Another perfect Italian bottle. Deep dark red. The nose is pure, clear, and concentrated with blackcurrant, lead, red fruit, and wax cloth. On the palate, the wine has polished tannins, it's juicy, it's dense, and lush. Red fruit, leather, coffee, and cherries. Balanced and long.
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Chocolate, medium high acid, red and black currant, slight bitterness from the oak and a little alcoholic. Not very complex but long chocolate finish. Drink now
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After an hour of breathing, it’s a nice typical Bolgheri, all in balance, no wow effect, but a good to drink bottle. A good glass for an evening with friends or as a companion to italian food.
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Decanted a portion with stir and it opened fairly quickly, easily within an hour. Vacuvin’d the rest and same results on day 2 and 3. Deep deep ruby color. Leather, earth, some mushroom, blackberry on the nose. Dark cherry, pepper, blackberry, tobacco, leather with some drying tannins and about 35-40 sec finish. Great pairing with Italian food.
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Owned and cellared for 6+ years. Decanted through an Ullo filter for one hour. Shows purple in the glass. Nose of black pepper, soil, dark fruits. Tannins present but not overwhelming. There is still resolution left for tannins. Earthy on the palate and there is a real presence of the vines. Ready now and likely to evolve another 5 to 8 years.
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Very new world rendition, smooth and fruity - nothing wrong with that, however I crave a few rustic notes, which this wine did not provide. Still lovely, just a little "meh" for me.
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I have a tough time rating this because it really is not ready to drink. The first sips were filled with really sharp, biting tannins. It took about an hour in the glass to give up some of its fruit (blackberry) and hints of smoke and soil. I would try to hold off opening this until 2026 or later. Otherwise a 1-2 hour decant might be best.
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Still quite primary full of blackcurrants and bitter chocolate. But tannins have softened to just being non-intrusive. Long cellar life ahead, at least 2 yrs from peak but drinkable now for an easy, modern take on bdx blend
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Fruit forward, expressive blackberry fruit showing notes of tobacco, lavender and cassis. Long finish with smooth tannins. Very nice Italian blend that drinks better after an hour decant.
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For a Blend this was very well structured and definitely wound tight meaning it could spend much more time in the bottle. As for drinking now it opened with licorice and spice with a tight finish of spice. Definitely drinking well but really could use some more time in the bottle.
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For being early in its drinking window, this was really well integrated, and significantly better than the 2012 we had ~10 months ago. Only had an hour of air, no decant. Super interested to see how this evolves over the next 2-3 years, but you can feel good about opening now.
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Rich mocha and dark fruit flavors. Big voluptuous wine with a good grip and structure that will likely evolve beautifully with more time. Seems to be a bit too young now.
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Distinct and very pure aromatic notes of blackcurrant, toasty leafy tobacco, pencil shaving and river stones. Unmistaken for a Bordeaux blend from the cooler climate. Reminds me of a good St Estephe on the nose. Palate is rich with some tannins to stretch the impression. Full-bodied and full of energy with a rounded structure and a velvety finish. Still developing nicely. Keep for a few more years for the tannins to soften more and integrate into the elements. 91-92 pts.
Retasted in Mar 2022. Nose is more elegant and palate is softer than before. More balanced now. At its peak and will continue to hold for the next few years. To increase by 1 pt to 92 pts.
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Less excited about it than I was the first time. Good red fruits, some tannins, acidity on the finish. I will drink another one soon to see if I should keep the other bottles or drink them.
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not super interesting but still good and solid. Good value. good winemaking. not flashy but get the craft. Cherry, blackberry, herbiness, A bit of chalkiness. After 2 hours a rosiness coming out. Seems to be getting better. Hold.
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Another one that is hard to judge. Not bad by any mean, but it completely misses a sense of place. Very fruit forward and bold, extracted, good balance, alchool is in control but it's still 15%. A bit unidimensional and boring, but that may be subjective. Would pair well with ossobuco or brasato, and a cold winter night.
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Couleur d’encre, belles jambes. Pin au nez et en bouche. Champignons. Tannins encore présents. On dirait un Zinfandel. Tout en puissance. Longue finale. À revoir dans un an.
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Great juice. Was drinking well very soon. Had a lot of Merlot on the palette. Distinctive finish and different from the young '15 drank next to it. 93/94
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needs time to breathe....ripe opulent with wood well integrated. Nicely balanced with good acidity to go up the 15% alcohol. Did not feel the alcohol at all. Tobacco blackcurrant cigar box with black fruits. Next in 5 years...this has a long life ahead with good tannins to support.
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Vanilla, chocolate, and stony fruit on the nose. Supple and fruit driven on the palate with decent structure. A one or two note song. that is overdone with some bitter oak driven notes on the back end. Still, a drinkable bottle of wine that would be a gateway for lovers of rich Napa Cab wanting to try a Super Tuscan blend. NR due to stylistic aversion.
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Opened in bottle for a few hours. Full bodied with medium extraction but very disjointed, grainy, and unharmonious. Prickly tannins and hints of alcohol lead into plush flavors of raspberry/cherry liqueur, chocolate syrup, cassis, spearmint, and herbs. Likely needs a few more years but will never be a superstar. Pretty much drinks like a $75 Napa blend.
Dusky ruby; quite an intense lifted nose of red and black raspberry and darker fruits (cassis), fresh and coulis-like at the same time; super concentrated and hedonistic on the palate, the tannin structure creeps up suddenly. Opulent but has a fresh streak as well. Impressive - all guns blazing right now, leave it at least 5 years to soften a little.
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A year on from my first bottle tried, this bottle is much more collected and satisfying. Dark, semi-transparent purple, warm aromas, plenty of fruit. Not quite the elegance of the 10-year old Clerico barolo from the day before, but will get there with a little more time.
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Deep dark reddish-purple in color; almost opaque. Full, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of blackberries, dark cherries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & some floral notes, dried herbs, cocoa, spices, minerals, some cedar & vanilla notes in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with cocoa, spices, herbs, minerals & vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting and airing although it should continue to develop with further aging.
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5/11/2024 - Torchy wrote: 94 Points
Another perfect Italian bottle. Deep dark red. The nose is pure, clear, and concentrated with blackcurrant, lead, red fruit, and wax cloth. On the palate, the wine has polished tannins, it's juicy, it's dense, and lush. Red fruit, leather, coffee, and cherries. Balanced and long.
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3/6/2024 - alamoave Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very big, California style Supertuscan. Opened up after 30 minutes or so. Enjoyable if it's your style. No hurry to drink it.
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2/14/2024 - Handy1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop n poured. Nice dark cherry/plum fruit. Very well balanced. Nice bordeaux blend. Tannins mostly resolved. Drinking great
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1/31/2024 - Bigdong wrote: 90 Points
Chocolate, medium high acid, red and black currant, slight bitterness from the oak and a little alcoholic. Not very complex but long chocolate finish. Drink now
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11/25/2023 - Rheingau84 Likes this wine: 93 Points
After an hour of breathing, it’s a nice typical Bolgheri, all in balance, no wow effect, but a good to drink bottle. A good glass for an evening with friends or as a companion to italian food.
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7/17/2023 - Asull2k Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted a portion with stir and it opened fairly quickly, easily within an hour. Vacuvin’d the rest and same results on day 2 and 3. Deep deep ruby color. Leather, earth, some mushroom, blackberry on the nose. Dark cherry, pepper, blackberry, tobacco, leather with some drying tannins and about 35-40 sec finish. Great pairing with Italian food.
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6/23/2023 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Owned and cellared for 6+ years. Decanted through an Ullo filter for one hour. Shows purple in the glass. Nose of black pepper, soil, dark fruits. Tannins present but not overwhelming. There is still resolution left for tannins. Earthy on the palate and there is a real presence of the vines. Ready now and likely to evolve another 5 to 8 years.
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6/6/2023 - TallMikeWine wrote: flawed
Slight cork taint, still feeling this wine has some life left though, second time trying it.
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6/2/2023 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 93 Points
Same as last tastings.
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5/4/2023 - Mark van Delft Likes this wine: 92 Points
Reliable value for money Super Tuscan: blackberry, tobacco, leather, cherry, plum, blackcurrant, prune, medium plus body, black fruit finish.
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5/2/2023 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very new world rendition, smooth and fruity - nothing wrong with that, however I crave a few rustic notes, which this wine did not provide. Still lovely, just a little "meh" for me.
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9/4/2022 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 93 Points
A lot of cassis and blackberry fruits with hints of lavender. Silky mouth with long finish. Drink now but no hurry.
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8/1/2022 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
Similar to my previous notes. Slightly more mature, decanted and ready to go in an hour.
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5/10/2022 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 91 Points
I have a tough time rating this because it really is not ready to drink. The first sips were filled with really sharp, biting tannins. It took about an hour in the glass to give up some of its fruit (blackberry) and hints of smoke and soil. I would try to hold off opening this until 2026 or later. Otherwise a 1-2 hour decant might be best.
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4/9/2022 - Andice wrote: 92 Points
Still quite primary full of blackcurrants and bitter chocolate. But tannins have softened to just being non-intrusive. Long cellar life ahead, at least 2 yrs from peak but drinkable now for an easy, modern take on bdx blend
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2/23/2022 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fruit forward, expressive blackberry fruit showing notes of tobacco, lavender and cassis. Long finish with smooth tannins. Very nice Italian blend that drinks better after an hour decant.
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12/28/2021 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite impressed tonight. A lot of fruits in a silky tannic mouth. A lot better then last time.
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9/1/2021 - gamlingman wrote: 91 Points
For a Blend this was very well structured and definitely wound tight meaning it could spend much more time in the bottle. As for drinking now it opened with licorice and spice with a tight finish of spice. Definitely drinking well but really could use some more time in the bottle.
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6/12/2021 - Philip67 Does not like this wine: 90 Points
Still young, massive structure and extraction. Dark fruits, high alcohol. Too much. Short and straightforward. Now and over the next 10 years.
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3/7/2021 - Sugarb Likes this wine: 93 Points
For being early in its drinking window, this was really well integrated, and significantly better than the 2012 we had ~10 months ago. Only had an hour of air, no decant. Super interested to see how this evolves over the next 2-3 years, but you can feel good about opening now.
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12/30/2020 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich mocha and dark fruit flavors. Big voluptuous wine with a good grip and structure that will likely evolve beautifully with more time. Seems to be a bit too young now.
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12/14/2020 - Psdycp wrote: 92 Points
Distinct and very pure aromatic notes of blackcurrant, toasty leafy tobacco, pencil shaving and river stones. Unmistaken for a Bordeaux blend from the cooler climate. Reminds me of a good St Estephe on the nose. Palate is rich with some tannins to stretch the impression. Full-bodied and full of energy with a rounded structure and a velvety finish. Still developing nicely. Keep for a few more years for the tannins to soften more and integrate into the elements. 91-92 pts.
Retasted in Mar 2022. Nose is more elegant and palate is softer than before. More balanced now. At its peak and will continue to hold for the next few years. To increase by 1 pt to 92 pts.
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9/25/2020 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 90 Points
Less excited about it than I was the first time. Good red fruits, some tannins, acidity on the finish. I will drink another one soon to see if I should keep the other bottles or drink them.
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8/20/2020 - soyhead wrote:
nose- dark berry
mouth - juicy and ripe
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7/26/2020 - happytom wrote: 90 Points
not super interesting but still good and solid. Good value. good winemaking. not flashy but get the craft. Cherry, blackberry, herbiness, A bit of chalkiness. After 2 hours a rosiness coming out. Seems to be getting better. Hold.
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4/29/2020 - ajeeja wrote: 90 Points
Another one that is hard to judge. Not bad by any mean, but it completely misses a sense of place. Very fruit forward and bold, extracted, good balance, alchool is in control but it's still 15%. A bit unidimensional and boring, but that may be subjective. Would pair well with ossobuco or brasato, and a cold winter night.
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2/9/2020 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
Great wine for the money. They're really upping their game lately. On par with Oreno now. Buy this and the 2015.
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6/16/2019 - msilver wrote: 92 Points
Very nice Bordeaux style wine from Tuscany. This needs a decant of about one hour. This was a very nice complement to some spicy Italian dishes.
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6/10/2019 - danielpviens Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good. 2ish hours to breath. Paired with Bistecca Fiorentina. A little bit one dimensional has plenty of time no rush to drink the rest.
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6/9/2019 - Jaber wrote: 91 Points
Couleur d’encre, belles jambes. Pin au nez et en bouche. Champignons. Tannins encore présents. On dirait un Zinfandel. Tout en puissance. Longue finale. À revoir dans un an.
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5/26/2019 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
Great juice. Was drinking well very soon. Had a lot of Merlot on the palette. Distinctive finish and different from the young '15 drank next to it. 93/94
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2/15/2019 - jeramirez wrote: flawed
TCA
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1/3/2019 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 91 Points
needs time to breathe....ripe opulent with wood well integrated. Nicely balanced with good acidity to go up the 15% alcohol. Did not feel the alcohol at all. Tobacco blackcurrant cigar box with black fruits. Next in 5 years...this has a long life ahead with good tannins to support.
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11/12/2018 - cct wrote:
Vanilla, chocolate, and stony fruit on the nose. Supple and fruit driven on the palate with decent structure. A one or two note song. that is overdone with some bitter oak driven notes on the back end. Still, a drinkable bottle of wine that would be a gateway for lovers of rich Napa Cab wanting to try a Super Tuscan blend. NR due to stylistic aversion.
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8/22/2018 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
Opened in bottle for a few hours. Full bodied with medium extraction but very disjointed, grainy, and unharmonious. Prickly tannins and hints of alcohol lead into plush flavors of raspberry/cherry liqueur, chocolate syrup, cassis, spearmint, and herbs. Likely needs a few more years but will never be a superstar. Pretty much drinks like a $75 Napa blend.
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7/17/2018 - vespasian wrote:
Dusky ruby; quite an intense lifted nose of red and black raspberry and darker fruits (cassis), fresh and coulis-like at the same time; super concentrated and hedonistic on the palate, the tannin structure creeps up suddenly. Opulent but has a fresh streak as well. Impressive - all guns blazing right now, leave it at least 5 years to soften a little.
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1/29/2018 - Italiana Likes this wine:
A year on from my first bottle tried, this bottle is much more collected and satisfying. Dark, semi-transparent purple, warm aromas, plenty of fruit. Not quite the elegance of the 10-year old Clerico barolo from the day before, but will get there with a little more time.
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9/17/2017 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep dark reddish-purple in color; almost opaque. Full, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of blackberries, dark cherries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & some floral notes, dried herbs, cocoa, spices, minerals, some cedar & vanilla notes in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with cocoa, spices, herbs, minerals & vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting and airing although it should continue to develop with further aging.
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5/6/2017 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wait a few years. Probably a 93-94.
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3/27/2017 - broadband013 wrote: 90 Points
Dégustation Vini & Vini - Lausanne Palace 23.03.2017
Manque de caractère
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1/25/2017 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Way too young. Came together after a few hours, but needs bottle age to fully integrate. The elements are all there and very promising. Wait.
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11/14/2016 - luigigomboli wrote:
James Suckling gave this wine 98 points. Someone we don't know who or why gave it 89 points. He or she must have transposed the numbers
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