Drinking really well right now, but no rush. Decanted for about an hour, which really opened the wine up. Definitely a modern take on Vino Nobile. This was so fruity, one might mistake it for a bordeaux varietal or perhaps a modern tempranillo. That said, the wine is delicious. Medium body, medium acidity. Long finish. A touch of heat if you're looking for it.
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Drank at Friedmans. Still dark ruby in color, no signs of age apparent. Generous nose of black fruits. This is a big wine, with lots of black fruit on the palate, along with leather, some herbs and earth. Still quite vibrant and showing extremely well.
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still going strong, the nose opens up with dried berries, anise and flower pedals, masculine, rustic, dry, leather, dried cherries, plum skin and dust cling to the palate, matured, traditional, country-styled, food-wine, had with rib-eye steak
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This wine has a huge nose of black cherry, black licorice, violets, and rustic leather. The taste is refined with leather and sweet plums. The finish really lasts for a long time and fades into a smoky tarball that wraps up your tastes buds. This wine is really hitting its stride and is a beautiful drink right now. I wish I had more.
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Vini Rossi-L'Ultimo Piano (Asti Trattoria): Thrown into a flight of top Montepulciano d'Abruzzos to show the distinction of that varietal's namesake, this vineyard-designated Vino Nobile is quite good. Of course it is much lighter than the Mont d'Abs, but it has complex flavors and very good structure, and tied with an Edoardo Valentini wine for best in flight. Very ripe and balanced sangiovese here, the wine has a sweet nose and good acidity, is quite evolved with pronounced leather, dark fruit, cherry, some oak, and a smooth transition to the finish. A couple of tasters found some varnish and polish initially on the nose, but then they liked the balance and the fruit seemed to come through. Drinks well now.
Decanted for 1,5 hour. 100% Sangiovese. It can contain up to 10% of Merlot and Colorino. It aged 16-18 months in French oak barrels. Wow! This is a full bodied and complex wine with a very powerful tannic structure...I believe you can still hold this bottle for another 2 years. The colour denotes signs of evolution as it starts tending to brick colour. On the nose it shows chocolate, kirsch, sweet cherries and ripe berries mixed with vanilla. On the palate, it's velvety, balanced, complex, with medium aftertaste. This is an astonishng wine that can be drunk now! Recommended!
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Wonderful bottle. Textbook Nobile. Flavor profile similar to my note from two years ago...but the aromatics have intensified, they just lept from the glass. Wish I had more.
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I wish had bought a case of this. Perfectly balanced, lengthy finish, earthy, everything that I long for in a Tuscan wine. Great with food. Popped and poured. Looking back, I would hold off at least an 1 1/2 hours to allow the tannins to soften a bit, but by no means are the over powering upon opening. There is no need to drink up. this wine has an easy 2+ years left. Maybe even more. I hope the 2001 vintage holds up to 2000.
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this is the best bottle I have ever had under $30 period and that is over 20 years of drinking serious wine. If you gave this a lower score years ago and still have a bottle go get it and be prepared to see how this has evolved.
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drank over two nights; first evening the wine tasted overly oaked and closed, although powerful with lots of things going on, but unwilling to reveal much (say 87 points); so much better on day 2, impressive sangiovese, with hints of chocolate; full bodied yet keeping balance (in spite of the high alcohol content (14%)); needs a few hours of decanting I believe; ready for drinking but no reason to hurry.
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Decanted 3 hours. Drinking very well, full bodied, nice strong fruit (cherry), chocolate flavors, a lttle tar. Tannins still providing a good structure and long lingering finish. Will hold for a couple more years but ready to drink now. I will check if my store has any left. A lot of interesting wine talk at the Cellar Tracker Forum- click on this link
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finally this is what i expected form this wine. dried flowers, tar, dark chocolate. tannins have fully integrated with a long smooth lingering finish. kind of sexy.
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Open for business!! This was absolutely delightful. Wonderful mix of fruit and earthiness. Poliziano does a great job with this grape. No overt tannin, great fruit and acidity mix. This wine really complemented the food but I could just have easily sat there and enjoyed just sipping it. Looking forward to the 01s.
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Excellent bottle of wine. Took some time to open up (2 hours?) but then revealed loads of chocolate, dates and spices. I liked it, and found the fruit concentration at a very pleasing level. Lovely and somewhat big. Tannins still need time to soften, but i think it should be better within the next 2 years max. I would drink during till 2010 and no longer. Good stuff at a very good price!
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Very nice Nobile. Popped and poured. Still has some unresolved tannin, but the bright cherry fruit and subtle fennel/anise/tar under-current made this an absolute pleasure to drink with mushroom, artichoke and sausige pizza. Will wait a few years to open my last bottle (assuming I can't find any more at a reasonable tariff).
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My second bottle of this, and it was easily as good as the first one. This needs about 15 minutes of air before showing right, but when it does, it really is on right now. Super nose that reminds a little of Bordeaux with great elegance and wild rusticity at the same time. Not fiercely tannic, but a wine that can age for many more years. Finishes well, and like many Italian wines, was a great match to food tonight -- homemade Lasagna. Great wine and although maybe not exactly a QPR at retail, it is worth the money, I believe.
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Nice smell fruit from the start, but not overpowering. First glass had a nice balance. It was perfect with the Chicken Marsala, Shrimp with Artichokes and Red Peppers, and a Gogonzola Salad that we had for dinner. The wine came into its own in the second glass, but I wouldn't decant. I bought the 2001 vintage first and felt that it needed a year or so to come together. The 2000 vintage is great now and might be better in another 6 months to a year.
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Superb balance and mouthfeel. Tannins were dusty and subtly pronounced. An ideal compliment to hearty italian food and good conversation. This should continue to evolve nicely for a few more years.
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Peppery blackberry aroma with earthy undertones. Blackberry and pepper on the tongue with hints of tar. Long finish with pretty hefty tannins. Decanted for about 2 hours and tannins softened a bit
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With beef steak florentine, home made pasta over rucula this was divine. The dark almost black color belies a supple wine. The berries and cream are overladen with vanilla and it makes for a unique flavor, as earlier tasters said " that Italian thing"; but without excessive oak. It did need at least an hour in the decanter to come alive- otherwise it was pure funk upon opening. Thanks to Charlie for the suggestion.
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TASTING: Montepulciano versus Montalcino (Apeldoorn): And again those peppers on the nose, but this time it was backed up enough by fruity, vanilla aroma's and caramel. very jammy fruit in the mouth, tiny bit of oxidized aroma's. bit tannic finish. still a very pleasant wine though
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Very nice, medium bodied, nice balance and mouth feel. Blackberry/blueberry but not sweet and a little spice, maybe a little wood. Nice finish, could be longer, but still very nice.
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9/12/2019 - tastark Likes this wine:
Drinking really well right now, but no rush. Decanted for about an hour, which really opened the wine up. Definitely a modern take on Vino Nobile. This was so fruity, one might mistake it for a bordeaux varietal or perhaps a modern tempranillo. That said, the wine is delicious. Medium body, medium acidity. Long finish. A touch of heat if you're looking for it.
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6/8/2019 - crickjr wrote:
B-day dinner @ Enotaca Roma with Taylor and Chris
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10/12/2016 - cephomer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at Friedmans. Still dark ruby in color, no signs of age apparent. Generous nose of black fruits. This is a big wine, with lots of black fruit on the palate, along with leather, some herbs and earth. Still quite vibrant and showing extremely well.
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5/9/2015 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Nice bottle. Lovely texture. All elements in balance. Worth the wait. Remaining bottles seem like they might be in good shape for another few years.
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3/30/2014 - whits wrote: 91 Points
still going strong, the nose opens up with dried berries, anise and flower pedals, masculine, rustic, dry, leather, dried cherries, plum skin and dust cling to the palate, matured, traditional, country-styled, food-wine, had with rib-eye steak
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3/20/2013 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
Russk CDC. 91-
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12/12/2012 - bags wrote:
absolutely wonderful and my only bottle. Deep and rich, nicely balanced.
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4/21/2012 - socidelvino Likes this wine: 91 Points
Eye: deep dark purple. Nose: smoke, vanilla, leather, cherries. Palate: great fruit, tannins starting to soften, full body, long finish.
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7/1/2010 - jonradus wrote: 91 Points
This wine has a huge nose of black cherry, black licorice, violets, and rustic leather. The taste is refined with leather and sweet plums. The finish really lasts for a long time and fades into a smoky tarball that wraps up your tastes buds. This wine is really hitting its stride and is a beautiful drink right now. I wish I had more.
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6/6/2010 - austinwinesalon wrote: 91 Points
Vini Rossi-L'Ultimo Piano (Asti Trattoria): Thrown into a flight of top Montepulciano d'Abruzzos to show the distinction of that varietal's namesake, this vineyard-designated Vino Nobile is quite good. Of course it is much lighter than the Mont d'Abs, but it has complex flavors and very good structure, and tied with an Edoardo Valentini wine for best in flight. Very ripe and balanced sangiovese here, the wine has a sweet nose and good acidity, is quite evolved with pronounced leather, dark fruit, cherry, some oak, and a smooth transition to the finish. A couple of tasters found some varnish and polish initially on the nose, but then they liked the balance and the fruit seemed to come through. Drinks well now.
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4/3/2010 - vsbastosx wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1,5 hour.
100% Sangiovese. It can contain up to 10% of Merlot and Colorino. It aged 16-18 months in French oak barrels.
Wow! This is a full bodied and complex wine with a very powerful tannic structure...I believe you can still hold this bottle for another 2 years. The colour denotes signs of evolution as it starts tending to brick colour. On the nose it shows chocolate, kirsch, sweet cherries and ripe berries mixed with vanilla. On the palate, it's velvety, balanced, complex, with medium aftertaste. This is an astonishng wine that can be drunk now! Recommended!
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1/23/2010 - stevemn wrote: 83 Points
Fruit overpowered by oak.
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12/30/2009 - BonnieM wrote:
Very similiar experience to July 2008. Big nose, lots of aromatics, rustic fruitiness. Wonderful with food.
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10/6/2009 - jheathw wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful bottle. Textbook Nobile. Flavor profile similar to my note from two years ago...but the aromatics have intensified, they just lept from the glass. Wish I had more.
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5/19/2009 - PourSomeRed wrote: 92 Points
I wish had bought a case of this. Perfectly balanced, lengthy finish, earthy, everything that I long for in a Tuscan wine. Great with food. Popped and poured. Looking back, I would hold off at least an 1 1/2 hours to allow the tannins to soften a bit, but by no means are the over powering upon opening. There is no need to drink up. this wine has an easy 2+ years left. Maybe even more. I hope the 2001 vintage holds up to 2000.
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5/1/2009 - pinotwinelover wrote: 96 Points
this is the best bottle I have ever had under $30 period and that is over 20 years of drinking serious wine. If you gave this a lower score years ago and still have a bottle go get it and be prepared to see how this has evolved.
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1/31/2009 - socidelvino wrote:
Opened with a nice pasta with pesto rosso.
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12/31/2008 - costamalfitana wrote: 92 Points
drank over two nights; first evening the wine tasted overly oaked and closed, although powerful with lots of things going on, but unwilling to reveal much (say 87 points); so much better on day 2, impressive sangiovese, with hints of chocolate; full bodied yet keeping balance (in spite of the high alcohol content (14%)); needs a few hours of decanting I believe; ready for drinking but no reason to hurry.
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12/31/2008 - JJKinch wrote: 93 Points
Great. Long taste of tobacco and leather. Hints of dark fruit and spice. Long finish - 30 seconds. Decanted for an hour. Nose of earth.
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12/4/2008 - socidelvino wrote:
Still fantastic - great structure and tannins - had to breathe for 30 minutes and was even more beautiful !
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9/28/2008 - J2K wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Drinking very well, full bodied, nice strong fruit (cherry), chocolate flavors, a lttle tar. Tannins still providing a good structure and long lingering finish. Will hold for a couple more years but ready to drink now. I will check if my store has any left.
A lot of interesting wine talk at the Cellar Tracker Forum- click on this link
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9/7/2008 - Opimian wrote: 91 Points
finally this is what i expected form this wine. dried flowers, tar, dark chocolate. tannins have fully integrated with a long smooth lingering finish. kind of sexy.
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7/19/2008 - BonnieM wrote:
Open for business!! This was absolutely delightful. Wonderful mix of fruit and earthiness. Poliziano does a great job with this grape. No overt tannin, great fruit and acidity mix. This wine really complemented the food but I could just have easily sat there and enjoyed just sipping it. Looking forward to the 01s.
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4/10/2008 - rdma wrote: 89 Points
With a moderately heavy lasgna, but the blue and blackberry flavors came through. Others in our group liked the smooth tannins.
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2/27/2008 - Tparodi wrote: 91 Points
starting to fade might drink the rest in the next year.
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12/28/2007 - Lorien wrote: 89 Points
Excellent bottle of wine. Took some time to open up (2 hours?) but then revealed loads of chocolate, dates and spices. I liked it, and found the fruit concentration at a very pleasing level. Lovely and somewhat big. Tannins still need time to soften, but i think it should be better within the next 2 years max. I would drink during till 2010 and no longer. Good stuff at a very good price!
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10/28/2007 - jheathw wrote: 91 Points
Very nice Nobile. Popped and poured. Still has some unresolved tannin, but the bright cherry fruit and subtle fennel/anise/tar under-current made this an absolute pleasure to drink with mushroom, artichoke and sausige pizza. Will wait a few years to open my last bottle (assuming I can't find any more at a reasonable tariff).
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10/7/2007 - steffenpelz wrote:
My second bottle of this, and it was easily as good as the first one. This needs about 15 minutes of air before showing right, but when it does, it really is on right now. Super nose that reminds a little of Bordeaux with great elegance and wild rusticity at the same time. Not fiercely tannic, but a wine that can age for many more years. Finishes well, and like many Italian wines, was a great match to food tonight -- homemade Lasagna. Great wine and although maybe not exactly a QPR at retail, it is worth the money, I believe.
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3/21/2007 - bigcrt wrote: 89 Points
Blueberry and pepper nose. Deep, dark beautiful red color. Wonderful mouth feel and finish. Great Italian Wine!
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2/6/2007 - PourSomeRed wrote: 91 Points
Nice smell fruit from the start, but not overpowering. First glass had a nice balance. It was perfect with the Chicken Marsala, Shrimp with Artichokes and Red Peppers, and a Gogonzola Salad that we had for dinner. The wine came into its own in the second glass, but I wouldn't decant. I bought the 2001 vintage first and felt that it needed a year or so to come together. The 2000 vintage is great now and might be better in another 6 months to a year.
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1/11/2007 - shakedown wrote: 91 Points
Superb balance and mouthfeel. Tannins were dusty and subtly pronounced. An ideal compliment to hearty italian food and good conversation. This should continue to evolve nicely for a few more years.
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9/21/2006 - Big Dog wrote: 90 Points
Nice bottle of wine with great mouthfeel and well integrated tannins.
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4/8/2006 - AtlantaBill wrote: 87 Points
Peppery blackberry aroma with earthy undertones. Blackberry and pepper on the tongue with hints of tar. Long finish with pretty hefty tannins. Decanted for about 2 hours and tannins softened a bit
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3/24/2006 - speedmac wrote:
With beef steak florentine, home made pasta over rucula this was divine. The dark almost black color belies a supple wine. The berries and cream are overladen with vanilla and it makes for a unique flavor, as earlier tasters said " that Italian thing"; but without excessive oak. It did need at least an hour in the decanter to come alive- otherwise it was pure funk upon opening. Thanks to Charlie for the suggestion.
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1/14/2006 - Scheper wrote: 89 Points
TASTING: Montepulciano versus Montalcino (Apeldoorn): And again those peppers on the nose, but this time it was backed up enough by fruity, vanilla aroma's and caramel. very jammy fruit in the mouth, tiny bit of oxidized aroma's.
bit tannic finish.
still a very pleasant wine though
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7/27/2005 - DocSkinner wrote: 90 Points
Very nice, medium bodied, nice balance and mouth feel. Blackberry/blueberry but not sweet and a little spice, maybe a little wood. Nice finish, could be longer, but still very nice.
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4/30/2005 - socidelvino wrote:
Gift to O’Briens
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3/11/2005 - Tom E wrote: 91 Points
Just a wonderful wine. Has that unique Italian thing, but incredibly smooth and luxurious taste and mouthfeel.
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3/6/2005 - socidelvino wrote:
Gift to Biesheuvels
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2/14/2005 - 1800kidney wrote: 92 Points
Flavors are "long and focused"; terrific balance and mouthfeel. Enjoyable now but will certainly last. IWFS dinner at Bottega
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