Pop n pour, consumed over 3 days. Fantastic, reliable QPR that is a regular in this household. Medium-bodied with notes of cherry, herbs and cedar. Terrific with spaghetti, pizza, etc. Simple, yet balanced and tasty. Drink thru 2011, approx $12
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Tasted blind – Medium ruby with a slight orange tinge, clear. Developing nose of cooked red fruits, earth and cinnamon. A little boozy on the nose also. Flavours of cooked red fruit, spice, charred meat. Medium body, low to medium acidity, low to medium tannins. Spicy and slightly boozy medium length finish. Would like to say hold to allow booze to settle in but this doesn't seem to have enough structure for that. Drink or hold for a short term. Good.
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The wood is all integrated, the fruit is shining, and a bit of secondary development of earth and dried spices is starting to form. Damn good pizza wine.
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Nose of sweet dark fruits, oak and some raisins. Very soft on the entry, followed by some fruity taste but the finish is quite good (a bit liquor like). Smooth, pleasant with with some meaty/old world flavors on the finish. It would likely go well with grilled meat. 86-87.
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Rich, complex red table wine. The wine was delicious and surprisingly great. Everyone was very happy with how well it drank and right out of the bottle.
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2003 is just right to enjoy now; not spectacular, but balanced & fruit-driven. Perfect everyday bottle, good crowd-pleaser. Lots to like for the price.
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Definitely improving with time. At this point, the wine is integrated enough that the barrique presence at release has faded, allowing the fruit to shine. There is also a bit of earthiness and tar developing. Not monumental but good for red sauce.
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Scents of wild blueberry, blackberry, dark chocolate, cherry cola, and a light smattering of a cigar box with a lingering scent of a sterile hospital room. In the mouth this wine is light and smooth, but intense in it's blueberry and blackberry flavors. Just what I love... a light to medium body wine with intense and powerful flavors...
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Garnet in color,clean but tight nose not letting much escape but a light trace of woods. Medium body, silky mouthfeel, and soft light tannin, medium high acidicy, alcohol is in check . Assam tea and blackberry, pleasant but simple finish. Easy drinking. Does not pair well with marinara, decent taste with manchego. For 10$ recommended.
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The wood is already starting to mellow out a bit. This is an ok red sauce wine. Lots of robust fruit, ok tannic structure. It's a bit soft on the acid but overall it does the job with weeknight macaroni.
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Nice easy drinking bottle. Almost no tannins, and that big fruitful taste of negro amaro. Exactly what i expected, very pleasant, went extremely well with the blue cheese we were eating.
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still wine, purple medium intensity, thin white watery miniscustears, tears fast to form and fall stained with color of grape indicating medium grape skin varietal(s) nose: clean, sound, medium + intensiy, spice, oak, cooked black cherries palate: dry, acid is medium +, tannin is medium + from goth grape and wood aging, body is medium+, alc is high, length is medium +, oak seems from newer wood for longer time in smaller barrels primary conclusion: old world style and geography, year is 3 - 5, warm region, typical vintage, commercial quality, drink now can age up to two years, pair with a rabbit stew, regions seem italy, specifically the south, varietals include sangiovese ... final conclusion: italy, 2003, mid to south other notes: actually neromaro and malvasia nero grapes, low yields
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This is the current release of one of my favorite every day Italian wines. 1999 and 2001 were wonderful. 2000 was big, monolithic and disappointing. 2003 is leaning more towards ’00. It’s big and brash with very ripe rancio fruit but thankfully has more acidity than ’00. Sadly though, the barrique overpowers the finish. Instead of some tar and earthiness on the back end, I’m left with chocolate covered raisins. Oh well. ’04 can’t be far away.
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Very happy with this bottling. I was on the fence the last time I tried this wine, the 2000 vintage. It had a lot of tar, asphalt, burnt rubber types of things going on. Not this vintage. This is fruit forward with just enough dried fig, prune, and baking spices to make for a very nice bottle. Fairly simple, medium bodied, and light in acidity made for somewhat of a quaffer.
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Enjoyed at Kona on the big island of Hawaii @ Merriman's Cafe/Bistro. With family and friends all having salad and fish dishes this wine was excellent; Colour a ruby red. Nose not overly aromatic but with sense of spice. Taste was light with plum notes; the bite held up nicely with the fish; light to medium finish. I was expecting this wine to be more spicey which leads me to think it would hold up very well with spicy marina sauces, too.
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Medium ruby color. Simple, pleasant fruity boquet. Medium bodied with round plummy flavors and a raisin finish. Mature tasting wine with no oak evident although it was oak aged for 5 months. Good food wine, especially with bbq or tomato sauce based dishes. Its straight forward character and slightly oxidized finish keep it from scoring higher.
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8/11/2011 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Still going strong, wow. Too bad the heirs that have taken over now have gone in the totally wrong direction - ripe, flabby, packaged. recommended+
https://italianwine.blog/
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9/4/2010 - wineauxnn wrote:
Little oxidation
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11/7/2009 - jcasey555 wrote: 90 Points
Amazing terroir at this price point. Meaty nose, great fruit on the palate.
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11/4/2009 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 89 Points
rock solid wine - buy more
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8/20/2009 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Consistent notes and a fantastic QPR. dark cherry, forest floor, cracked pepper and a lovely medium body. really pops with Basil.
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6/6/2009 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Pop n pour, consumed over 3 days. Fantastic, reliable QPR that is a regular in this household. Medium-bodied with notes of cherry, herbs and cedar. Terrific with spaghetti, pizza, etc. Simple, yet balanced and tasty. Drink thru 2011, approx $12
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3/11/2009 - godx wrote: 86 Points
Tasted blind – Medium ruby with a slight orange tinge, clear. Developing nose of cooked red fruits, earth and cinnamon. A little boozy on the nose also. Flavours of cooked red fruit, spice, charred meat. Medium body, low to medium acidity, low to medium tannins. Spicy and slightly boozy medium length finish. Would like to say hold to allow booze to settle in but this doesn't seem to have enough structure for that. Drink or hold for a short term. Good.
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1/26/2009 - BillB656 wrote:
The wood is all integrated, the fruit is shining, and a bit of secondary development of earth and dried spices is starting to form. Damn good pizza wine.
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1/15/2009 - dke wrote: 87 Points
Nose of sweet dark fruits, oak and some raisins. Very soft on the entry, followed by some fruity taste but the finish is quite good (a bit liquor like). Smooth, pleasant with with some meaty/old world flavors on the finish. It would likely go well with grilled meat. 86-87.
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12/31/2008 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 87 Points
Wine could be drank the moment it was open. Very floral and light.
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11/26/2008 - ey1294 wrote: 92 Points
Rich, complex red table wine. The wine was delicious and surprisingly great. Everyone was very happy with how well it drank and right out of the bottle.
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11/7/2008 - Snoman wrote: 87 Points
2003 is just right to enjoy now; not spectacular, but balanced & fruit-driven. Perfect everyday bottle, good crowd-pleaser. Lots to like for the price.
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10/27/2008 - BillB656 wrote:
Definitely improving with time. At this point, the wine is integrated enough that the barrique presence at release has faded, allowing the fruit to shine. There is also a bit of earthiness and tar developing. Not monumental but good for red sauce.
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10/4/2008 - HMSWTF wrote: 83 Points
Good, fruity. A little light in flavor.
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9/21/2008 - ludwigbpm wrote: 83 Points
Donne l'impression d'être cruit, surement le millésime.
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9/21/2008 - neilr wrote: 87 Points
A good showing for a favorite everyday wine. Medium body, lovely deep color. Lot of dark fruit flavors, very mild tannins.
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7/23/2008 - Ali wrote: 88 Points
Good value for a nice fruity sourthern italian.
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7/3/2008 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Scents of wild blueberry, blackberry, dark chocolate, cherry cola, and a light smattering of a cigar box with a lingering scent of a sterile hospital room. In the mouth this wine is light and smooth, but intense in it's blueberry and blackberry flavors. Just what I love... a light to medium body wine with intense and powerful flavors...
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4/10/2008 - Amendolia wrote: 86 Points
Garnet in color,clean but tight nose not letting much escape but a light trace of woods. Medium body, silky mouthfeel, and soft light tannin, medium high acidicy, alcohol is in check . Assam tea and blackberry, pleasant but simple finish. Easy drinking. Does not pair well with marinara, decent taste with manchego. For 10$ recommended.
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3/20/2008 - BillB656 wrote:
The wood is already starting to mellow out a bit. This is an ok red sauce wine. Lots of robust fruit, ok tannic structure. It's a bit soft on the acid but overall it does the job with weeknight macaroni.
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3/1/2008 - ewill wrote:
Nice, straight-forward everyday wine. No tannins and large cherry flavor
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2/28/2008 - Jascha wrote: 87 Points
Nice easy drinking bottle. Almost no tannins, and that big fruitful taste of negro amaro. Exactly what i expected, very pleasant, went extremely well with the blue cheese we were eating.
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12/16/2007 - awinestory wrote: 86 Points
still wine, purple medium intensity, thin white watery miniscustears, tears fast to form and fall stained with color of grape indicating medium grape skin varietal(s) nose: clean, sound, medium + intensiy, spice, oak, cooked black cherries palate: dry, acid is medium +, tannin is medium + from goth grape and wood aging, body is medium+, alc is high, length is medium +, oak seems from newer wood for longer time in smaller barrels primary conclusion: old world style and geography, year is 3 - 5, warm region, typical vintage, commercial quality, drink now can age up to two years, pair with a rabbit stew, regions seem italy, specifically the south, varietals include sangiovese ... final conclusion: italy, 2003, mid to south other notes: actually neromaro and malvasia nero grapes, low yields
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12/9/2007 - kenito799 wrote: 86 Points
Figs, prunes, plums. Hint of oak in a nice smooth finish, raisins.
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11/29/2007 - BillB656 wrote:
This is the current release of one of my favorite every day Italian wines. 1999 and 2001 were wonderful. 2000 was big, monolithic and disappointing. 2003 is leaning more towards ’00. It’s big and brash with very ripe rancio fruit but thankfully has more acidity than ’00. Sadly though, the barrique overpowers the finish. Instead of some tar and earthiness on the back end, I’m left with chocolate covered raisins. Oh well. ’04 can’t be far away.
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11/19/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 88 Points
Very happy with this bottling. I was on the fence the last time I tried this wine, the 2000 vintage. It had a lot of tar, asphalt, burnt rubber types of things going on. Not this vintage. This is fruit forward with just enough dried fig, prune, and baking spices to make for a very nice bottle. Fairly simple, medium bodied, and light in acidity made for somewhat of a quaffer.
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11/1/2007 - Bill Davis wrote: 89 Points
Enjoyed at Kona on the big island of Hawaii @ Merriman's Cafe/Bistro.
With family and friends all having salad and fish dishes this wine was excellent;
Colour a ruby red.
Nose not overly aromatic but with sense of spice.
Taste was light with plum notes; the bite held up nicely with the fish; light to medium finish.
I was expecting this wine to be more spicey which leads me to think it would hold up very well with spicy marina sauces, too.
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10/19/2007 - da_man wrote: 80 Points
Medium ruby color. Simple, pleasant fruity boquet. Medium bodied with round plummy flavors and a raisin finish. Mature tasting wine with no oak evident although it was oak aged for 5 months. Good food wine, especially with bbq or tomato sauce based dishes. Its straight forward character and slightly oxidized finish keep it from scoring higher.
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10/16/2007 - Chalmers wrote: 88 Points
Wolfed this down with a plate of spaghetti bolognese. Primo!
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