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11/26/2017 - Czara96 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Paired up with pasta al cingiale (wild boar). Big red tons of tannin great acidity but decanted for 3 hours opened up but needed more time. Deep rich dried fruit with blackberry, plum and tobacco. At hour 4 really came into a zone with great lingering pronounced earth and leather - following pasta came beef short rib with nice marbling truly supporting this unique red with years to come. A great journey.
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11/15/2017 - John Nezlek wrote: 84 Points
Note: I use a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
Day 1 -- could not drink it -- much too tannic. Opened another bottle for dinner.
After sitting open on the counter over night, softened a bit, but simply not all that good.
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10/14/2017 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
First one was corked. This one was so tannic that it was passable but not great as a complement the classic pairing of pork sugo.
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10/14/2017 - Rollerball wrote: flawed
corked.
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9/18/2017 - CU Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tobacco, sour cherry and oak. Even better on day two.
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9/10/2017 - soyhead wrote:
fleshy juicy and complex. per dale briarberry. quite tannic still though nicely balanced. a wine for steak.
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8/6/2017 - John McCabe wrote: 90 Points
One of the most tannic wines I've ever encountered; just so closed and still no sign of opening up - pretty crazy after 15 years.
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8/1/2017 - organicveggie wrote: flawed
Bah. Sour and acidic. Poured out.
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7/31/2017 - JWG wrote: 93 Points
Similar to my 2016 bottle. See notes. Lovely drink overall.
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7/15/2017 - Sugarb Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needs at least one hour of decanting, but then opens nicely. Has another 2-3 years, easy.
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3/24/2017 - Geoff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still young. Plent of fruit and yet moderate tannins. Very tasty with food. Very enjoyable.
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2/19/2017 - jimineff wrote: 88 Points
Nose: Cherry fruit, must, wood
Taste: Still tart acid (why I don't generally like N.Italian reds), gritty-to-powdery tannins, OK fruit
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1/24/2017 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 89 Points
From Magnum. Took a couple hours to soften, but tannins were still rather firm. The nose was a 92, but on the palate black fruits, tar, smoked meats and some roses that were on the nose never really developed in full. The heat of the alcohol, which was not great, showed up more than expected. Will likely give my next mag another year or so and/or much more decanting time
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12/28/2016 - Nico P. Likes this wine:
13%. Has held up very well. Better on the second day.
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12/24/2016 - bablues wrote: 92 Points
Incredible. Didn't take detailed notes. Broke one after the first then moved onto the 05
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12/13/2016 - BeaverBob Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wow, really smooooth, moderate tannins, drinking fine with "Sunday Sauce" dinner.
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11/27/2016 - stoneb Likes this wine: 92 Points
It took a long time, but this is now ready to drink. Decanted two hours before dinner. Very dark blue/purple color. Wonderful nose of black fruit, cedar, tobacco and a little sour cherry -- really, it smells better than it sounds. Aromatics fruitier than palate, where the secondary flavors take greater prominence. Saved a glass for night 2, and it faded considerably. Will keep, but no need to age further. Score from night 1.
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11/4/2016 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Nez de cuir, réglisse noire. Une belle texture, mais c'est droit et tannique, des indices qui me pointaient vers Barolo, à tort! Excellent. 91-92 pts
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10/29/2016 - portman63 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Like mclanew said this this showing much more integrated right now. It had dark black fruit, but the tannins are integrated and and soft all the way through the finish. It retains great acidity too so it showed well with fatty meats and sauces. So much better than the last time I opened one years ago. Therefore I think this is a "drink now" proposition. Not that it will fall apart, but it was just so good tonight, I see no reason to hold them.
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8/10/2016 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red with a bit of brown under the light. Lots of alcohol on the nose, intense plums, some spice, intense purple. Intense plum skin notes. Delicious plum and blackberry bramble finish. Could use five more years.
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5/17/2016 - Lucia Skywalker Likes this wine:
.
Notes of a novice
13.5% alcohol
• went well with Puttanesca - nice pairing
• went even better with eggplant parmigiana
• medium bodied, mellow, lovely
• cherry kernel finish (ever so slightly bitter, but pleasant)
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5/15/2016 - mclanew Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking really well now. Appears to have emerged from a relatively tannic phase. Still a big wine, with lots of fleshy body, flavors of red and black fruits, herbs, tobacco. Nice Long finish. Starting to show hints of tertiary development although I suspect this will always be a straight ahead type one.
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4/29/2016 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 90 Points
Black with a garnet rim. Nose of tobacco leaf, mushroom, turned earth, and spice. Full bodied on the palate with good acidity and a long finish.
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3/22/2016 - Geoff Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very tannic. Left to aerate for 1, then 2 days. Fruit held up and wine tasted much better on day 2.
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3/7/2016 - mclanew wrote: 90 Points
Powerful, tannic and still somewhat monolithic wine. Great concentration and flavour, but surprisingly still in a very primary state with many years ahead.
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3/6/2016 - JWG wrote: 93 Points
Nose is rich with dark dark fruit (black raspberries for example) and earth and a bit of spice. Palate is dark, chewy with intense fruit, tobacco, and a good hit of acid. Lots of tannins develops toward the end.
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3/2/2016 - ecola Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very rich mouthfeel with earth and dried red berries. Drinking very well now. Long finish with dry tannins. I like this just as much as I did five years ago, but for different reasons, as this has evolved.
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3/1/2016 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 89 Points
Black cherry red. Blackberry liqueur notes. Thick and complex black fruits.
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10/14/2015 - Dust Likes this wine:
yummy
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9/20/2015 - ctjared Likes this wine:
Chewy, dark fruit. Decent
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8/25/2015 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 90 Points
Double decanted; moderate settlement.
Four hours later: Deep garnet color. Nose is muted and hard to identify. On the palate it seems closed, but there is dark fruit and considerable acids along with prominent tannins. Average length finish.
Day 2: Nose still subdued, but suggests dark berries. On the palate, perhaps it has opened up a little, but acid is more prominent than the fruit.
Future: Not sure that this will improve with more bottle age, but since I have three more bottles, I will check again in a couple of years
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8/21/2015 - Loekkeboe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Powerfull Southern Italian wine. Very smooth and rich, but still fresh. Not heavy. Appears Young.
Very good wine.
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7/31/2015 - geppetto Likes this wine: 92 Points
What a great nose, but this puppy needs some serious air. Dark garnet in color. Leather and cigar box. Still has strong tannins, almost mouth puckering. Consumed with some chicken pot pie. I'll wait a few years before opening another bottle.
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7/10/2015 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 92 Points
A rustic wine.
An old geezer who keeps telling obsenely scabrous stories that children should never hear, that make ladies' ears wither and priests cross themselves.
Early drinking window. We dbldecanted for five hrs.
Wife was not so happy with this btl.
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5/30/2015 - dalondra Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tannic. Dark fruits, leathery, residual sweetness and late acidity. Went well with a spaghetti bolognese. Definitely a food wine
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3/14/2015 - nba1017 wrote: 92 Points
JERWIN's note is right on. Enjoyed with spaghetti and homemade meatballs, yet still big, brusque, and tannic with some wonderful fruits and leather underneath.
I've tasted this over five days and still felt it continue to evolve in the bottle. Give it time and give it air.
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3/13/2015 - dalondra Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still tannic. Dark fruit. Long finish.Many years to go.
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12/26/2014 - VTCellarDweller Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was the first of six bottles, it was decanted for 2.5 hours leaving a significant sediment.
* deep garnet with a tawny rim
* full in the mouth with considerable weight
* aromatics and palate impressions reflect a maturing mix of dark ripened fruits, baking spices, tobacco, tar, wet soil, seared orange peel, and a faint floral component
* there is an intriguing acidic tension as the mouth impressions play across the senses, gaining momentum in mid palate, and ending with a slightly drying (but not harsh) finish
Although sometimes put down as a poor heat stricken vintage, this Serpico is in no way a clumsy beast. It is a powerful angular wine with good structure, great depth, and a complexity that is just starting to emerge.
Unfortunately, it was a little overpowering for the delicate spinach & ricotta crepes, wild mushroom sauce, sesame crusted eggplant steaks, and roasted red peppers I paired it with.
It is still a bit wound up at this stage and could have used more time in the decanter.
Give it another 3-4 years in the cellar and then enjoy it over the following ten. Drink sooner only with a good airing and a meal of big flavorful foods.
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12/18/2014 - TexasBob wrote: 81 Points
Medium-dark garnet red. Muted nose of dark chocolate and a bit of red berry that changes to peppered raspberries with a bit of time. There is a sourness to this wine that pervades all stages and that becomes more pleasant in the lingering finish than it is up front. Other than that raspberries and a bit of vanilla. At its heart this is a peasant wine, not without its charms, that is much better with food than without.
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12/2/2014 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dried herbs, tar, dried flowers, and dried dark berries. Surprisingly restraint given the vintage. In a nice place now.
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10/8/2014 - jkoenen wrote: 91 Points
Rich, autumnal nose of macerated dark fruit, soft oak, chestnuts and spicebox. Powerful palate, strong tannines, great acidic backbone, needs a lot of decantertime to reveal the aromatics that are hidden beneath the enormous structure. Like.
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9/23/2014 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
Drank over two days. Nicely put together; a unique wine. It shows the heat of the vintage, but there is so much underlying minerality, structure, and tannic grip, particularly from the middle back, that it comes together very well. It put my mind to the 2003 Ducru Beacaillou in body, weight, and texture. It is drinking nicely right now, and though it should hold nicely for the next 4 to 6 years, there's no reason not to enjoy it now, especially after a good decant. I would not hold it beyond 2018-2020. 92-93.
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9/13/2014 - dalondra Likes this wine: 89 Points
Quite tannic and hard. Black fruit comes through with some residual acidity. Drunk 90 mins after decanting.
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9/13/2014 - eeeeeradicator wrote: flawed
Corked
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8/22/2014 - JWG wrote: 93 Points
First bottle opened in this case, and it is lovely. Nine years is a good start. Nose is rich with dark dark fruit and earth and a bit of spice. Palate is dark, chewy with intense fruit, tobacco, and some significant countervailing acid. A big hit of tannins develops toward the end and adds a luscious note.
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8/18/2014 - guitarguy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Never lived up to the promise of the 2001, but this is okay. Plenty of moderately steely blue fruit with tannins that coat and caress. A blue nose with just enough smoke on the back end.
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7/6/2014 - Uglypinga wrote:
Complicated nose of cheese rind, dark flowers, leather and soy sauce. The palate is nicely acidic with a very smooth entry that breaks down into dusty, grainy tannins. Pretty simple on the palate with bright berries mostly. A bit of a clipped finish. Leaving some on the counter for tomorrow to see what happens. I imagine it'd be better with a hunk of rare beef.
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7/4/2014 - John McCabe wrote: 91 Points
Very dry and tannic, and one gets the feeling this wine might always be that way. Not a lot of charm here. It's powerful and grippy but not that expressive. Not one of my favorites.
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6/17/2014 - RichardP wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour. Dried rose petals and eucalyptus on the nose; on the palate, tart cranberry, cherry, ash, and notes of violets and roses, with powerful acidity threatening to overwhelm the fruit. There was a little sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Over the course of an hour or so, dark fruit came through the acid, the sour cranberry element retreated somewhat, the floral notes became more pronounced, and some drying tannins appeared. A bottle drunk a year ago was noticeably better than this. I agree with the other comments that say that the acid is beginning to overtake the fruit -- the imbalance is probably a consequence of the heat of 2003. I would say the drinking window is closing; it's time to finish these.
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4/27/2014 - WineBarter Likes this wine: 89 Points
There is some sour, burnt, red fruit in the nose, but that is all the fruit you get because there isn't much on the palate. There are also beautiful, long, red tinted legs on the glass so I'm guessing a fair amount of alcohol. It tastes sour or tart, but not much fruit. It has that tar flavor. I agree with prior tasting notes that the structure will outlive any fruit in this wine. I thought 2003 was a warm vintage so I would expected more fruit, even from aglianico, but it is not here.
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4/20/2014 - gilrbo Does not like this wine:
Drunk a part over Easter's lunch, then followed for a few days.
Unfortunately the nose is very oaky, with evident vanilla notes. Underlying you still feel the fruit, which emerges best after two-three days, but you never get rid of the oak. On the palate it has good freshness, despite the level of extraction (which is on the high side), but you still feel the oak. Tannins are still strong but are starting to be well integrated. With food it went well.
Overall I found it to be in a rather messy state: the oak is the worst part of it, but even if you forget that for a moment, you don't feel that the various other components make up a unity, yet. Too bad because the underlying grape material seemed to be good.
*(*)
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4/16/2014 - andtheodor wrote: 89 Points
Pie cherry, flowers, broken rocks, crayon wax, chlorine, tar, tobacco ash, melted licorice, rose petal, EtOH. Quite aromatically appealing, it's easy to see this as the Barolo of the south, but tannin and tart fruit/sour cherry dominates the palate and the chemical aspect shows too. Tough and unyielding, even after being open for a day, needs food. This was never a great Serpico and will probably never become one.
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4/15/2014 - bonedoc wrote:
Structured/acidic, blood/tar black cherries/iron, in my opinion not enough fruit to outlast structure. Drink now w decant or hold for another few, but don't expect any more fruit to emerge. 90-91.
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3/11/2014 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs - Double Blind (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. It smells like blackberry, blueberry, violet, tobacco and mineral. The body is full. The wine has polished texture. The wine finishes long. Barry's Red.
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1/11/2014 - sastewart wrote: 91 Points
Still tight but nice, would benefit from air - dense dark fruits, tar, ainse. Structured with quite a bit of acid. No hurry. 91 points
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12/18/2013 - Yiannis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very structured as most reviewers say and somewhat rustic or even angular but oh so savory and food friendly! Color is medium garnet and the nose displays evolved aromas of undergrowth, earth, tart red cherries, tar and florals. Not so far from an evolved Barolo aromatically. On the palate it is medium bodied with massive and firm tannins, niticeable iron-like and earthy minerality, high acidity and freshness. Aftertaste is long. Will possibly improve further but can be enjoyed now with a suitable dish. Drink STRICTLY with food. Matched perfectly with oriental kebab. I was surprised to find out that everybody at the table (including non-wine-geeks) liked it, despite being anything but an easy wine.
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12/17/2013 - bonedoc wrote: 91 Points
Ditto last note 1 yr ago, strong acidity, black tart cherries, tar, and hints of coffee. This wine is so structured I suspect it will not budge anytime soon. I question whether it will get better and would suggest rather than wait, decant and drink. A food wine for sure.
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12/11/2013 - thwacker Likes this wine: 88 Points
deep purple, inky, rich plummy, oaky nose, rich bull-bodied, well balanced and complex. Soft tannins now. Only gigs were from overly oakiness.
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11/24/2013 - Edclr wrote: 85 Points
NOt sure why I didn't believe my last note, but this wine gives nothing once again. Wait another decade then try it. Its' like drinking ink….even after 24 hours. I wonder about the future of it. Is it going to be a 100 year wine or a never wine????
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11/4/2013 - WDK wrote: 88 Points
Dark ruby and cloudy. Blackberry nose, flavors of berry, citrus and mineral. Really tart with firm tannins and acidity on the medium finish.
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10/31/2013 - camben wrote: 91 Points
Very Italian old school taste. Great tar and spice, still hugely structured. Dry as bone
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10/13/2013 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 91 Points
I am glad I had the patience to wait several years before drinking this wine. The color is clear, deep garnet. It is still showing some ruby, but there's also tawny on the rim. This is a concentrated, glass-staining wine, although there's surprisingly little sediment. The nose is clean, with dark baked fruits, dried roses, orange rind, sweet spices, leather, wood, and dry talcum powder. The nose is complex (-) and developing (+). The palate is very dry, with medium alcohol (13%) polyphenols and minerality. The acidity is medium (+) and the tannins are medium (+) to pronounced, even after 10 years. The palate shows mostly sweet black cherry, with medium (+) flavor intensity and a medium-long finish. This is a medium (+) bodied wine, which is finally at the stage of development where the tannins are cottony and silky but not overpowering. Still, it greatly benefits from rich, fatty foods. It is likely to have a drinking window of at least another five years, but I would be concerned about the fruit becoming muted much earlier than the tannins. A very interesting wine, particularly if you can find it on sale for under $50.
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10/5/2013 - hermann Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened several hours before dinner and that seemed adequate. Very well balanced with nice fruits - a very nice aglianico. I think It has lots of years left, but unfortunately I've only got 1 bottle left.
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7/21/2013 - mikhail.patrakeev wrote: 91 Points
Аромат 92/100: кожа, бальзамичсеский уксус, ежевика, лакрица, наршараб (соус из граната), шоколад, хороший цейлонский чай (сухой), сухой каркаде, черника, грецкий орех, тёмный из.м, чернослив, хвоя, дерево (сандал), очень чистрый аромат, очень насыщенный и глубокий, сочный, смола.
Вкус 89/100: черника, красная рябина в послевкусии, танины выражены но ещё слегка суховаты, вкус очень насыщенный, отличная кислотность.
Общее впечатлений 91/100
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3/13/2013 - tooch wrote: 89 Points
The Wines of Feudi di San Gregorio (Spacca Napoli Pizzeria - Chicago, IL): This was probably my favorite Serpico of the night. The dark, dense fruit was there but this seemed to have a floral airiness to it that the other vintages lacked. The total package seemed to have more balance and was drinking quite nicely this evening.
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2/21/2013 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine was served at a walk-around wine and food party, having been generously contributed by J.G. Although it was decanted, I strongly suspect that it would have benefited from several more hours in decanter. My impressions are those from serially tasting during the first two hours. By its opaque ruby appearance, I would not have been surprised if told that it was the current release. The nose ultimately opens to show moderately intense aromas of ripe blackberries, crushed rocks and cocoa. The palate is full-bodied and fresh, with ample fine-grained tannins and seamless alcohol (listed as 13%). The flavors are in line with the nose and the middle palate is solid. The back end is medium in length and fairly smooth. While certainly pleasant, I think that this wine would have merited a higher score with more prolonged aeration. Drink 1/15-12/25.
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2/21/2013 - dougsmith wrote: 88 Points
Deep ruby color. Funky and barnyardy on the nose with loamy, earthy character. Racy acidity on the palate with some black fruit notes to accompany the funkiness. With two hours of air it began to take on more weight and presence. I think this may need a bit more time.
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2/18/2013 - RichardP wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour: On the nose, a beautiful combination of bandaid, violets, and other spring flowers. Powerful dark fruit on the palate along with violets and rich spicy notes. With air, dusty tannins make an appearance and complement the fruit and floral elements. On the second day, the floral notes fade a bit, and the tannins are more prominent, and a bit astringent; the first day was better. An excellent wine at or nearing its peak.
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2/17/2013 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
This struck me as one of the most unique quality wines I have ever tasted. The taste profile is different, but wholly agreeable. This also has considerable aging potential. It's tight upon opening but blossoms with air. Tastes great right now but will reward additional cellaring.
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2/11/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like and Blackberry. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Coarse texture. The wine finishes Medium. Required Vinturi.
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2/5/2013 - ecola Likes this wine: 92 Points
At first on the pop n pour there are beautiful aromas of black fruit, sweet damp earth, and freshly cracked vanilla bean. Medium to full body with flavors of blackberry, more vanilla bean, and subtle dry mushroom. Very dry on the finish with gripping tannins. After an hour in the decanter the vanilla bean has dropped off and leaves the ripe blackberry and subtle sweet earth. Well balanced acidity. The dryness has softened to leave a very smooth finish with sweet tannins. I find this wine truly remarkable in that it is now ten years old and tastes so young. I think this easily has another five years to go, maybe even more.
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1/19/2013 - uve Likes this wine: 91 Points
A tiny bit tart, lots of blackberries... but did no one else get honey - on the nose and in the taste... No? Just me then.
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1/9/2013 - David J Cooper wrote: flawed
Corked.
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1/1/2013 - Isalasdad Likes this wine: 89 Points
3 hour decant per the other reviews that I read. Paired well with the spaghetti but it was not close to the best wine tonight. It was simply too rough.
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12/25/2012 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very sour dark cherry and a bit of anise. I normally love Italian wines for their acidity, but in this case it's a bit too much and leaves the wine seeming out of balance. However, this impression was from drinking it on its own. It would probably be better with food. Should hold up for awhile, but not sure if it will improve.
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12/15/2012 - Edclr wrote:
Not sure of what to make of this...took hours in decanter to soften, but then the fruit jumped out of the glass. I guess its just too early unless you want to spend hours decanting now.
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12/12/2012 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
At first, tannic, austere, and unyielding w strong acidity. Then, over 3 hrs w hearty meat sauce it opened to reveal dark black fruit, tobacco, coffee of moderate concentration and a strong backbone of acidity. This wine is a baby, and will last a while, however I wonder if more fruit will emerge to elevate the score.
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11/2/2012 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 77 Points
A touch of TCA
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10/24/2012 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
This is definitely not a wine that is going to appeal to everyone, but it does appeal to me. On the nose, black raspberry, smoke, ash, leather, tar, violets. On the palate black raspberry, black cherry, leather, spice, herbs, raisin, pepper. Finishes dry and dusty with searing acidity. Not a wine for sipping, this one has to have food and then it transforms. Great match with salame and sharp cheeses. Drink with a decant or hold. No hurry, this will last for years, but I don't see it gettting better, just different.
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10/20/2012 - guitarguy wrote: 91 Points
Raspberry nose with good mineral, smoke and juicy berry flavors. More approachable than many aglianicos, it has a nice acidity and moderate tannin component to keep it interesting.
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9/17/2012 - pbmedder Likes this wine:
Deep garnet. Ripe, developing nose, nutmeg, dried black fruit, coffee, sweet spice, elegant. Palate is dry with tonnes of structure (high acidity, high fine ripe tannins). Med+ length, chocolate, black cherry, toast. Very good. Intensity, complexity, ripe with lots of fruit, balanced by freshness. Still has a long life ahead due to the serious backbone.
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9/2/2012 - WDK wrote: 92 Points
Opaque purple. Medium body with intense blackberry, coffee and ash on the long, firmly tannic finish.
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8/11/2012 - 312 wrote: 91 Points
Opened and decanted for 2 hours. Served with dinner at home (pasta w/ pesto, beet salad, bread). Deep purple color. Nice nose. When the wine was first opened, the tannins were strong and the wine was tart with leather/burnt tobacco/ash flavors. After two hours, the wine mellowed some, the tannins became less prominent and there were growing prune/raisin/pepper flavors. After another hour, over the meal, the wine became more balanced with more dark fruit flavors but still far from jammy. Medium finish.
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8/8/2012 - David J Cooper wrote: 82 Points
Dark red. Caramel and ripe fruit. Dull slightly sweet burnt sugar flavours and a dry but dull finish. Not much here.
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7/7/2012 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS, AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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6/24/2012 - Mr T wrote:
popped this one late in the evening on the back porch...no decant, no nothing....still fairly tannic and fair bit of acid...too far gone for much beyond that
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5/11/2012 - J2K wrote:
Two years after my first bottle and not much has changed. Still very tannic and bitter. The nose is better than the palate as the fruit is still hidden behind bitter tannins and high acidity. Hopefully a few more years will put this wine in balance. If I had more I would hold.
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4/14/2012 - juffer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very muscular wine. Finish has an intense tannic grip, while nose is surprisingly subtle and improves with air. I suspect this wine will age well for a very long time.
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4/1/2012 - silton wrote:
april fools wine tasting; 4/1/2012-4/2/2012 (Scott & Todd's): 0/1/4 1st/2nd/3rd place votes, the clear loser in this flight. Tart, leathery red fruit. Better with food but outclassed by the competition.
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3/30/2012 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
In this stage a disappointing wine; there is an enormous amount of acidity and bitterness, something dusty as well. Very concentrated. Drying and a bit harsh tannin. No refinement now, even with a day airtime. Waiting at least until 2018 is probably the best thing to do. Difficult to score. 86 - 87 for the pleasure now plus 2 for the potential….?
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3/18/2012 - Old Vino wrote: 89 Points
Allow few hours of air time to open up. Sour cherry dry and red fruits, medium finish. Needs food.
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2/28/2012 - Invinoverytas wrote: 91 Points
Opened and poured at 55 degrees. Took some time to open and warm up. Pretty and delicate red fruit. Not particularly long finish. Minimal signs of oak. May benefit from further bottle aging, but I think it's pretty close.
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2/12/2012 - goaljnky wrote: 89 Points
A little young for my tastes. Will have to sit on the rest of the bottles for a few years as I am sure it will evolve.
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1/22/2012 - Neurowine1 wrote: 85 Points
This wine confused me. I assumed it would be huge, ripe, masculine, and (probably) very new worldy. Not exactly my style, but it was what I thought would work with the flavors of Persian food. Decanted for about a hour before drinking. This was strangely understated, and dare I say, delicate. Not delicate compared to a Volnay, but delicate compared to what I was expecting. It is clearly a well made clean wine, but it wasnt giving a lot last night. The wine has plenty of tannins and I look forward to seeing how it evolves. I may have just caught this one in a funny place (?bottle shock as it just arrived a month ago).
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1/15/2012 - Rezy13 wrote: 85 Points
A little disappointing in the fact that this was so disjointed. The oak was too pronounced and so were the tannins. After a couple hours of air the tannins resolved a little bit, but the balance was not there compared to several other bottles I've had in the past. Probably too young but noticeable bottle variation.
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1/11/2012 - markjanes wrote: 88 Points
Not as ripe as I thought it would be... the fruit aromas in this thing are a bit muddled and a bit prunish but sturcutrally I found it to be quite balanced with moderate ETOH and very high acidity/very high tannins that are not overripe at all... has the density of flavor and structure to age for many years if you are so inclined... drank quite well with 30-60 min decanting tonight. Great intensity of flavor, persistent finish, nice balance... for me lacked the clarity in flavor to be 90+
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12/17/2011 - Riezin wrote:
Compared to 03 Radici this wine was perhaps a bit less traditional. Darker and more in the purple family, it was more forward, fruitier and showed more spice and cedar notes. Richer, riper darker fruited of the two, it was a bit more remiscent of a CdP or even bodeaux. Was more tannic of the two as well.
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12/15/2011 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 90 Points
Good fruit; nice structure - Dino's with bifl
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10/25/2011 - Whine-oh wrote: 88 Points
Popped n venturied, Dark in glass. Min sed. Dark core of sour cherries. Good acidity. Good accompaniment to baked ziti. Will wait on other btls.
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10/9/2011 - Bellaire Wino wrote: 94 Points
Incredibly tasty
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8/31/2011 - Ryan_li wrote: 92 Points
Impenetrable and inky. Cloves, cinnamon, and chocolate, mouth-coating, infinitely deep and long. It’s worth drinking this vintage that got 92 points from WA. It’ s not the best vintage for sure...anyway it’s a good bottle of wine.
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8/25/2011 - bugdoced wrote: 89 Points
though this could still sit in the cellar it sure went well with pasta with veal capers and a white wine sauce; better with food than without
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8/23/2011 - KPB wrote: 87 Points
Not a favorite vintage for me, for this wine. Deep blackish-purple color, nose showing walnuts and framboise liqueur, but harsh tannins dominate the fruit. Air helped a little. Awkward and not likely that the tannins will soften, I suspect. Garagiste says "once acidic and lean"... then mentions sandpaper. He thought it had turned a corner; no such luck for my bottle.
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7/7/2011 - HRT wrote:
Second bottle in 2 months. Very consistent with first bottle. Loads of dark berry and tobacco. Full bodied, chewy with prominent tannins. This will age very well. Years left.
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6/28/2011 - ecola Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow! This is ripping my face off. Intense red and black fruits with the acidity to match. Deep, dark, and tannic. Drink now to experience a crazy lively wine, that is eight years old, or hold on to for at least ten more years.
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6/28/2011 - Employee500 wrote: 91 Points
Initially very awkward/disjointed, but after a few hours of air it shows pretty typical Aglianico fruit, with perhaps a bit too much of an artificial oaky/vanillan creaminess layered on top of what would otherwise be a rather brambly/raspy/woody type of mouthfeel. Dark fruit with tons of minerality and herbaceousness (graphite, bitter roots, licorice) and even some floral characteristics (violets). Overall a little bit disjointed but ultimately the Aglianico pierces the veil of winemaking. PERHAPS this will become better with yet additional time, as it appears to have lots of stuffing...Not hot or syrupy at all, but the midpalate seems a bit thin and the oak a bit too vanilla-ish. My score is perhaps on the high side, as I'm "rooting" for this one, which seems to be in an internal struggle with itself...
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6/26/2011 - Hanlonwa wrote: 90 Points
Closed at first but opened up quickly. Balanced tannins and fruit.
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6/18/2011 - TPs Vino wrote: 90 Points
If not properly stored this bottle needs to be consumed now. The tannins in ours had disappear and left and extremely soft wine with scent of leather and licorice
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6/10/2011 - Redline325 wrote: 90 Points
Double decanted and brought to dinner at Terragusto. Reserved nose, maybe a bit of iodine. Very deep purple color. Medium weight, not jammy. Good structure here, precise. Most well made Aglianico wine I've had to date but this didn't wow me. Needs more time, well worth the $35 I paid though.
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5/22/2011 - sarlyb wrote: 91 Points
lie it down for another 5+ years...
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5/21/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
Saturdays at One - Volume 48: WIML92
Tasted non blind at a retail tasting.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Lovely nose of perfume, talc, rich berries, plums and currants. Solid flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now through the next 6-7 years plus or minus.
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5/21/2011 - mmurry Likes this wine: 89 Points
Raspberry and cedar on the nose, with hints of spice, dirt, and bittersweet chocolate. Very soft on the palate, with dark red fruit and cedar, spice, and a nice dirty finish.
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5/16/2011 - HRT wrote:
Scents of berries, cassis, and tobacco. A full bodied and balanced wine with a long finish.
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5/11/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Decanted immediately before dinner. I like it a lot.Aglianico is not Ellen's cup of tea.
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5/10/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Anacapri Double Blind Tasting Dinner (Anacapri, Coral Gables): Pablo L's Red Wine.
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5/4/2011 - KenK wrote:
Dark sweet floral nose with grassy edge. Some Chocolate some mint.
Lean tart dry blackberry flavors with bit of a green edge. Intense character 90
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5/3/2011 - MindMuse wrote:
Quite good, and very possibly quite a bit better still before too very long. But I'll probably wait until 2013 before the next as I think it's still on the upward curve. It's certainly not a wow experience right now.
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5/1/2011 - bablues wrote: 91 Points
Drank after the 05. Very similar notes to the 05 (Violets, sweet tannins) but this was a tad lighter. Still very nice.
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4/10/2011 - acidqueen wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful, dark, brooding sort of wine. Tar and cherry. But very very young - needs a lot more air and age. I won't be drinking another for quite awhile
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2/20/2011 - stantheman wrote: 92 Points
Still drinking very young. Needs more time to reach it's peak.
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2/6/2011 - lifeattable wrote: 88 Points
nose vegetal with grassy and earthy notes. tastes of strawberry, cherries. early on there was a hint of mulling spices, but that want away with time. finish a bit pasty, a tad harsh. a very nice wine, though I'll be interested to see if the finish improves with time.
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1/31/2011 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: flawed
corked
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12/16/2010 - cadamson wrote: 91 Points
Not as super tight as other notes indicate, though clearly time will do wonders here. The raw materials are very good. Nice nose of pencils, cedar and menthol. It is amazing when it hits your palate in that the color and nose leads you to expect a certain mouthfeel, yet it turns out to be very light on its feet. Sweet tannins, with almost a burst of sour cherry and an earthy component. A great food wine, and much better IMO than the cellar tracker notes to this point. Very italian, not a big CA bruiser, yet structure galore and a glorious future ahead if stored properly.
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11/24/2010 - Jbray wrote: 90 Points
Completely shut down just giving a hint of sweetness on the nose. The palate has hard, gritty, drying tannins. Loosens up with a bit of food. Needs time.
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11/22/2010 - andtheodor wrote:
Pretty stern right now showing more mud and carob than anything else. Forget about the rest of these for a while.
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11/21/2010 - M DU VIN wrote: 91 Points
When first opened at a great Itlaian restaurant, this wine was a bit disppointing. It was closed and really lacked the bouquet and structure that one would expect from a Serpico. But as the evening progressed, the wine opened up and showed its true potential. That said, I think that this wine needs several more years in the bottle before it will reach its full potential.
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11/21/2010 - gilrbo Likes this wine: 92 Points
At lunch with friends, together with another Aglianico from 2003 (Terra dei re Divinus). The nose is dominated by a caramel note on a background of spices. On the palate is full-bodied and austere, with powerful tannins. Very long.
Very special, I loved it.
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11/19/2010 - 100pp wrote: 92 Points
Tobacco, minerals, dark berries. Long with chewy but round tannins.
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11/19/2010 - Spencer wrote:
Completely shut down and showing almost nothing right now. Aglianico often seems to go through an extended period of being almost undrinkably dumb. I was hoping that the 2003 would be a bit more approachable, but no luck. Hopefully the fruit will last as long as it takes for this wine to resolve. I'll try this again in 2015.
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11/18/2010 - grapemaven wrote: 86 Points
After my dissapointment with the last bottle, curiosity got the better of me; after all this is a wine that was given 98pts by WA. Drum roll please....and ditto for my last note. With three more bottles to go, what should I think? On one hand, WA gave it a huge drinking window until 2034; on the other hand, the fruit is weak and that seems like a one way direction more often than not. Maybe it's bottle variation, but the CT avg score of 89 pts also tells you something.
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11/3/2010 - grapemaven wrote: 86 Points
Very dissapppointing - could almost be a bad bottle - weak fruit, tannic, a little green - have 4 more bottles, so will withhold judgement until the next one gets opened.
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10/18/2010 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Mature Southern Italians Blindtasted (Rich and Peggy's Home in Los Altos, CA): Group's #6 (my #3) – 66 pts.; 0, 1, 4, 2 - opaque purple red violet color; very tart berry, dried currant, herbal nose; tight, tart black fruit, very tart berry, charcoal palate; medium-plus finish
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10/3/2010 - ronlite wrote: 91 Points
Excellent
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10/1/2010 - ronlite wrote:
Excellent
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9/1/2010 - gregwood wrote: 92 Points
Big powerful wine - AWESOME! This wine will evolve over many years. Harvested from very old vine aglianico. Will add a bottle to my cellar.
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8/22/2010 - mreinitz wrote: 92 Points
I was really curious to try this after all of the mixed reviews and I was pleasantly surprised. Very Italian. Dark fruit flavors and oak dominate the fairly complex palate. Fairly high in acid but in a good way. Tannins are noticable but not overbearing. Much more enjoyable than I expected.
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7/17/2010 - Minnie Mouse wrote:
gorgeous dark color, hint of brown brick. intense nose of chocolate, smoked meat and oak. serious muscle wine, deep and complex, was perfect with steaks. Tannins losened up a bit as it sat in the glass. but great finish, a bit of coffee, dark and smooth.
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7/5/2010 - The Thirsty Dog wrote: 86 Points
A bit green, tannic and astringent. Had with BBQ and it went fine with heavy food but wouldn't want to be sipping this by itself.
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5/28/2010 - tarheel17 wrote:
STG Southern Italian Wines: nose: tomatos with stems, some dill, very vegetal, but in the way that vegetables taste wonderful in the summer sun.
palate: green, high acidity, but easy to drink. Reminded me of tomato juice - I would love to have this with pasta. My favorite of this flight, much preferred over both versions of the 2001.
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5/27/2010 - Eric wrote: 89 Points
STG does Southern Italy (Ballard, WA): A1 steak sauce on the nose but in an appealing and spicy way. Earthy on the palate with a ripe tomato note. Some Brett. It may not sound appealing, but it was more immediately pleasurable than the 2001.
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5/9/2010 - daver852 wrote: 91 Points
Very dark and fragrant wine, with a lot of grip and depth. Impressive in the glass; the color gives one the impression that this is a serious wine, and it doesn't mislead. There is a degree of oakiness both in the nose and on the palate, but this is easily balanced by an abundance of dark fruit and just the right degree of tart acidity. An earthy, mineral note in the finish. This wine is drinking very well now (although it needs a couple of hours of air to soften up), but I believe it will show better in another 2 to 3 years. Impressive, and an excellent value.
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5/2/2010 - WDK wrote: 87 Points
Tart, tannic, and a bit hollow. Flavors of cranberry and sour cherry on the mouth-puckering, short finish. How DT came to rate this 98 points remains a mystery to me.
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4/28/2010 - rschoemehl wrote: 88 Points
really cool rubber smell on the nose. just a bit too acidic to be great. It also needs more time to develop. The wine looked Purple in color, The legs are Medium. It smells like Rubber. It tastes like Blueberry. The body is Medium. The wine Leathery. The wine finishes Short.
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4/13/2010 - J2K Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted one hour. Muted nose. Very tannic. Lots of tobacco/cigar ash and earthiness mask most of the dark fruit. Slightly bitter. High acidity leaves some sting on the finish but not much flavor.
After 2 1/2 hours open it's a little more open and integrated. Still very tanninc with high acidity masking flavors and slightly bitter finish. This could improve with more time but I'm a little skeptical that the fruit will come through, but I'll wait a couple of years to open the other bottle and score with some hope for now.
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4/5/2010 - TylerMcNinch wrote: 90 Points
Ruby red rim to blood core. Nose of damson plums, black raspberry, blackberry, smoke, graphite, old oak, cocoa, fennel. Full bodied, with high tannins...very dry, while maintaining a plump ripe fruit aspect. Ripe black fruit, pit fruit, plums, beef blood, medium-minus acidity, beef blood, ripe, sexy, but not out of proportion fruit, caramel oak, espresso, sangria. Still quite backwards for '03 Campania. Chalky tannic finish--really strips the enamel off the teeth. 2010-2020.
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3/26/2010 - Cortona5 wrote: 90 Points
Big tannins and not quite ready to drink. raspberries and blackberries and tasty. Great nose. Medium to full bodied. I have two more and will wait a couple of years before opening the next. Good value for the price ($50)
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3/24/2010 - poppa wrote:
Band-aid, prune and a melange of funk on the nose. Interesting; ageworthy for a 2003, with good acidity and balance. Very bordeaux in character. Much life ahead of it. Now - 2020.
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3/7/2010 - FastTrack wrote: 91 Points
Huge lava/redwood nose. Totally idiosyncratic/crazy. Extremely intense and bound up in the mouth - long finish
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3/1/2010 - Edzo wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful young wine that should have been laid to rest for longer to soften the tannins. Aside frome the wild tannin the wine was well balanced and noted fruit of raspberry, plum and dried cranberries. All of this with a hint of dirt and clay. The finish has a minarally, crushed stone aspect and lingers for long.
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2/20/2010 - Nanda Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very young and primary. Nose has deep and rich black fruit, floral notes and spice. Palate is huge with big brooding tannins. Enjoyable but needs lots of time to strut its stuff.
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1/24/2010 - 100pp wrote: 92 Points
Tobacco, minerals, berries. Long and chewy. Needs more time.
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1/24/2010 - Todd French wrote: 91 Points
Still young, but after 2+ hours open, this wine really strutted its stuff. A floral and anise nose started to poke its head out in a big way after a while, and the strong acidity made it a perfect match for the food.
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1/9/2010 - MLwine wrote: 91 Points
Opened and let it breathe in the bottle for five hours before pouring. Even after that, could have benefitted from decanting. Very nice wine. Almost a prune-like flavor. Enjoyable, albeit not terribly complex.
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11/27/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
A unique expression of Aglianico from a classic producer.
Nose shows extremely pungent and funky aromas of stinky feet, pollen, spicy raspberries, cranberries, and black olive.
The palate is medium bodied with nice acidity and displaying more earth driven aromas, cherries, and black vegetables.
Very enjoyable. I was extremly attracted to it's super stinky personality. I will search out more of this varietal in the future.
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10/24/2009 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
Seemed too ripe and fruity, almost pruny, for Aglianico. But not surprising given the environmental conditions in Europe in 2003. Oak and prunes in the nose, the wine lacks the steely, acidic backbone I love in Aglianico. Not unloveable, just no typical of varietal. Seemed much more mature than the 2001, which is clearly a better wine. Fruit includes sour cherries, hints of bluets, tannins, but not mouth puckering so. Just a bit sour. 2 hour decant.
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10/18/2009 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 90 Points
A very good bottle of wine although not a great vintage for Serpico. You can tell from its jaminess that it was a hot year.
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10/1/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 87 Points
13.5% ABV. Deeply colored, translucent with a slghtly tawny cast. Dark fruit, tar. Slightly rustic, old world with sweetish plum and cranberry flavors turning tangy late. I'll retaste the leftovers tonight, but this didn't make a great impression on me.
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8/30/2009 - tcfishler wrote:
Blind Italians: Medium dark garnet red. More nuanced nose is herbal, bready, and peppery. High-riding on the palate, with a mentholly development and excellent persistence. Shockingly evolved in this showing. The group's WOTN.
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8/2/2009 - EricBe wrote: 82 Points
had a funk to it, just not yummy
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6/27/2009 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
This is starting to open up, but still far from ready. Built like a tank. You get a glimpse of the potential of the wine, but a shame to open it now. Might need another five years + before showing properly.
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5/18/2009 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Maturing Aglianicos Blindtasted (Rich and Peggy's Home in Los Altos, CA): Group's #4 (my #6) – 58 pts; 5, 1, 0, 1 – dark red violet color; nice, big, berry, Satsuma plum and fig jam nose; big, tart black fruit, mineral, graphite, smoky and sage palate with a touch of salinity, like salty dried prunes; medium-plus finish
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4/12/2009 - sleepyhaus wrote: 90 Points
Popped two days ago but completely closed. Rather than the tannic beast warned of, mine seemed thin and acidic. Two days later, it is opening very nicely. The acid seems better integrated and gives the wine a nice balance to its primarily red fruit characters. Good amount of earth and leather on the nose too, and even a bit on the palate. I suspect this was far too young and that it should drink best in five years or even more.
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1/30/2009 - Yiannis wrote: 91 Points
A very expressive and complex nose of wild flowers, spices and red berries. Mid bodied and still very youthful with aggressive tannins, beautifully sculptured fruit and high acidity. Long finish. A wine of great character. You can drink it now if you are tolerant to aggressive tannins and you will get rewarded by the richness of fruit and the bright freshness. A suitable dish (meat with a rich red sauce) will help rounding it up. Otherwise you have to be patient. Tannins will take long to soften.
This wine was tasted alongside 8 more Italian reds from less-known regions (i.e. Tuscany and Piedmont were excluded) and I was amazed by the distinctiveness of these wines and the terrific job Italian winemakers have done with their indigenous grape varieties.
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1/19/2009 - Mr T wrote:
Jon R wrote about how this has blossomed. I'm not sure my bottle was bearing fruit. Still rather tannic although certainly much more pleasant than the first bottle.
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1/17/2009 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
Clearly not the wine that the 2001 is, at least at this point, it may develop. Time will tell. Decant and let this warm for at least an hour, more probably would be preferable. Earthy nose of prune and cut sticks, the wine has a bunch of tannin right now that may or may not settle down. Teeth staining purple, don't spill this on momma's white carpet, the wine has dried cherries and anise on the palate. Right now it is sour and very tannic, as noted, and that mouth coating tannin takes some oomph out of the wine. I agree, this has potential, but let it go at least another three years before trying. I was surprised how well the 2001 drank in late '08 making me conclude Aglianico needs 7-8 years to start to settle down. Big wine but not huge. Proportioned well if the fruit and tannins balance in a few years.
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12/22/2008 - Nico P. wrote:
13%. blackish core, ruby red rim. red cherry, raisins, plums.Fragrant deep scented complex nose. Densely structured, grippy tannin & tartness not yet integrated. 11-13 sec finish. With air time gorgeous nose (cola, rosewater, cedar, later chocolate & licquorice, then prunes & raisins) finish lengthens (20+secs). Very grippy. Very very good.
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12/16/2008 - Li6 wrote: 91 Points
Clearly outstanding, with a sultry, complex nose of cherries, spiced plum, and violets, with a touch of cedar too. Tannins have softened, and the wine is really coming into its own -- very much improved since I tried it upon release some 18 months ago, and may yet improve more in bottle. Try again in 12-18 months.
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11/7/2008 - souzafs wrote: 88 Points
Showed well on the second day. This bottle was not as good as the last one.
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10/22/2008 - wcacern wrote: 88 Points
Tasted over 2 days. Deep dark purple garnet color with rusty edges. Very complex and rustic nose of damp earth, fungi and mildew, mushrooms, red plum, tobacco leaf, tar, molasses, spice box, oak, vanilla, cedar plank, olives, hints of rusty iron, tomatoes, and tea notes. Tart red plums and sour pomegranate on the palate that lead into shroomy woodsy flavors, dry dusty tannins, and a nice lingering vanilla finish. Medium to full bodied. I wanted to score this higher for it's intriguing complexity, but it was a bit off balance for me... too acidic with some of its reasonable 13.5% alcohol showing through.
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10/11/2008 - mmurry wrote: 89 Points
Stealth Wines: Lesser-Known Varietals (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had berry, floral notes, and tobacco. The palate had berry, tobacco, and a floral finish.
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6/18/2008 - JeffnCin wrote:
Had this at an Italian Wine tasting -- one of my favorites of the night, which is why I brought home a bottle. Nose: dark wild berries, a touch of glycerin, coffee, dark chocolate. Palate: tart, definitely acidic, but in a wonderfully green way, almost like eating fruit which isn't quite ripe. There are a few green weeds/herbs rounding out the flavor. Finish: long, sour, fruity.
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5/31/2008 - LeechDogg wrote: 88 Points
My first Aglianico. Soft, red fruit, not much oak to speak of; no perceivable Brett. Nice wine.
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5/27/2008 - Mr T wrote:
Closed? This was popped and poured after the glorious 90 Santa Duc Gigondas and it gave nothing but an acidic taste and short finish. Not really tannic, so much as light on fruit. I corked the rest and will revisit. Not at all what I expected from an 03 or this grape/producer
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5/24/2008 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Southern Italian – Aglianico and Nero d’Avola Blindtasting (Kenwood, California): Group's #4 (my #3) – 70 pts; 2, 1, 2, 1 – Dark red violet color; beautiful blackberry and dried berry nose (someone suggested “auto body shop,” which somehow also fit); tasty, youthful, tart blackberry, berry, and black fruit with some obtrusive oak showing up mid-palate toward the medium-plus finish 91+ pts.
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3/16/2008 - zin-fan wrote: 91 Points
Sweet Black Licorice, phenolic, Very nice woody aroma. Finish- Mouth Dry tannic assault, Cappuccino, warm woody-cassis after taste mixed in. Way too young but enjoyed the experience- best Aglianico yet. Decanted 3 hours - should have been 3 days.
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3/4/2008 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Blackberry, dried berry, rich, spicy nose; very tasty, dried bery, black fruit with spicy depth, great acidity and nerve; medium-plus finish
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2/13/2008 - Mark wrote: 91 Points
Very pleasant, but still very young. It opened up somewhat surprisingly fast, after about thirty minutes, big dense, oaky and full of dark red fruit. High tannins, but not mouth puckering so, trailing with a hint of hazelnut. Short to medium length finish. Give this wine some time, I’ll wait another two years before trying this again.
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2/8/2008 - salil wrote: 91 Points
South Italian wine dinner (Chicago, IL): Inky reddish-black in colour. Nose is again incredibly intense but lacking some of the complexity of the 01 - this shows more tar, black fruits and some herbs but there's some volatile acidity and a faint pruney note that spoils it a bit. Concentrated red and dark fruit flavours follow on the palate with moderate acidity, firm tannins and a medium length finish.
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2/6/2008 - bwillia wrote: 90 Points
After all the negative comments I heard about this vintage of Serpico I was pleasantly surprised to find I really liked this bottle. Great depth with mocha and dark fruit on the palate. The nose wasn't terribly expressive but very complex and enjoyable wine.
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1/21/2008 - Barbara B wrote: 90 Points
Feudi di San Gregorio Serpico vertical (Parco dei Principi, Rome): Black core, ruby rim, deep/dark/dense. Aromas and flavours of fruit and new oak. Very acidic and very tannic, but in a good way. Full bodied, concentrated and savory. Developed nicely in the glass. Needs years.
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11/2/2007 - Dubliner wrote: 89 Points
Too young and acidic. Try again in a couple of years.
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10/19/2007 - TwoDogs wrote:
Decanted for 2 hours and was still wound tight. I can see this wine being killer in a few more years. Bought 6 more for 1/2 price.
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9/20/2007 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Southern Italian Red Blindtasting (Nero d'Avola, Aglianico, Montepulciano) (Palo Alto, California): Group's #8 (my #2) – 68 pts.; 0, 3, 0, 5 – darkest in color, black red violet; intriguing smoky berry and graphite nose; tasty, tart black fruit, charcoal, chocolate and pepper palate with depth and good acidity, should be great in 10 years; medium-plus finish 94+ pts.
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6/11/2007 - the godfather wrote:
This wine is so mouth searing with tannin, I find it impossible to rate, I can hardly believe there is enouh fruit to ever make this wine good
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6/10/2007 - slippytoad wrote: 85 Points
Very disappointed with this. Totallt hard, very acidic. We waited a long time to get it. I have one more bottle, I should probably wait 10 years, but I'm not convinved it's up to the task.
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3/25/2007 - asiabear wrote: 85 Points
Big deep rich inky almost black color and virtually no nose, indicating an extraordinarily closed-down tight wine, which is exactly what this is. Decant for two .... days? It is very acidic and tannic and absolutely needs food to go with it but even then I'm not certain that the acidic balance can be overcome. This wine certainly needs a lot of time in bottle. But the question is whether one will have very much to show for it in the end. I think there are other places one can spend one's money and bottle aging time with better results in the end
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3/8/2007 - hutch wrote: 91 Points
Palm Bays Tasting: Lovely wine, with amazing fruit. Could have been WOTN if it weren't for the magnificant showing of the Piano. 90+, probably more like 93.
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3/8/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 91 Points
Palm Bay Imports (Little Italy-Anchorage): This is delicious. Rich, extracted, well balanced red. Loads of toasted oak, vanilla, ripe black cherry, currants, and a spicy finish. The tannins held this one back, especially when compared to the '99 Piano. This will be absolutely gorgeous in 5 years or more.
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2/7/2007 - mattiasjansson wrote: 88 Points
Backstreet - No theme (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Big and oaky. Tannic. Put away for several years!
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1/20/2007 - tanglenet wrote:
Served at a tasting at the Wine Club SF. Dark fruit with super mouth drying tight tannins that seemed kind of green and bitter. Needs years of aging and food to go with it. Would not recommend drinking by itself.
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1/11/2007 - Frijole wrote:
dark plum red, silvery edges, some clarity, deep dark center
Nose: deep berries, chalk, deep dark, oak, honey, caramel, vanilla, tannins
Pal: deep berries, chalk, oak, tannins, complex, smooth and sour and savory, earth, salt, marjorum, stiff, pungent tannins
Feel: full
Finish: long
TC9
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1/7/2007 - plhew wrote: 85 Points
What a mistake! I was so impressed with the 2001 that I bought a case of this and a 6 litre. This is the 3rd bottle I have had and have been consistently dissapointed. don't buy this wine, It seems to be overly acidic. I don't know about the aging potential but I hope it can improve.
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8/12/2006 - jdrach wrote:
Strong with light spice. Needs to be served with something heavy.
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5/9/2006 - ths wrote:
Agree with some of the comments on 2001 about the vegetal aroma and taste. This is a young, hard and closed down wine. Pretty close to undrinkable the first day of an open bottle. Now it's day 6 and it's still a mouthful, but have to say that the vegetal overtone has gone away and some very nice pepper and tannins are starting to show through. Buy two, 'cause you're going to want to age one to see what this eventually turns into. Not much point rating this now, it's not very pleasant but has tremendous aging potential.
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