Stored at 9C for nearly 5yeara. No signs at maturity. Still fresh cherry, perfume, some vanilla and potpourri of red fruit on nose. Taste dominance of cherry. Good acidity and profound tannins. Medium long aftertaste. First and foremost a food quality quaffer. Will wait a couple of years before popping the next one.
L'acidité est moins présente et l'équilibre est parfait. La maturité me semble parfaite. Tout simplement délicieux. Un des meilleurs vins de l'année. Incroyable à ce prix.
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One of the most enjoyable Chianti’s I had in a while. Sour cherry with forest floor notes; tannins resolved yet the wine retains perfect structure. Time to drink up.
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Crisp, sour black cherry fruit, juicy style with racy acidity, soft tannins, clean and refreshing, not extremely long, but very good wine for this challenging vintage. It seems to have less oak than other vintages I have tasted, which suits the 2014 vintage very well. Drink now or over the next 3-5 years. - 89 points
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Somewhat one dimensional The fruit is a little muted, I find the notes of licorice very strong and hints of pine. The acidity and round tannins were nicely balanced. It wasn't long for this world though, fell flat after sitting in the bottle for 3-4 hours.
More pleasant at cooler temps.
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Spring 2020 Memorial (Golf, Illinois): Sipping this next to the ’01 made me think we were committing (wine) infanticide – no secondary characteristics, aromas are fresh but not complex, palate is pleasing but not particularly long. Black cherry is the predominant characteristic with accents of fig and tobacco.
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Bright, clear garnet red. Just a hint of age at the rim.
Usual sour cherries, acetone and beginnings of something more vegetal.
Softer in the mouth than the nose would lead to believe. Soft fruit, nice acidity and still quite tannic but all coming into balance. A bit lacking otherwise.
Nice but not spectacular
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Cork out for 6 hrs no decant. Bright and good energy to the red cherry fruit, some consistent spice notes throughout, a slight suggestion of leather and all in all very nice. I think I liked this a tad more than the general CT vibe. Served in the Reidel Vinum Chianti / Zin stem, I think this was a good choice as it seemed to give the wine a good focus – I did have a ¼ glass out of a larger tulip stem to test this out. As always, the standard issue with the Fontodi CC is the price; well made but a tad high in relation to its peers but this was on sale for $24 at JJ Buckley, so I’m a happy camper.
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Klassisk Chianti, körsbär, lingon, örter lite svampig. Ganska lätt inte så sträv smakar generisk men är god. Blir troligtvis bättre med något år på nacken
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Mint and licorice on the nose, somewhat grating tannins. At its best around 63F. I tried decanting for an hour, but it didn't yield much more. Day two it was flabby. Seems to need more time.
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Tasting Through Italy and Switzerland; 8/9/2018-8/20/2018 (Florence, Milan and Lucerne): Purchased with dinner at Trattoria Lo Stracatto in Florence for EUR28. Bottle was warm to the touch so had to chill in an ice bucket for a while prior to drinking. Limited notes taken - paired well with lasagna and eggplant Parmesan. More sophisticated than other Chianti Classico's I've had recently. Lots of red fruit, some limited secondary earth and leather flavors and a nice backbone of acid, though everything is well integrated and "soft" - this is not a punch you in the face wine full of fruit/tannin/acid. I don't think this is a long ager - enjoy in the next 5 or so years.
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Black Lion Wine Club - Central Italy Whites and Tuscan Reds (The Black Lion): Medium ruby colour. Ripe red fruit - cherry, damson, red currant, vanilla, leather on the nose. Developing. Dry, high acidity, high tannins but ripe, med+ alcohol, med body, Long finish. Outstanding Chianti with a great potential to develop tertiary complexity.
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Tasted at The Wine Society's Italian Growers evening, Reading, UK. Medium garnet colour. This wine has a big, mature feeling, nose. It's complex, herby, with nutmeg. Rich, full and soft. It's perfectly mature now but will undoubtedly keep for several years. Excellent.
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Damn... this was a crowd pleaser much more than I was expecting. Of course, it was in an authentic Italian restaurant. Bright red small berry fruit, tobacco, mineral, spice, and deliciousness. Drinking great now. Pop & Pour. I was transported to Tuscany with tonight's food & wine experience.
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So smooth with a great fresh finish. Earthy profile with fresh dark cherry, strawberry, leather and sandalwood notes. Pure and clean with smooth refined tannin. Lovely now. Drink now-2021.
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At Matricianella in Rome. The nose was a nice mix of sweet red berries and cherries with a subtler undercurrent of earth and sweet herb aromas. I liked the palate, with its sweet and juicy Sangiovese acidity and light chew of tannins framing freshly ripe red berries. The finish had just that little tannic bite framing little notes of earthy mineral. Nothing spectacular, but this was a solid, yummy Chianti.
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Ruby red, with lots of plums and cherries on the nose. A very typical, but really good CC, with high acidity, lots of red fruits and berries, and a touch of Tuscan gravel mixed with lavender and herbs. Probably my favorite producer in Chianti.
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Decanted for 30 minutes and then served over 2.5 hours. Dark red with reddish rim. 13.5 abv
Nose of wood, dusty cherry and spice, with hints of alcohol.
Palate is rather sweet, I think a little tight, with medium body. Tannin is clearly evident, a little on the soft side but perhaps it would be better in a year or two?
Finish is medium with a bit of sweet cherry and earth.
I'm always a big fan of Fontodi, but I think this bottle is a tad below my expectation. It had a certain sweetness that I thought was a bit out of balance. I'm keeping about a quarter of the bottle, sealed in a vacu-pump in a fridge, and will see how it evolves over the night.
I bought 6 bottles recently, about 1 year after release. Could it be an issue with provenance? Hopefully it's bottle variation. I guess there is only one way to find out for sure - I'll be popping another bottle soon!
Update on day 3: Still a bit of life left. The sweetness has greatly subsided. Still has quite a bit of tannin and acidity left, but fruit is fading away. Might have been better on day 2. Oh well, for my Palate, I would prefer day 3 over day 1. Based on the evolution of this bottle, I would go for a long decant or simply leave them alone for another 2-3 years before trying again.
The aromatics were extremely inviting and mysteriously seductive the first night. Showed depth and promise that was let down by the taste. Vibrant and fresh, very much Sangiovese but short. Much better on the second day generous fruit with lots of tannic backbone. I have a feeling this will mature into a real beauty. Not quite giving all its secrets yet.
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Opened yesterday. Medium-dark ruby with good legs. Even 18 hours after opening, the nose is still fairly reticent with only faint cherry fruit emerging, but there seems to be fruit lurking that should come with further aging. Fairly substantial in the mouth, it still needs time for the tannin to melt away. For now, drinkable, but better with food. 4-11-15-8: 88/100.
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Initially quite tight but opened up nicely. Sourness was just matched with the sweeter fruit elements and decent concentration and length. Pleasant hints of oak. Everything not quite integrated - probably will be better with some more age.
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Dichtes Rubinrot, kristallklar. Ruppige Sanviovesenase, Himbeeren, Rauch, etwas Honig. Am Gaumen schöne Balance, kein Konzentrationssieger aber wunderbare Sangiovesearomen, tragende Säure und etwas rauhe aber gut eingebundene Tannine.
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Excellent young bottle. Great balance. Wonderful earthy and savory notes on top of bright red fruits, Tannins present but not obtrusive. Long and brightly puckering finish. Really nice now, and has enough balance to age gracefully,
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The bouquet was very spicy, with red berries, savory herbs, and leather. On the palate, I found lean textures brought to life by brisk acidity with tart red berry and cedar tones. It finished on a mix of tart cranberry, raspberry and dried strawberry with a final tug of acidity making the mouth water.
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Tangy, tart, focused, tight, almost pepper like spice on the nose. With another minute of heavy swirling, this showed some more depth, but today it's fine, correct, but also fairly linear. Check on it in a year or so. Clean and pure, as always. Easily recommended
4/25/2023 - Djoehl Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consumed with a homemade burger. Excellent fruit, soft tannins, paired perfectly.
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7/28/2022 - Ulveström Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice ageing. Nose is a little bit shy, some balsamic notes. Taste offers high acidity, medium body, red fruit, sandy tannins and bitter finish.
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12/18/2021 - guy12 Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP better after a couple of hours, lovely balance, grippy tannins, herbs, cherry, delicate,
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5/30/2021 - psykolog1 wrote: 91 Points
Stored at 9C for nearly 5yeara. No signs at maturity. Still fresh cherry, perfume, some vanilla and potpourri of red fruit on nose. Taste dominance of cherry. Good acidity and profound tannins. Medium long aftertaste. First and foremost a food quality quaffer. Will wait a couple of years before popping the next one.
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12/5/2020 - Esteban wrote: 94 Points
L'acidité est moins présente et l'équilibre est parfait. La maturité me semble parfaite. Tout simplement délicieux. Un des meilleurs vins de l'année. Incroyable à ce prix.
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11/8/2020 - Mortenhj wrote:
Fremragende cc. Hen mod Bourgogne
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10/16/2020 - Milos Likes this wine: 91 Points
One of the most enjoyable Chianti’s I had in a while. Sour cherry with forest floor notes; tannins resolved yet the wine retains perfect structure. Time to drink up.
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8/24/2020 - isbjoern wrote: 89 Points
Crisp, sour black cherry fruit, juicy style with racy acidity, soft tannins, clean and refreshing, not extremely long, but very good wine for this challenging vintage. It seems to have less oak than other vintages I have tasted, which suits the 2014 vintage very well. Drink now or over the next 3-5 years. - 89 points
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5/2/2020 - flah00 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Somewhat one dimensional
The fruit is a little muted, I find the notes of licorice very strong and hints of pine. The acidity and round tannins were nicely balanced. It wasn't long for this world though, fell flat after sitting in the bottle for 3-4 hours.
More pleasant at cooler temps.
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4/21/2020 - pgb67 wrote: 89 Points
Spring 2020 Memorial (Golf, Illinois): Sipping this next to the ’01 made me think we were committing (wine) infanticide – no secondary characteristics, aromas are fresh but not complex, palate is pleasing but not particularly long. Black cherry is the predominant characteristic with accents of fig and tobacco.
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4/4/2020 - Neil.L Likes this wine: 86 Points
Bright, clear garnet red. Just a hint of age at the rim.
Usual sour cherries, acetone and beginnings of something more vegetal.
Softer in the mouth than the nose would lead to believe. Soft fruit, nice acidity and still quite tannic but all coming into balance. A bit lacking otherwise.
Nice but not spectacular
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3/23/2019 - Dale M wrote: 90 Points
Cork out for 6 hrs no decant. Bright and good energy to the red cherry fruit, some consistent spice notes throughout, a slight suggestion of leather and all in all very nice. I think I liked this a tad more than the general CT vibe. Served in the Reidel Vinum Chianti / Zin stem, I think this was a good choice as it seemed to give the wine a good focus – I did have a ¼ glass out of a larger tulip stem to test this out. As always, the standard issue with the Fontodi CC is the price; well made but a tad high in relation to its peers but this was on sale for $24 at JJ Buckley, so I’m a happy camper.
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2/5/2019 - KSWinegeek wrote: 90 Points
Moderate ruby red in color. Vanilla then cherry nose, cherry then vanilla flavors.
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1/5/2019 - rhit wrote:
Decent structure, but very inexpressive, even on the second night.
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9/30/2018 - Vicc3 Likes this wine: 86 Points
Klassisk Chianti, körsbär, lingon, örter lite svampig. Ganska lätt inte så sträv smakar generisk men är god. Blir troligtvis bättre med något år på nacken
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8/22/2018 - flah00 wrote: 88 Points
Mint and licorice on the nose, somewhat grating tannins. At its best around 63F.
I tried decanting for an hour, but it didn't yield much more. Day two it was flabby. Seems to need more time.
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8/13/2018 - bdisk1235 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasting Through Italy and Switzerland; 8/9/2018-8/20/2018 (Florence, Milan and Lucerne): Purchased with dinner at Trattoria Lo Stracatto in Florence for EUR28. Bottle was warm to the touch so had to chill in an ice bucket for a while prior to drinking. Limited notes taken - paired well with lasagna and eggplant Parmesan. More sophisticated than other Chianti Classico's I've had recently. Lots of red fruit, some limited secondary earth and leather flavors and a nice backbone of acid, though everything is well integrated and "soft" - this is not a punch you in the face wine full of fruit/tannin/acid. I don't think this is a long ager - enjoy in the next 5 or so years.
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7/15/2018 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
So consistently good. A great value wine, especially if you like old world style deliciousness.
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7/7/2018 - Fantasio Likes this wine: 92 Points
Oh que oui! Du beau sangiovese profond et complexe sur la cerise et les épices. Tannins soyeux et finale longue. Coup de coeur et RQP incroyable. 92
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7/6/2018 - Andrewbdc wrote: 91 Points
Black Lion Wine Club - Central Italy Whites and Tuscan Reds (The Black Lion): Medium ruby colour. Ripe red fruit - cherry, damson, red currant, vanilla, leather on the nose. Developing. Dry, high acidity, high tannins but ripe, med+ alcohol, med body, Long finish. Outstanding Chianti with a great potential to develop tertiary complexity.
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7/3/2018 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at The Wine Society's Italian Growers evening, Reading, UK. Medium garnet colour. This wine has a big, mature feeling, nose. It's complex, herby, with nutmeg. Rich, full and soft. It's perfectly mature now but will undoubtedly keep for several years. Excellent.
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5/26/2018 - Link2017 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super. Viel rote Frucht (Kirsche, Himbeere) Tolle Balance. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Chianti Classico keine dominierende Säure. Toll gemacht.
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5/20/2018 - Coffee and Pie Likes this wine:
Second bottle after a flawed bottle couple of weeks ago.
Unlike my previous bottle, This one is in pristine condition.
Decanted for 2 hours prior to serving, and then drank over 3 hours.
Classic nose of dark red fruits with a bit of wood and spice. Medium intensity.
Palate of strawberry, cranberry, sweet cherry, good acidity, mouth puckering.
Finish is medium long with classic Sangiovese and hit a of spice.
Excellent Bottle!
Based on the evolution of my first and second bottle, I Would keep my remaining bottles for 2-3 years.
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5/18/2018 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Damn... this was a crowd pleaser much more than I was expecting. Of course, it was in an authentic Italian restaurant. Bright red small berry fruit, tobacco, mineral, spice, and deliciousness. Drinking great now. Pop & Pour. I was transported to Tuscany with tonight's food & wine experience.
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5/17/2018 - Poisey wrote: 91 Points
So smooth with a great fresh finish. Earthy profile with fresh dark cherry, strawberry, leather and sandalwood notes. Pure and clean with smooth refined tannin. Lovely now. Drink now-2021.
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5/5/2018 - Paul S wrote: 90 Points
At Matricianella in Rome. The nose was a nice mix of sweet red berries and cherries with a subtler undercurrent of earth and sweet herb aromas. I liked the palate, with its sweet and juicy Sangiovese acidity and light chew of tannins framing freshly ripe red berries. The finish had just that little tannic bite framing little notes of earthy mineral. Nothing spectacular, but this was a solid, yummy Chianti.
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4/30/2018 - MBerzell Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby red, with lots of plums and cherries on the nose. A very typical, but really good CC, with high acidity, lots of red fruits and berries, and a touch of Tuscan gravel mixed with lavender and herbs. Probably my favorite producer in Chianti.
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4/30/2018 - Coffee and Pie Likes this wine:
Decanted for 30 minutes and then served over 2.5 hours.
Dark red with reddish rim.
13.5 abv
Nose of wood, dusty cherry and spice, with hints of alcohol.
Palate is rather sweet, I think a little tight, with medium body. Tannin is clearly evident, a little on the soft side but perhaps it would be better in a year or two?
Finish is medium with a bit of sweet cherry and earth.
I'm always a big fan of Fontodi, but I think this bottle is a tad below my expectation. It had a certain sweetness that I thought was a bit out of balance. I'm keeping about a quarter of the bottle, sealed in a vacu-pump in a fridge, and will see how it evolves over the night.
I bought 6 bottles recently, about 1 year after release. Could it be an issue with provenance? Hopefully it's bottle variation. I guess there is only one way to find out for sure - I'll be popping another bottle soon!
Update on day 3:
Still a bit of life left. The sweetness has greatly subsided. Still has quite a bit of tannin and acidity left, but fruit is fading away. Might have been better on day 2. Oh well, for my Palate, I would prefer day 3 over day 1.
Based on the evolution of this bottle, I would go for a long decant or simply leave them alone for another 2-3 years before trying again.
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4/29/2018 - Rmjchen Likes this wine: 91 Points
The aromatics were extremely inviting and mysteriously seductive the first night. Showed depth and promise that was let down by the taste. Vibrant and fresh, very much Sangiovese but short. Much better on the second day generous fruit with lots of tannic backbone. I have a feeling this will mature into a real beauty. Not quite giving all its secrets yet.
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3/31/2018 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 88 Points
Opened yesterday. Medium-dark ruby with good legs. Even 18 hours after opening, the nose is still fairly reticent with only faint cherry fruit emerging, but there seems to be fruit lurking that should come with further aging. Fairly substantial in the mouth, it still needs time for the tannin to melt away. For now, drinkable, but better with food. 4-11-15-8: 88/100.
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3/16/2018 - HCN wrote:
Litt smal og snerpete.
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3/16/2018 - ti_ric Likes this wine: 89 Points
Le 2014 est moins bon que les 2011-2012 et 2013. Peut-être que le temps fera son oeuvre, mais présentement il manque de matière.
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2/9/2018 - gooner1221 wrote: 88 Points
Initially quite tight but opened up nicely. Sourness was just matched with the sweeter fruit elements and decent concentration and length. Pleasant hints of oak. Everything not quite integrated - probably will be better with some more age.
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1/25/2018 - Esteban wrote: 92 Points
Belle matière avec un grain très fin. Acidité vive pour l'instant. Un mini Brunello pour la moitié du prix.
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1/19/2018 - djarcara Likes this wine: 90 Points
Traditional Chianti. Dark fruit with a pronounced tannic structure. Needs time to balance out; another 2 years. Excellent value.
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11/19/2017 - MaxGud wrote: 89 Points
Super nice Chianti! Fruity, with Cherrys and almonds. Nice acidity and balance. Will definitely drink again.
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10/30/2017 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 87 Points
Medium ruby colour. Blackberries and young fruit on the nose and palate. Medium bodied, cherries, jammy. Good length.
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10/14/2017 - EMAZurich Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dichtes Rubinrot, kristallklar. Ruppige Sanviovesenase, Himbeeren, Rauch, etwas Honig. Am Gaumen schöne Balance, kein Konzentrationssieger aber wunderbare Sangiovesearomen, tragende Säure und etwas rauhe aber gut eingebundene Tannine.
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9/28/2017 - Rechrom wrote: 91 Points
Excellent young bottle. Great balance. Wonderful earthy and savory notes on top of bright red fruits, Tannins present but not obtrusive. Long and brightly puckering finish. Really nice now, and has enough balance to age gracefully,
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9/6/2017 - SteveN100 wrote: 90 Points
Liked this a bit better than Le Difese and Le Volte, both of which I'd consider comparable.
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8/18/2017 - FjordogFjell wrote: 87 Points
220 NOK. Til oliven og parmesan. Lett sødmefull frukt, lett brent ettersmak. mangler litt av magien fra 2012
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8/7/2017 - jonanator wrote: 90 Points
Eric Guido's note is spot on. Should really blossom with a few years of age
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8/1/2017 - chatters wrote:
2017 International Wine Fair hosted by Dynamic wines. (The four seasons hotel, the rocks, sydney): Medium minus intensity aromas of red cherry, slight tobacco. Juicy with tight tannins. That close things down…begs some form or Ragu…rather nice in a simple way.
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7/7/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 90 Points
The bouquet was very spicy, with red berries, savory herbs, and leather. On the palate, I found lean textures brought to life by brisk acidity with tart red berry and cedar tones. It finished on a mix of tart cranberry, raspberry and dried strawberry with a final tug of acidity making the mouth water.
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6/16/2017 - fcxj wrote: 88 Points
Fragrant, pleasing lightness with red fruit palate. Tart.
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4/17/2017 - Kris G Likes this wine:
the quality of this entry level wine in such a poor vintage struck me, very well done
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4/11/2017 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Tangy, tart, focused, tight, almost pepper like spice on the nose. With another minute of heavy swirling, this showed some more depth, but today it's fine, correct, but also fairly linear. Check on it in a year or so. Clean and pure, as always. Easily recommended
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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4/1/2017 - laralh wrote: 88 Points
Kirsebær, moreller, salvie, litt kaffe og bitter smak. Lang, balansert. Vesentlig bedre enn 2013.
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