Good but not great, still very primary and with ample tannin and acidity to perhaps gain interest with age. I will sit on my last bottle and hope for the best.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with my previous tasting notes (Jan 2016): even at 6 years of age the wine is still remarkably primary redolent of sweet, ripe and somewhat crunchy red and darker fruits. On the palate the wine is drier than what the nose suggests with nice, somewhat serious structure. Based on how slowly the wine seems to evolve, I guess this can be a quite long-lived vintage after all. Very open and expressive now, but as the wine is mostly about aging potential, there is no need to open any of thees in the following 5-8 years. Most likely the wine will keep much longer.
A fresh and tasty Chianti that is great value at approx. 15€.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Trip to LA; 6/29/2018-7/1/2018: From magnum. Medium ruby; moderately aromatic, red cherry, slight smoky spice; palate is medium bodied, medium-plus acid, lovely red cherries, integrating medium tannins; medium finish. Lovely wine for the price. Pretty, elegant, food friendly. 89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A bit muted upon opening with some dried red fruit, sweet tobacco and decaying leaves. Surprisingly developed... After an hour or so the nose has almost completely transformed into what you would expect from this wine. Bright cherry, bruised strawberry, rose petals, violets, dried herbs and paint bucket.
Medium bodied with high acidity and medium tannins. Silky texture and good concentration. If the nose had some traces of being murky and ripe the palate delivers the opposite. Tart red fruits, rose petal, spice box and forest floor than ends with a lingering juicy finish.
Based upon my bottle this one needs a bit of decanting right now but perfectly fine to drink anyhow. Montevertine's wines are often described as Burgundian and I totally agree on that. Very good QPR at the modest €15 I payed a couple of years ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fresh and delicious. Bing cherry, cranberry, anise, spice, and earth. Palate is nicely integrated and quite fine, especially given the level of the wine. Classic Sangiovese.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
As noted a year ago, very drinkable, despite its youth. I was surprised then, and initially had the same response this time, having forgotten what I had written. Very pleasant, not profound, and maybe this is a good thing. It doesn't demand much from me, but gives itself to easy drinking, pairing well with a hearty Bolognese sauce.
Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great wine, a bit young still but very balanced, fruit forward on the nose. On the palate it was tasting with tobacco, big dried fruit, earth. Nice smooth long finish. I thought it drank very well, fairly large so definitely a food wine - great to pair with Osso Bucco, steaks and chops. I am sure it will age well although drinking quite well right now for a 2012.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
hour decant, this is really a nice wine wtih some time open, the typical Montevertine character of a sweet profile of the white grapes which make this producer so special and noteable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Youthful, dark yet moderately translucent ruby red appearance. Somewhat restrained but fragrant, pure and surprisingly sweet nose with fruit-forward primary aromas of red cherry and strawberry, rose petals, some wizened boysenberry aromatics and a hint of raspberry marmalade. On the palate this modereately full-bodied wine feels quite youthful and easygoing, albeit drier than what the nose suggests with juicy flavors of ripe cherry, dark-toned forest fruits and some sour cherry crunchiness. Overall the wine feels moderately acid-driven, bright and quite structured with medium-to-moderate tannins. The wine finishes with flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some tart cranberry tones and sweeter flavors of ripe dark berries. The crunchy aftertaste is medium-long, juicy and quite straightforward with some tannic grip.
Overall this young vintage of Pian del Ciampolo seems rather simple and easygoing basic-level Chianti Classico with more emphasis in sweet but rather one-dimensional fruit than complexity. Although the wine seems structured enough, I fail to see much aging potential here and most likely the wine is best for earlier consumption – although if this wine is representative of the house's young style, the older Pian del Ciampolo vintages have proven me quite wrong with this prediction.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP. Color light garnet. Straight up the nose was super tight cranberry and earth. Swishing this shows terse acid that coats the cheeks but in in the mid palate the cherry comes on and this finishes with tannin that gets a little stemmy. Sipping allows the fruit to smooth the structure out. A pass thru vinturi brings this along on the aromatic and flavor spectrum. I am not a huge Italian aficionado but I really like this producer a lot. Great stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I was surprised at how drinkable this was, young and energetic but not as heavy or as closed as I anticipated; and it continued to drink well for several days, without showing a trace of sourness or losing its fruit to tannins.
Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nicely transparent in the glass. A pretty savory nose of red cherries, strawberry, dust and cinnamon. Very bright, pure and classic. On the palate bright, juicy and succulent with terrific acidity and lift. The flavor profile is pure Sangiovese goodness with no trace of oak, alcohol or overripeness. A bit simplistic perhaps, but does not really lack anything. Really dry and savory with gently gripping tannins. Just like its big brother Pian del Ciampolo is Sangiovese at its most authentic and just a delight to sip. Very unusual for us, but a bottle was finished alarmingly easily with a Raclette dinner between me and the better half, which says a mighty lot about this wine's drinkability and palate-cleansing ability.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fine cherries and sweet strawberries at first. After about 90 minutes of air it develops deeper notes of undergrowth and sweet liquorice, still very fresh and lightfooted though. Great minerality in the form of wet stones. Sweet red fruit, mostly strawberries, on the palate, lovely acidity and fine energetic tannins. Very drinkable in a burgundian kind of way. Won't save my remaining bottles for long, this drinks beautifully right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
First glass after opening was tasty but unremarkable. After an hour and a half in a decanter I revisited and this had morphed into a beautiful and delicate wine. Give it air time and pair with rabbit, duck or chicken with olives.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I wish I had reread my previous tasting note and given this more air. I gave it 90 minutes as it was, but feel that wasn't enough as the wine only started to show its true colors after three hours. Sweet cherries, rosemary, hints of vanilla. Tart; plenty of acid, but not much in the way of tannins. 2012 wasn't a great year for Montevertine, and it shows when comparing this vintage to earlier releases. Still, this is enjoyable, even if it doesn't warrant higher praise. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light weight, tawny edge. Floral, cherry aromatics. Light weight, lovely harmonious feel with strong minerality, blacker fruit, and anise as it courses the palate. Ground cocoa and oak at the end. This is a beauty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a delicious little wine. Sangiovese, Canaiolo e Colorino in a low colour, beatifully ruby red. A bit tight just opened, it mellows to red cherries, a bit of pepper and has a very nice round mouth with acidity to make you want another sip. Not terribly complex at the moment, but I just do not care. It drinks so well and will drink better with a few more months or a couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Food and wine from central Italy tasting dinner at La Laguna, Godalming (limited note taking). What a difference a year makes! I really didn't like the 2011 at the same dinner last year, but accompanying a creamy risotto the 2012 worked perfectly. Translucent red in glass, bright red berry fruit with touch of spice and grippy acidity. Light framed but decent length. Needs to be well matched with food. Interesting. I suspect for drinking youngish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
While reading others notes I don't think I fall on the side of many. For me the wine is obviously young and yes more new world in its basic fruit structure. However, the oak seemed balance, well integrated tannins and expressing very little terroir for a sangiovese until opened for an hour or more as one taster suggested. The finish was very smooth and carried the fruit through the finish. Understand, I am biased toward this winery and the winemaker massimo. He has sustained his fathers work in grand style with one exception. He seems to be moving toward more new world profiles than traditional as his father. That's ok for some but I prefer the old world more traditional flavor characteriscs and profiles. Having said that, the wine is very good and a great table wine. Not certain the price is warranted on this one however but it is not terribly excessive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Translucent ruby color. On opening, this is floral and aromatic on the nose. Bright red cherries and wisps of wood chips. In the mouth, this is light bodied, with fresh mountain herbs and tart red fruits. High acid. Quite feminine, even by Montevertine standards. Only after an hour do more of the classic Sangiovese flavors of sweet dark cherry, vanilla, and earth start to come out. This will probably be a totally different wine on day two. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light red. Floral and quite aromatic. Light elegant feel. Subtle red fruits, a dusting of soil, and given life by crisp acidity more than tannins. Gentle and fairly long. High class and admirable complexity at this early stage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium ruby color. No detailed TN taken but this is an elegant, light to medium bodied Sangiovese with lots of red berry and mountain herb notes. Very youthful on the palate, with lots of fine tannins on the finish. Took on weight and complexity with a half hour of air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Starts very green geranium and milk chocolate, then red raspberry and rosemary. Tannins peek out in the second half or the bottle. Goes very thyme and I would've guessed drying young 2011 Rhone Grenache in concrete fruity blind. Very good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
7/7/2019 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
Good but not great, still very primary and with ample tannin and acidity to perhaps gain interest with age. I will sit on my last bottle and hope for the best.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2018 - forceberry wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with my previous tasting notes (Jan 2016): even at 6 years of age the wine is still remarkably primary redolent of sweet, ripe and somewhat crunchy red and darker fruits. On the palate the wine is drier than what the nose suggests with nice, somewhat serious structure. Based on how slowly the wine seems to evolve, I guess this can be a quite long-lived vintage after all. Very open and expressive now, but as the wine is mostly about aging potential, there is no need to open any of thees in the following 5-8 years. Most likely the wine will keep much longer.
A fresh and tasty Chianti that is great value at approx. 15€.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2018 - asheio wrote: 90 Points
Very nice now. Delicate and nuanced. Lovely fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 89 Points
Trip to LA; 6/29/2018-7/1/2018: From magnum. Medium ruby; moderately aromatic, red cherry, slight smoky spice; palate is medium bodied, medium-plus acid, lovely red cherries, integrating medium tannins; medium finish. Lovely wine for the price. Pretty, elegant, food friendly. 89
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2017 - karl.1480 Likes this wine: 89 Points
A bit muted upon opening with some dried red fruit, sweet tobacco and decaying leaves. Surprisingly developed... After an hour or so the nose has almost completely transformed into what you would expect from this wine. Bright cherry, bruised strawberry, rose petals, violets, dried herbs and paint bucket.
Medium bodied with high acidity and medium tannins. Silky texture and good concentration. If the nose had some traces of being murky and ripe the palate delivers the opposite. Tart red fruits, rose petal, spice box and forest floor than ends with a lingering juicy finish.
Based upon my bottle this one needs a bit of decanting right now but perfectly fine to drink anyhow. Montevertine's wines are often described as Burgundian and I totally agree on that. Very good QPR at the modest €15 I payed a couple of years ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2016 - asheio wrote: 90 Points
Light and fresh, yet great dept. A pleasure to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2016 - jnewman77 wrote:
Fresh and delicious. Bing cherry, cranberry, anise, spice, and earth. Palate is nicely integrated and quite fine, especially given the level of the wine. Classic Sangiovese.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2016 - IJC Likes this wine:
As noted a year ago, very drinkable, despite its youth. I was surprised then, and initially had the same response this time, having forgotten what I had written.
Very pleasant, not profound, and maybe this is a good thing. It doesn't demand much from me, but gives itself to easy drinking, pairing well with a hearty Bolognese sauce.
Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2016 - jrhaynie Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great wine, a bit young still but very balanced, fruit forward on the nose. On the palate it was tasting with tobacco, big dried fruit, earth. Nice smooth long finish. I thought it drank very well, fairly large so definitely a food wine - great to pair with Osso Bucco, steaks and chops. I am sure it will age well although drinking quite well right now for a 2012.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2016 - kfinsrud wrote: 88 Points
Very young, but promising! Typical cherry wonder with good acidity. Drank well over 2 days.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/29/2016 - Louvin Likes this wine: 91 Points
hour decant, this is really a nice wine wtih some time open, the typical Montevertine character of a sweet profile of the white grapes which make this producer so special and noteable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2016 - forceberry wrote: 87 Points
Youthful, dark yet moderately translucent ruby red appearance. Somewhat restrained but fragrant, pure and surprisingly sweet nose with fruit-forward primary aromas of red cherry and strawberry, rose petals, some wizened boysenberry aromatics and a hint of raspberry marmalade. On the palate this modereately full-bodied wine feels quite youthful and easygoing, albeit drier than what the nose suggests with juicy flavors of ripe cherry, dark-toned forest fruits and some sour cherry crunchiness. Overall the wine feels moderately acid-driven, bright and quite structured with medium-to-moderate tannins. The wine finishes with flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some tart cranberry tones and sweeter flavors of ripe dark berries. The crunchy aftertaste is medium-long, juicy and quite straightforward with some tannic grip.
Overall this young vintage of Pian del Ciampolo seems rather simple and easygoing basic-level Chianti Classico with more emphasis in sweet but rather one-dimensional fruit than complexity. Although the wine seems structured enough, I fail to see much aging potential here and most likely the wine is best for earlier consumption – although if this wine is representative of the house's young style, the older Pian del Ciampolo vintages have proven me quite wrong with this prediction.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2015 - chcook Likes this wine:
PNP. Color light garnet. Straight up the nose was super tight cranberry and earth. Swishing this shows terse acid that coats the cheeks but in in the mid palate the cherry comes on and this finishes with tannin that gets a little stemmy. Sipping allows the fruit to smooth the structure out. A pass thru vinturi brings this along on the aromatic and flavor spectrum. I am not a huge Italian aficionado but I really like this producer a lot. Great stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2015 - JJKinch wrote: 90 Points
A little too strong acidity at first. Better with an hour or so of
air. Nice cherry fruit, nice spice. Strong acidity. Really enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2015 - JohanPe wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous note.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2015 - IJC Likes this wine:
I was surprised at how drinkable this was, young and energetic but not as heavy or as closed as I anticipated; and it continued to drink well for several days, without showing a trace of sourness or losing its fruit to tannins.
Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2015 - kuumies wrote:
Nicely transparent in the glass. A pretty savory nose of red cherries, strawberry, dust and cinnamon. Very bright, pure and classic. On the palate bright, juicy and succulent with terrific acidity and lift. The flavor profile is pure Sangiovese goodness with no trace of oak, alcohol or overripeness. A bit simplistic perhaps, but does not really lack anything. Really dry and savory with gently gripping tannins. Just like its big brother Pian del Ciampolo is Sangiovese at its most authentic and just a delight to sip. Very unusual for us, but a bottle was finished alarmingly easily with a Raclette dinner between me and the better half, which says a mighty lot about this wine's drinkability and palate-cleansing ability.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2015 - Gargantua wrote: 91 Points
Giving up a lot of red raspberry and is so alluring--even if it hasn't integrated the graphite finish it is irresistible already
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2015 - JohanPe wrote: 89 Points
Fine cherries and sweet strawberries at first. After about 90 minutes of air it develops deeper notes of undergrowth and sweet liquorice, still very fresh and lightfooted though. Great minerality in the form of wet stones. Sweet red fruit, mostly strawberries, on the palate, lovely acidity and fine energetic tannins. Very drinkable in a burgundian kind of way. Won't save my remaining bottles for long, this drinks beautifully right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2015 - BillBell73 wrote: 92 Points
First glass after opening was tasty but unremarkable. After an hour and a half in a decanter I revisited and this had morphed into a beautiful and delicate wine. Give it air time and pair with rabbit, duck or chicken with olives.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2014 - kevinacohn wrote:
I wish I had reread my previous tasting note and given this more air. I gave it 90 minutes as it was, but feel that wasn't enough as the wine only started to show its true colors after three hours. Sweet cherries, rosemary, hints of vanilla. Tart; plenty of acid, but not much in the way of tannins. 2012 wasn't a great year for Montevertine, and it shows when comparing this vintage to earlier releases. Still, this is enjoyable, even if it doesn't warrant higher praise. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2014 - asheio wrote: 88 Points
Light, fresh and delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light weight, tawny edge. Floral, cherry aromatics. Light weight, lovely harmonious feel with strong minerality, blacker fruit, and anise as it courses the palate. Ground cocoa and oak at the end. This is a beauty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2014 - grenache lover Likes this wine: 91 Points
What a delicious little wine. Sangiovese, Canaiolo e Colorino in a low colour, beatifully ruby red. A bit tight just opened, it mellows to red cherries, a bit of pepper and has a very nice round mouth with acidity to make you want another sip. Not terribly complex at the moment, but I just do not care. It drinks so well and will drink better with a few more months or a couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2014 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 87 Points
Food and wine from central Italy tasting dinner at La Laguna, Godalming (limited note taking).
What a difference a year makes! I really didn't like the 2011 at the same dinner last year, but accompanying a creamy risotto the 2012 worked perfectly.
Translucent red in glass, bright red berry fruit with touch of spice and grippy acidity. Light framed but decent length. Needs to be well matched with food.
Interesting. I suspect for drinking youngish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2014 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
While reading others notes I don't think I fall on the side of many. For me the wine is obviously young and yes more new world in its basic fruit structure. However, the oak seemed balance, well integrated tannins and expressing very little terroir for a sangiovese until opened for an hour or more as one taster suggested. The finish was very smooth and carried the fruit through the finish. Understand, I am biased toward this winery and the winemaker massimo. He has sustained his fathers work in grand style with one exception. He seems to be moving toward more new world profiles than traditional as his father. That's ok for some but I prefer the old world more traditional flavor characteriscs and profiles. Having said that, the wine is very good and a great table wine. Not certain the price is warranted on this one however but it is not terribly excessive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2014 - kevinacohn wrote:
Translucent ruby color. On opening, this is floral and aromatic on the nose. Bright red cherries and wisps of wood chips. In the mouth, this is light bodied, with fresh mountain herbs and tart red fruits. High acid. Quite feminine, even by Montevertine standards. Only after an hour do more of the classic Sangiovese flavors of sweet dark cherry, vanilla, and earth start to come out. This will probably be a totally different wine on day two. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light red. Floral and quite aromatic. Light elegant feel. Subtle red fruits, a dusting of soil, and given life by crisp acidity more than tannins. Gentle and fairly long. High class and admirable complexity at this early stage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2014 - dougsmith wrote: 89 Points
Medium ruby color. No detailed TN taken but this is an elegant, light to medium bodied Sangiovese with lots of red berry and mountain herb notes. Very youthful on the palate, with lots of fine tannins on the finish. Took on weight and complexity with a half hour of air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2014 - Nordin wrote: 90 Points
Refreshing, lean mouthfeel with good acidity, red berries and some minerals.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2014 - Gargantua wrote:
Starts very green geranium and milk chocolate, then red raspberry and rosemary. Tannins peek out in the second half or the bottle. Goes very thyme and I would've guessed drying young 2011 Rhone Grenache in concrete fruity blind. Very good
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2014 - Tahan wrote: 85 Points
Rett fra flasken: Forsiktig nese, syrlig anslag av røde bær og frukt. snille tanniner. Kort ettersmak. Skuffende i forhold til forventningene.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment