ABV: 13.5%. Amazingly delicious! Savory notes on the nose with roasted herbs, leather, and smoked meats, supported by dark fruits in the background (think plums and blackberries). The fruits emerged on the palate and transitioned into dark red fruits, lifted by well-integrated acidity. With each subsequent sip, the fruits blossomed more and more, lingering on the lengthy finish. The tannins are soft now so this wine is drinking perfectly. Note: Paired well with pasta (Italian sausage and portobello mushroom in tomato sauce).
12/30/2020 - Finished off the remaining 1/3 of the opened bottle (with ease) and I'm so glad that I have a few more bottles of this wine in my cellar. The savory notes have subsided and the tannin level is barely noticeable. Dark red fruits continuously flood the palate (think ripe black cherries) with well-integrated acidity. I didn't know what to expect from this wine at this age, but I definitely didn't expect it to show so beautifully!
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Initially, this showed a striking nose of singed peat moss. Sleek, succulent blackberry liqueur and violet are the main fruit tones that sit beneath secondary aromas and flavors of smoke, fresh turned earth, leather, cedar and campfire. Very masculine and a touch brooding, but never heavy or heady. With air the fruit begins to show a touch of a sappy red note. This avoids having noticeable, even subtle, acids but keeps a nice freshness about it. Finally, there is a nice dollop of herbs and black cherry on the finish, which washes away surprisingly clean, albeit clipped.
Very Good – 90 Pts – Drinking Great Now
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Good level, colour intact with a touch of brown coloration round the edges. Nose not super expressive, yet some "tertiary" notes plus the cherry fruit you expect from a Chianti. Taste is medium-bodied with nice ripe fruit (vintage) and leathery notes, still good acidity and tannins. Probably the wine will not develop any further, but will drink up to 3 or 4 more years.
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Eye: dark crimson, ruby color. Nose: somenfunkmupon firs opening. Did not decant. Cherries, wood after some breathing. Palate: strong tannins, nice fruit, medium body, smoky, long finish.
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Terroir-istes International - Italy, Chianti Classico (Rodwell House): Medium blood red towards a narrow orange rim. The nose is exuberant with red cherries, Victoria plum, tinned prune, tilled soil, fresh leather and heady, intense notes. seems to get better in the glass. Some felt the entry a little reductive at first, but to me it opened quickly to reveal an expressive range of attractive flavours. Deeply concentrated, full-bodied, the wine is filled with redcurrants, pressed red flowers, plum and bing cherry, again with a twist of vanilla. Well-balanced with medium length, richness is offset by a lively acidity made in a more modern, approachable style. Flattering to deceive? Perhaps lacks a little depth.
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This one scared me a bit. Fabulous right out of the bottle, with excellent structure and a terrific acidic mid-pallet. But a few minutes in air, and it was flat. Thought it had seen its best days (with 2 final bottles in the cellar), but then, it picked up steam (or maybe I just drank a lot) and showed that same nice sweet-acidic contrast that makes Italian wines so food-friendly and so much a mimic of Burgundy (at a fraction of the price). So, still drinking very well, and now I wish I had more rather than less.
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Last bottle was way to tight last year but his bottle is absolutely great. Cherry, dark chocolate, integrated tannins and minimal acidity with medium to full body and a soft lingering cherry finish.
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I think this is one of the greatest wines in the world for under $25, it's complexity, structure and sheer taste is tough to beat, this had a nice amount of bottle age under it's belt, but certainly not long in the tooth - Dark, medium concentration with a nose of sour cherry, earth, plum, cigar box and vanilla, very well made, complex, balanced and sweet/sour on the palate with very good length (90 Points).
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This is drinking well now. Rather burtly & brash, reflecting the vintage but well structured & decent balance. Safest to drink sooner rather than later.
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Nice translucent purple. Basement, oak, wet wood, dry and sweet red fruits, cranberries, on the nose. Soft on the palate, a building pie cherries, red currant, a bit of leather, nice tannins still strong but supporting. This is a little sister to a few bigger and $ery versions. Good QPR here a nice well made wine.
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This had a nice bright attack with good Chianti typicity but it was all downhill from there with more and more flat earthy and leathery sensations taking over.
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Just a tad under the high quality I expect from this wine. Dry top half of cork resulted in a break upon opening - decanted to filter and then poured. No must on the nose, the wine was safe, or so it seemed. Nice deep dark, dense purple color with a slight garnet halo, dark berries on the nose, light texture on the palate - nothing till mid palate - then a burst of dark cherries, spice and vanilla; more tannic, less acidic then I recall from previous vintages, long finish with hint of tobacco and dried meat at the end.
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aromatics of cranberry, hints of meat, crushed stone and flowers. Strong tannin, integrated from start to finish. bordering on over the line. Taught minerality with sour cherry flavors and tar. Strong acidity start to finish. This begs for food. almost too much on its own. 88
with 2 hrs open and food consumed hints of truffle emerged on the nose and the palate calmed down. 89
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Popped and poured from Magnum. Showed very nicely but not a typical chianti, showing the more fruit forward slightly darker than normal fruit of the extra hot year. To me it was missing a little of the acid I love in a good chianti. Maybe with a few more years they will show...
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always always always have a bottle of Nipozzano for good fancy pasta meals, great chianti in the med price sector, excellent bouquet, amoras, color, taste on tongue good to excellent.
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Popped and served. A very sangiovese nose with a bit of gaminess, meat juices, vanilla, and black cherries. In the mouth, this has good acidity bringing some sour cherries and oak. The tannins are well integrated and the wine is drinking well.
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Opened this wine as I was in need of a red to add to my mushroom risotto. It helped produce a wonderful risotta, defintely heavy and rich. The wine on its own is dark and brooding. This is a traditional chianti that needs food as well as cellar time. We probably opened this several years too soon.
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This wine could probably use a little more cellaring. A heavy tannic overlay and dark berry with earthy overtones. Needs food, as most authentic Chiantis do.
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Thanksgiving 2007 (Chateau de' Stearns): Musty, dry basement nose with smooth clean good finish. Middle fruit deep back of thought finish. Fruity, big bold, better with time in glass. Berry.
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Nice simple Italian, reasonable price. Drinking well now with enough tannins to suggest it will hold a while longer. Good fruit, great with a light red pasta, not eough to cut through a heavy meal, but still better with food.
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Very, very good Chianti. Let open for 45 mintues and enjoyed for another hour. Will buy another bottle to enjoy again. Nice nose of fruit and oak/cedar. Velvety tannins and a nice long finish.
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A fuller-bodied Chianti Rufina that really showed the heat of the 2003 vintage. Notes of cherries, chocolate, berries, and a slight touch of creamy vanilla. Not overly complex or typical due to the low acid and tannins but still enjoyable.
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Dark ruby. Nice nose of red berries (strawberries and cherries) and faint hints of Tuscan herbs. Easy and pleasing with lots of fruit, but clearly lacks structure and complexity for the long haul.
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Typical Chianti flavors but not much to this vintage. The 2002 was far more complex and remarkable. The 2003 is rather flat and ordinary. Even if the tannins softened a bit more there wouldn't be much fruit or structure left.
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Nice Chianti in a ripe vintage. Beautiful nose of ripe red cherries, vanilla and oak with some warm spices intermixed. The palate has some firm tannin structure up front, but the black cherries, coffee, and balancing acidity are able to show through. Nice long finish too! I usuall like what Fresco puts out and this is no exception. Well done. Side note: This is definitely a little more new world in style with ripe fruits up front and very little complexity. This is a well made bottle, but I definitely like a little funky earth and old world characteristics included.
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Floral nose with ripe red berries. Flowers, berries, toasted oak, and spice on the palate. Very smooth finish, nothing too lengthy. I always find Sangiovese has a slight bit of tomato lingering on the finish. Very enjoyable wine for $20 CAD.
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Not as good as I hoped. It was a well balanced, med body red with med tannins and acidity. On the nose I could have sworn it was paint or epoxy mixed with fruit. This faded away in later glasses, perhaps due to the fact I was getting a tad tipsy since I was the only one drinking it. Shortish, un-ripe finish that was a bit tart. Much preferred the 04 Coltibuano Classico.
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The wine presents itself with a nice dark ruby color. The nose reveals very good dark fruit with brandy-soaked cherry and plum aromas on light earh and spice notes. On the palate the wine is well balanced with nice cherry and liqorice flavours and fine tannins accompanying to a pleasently bitterish finish.
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Opened to go with wood fired pizza served as an appetizer at a dinner party. This seemed to show more earthy funky elements than my last tasting but also showed more modern cab driven blackberry and current flavors and aromas. I'm not sure what to make of this wine and it failed to deliver the food match I was looking for.
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Haven't had a lot of Chianti that I have paid attention to but I believe this is the best I've had. Decanted and drank with pizza. Balanced is the word. Very fine but present tannins and good amount of acidity. Dark cherries and herbs on palate. Easy drinking with food. 90+ wine based on how well it is made. Probably a little less due to lack of distinctiveness.
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This was a lovely medium bodied riserva. It was somewhat reticent on the nose with cherries, a touch of earth and some oak. That palate and finish were lithe and juicy with smooth long black cherry fruit and sleek, fine tannin. Excellent but I am starting to prefer more old school character in my Chiantis.
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Purchased recently for $16. Dark purple color. Very ripe, with crushed blackberry and raspberry flavors. Fleshy, with less acidity than customary for a CCR - no doubt due to the hot growing season. This is an easy drinker and reminiscent of a house wine one might get in a carafe at a Tuscan trattoria. Nothing wrong with that. Decent value. Drink now.
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My bottle was not tightly wound at all, it was actually very nice and simple, palate-friendly and light-to-medium bodied. Certainly impressive for the 20 dollar Chianti. Would be a nice foil to simple Italian cuisine.
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Nothing spectacular. Color of grape jelly, nose of leather and oak; palate has small bursts of fruit. Have another bottle, will see how that is and if I buy more.
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Underwhelming. I was expecting more. Dark color, not much on the nose to begin with. On the palate, started out with not much there. Closed up, but not tight. Opened up a bit, on both the nose and palate. A bit dusty. ok, but not great. Never really came around like I would have expected. Not much brightness on either palate or nose.
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this was more like the first bottle I had. medium to full body, dried cherry with nice acidity on the palate. great with flank steak. good for 2-3 years easy. not bad for $15.
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Rich and appealing on the nose with a hint of detergent. Sour cherries, woodsmoke, some spice and a hint of bitter chocolate. Clearly a quality wine, but the bitter and rubbery finish spoils it for me. Think I will cancel my order for a case.
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12/28/2020 - ChairmanKao Likes this wine: 98 Points
ABV: 13.5%. Amazingly delicious! Savory notes on the nose with roasted herbs, leather, and smoked meats, supported by dark fruits in the background (think plums and blackberries). The fruits emerged on the palate and transitioned into dark red fruits, lifted by well-integrated acidity. With each subsequent sip, the fruits blossomed more and more, lingering on the lengthy finish. The tannins are soft now so this wine is drinking perfectly. Note: Paired well with pasta (Italian sausage and portobello mushroom in tomato sauce).
12/30/2020 - Finished off the remaining 1/3 of the opened bottle (with ease) and I'm so glad that I have a few more bottles of this wine in my cellar. The savory notes have subsided and the tannin level is barely noticeable. Dark red fruits continuously flood the palate (think ripe black cherries) with well-integrated acidity. I didn't know what to expect from this wine at this age, but I definitely didn't expect it to show so beautifully!
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10/18/2016 - WMWG Likes this wine: 90 Points
Initially, this showed a striking nose of singed peat moss. Sleek, succulent blackberry liqueur and violet are the main fruit tones that sit beneath secondary aromas and flavors of smoke, fresh turned earth, leather, cedar and campfire. Very masculine and a touch brooding, but never heavy or heady. With air the fruit begins to show a touch of a sappy red note. This avoids having noticeable, even subtle, acids but keeps a nice freshness about it. Finally, there is a nice dollop of herbs and black cherry on the finish, which washes away surprisingly clean, albeit clipped.
Very Good – 90 Pts – Drinking Great Now
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4/30/2013 - dvansteenderen Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good level, colour intact with a touch of brown coloration round the edges.
Nose not super expressive, yet some "tertiary" notes plus the cherry fruit you expect from a Chianti.
Taste is medium-bodied with nice ripe fruit (vintage) and leathery notes, still good acidity and tannins. Probably the wine will not develop any further, but will drink up to 3 or 4 more years.
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8/19/2012 - socidelvino wrote: 89 Points
Eye: dark crimson, ruby color. Nose: somenfunkmupon firs opening. Did not decant. Cherries, wood after some breathing. Palate: strong tannins, nice fruit, medium body, smoky, long finish.
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5/7/2012 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 88 Points
Terroir-istes International - Italy, Chianti Classico (Rodwell House): Medium blood red towards a narrow orange rim.
The nose is exuberant with red cherries, Victoria plum, tinned prune, tilled soil, fresh leather and heady, intense notes. seems to get better in the glass.
Some felt the entry a little reductive at first, but to me it opened quickly to reveal an expressive range of attractive flavours. Deeply concentrated, full-bodied, the wine is filled with redcurrants, pressed red flowers, plum and bing cherry, again with a twist of vanilla.
Well-balanced with medium length, richness is offset by a lively acidity made in a more modern, approachable style. Flattering to deceive? Perhaps lacks a little depth.
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3/1/2011 - bags wrote:
This one scared me a bit. Fabulous right out of the bottle, with excellent structure and a terrific acidic mid-pallet. But a few minutes in air, and it was flat. Thought it had seen its best days (with 2 final bottles in the cellar), but then, it picked up steam (or maybe I just drank a lot) and showed that same nice sweet-acidic contrast that makes Italian wines so food-friendly and so much a mimic of Burgundy (at a fraction of the price). So, still drinking very well, and now I wish I had more rather than less.
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2/7/2011 - bags wrote:
this bottle, perhaps atypically, opened right away and faded a bit with air. But at first it had a wonderful fruit-acid balance.
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2/6/2011 - vinedresser75 wrote: 90 Points
Nice Chianti from solid producer. Needs an hour to open up. Medium bodied, leathery.
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12/27/2010 - bags wrote:
an hour of decanting, and it's in a terrific place. Just classic chianti.
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8/8/2010 - Roest wrote:
Good. Drink up
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7/1/2010 - BillyT wrote: 91 Points
Last bottle was way to tight last year but his bottle is absolutely great. Cherry, dark chocolate, integrated tannins and minimal acidity with medium to full body and a soft lingering cherry finish.
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4/25/2010 - BonnieM wrote:
Two years definitely made a difference, tannin almost integrated, drinking very nicely now but could hold a bit longer.
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3/30/2010 - Crystal wrote: 92 Points
Amazing bottle. I never gave a flip about chianti, but this one grabbed me. Lucious, full and hearty. Nice earthiness. Going to get more tomorrow:-)
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2/5/2010 - wineforme wrote:
Dry, good. Better served with food.
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12/29/2009 - agandrade wrote: 90 Points
Great Chianti!!!!
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10/8/2009 - Tarrant wrote: 90 Points
I think this is one of the greatest wines in the world for under $25, it's complexity, structure and sheer taste is tough to beat, this had a nice amount of bottle age under it's belt, but certainly not long in the tooth - Dark, medium concentration with a nose of sour cherry, earth, plum, cigar box and vanilla, very well made, complex, balanced and sweet/sour on the palate with very good length (90 Points).
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9/26/2009 - chbeaumont wrote: 88 Points
This is drinking well now. Rather burtly & brash, reflecting the vintage but well structured & decent balance. Safest to drink sooner rather than later.
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8/30/2009 - tplskylrk wrote: 90 Points
Nice translucent purple. Basement, oak, wet wood, dry and sweet red fruits, cranberries, on the nose. Soft on the palate, a building pie cherries, red currant, a bit of leather, nice tannins still strong but supporting. This is a little sister to a few bigger and $ery versions. Good QPR here a nice well made wine.
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6/3/2009 - DTWOB wrote: 86 Points
Thin, very thin
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5/17/2009 - DTWOB wrote: 89 Points
Quite nice
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12/6/2008 - greenblanket wrote:
This had a nice bright attack with good Chianti typicity but it was all downhill from there with more and more flat earthy and leathery sensations taking over.
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11/24/2008 - DTWOB wrote: 87 Points
Just a tad under the high quality I expect from this wine. Dry top half of cork resulted in a break upon opening - decanted to filter and then poured. No must on the nose, the wine was safe, or so it seemed. Nice deep dark, dense purple color with a slight garnet halo, dark berries on the nose, light texture on the palate - nothing till mid palate - then a burst of dark cherries, spice and vanilla; more tannic, less acidic then I recall from previous vintages, long finish with hint of tobacco and dried meat at the end.
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11/23/2008 - lolo66 wrote: 91 Points
a lot of legs left in this one. smoky notes of dark fruit are the major notes with still evident tannins giving a dry finish but still very drinkable.
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11/15/2008 - VinLancaster wrote: 86 Points
Aromatics of roughage, herbs, oak, leather and soil. Flavors of bright fruit, herbs, earth and offers a smooth finish. Best with food.
.
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10/21/2008 - LPskeleton wrote: 89 Points
aromatics of cranberry, hints of meat, crushed stone and flowers. Strong tannin, integrated from start to finish. bordering on over the line. Taught minerality with sour cherry flavors and tar. Strong acidity start to finish. This begs for food. almost too much on its own. 88
with 2 hrs open and food consumed hints of truffle emerged on the nose and the palate calmed down. 89
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10/19/2008 - rfras wrote: 88 Points
Easy drinking Chianti. Medium bodied with berry flavors.
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8/16/2008 - gzim wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured from Magnum. Showed very nicely but not a typical chianti, showing the more fruit forward slightly darker than normal fruit of the extra hot year. To me it was missing a little of the acid I love in a good chianti. Maybe with a few more years they will show...
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6/16/2008 - twofthrs wrote: 87 Points
Just OK this time
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5/23/2008 - slowdiver wrote:
Thought it was bad at first, but the alcohol blew off after about 40 minutes or so.
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4/7/2008 - frankds wrote: 85 Points
eerder gesloten neus met hint van zwart fruit, gevolgd door mooie volle mond met tikkeltje alcoholdominantie, afdronk 12s met houttoets
B+
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3/30/2008 - Rico44 wrote: 90 Points
always always always have a bottle of Nipozzano for good fancy pasta meals, great chianti in the med price sector, excellent bouquet, amoras, color, taste on tongue good to excellent.
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3/8/2008 - elpasobuckeye wrote: 89 Points
great with pizza
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2/20/2008 - LesterKwong wrote: 88 Points
Popped and served. A very sangiovese nose with a bit of gaminess, meat juices, vanilla, and black cherries. In the mouth, this has good acidity bringing some sour cherries and oak. The tannins are well integrated and the wine is drinking well.
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1/20/2008 - BonnieM wrote:
Opened this wine as I was in need of a red to add to my mushroom risotto. It helped produce a wonderful risotta, defintely heavy and rich. The wine on its own is dark and brooding. This is a traditional chianti that needs food as well as cellar time. We probably opened this several years too soon.
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1/20/2008 - BonnieM wrote:
This wine could probably use a little more cellaring. A heavy tannic overlay and dark berry with earthy overtones. Needs food, as most authentic Chiantis do.
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12/23/2007 - bsieve wrote: 89 Points
Delicious, flavorful, always reliable. Great with pasta and tomato sauces.
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12/14/2007 - golfhawk wrote: 89 Points
Light nose but big wine with nice red fruit. Could last a couple more years but it is drinking nice now.
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11/24/2007 - tplskylrk wrote: 91 Points
Thanksgiving 2007 (Chateau de' Stearns): Musty, dry basement nose with smooth clean good finish. Middle fruit deep back of thought finish. Fruity, big bold, better with time in glass. Berry.
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10/28/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 89 Points
WIML89?,PURPLE89. Solid little Chianti. I'd buy again if the price were under $20.00 a bottle.
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10/20/2007 - bsieve wrote: 89 Points
Delicious and well balanced. Terrific with our pasta and sausage dinner
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10/12/2007 - Dusty Bear wrote: 88 Points
Light herbal notes and cherries on the nose, with cherries, coffee and chocolate in the mouth.
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10/1/2007 - pickhardt wrote: 89 Points
Very pleasant, smooth, fruity. Nice refined cherry flavors. Great with pasta.
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8/14/2007 - Davena wrote: 84 Points
Saw this wine on Simply Wine with Andrea Immer. Average wine. Nothing remarkable. For the money- wouldn't buy again. Price: $23.99
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7/26/2007 - Glenino wrote:
Had with Monica and Gary. Yum.
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7/10/2007 - tplskylrk wrote: 88 Points
Nice simple Italian, reasonable price. Drinking well now with enough tannins to suggest it will hold a while longer. Good fruit, great with a light red pasta, not eough to cut through a heavy meal, but still better with food.
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6/10/2007 - BSteffes wrote:
Very, very good Chianti. Let open for 45 mintues and enjoyed for another hour. Will buy another bottle to enjoy again. Nice nose of fruit and oak/cedar. Velvety tannins and a nice long finish.
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5/31/2007 - raadams wrote: 87 Points
A fuller-bodied Chianti Rufina that really showed the heat of the 2003 vintage. Notes of cherries, chocolate, berries, and a slight touch of creamy vanilla. Not overly complex or typical due to the low acid and tannins but still enjoyable.
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5/11/2007 - gorm wrote: 87 Points
Dark ruby. Nice nose of red berries (strawberries and cherries) and faint hints of Tuscan herbs. Easy and pleasing with lots of fruit, but clearly lacks structure and complexity for the long haul.
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5/6/2007 - Haj wrote:
Typical Chianti flavors but not much to this vintage. The 2002 was far more complex and remarkable. The 2003 is rather flat and ordinary. Even if the tannins softened a bit more there wouldn't be much fruit or structure left.
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5/1/2007 - Glenino wrote: 87 Points
Reminds me of Florence. Classic nose. medium body, very nice finish. i'd buy again.
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4/9/2007 - ras2006 wrote: 86 Points
Nice wine. Dry, tannin, a little fruit (cherries & vanilla). Would buy again.
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4/7/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 88 Points
Nice Chianti in a ripe vintage. Beautiful nose of ripe red cherries, vanilla and oak with some warm spices intermixed. The palate has some firm tannin structure up front, but the black cherries, coffee, and balancing acidity are able to show through. Nice long finish too! I usuall like what Fresco puts out and this is no exception. Well done.
Side note: This is definitely a little more new world in style with ripe fruits up front and very little complexity. This is a well made bottle, but I definitely like a little funky earth and old world characteristics included.
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4/2/2007 - cassaday wrote: 88 Points
Floral nose with ripe red berries. Flowers, berries, toasted oak, and spice on the palate. Very smooth finish, nothing too lengthy. I always find Sangiovese has a slight bit of tomato lingering on the finish. Very enjoyable wine for $20 CAD.
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3/24/2007 - magnord wrote: 86 Points
Nice chianti, but nothing special. Only for food.
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3/22/2007 - ejensen wrote:
Not as good as I hoped. It was a well balanced, med body red with med tannins and acidity. On the nose I could have sworn it was paint or epoxy mixed with fruit. This faded away in later glasses, perhaps due to the fact I was getting a tad tipsy since I was the only one drinking it. Shortish, un-ripe finish that was a bit tart. Much preferred the 04 Coltibuano Classico.
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3/19/2007 - cdimaro wrote: 89 Points
The wine presents itself with a nice dark ruby color. The nose reveals very good dark fruit with brandy-soaked cherry and plum aromas on light earh and spice notes. On the palate the wine is well balanced with nice cherry and liqorice flavours and fine tannins accompanying to a pleasently bitterish finish.
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3/16/2007 - leloupedevin wrote: 84 Points
Cherries with a hint of tar, and a dash of italian earth. Simple, soft. Enjoyable.
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3/10/2007 - greenblanket wrote:
Opened to go with wood fired pizza served as an appetizer at a dinner party. This seemed to show more earthy funky elements than my last tasting but also showed more modern cab driven blackberry and current flavors and aromas. I'm not sure what to make of this wine and it failed to deliver the food match I was looking for.
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3/8/2007 - Drewine wrote: 89 Points
Haven't had a lot of Chianti that I have paid attention to but I believe this is the best I've had. Decanted and drank with pizza. Balanced is the word. Very fine but present tannins and good amount of acidity. Dark cherries and herbs on palate. Easy drinking with food. 90+ wine based on how well it is made. Probably a little less due to lack of distinctiveness.
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2/28/2007 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Garnet color, with notes of plum, blackberry, smoke and licorice. Fine tannins, with chewy plum and dark fruit flavors.
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2/21/2007 - greenblanket wrote: 87 Points
This was a lovely medium bodied riserva. It was somewhat reticent on the nose with cherries, a touch of earth and some oak. That palate and finish were lithe and juicy with smooth long black cherry fruit and sleek, fine tannin. Excellent but I am starting to prefer more old school character in my Chiantis.
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2/16/2007 - pickhardt wrote: 89 Points
Almost a 90. Great deal for $18. Great flavors and fruit. Complexity and length. Definitely would buy again.
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2/12/2007 - bsieve wrote: 88 Points
A consistenly delicious chianti, with hints of berries. Perfect with a pasta and tomato sauce.
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1/31/2007 - DenisLee wrote: 86 Points
Needed some time to open up. Better with food.
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1/18/2007 - Wrighty wrote: 88 Points
There were some cherries but this was restrained and tight. Not sure if it's got it and it's hidding or it's just not there. Time will tell no doubt.
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12/26/2006 - spass wrote: 90 Points
this is a wondreful wine value. very tasty with a creamy mushroom pizza. excellent value. Buy more! ~sos
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12/17/2006 - jhoerner wrote:
ok
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12/14/2006 - otisabdul wrote: 87 Points
Purchased recently for $16. Dark purple color. Very ripe, with crushed blackberry and raspberry flavors. Fleshy, with less acidity than customary for a CCR - no doubt due to the hot growing season. This is an easy drinker and reminiscent of a house wine one might get in a carafe at a Tuscan trattoria. Nothing wrong with that. Decent value. Drink now.
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11/15/2006 - monty401 wrote: 87 Points
My bottle was not tightly wound at all, it was actually very nice and simple, palate-friendly and light-to-medium bodied. Certainly impressive for the 20 dollar Chianti. Would be a nice foil to simple Italian cuisine.
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11/1/2006 - TGHaddon wrote:
Fairly typical, herbal and cherry character. Good fruit, nice structure - touch alcoholic though.
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10/20/2006 - marka wrote: 87 Points
Nothing spectacular. Color of grape jelly, nose of leather and oak; palate has small bursts of fruit. Have another bottle, will see how that is and if I buy more.
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10/13/2006 - blaine wrote: 84 Points
Underwhelming. I was expecting more. Dark color, not much on the nose to begin with. On the palate, started out with not much there. Closed up, but not tight. Opened up a bit, on both the nose and palate. A bit dusty. ok, but not great. Never really came around like I would have expected. Not much brightness on either palate or nose.
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10/4/2006 - ajr wrote: 89 Points
this was more like the first bottle I had. medium to full body, dried cherry with nice acidity on the palate. great with flank steak. good for 2-3 years easy. not bad for $15.
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9/11/2006 - raadams wrote: 88 Points
Full-bodied with cherry and chocolate notes and abundant tannins. It was quite tight and needs a few more years to really loosen up.
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9/9/2006 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Garnet color. Plum, smoke and dark fruit notes. Nice balance, with abundant dark fruit and cherry flavors.
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8/29/2006 - GraemeBell wrote: 85 Points
Rich and appealing on the nose with a hint of detergent. Sour cherries, woodsmoke, some spice and a hint of bitter chocolate. Clearly a quality wine, but the bitter and rubbery finish spoils it for me. Think I will cancel my order for a case.
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8/12/2006 - Terkel wrote:
Refreshing nose with hints of cherry. Well balanced taste of fruits and peber with nice tannins, and a long good after taste.
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8/10/2006 - mimik wrote: 88 Points
Nice but not as good as the 2002 which rocked.
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