Un vin puissant, terreux, fruits mure à cuit, acidité à point, longue finale, à boire maintenant car les notes secondaires vont bientôt prendre le dessus. Bien fait mais pas un wow
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Good Lord, whatabeauty!!! I stand by my earliest impression of this rather unique Old World wonder - how can something that smells this sweet (raspberry, lilac, lavender, rose petals potpourri) be so wonderfully dry and simply beautiful on the palate? Almost ten years since our last try and, *wow* what an accompaniment to the morels my wife and son brought back from their annual Michigan smallmouth bass fishing trip! There's no way to mistake this wine for any other once you've had it!
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Good lord what a gorgeous nose, with so much roses it might be overpowering except it’s got some fascinating complexity from cinnamon spice and raspberry. The mouth adds cherry and dried cherry. The tannins are softening but still definitely present, and they give the plush finish some grip and length. Probably at a peak that will continue another 10 years. A surprise delight.
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Dark red fruit with earthy notes and still touch of wood. Palate packs a punch with tannins still hanging on but no competition for the fruit intensity. Long finish. Drank over two day and based on the improvement over that time this one needs few more years.
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Somewhat muted nose & foggy color - subtle sweet saddle and bright fruit with a hit of alcohol on the back end making it linear in taste - ultimately moving to more jammy/dried fruits. Seems like it needs to be drunk ASAP and maybe past it’s prime (at least this bottle). Very special wine for us as we had the 2006 during our honeymoon in Ravello at our favorite hotel.
p.s. drank with homemade neapolitan pizza and caesar salad.
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Magnificent. Just magnificent. Intended to PnP to be on the safe side, but forgot and decanted...started drinking 30-40 minutes later and it was beautiful from the first sip. MAYBE started going downhill a bit after 3 hours, but started eating a few blackberries at this time so that might just as easily have been the cause... Just to be safe will try another bottle before the end of the year, but if it was the blackberries, could have at least a couple years left in it...
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Extracted. Parker treatment with the new oak. Smells like raspberries. How do they do that? Better than the last bottle of this I had a couple years ago, but not my style. One more to go sometime in the next year or so. I went to a wine dinner with the Boscarelli Vino Nobile and Vino Nobile Riserva and I prefer both of them to this.
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Wow. This wine impressed me a few years back and this time I believe was even better. Universal agreement that it out shone the gorgeous Casanova Tenuta 2006 (see note) in bringing just a little more texture, complexity - perhaps is just a little more integration of tannins. This was majestic. A little age in the colour. Tasted of dark and red fruits and both savoury and sweet spices. Great mouth feel. Each taste was a treat in the kaleidoscope of complexity this wine displayed.
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Dark wine with taste of dark fruits, cherry and notes of raspberry, and cocoa. Dusty. Well integrated but starting to dry out in the finish. Drink now. This Sangiovese is not like your typical Brunellos. I really love this wine.
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Traditional Italian, oil world smell. Leather and fresh cut wood shavings. Asians spice with a hint of lavender and thyme. Dark currant and red fruit flavors. Light, subtly sweet tannins. Good weight but not heavy. Probably at it's peak. Still bight, but some astringent qualities at the very end.
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Dark raspberry and soft aged leather with beautiful wood aromas. Deep, dark red fruits with a lovely old world smell. Velvety, but not too heavy on the palate, light oak, anise, cassias, foggy color but drinking amazing! This is a really wonderful wine. We bought 4 bottles of this wine from a small wine shop in Castellini di Chianti and can't wait to try the remaining 3.
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PnP. This really does have a distinctive aroma of raspberries. This is a dark Sangovese for almost 13 years of age. Tastes of woody raspberry. This tastes nothing like Sangiovese. Funny, because I don't smell the oak, but you sure can taste it. I hate the taste of woody drying tannins in my wine. Disappointing.
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I thought it was starting to fall apart. Not far off the mark yet, and still interesting, but it was unpleasant on day 2, so if you open a bottle, drink it the first night. Decant for an hour if you like, or pop and pour. Some components were quite tasty, but the balance was off and acids were a bit too sharp, even with a tasty piece of beef to help it...
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Historically strong and getting stronger. The raspberry notes are mellowing just a bit but the wine overall is still packed with flavor. The nose is also calming just a bit but in a good way. Love this wine.
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Decanted at 6 and drunk over the next 3 hours with dinner of grilled Prime Strip steaks. Medium to dark garnet color. Nose of leather, black cherry and earth with some slight floral notes. Very soft and rich mouth feel, lacking a bit of acidity in my mind. A bit of chocolate on the finish. Nice balance and complexity overall but probably not likely to get much better. Lacking that special extra gear that distinguishes a really fantastic wine. A little less good than I had hoped, but nothing shabby to be sure.
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what a nice wine, full of woody and floral fragrance, as dry as it gets, roses, dried cherries, leather, earth and dust on the finish, this is on the driest side of the spectrum but full in flavor and dusty with dry berries, just a beautiful expression
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Gift from my niece in Austin several years ago. I was hoping to drink it with extended family, but decided it was time to go ahead and have it with grilled standing rib roast on Thanksgiving. Double decanted about 2 hours before serving. Lovely nose of plums and dark cherries with spices in the mid-range and noticeable, but relatively soft, round tannins in the finish. Excellent length. Very nice Montepulciano. Wish I had more of these. Should hold for 5-10 years.
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Wow. Will be one of my memorable wine experiences of the year. Simply a quality beautifully integrated aged wine. An amazing lightness and depth concurrently. One person commented on the almost floral aspects another believed it to be cabernet. A light lift at the front, then rounded depth of violets and darker fruits with a slight puckery savoury (tar/black olive) finish. Total pleasure.
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Very rich and full on the palate. Deep garnet and big in the glass without seeming modern or jammy. This is a serious steak wine to complete with any Brunello. Has the dustiness and leather you would expect and the tannins are still apparent, but are more integrated now. This will easily improve for another 10 years.
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The 2004 Avignonesi Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate opens with aromas of sweet fruit, mostly black cherry and plum, along with notes of dried roses and clayey soil. Garnet-robed with a watery rim, it's medium-bodied with fine tannins and a core of sweet fruit, almost entirely dominated by black cherry. Whole not overly complicated, it's a pleasure to drink. Finishes with sweet tobacco.
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This wine gets better every time I taste it, whether the '97 vintage which was my first experience, or this '04. And I can't wait to try the 2010 when I can find it. I would think the '04 has at least another 10 years of life left.
Great taste of dark wooded cherries. Best Vino Nobile.
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Breathtaking wine that gets better every time I try it. Amazing smoothness, depth and complexity. Beats the top Brunellos. Sadly just a few bottles left.
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Ultimate Sunset Birthday Dinner with New Best Friends (Kamuela Provision Company, Hilton Waikoloa, Big Island, Hawai'i): 90 minute decant KPC/Big Island w/Warren & Emiko. Beautiful floral potpourri of lavender, lilac and rose petals greets the nose while candied fruits dance on the tongue... Candied? Yes! Sweet? No, no, no! This is desert dry. This wine is unforgettable once you've tried it; a unique and wonderful Old World beauty that is the finest expression of terroir I've ever encountered.
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Penetrating dried cherry, dark chocolate and anise - a bit like sniffing a dark chocolate covered candied cherry cut in half; dry, medium bodied with leather, cacao and darker red fruit, well-integrated tannins; long finish with coffee-edged bitter notes. Layered, great to sip and contemplate; might pair with a glazed roast
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(From magnum.) As always, flamboyant, over the top, perfume of potpourri (rose petals, dried fruit). Roses and raspberries on the palate. It's fascinating and enjoyable on occasion, but not for everyday (and tough to pair with food....maybe well-seasoned beef?). A wine of contemplation which presents an interesting paradoxe of flavors that seem to be both sweet and syrupy, but a tongue impact of being completely dry (and drying tannins) with no actual sweetness (certainly no residual sugar) at all. The impression, I believe, is a reaction to the strong raspberry flavors, which create an expectation of sweet and syrupy.
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Florals dominate the nose (potpourri of rose petal, lavender, lilac & violet) while candied fruit (raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, with just a touch of cherry) dominates the palate BUT don't let the word 'candied' give you the impression that this is sweet. It's desert dry. Florals have subsided just a bit since last try 19 mos. ago, finally allowing this to be considered as 'pairable' with dinner entrees.
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I think I may have hit this bottle at an odd stage in its development. It was full of dark fruit and leather notes, along with licorice, and fine tannins. However it felt like the oak has not yet fully integrated. I sense it has a lot more in store and will be a lot better 4-5 years from now.
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The 2004 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate is so unique and interesting, with aromas of fresh black fruits, violets, lilac, roses, dried tobacco, dried herbs and even some barn notes. The structure and finish are just amazing. This is classic, and one of those wines that give you the sensation that you are back in Italy as you are drinking it.
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always a phenomenal wine. eucalyptus, pine needle and rose nose, cherry and tar on palate with good acidity and tannin. pairs well with seasoned red meats or hearty pasta red sauce.
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We ordered the wine with dinner at the restaurant of hotel Adler Dolomiti in Alto Adige. The first bottle seemed to be off (showing a chlorine component on the nose and a flat flavour profile), but the second was fine. Popped and poured. The wine was dark ruby in colour. 1/4 of the cork was soaked. It was pretty closed at first, but opened-up over time. The wine offered a delicate floral bouquet, with dark fruits, spices and roasted notes. On the palate the wine showed mixed berries, cherry, raisins, plum, spices, hints of vanilla, coffee and chocolate, with dry but fine and slightly chewy tannins, and with medium-length. The wine still seemed very young, tannic and closed and might need another two years to resolve the tannins. The Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate remains my favourite Vino Nobile. This 2004 is the most serious and probably most age-worthy of the recent vintages and I clearly prefer this 2004 to the 1999, but I also love the 2007 and in particular the 2006 for their elegant floral bouquets and immediate charm.
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Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs-III(Double Blind); 2/21/2012-2/22/2012: - Purple color with fast forming legs and aromas of bell pepper and blackberry. It's in total harmony and has flavours of licorice anise and dusty with a full body. Bright texture with a long finish - Geoff's wine. Wonderful, especially considering it was the last Red poured!!! Like a great Brunello. I've only had a few Montepulciano's,, but nothing this good. It was stellar!. My WOTN. Clearly Italian.
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Drank with Adrianne at Toscania Trattoria. My sense of smell might not be as acute as some other reviewers as I wasn't overwhelmed but the taste was great. Really a fine experience. Highly recommended.
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One of the most delicious wines I have ever had the fortune to taste.
Upon opening this bottle, you are immediately overcome with the essence of roses, and you would think the growers in Montepulciano soak this wine in the petals themselves.
The nose is made up of roses, lavender, and perhaps some cherry.
Upon drinking, this wine explodes on the palette with more of those spectacular floral notes, as well as some cherry and earthy notes that demonstrate the terroir present in this Tuscan Village.
On the finish, balanced tannins and some black currant coat the back of your mouth to allow to enjoy a wide range of grilled foods that go absolutely deliciously with this once in a blue moon bottle.
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Took to wine tasting party because it is SO fun to expose people to this absolutely unique Old World beauty. Florals dominate the nose (potpourri of rose petal, lavender, lilac & violet) while candied fruit (raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, with just a touch of cherry) dominates the palate BUT don't let the word 'candied' give you the impression that this is sweet. It's desert dry with grippy tannins that will probably carry this wine past the 2019 window I've seen here on CT. There's no way to mistake this wine for any other once you've had it!
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In decanter 90 minutes. Re-bottled, moved and drank over the next 2.5 hours. Really great wine. No detailed notes taken but on first sniff, floral, perfumes, sweet cherry and anise. Tanins are still very present and drying but not excessive. The first glass was a bit rough though. By the third hour, the tannins were much softer, the wine round with complex layers of fruit, sometime plum and cherry, sometime raspberry. The wine is full of pepper, vanilla, licorice. Complex and great. Really good. The best wine I had this year, and will only get better. Wish I had a case! 93++
2022 postcript: In the most amazing turn of events, i had the opportunity to drink another bottle of this amazing wine this summer (2022). The wine has evolved into a silky mature wine with still lots of fruit and spices. I did not write down any note but everyone at the table was more than impressed. It was a rich succulent wine at its prime. Outstanding.
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INSANE!!! This HAS to be one of the most fascinating old world wines I have had. First time I had this beauty was in a restaurant in Roma and it floored me. I came home and frantically seeked it out. Just a pop n'pour while throwing the rest in a decanter. Even better than I remember. You just can't get enough of the bouquet. Dried fruits up front with fig and apricot. You go back for more and get hit with a floral aspect that has roses and violets and then you get fruit with blueberries, raspberries and who knows what else. Many, many layers to this gem. The palette is just as multidimensional with grippy tannins that prove it has a nice life ahead. A very memorable wine!!!
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It's been a year since last visiting this oh-so-unique vino... and, man, is it fun to throw this at people who don't know what's coming! The 'cotton candy' that blew off last year was gone, and the over-the-top florals have just begun to subside. This wine is so unique and fun; sweet-smelling, yet bone dry - you just can't seem to connect palate and bouquet, yet somehow you can't help but to keep trying. Note to Employee500: I'm getting closer to your 94 rating every time I take a taste! This was my first capture of raspberry in this wine...either it evolved, or I did. I can't believe this is 100% Sangiovese; it is SO different from brunello... this just may be the purest example of terroir I've encountered to date.
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First time tasting this wine and wow, what a unique flavor. The most distinctive taste that jumped out at me was a distinct raspberry with some much more subtle notes of blackberry. Agree with others here - not many wines like this. I can't wait to share the other 11 bottles with friends.
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When first released, I fell in love with the "insane nose"; I recently tasted a bottle and the wine, while still very fragrant was showing more tobacco and sinew in taste - hopefully an excellent sign for long term cellaring.
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An insane, surreal and exaggerated wine, I love it....but I am always disturbed by the thought/impression that maybe this potpourri raspberry jam of a wine is created not by unique terroir but by spoofilation (or worse). Has the winemaker substituted rose petals for grapes? Is the winemaker's daughter pouring grandma's perfume into the barrels? Certainly no reason for that thought beyond the uniqueness of the wine....
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Crazy nose. Orange peel and orange spices. Smells like a seasoning salt mix. On the palate, there are grippy tannins. Salinity and dried herbs. Orange spiced tea. This is such a unique wine. Would love to see how it ages.
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I have always been partial to this wine and find it one of the single most distinctive, unique and easily recognizable wines in the world, year after year, with an exotic, intense, sweet (sickly?) perfume of dried flower petals (roses and violets), countered by a surprisingly un-sweet (but still exotic) palate of roses, dried cherries, and drying tannins on the finish. If it weren't for the floral component, one might complain that this wine is dried out. Nothing green about it (disputing Alex H's note below). It's intense, rose-flavored, over the top, makes your brain think it's sweet, but it's quite dry on the finish (and drying...).
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Italian and Spanish Tasting (Wine Gallery): Super interesting wine that smells exactly like a salted vegetable shop that can be found at a wet market. Its like entering the shop with all the sichuan style prepared preserved vegetable hanging out to dry . Also herbal and green. On the palate, this really is like a spicy savory vegetable soup with spicy kick finish and dry tannins. Really interesting wine.
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Decanted one hour, drank over 3 nights. Medium+ brick red core, with one of the most aromatic noses yet this year - not all of it good. The nose overpowers with sautéed cherry reduction, cherry cough syrup and red flowers. The cherry component is simply over-the-top. The palate however, couldn't be more satisfying with its medium-body and palate of red fruits and vanilla. A kiss of oak comes up on the finish, but other than that, the tannins are very smooth at this tender age. I think this needs some time in the cellar, say 3-4 years. Approx $45, 14% bv, drink thru 2016
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Robertdtwo's note below is very accurate, with the exception that I don't ever get the (very commonly noted below and in C.T. notes on other vintages of the same wine) "cotton candy" that others seem to find on this wine. Extremely floral (as this wine always is), almost like a perfume of roses, irises violets--really a potpourri of dried flower petals, along with some odd "essence of raspberry" character. Their flavor is so strong that they give an expectation of sweetness, but in fact the wine is rather lean and austere, not at ALL rich, and quite tannic and drying, creating an odd discrepancy between expectation and reality. There is no noticeable oak on this (likely just overwhelmed by floral notes). ASSUMING there's no spoofery going on with the winemaking, this must be the most incredible expression of terroir I can think of. Year after year, there is no other wine this could ever be mistaken for.
In short, this is a classic Avigonesi Riserva Grandi Annate, which many don't seem to love, but I adore. It should age quite well (and robertdtwo, the perfumey elements should be toned down significantly) and should be in its prime drinking window in about 7-8 years. Just now the 1997 is peaking and the 1999 is very good but could still use 3-4 more years....
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My second bottle from this vineyard (first was a 97). If it's possible for a dry wine to be sweet, this is it! Dark ruby color with the most amazing nose of lilac, lavender, rose petals and cotton candy. So different from the CA Cabs that preceded it in the evening's tasting that my taste buds were absolutely & totally confused. I have no idea what food you would ever pair this wine with... I hope some of the floral notes subside over time in the bottle - it is a little overpowering at present, like a woman wearing too much perfume.
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7/20/2023 - Goodwine4ever wrote: 92 Points
Un vin puissant, terreux, fruits mure à cuit, acidité à point, longue finale, à boire maintenant car les notes secondaires vont bientôt prendre le dessus. Bien fait mais pas un wow
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6/13/2022 - robertdtwo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good Lord, whatabeauty!!! I stand by my earliest impression of this rather unique Old World wonder - how can something that smells this sweet (raspberry, lilac, lavender, rose petals potpourri) be so wonderfully dry and simply beautiful on the palate?
Almost ten years since our last try and, *wow* what an accompaniment to the morels my wife and son brought back from their annual Michigan smallmouth bass fishing trip!
There's no way to mistake this wine for any other once you've had it!
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4/15/2021 - pgm wrote: 95 Points
Good lord what a gorgeous nose, with so much roses it might be overpowering except it’s got some fascinating complexity from cinnamon spice and raspberry. The mouth adds cherry and dried cherry. The tannins are softening but still definitely present, and they give the plush finish some grip and length. Probably at a peak that will continue another 10 years. A surprise delight.
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4/11/2021 - Milos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark red fruit with earthy notes and still touch of wood. Palate packs a punch with tannins still hanging on but no competition for the fruit intensity. Long finish. Drank over two day and based on the improvement over that time this one needs few more years.
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1/3/2021 - norsktorsk wrote: 94 Points
Right on. love it
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11/23/2020 - winemaker wrote: 90 Points
Previous notes apply.
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11/21/2020 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 89 Points
Somewhat muted nose & foggy color - subtle sweet saddle and bright fruit with a hit of alcohol on the back end making it linear in taste - ultimately moving to more jammy/dried fruits. Seems like it needs to be drunk ASAP and maybe past it’s prime (at least this bottle). Very special wine for us as we had the 2006 during our honeymoon in Ravello at our favorite hotel.
p.s. drank with homemade neapolitan pizza and caesar salad.
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6/18/2020 - neruda11 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Magnificent. Just magnificent. Intended to PnP to be on the safe side, but forgot and decanted...started drinking 30-40 minutes later and it was beautiful from the first sip. MAYBE started going downhill a bit after 3 hours, but started eating a few blackberries at this time so that might just as easily have been the cause...
Just to be safe will try another bottle before the end of the year, but if it was the blackberries, could have at least a couple years left in it...
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2/11/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Extracted. Parker treatment with the new oak. Smells like raspberries. How do they do that? Better than the last bottle of this I had a couple years ago, but not my style. One more to go sometime in the next year or so. I went to a wine dinner with the Boscarelli Vino Nobile and Vino Nobile Riserva and I prefer both of them to this.
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4/20/2019 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow. This wine impressed me a few years back and this time I believe was even better. Universal agreement that it out shone the gorgeous Casanova Tenuta 2006 (see note) in bringing just a little more texture, complexity - perhaps is just a little more integration of tannins. This was majestic. A little age in the colour. Tasted of dark and red fruits and both savoury and sweet spices. Great mouth feel. Each taste was a treat in the kaleidoscope of complexity this wine displayed.
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3/5/2019 - Bandolfan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark wine with taste of dark fruits, cherry and notes of raspberry, and cocoa. Dusty. Well integrated but starting to dry out in the finish. Drink now. This Sangiovese is not like your typical Brunellos. I really love this wine.
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4/29/2018 - patrickrains wrote: 95 Points
great dark cherry, leather and wood with Choc overtones.
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12/11/2017 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Traditional Italian, oil world smell. Leather and fresh cut wood shavings. Asians spice with a hint of lavender and thyme. Dark currant and red fruit flavors. Light, subtly sweet tannins. Good weight but not heavy. Probably at it's peak. Still bight, but some astringent qualities at the very end.
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9/11/2017 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark raspberry and soft aged leather with beautiful wood aromas. Deep, dark red fruits with a lovely old world smell. Velvety, but not too heavy on the palate, light oak, anise, cassias, foggy color but drinking amazing! This is a really wonderful wine. We bought 4 bottles of this wine from a small wine shop in Castellini di Chianti and can't wait to try the remaining 3.
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9/9/2017 - beekeeper wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic. Lovely fragrance. Should have bought more.
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8/4/2017 - winemaker Does not like this wine:
PnP. This really does have a distinctive aroma of raspberries. This is a dark Sangovese for almost 13 years of age. Tastes of woody raspberry.
This tastes nothing like Sangiovese. Funny, because I don't smell the oak, but you sure can taste it. I hate the taste of woody drying tannins in my wine. Disappointing.
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12/30/2016 - stevenc.rees@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
I thought it was starting to fall apart. Not far off the mark yet, and still interesting, but it was unpleasant on day 2, so if you open a bottle, drink it the first night. Decant for an hour if you like, or pop and pour.
Some components were quite tasty, but the balance was off and acids were a bit too sharp, even with a tasty piece of beef to help it...
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7/28/2016 - norsktorsk wrote:
at Lindy's
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6/23/2016 - btbad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Historically strong and getting stronger. The raspberry notes are mellowing just a bit but the wine overall is still packed with flavor. The nose is also calming just a bit but in a good way. Love this wine.
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4/18/2016 - Rani Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Worse than previous bottle. Pruney, overdone and somewhat sweet on the finish. A backbone of acidity saves it from being a total disaster.
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3/12/2016 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted at 6 and drunk over the next 3 hours with dinner of grilled Prime Strip steaks. Medium to dark garnet color. Nose of leather, black cherry and earth with some slight floral notes. Very soft and rich mouth feel, lacking a bit of acidity in my mind. A bit of chocolate on the finish. Nice balance and complexity overall but probably not likely to get much better. Lacking that special extra gear that distinguishes a really fantastic wine. A little less good than I had hoped, but nothing shabby to be sure.
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12/20/2015 - whits wrote: 94 Points
what a nice wine, full of woody and floral fragrance, as dry as it gets, roses, dried cherries, leather, earth and dust on the finish, this is on the driest side of the spectrum but full in flavor and dusty with dry berries, just a beautiful expression
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11/27/2015 - Ken332 wrote: 91 Points
Gift from my niece in Austin several years ago. I was hoping to drink it with extended family, but decided it was time to go ahead and have it with grilled standing rib roast on Thanksgiving. Double decanted about 2 hours before serving. Lovely nose of plums and dark cherries with spices in the mid-range and noticeable, but relatively soft, round tannins in the finish. Excellent length. Very nice Montepulciano. Wish I had more of these. Should hold for 5-10 years.
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11/12/2015 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. Will be one of my memorable wine experiences of the year. Simply a quality beautifully integrated aged wine. An amazing lightness and depth concurrently. One person commented on the almost floral aspects another believed it to be cabernet. A light lift at the front, then rounded depth of violets and darker fruits with a slight puckery savoury (tar/black olive) finish. Total pleasure.
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6/22/2015 - guido23 wrote: flawed
Tasted overextracted. It was pretty nice but seemed to underperform relative to its ratings. Will try again.
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5/23/2015 - jmd60611 wrote: 92 Points
Very rich, spicy and nice...youthful
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5/16/2015 - portman63 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very rich and full on the palate. Deep garnet and big in the glass without seeming modern or jammy. This is a serious steak wine to complete with any Brunello. Has the dustiness and leather you would expect and the tannins are still apparent, but are more integrated now. This will easily improve for another 10 years.
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11/17/2014 - Christine Havens Likes this wine: 93 Points
The 2004 Avignonesi Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate opens with aromas of sweet fruit, mostly black cherry and plum, along with notes of dried roses and clayey soil. Garnet-robed with a watery rim, it's medium-bodied with fine tannins and a core of sweet fruit, almost entirely dominated by black cherry. Whole not overly complicated, it's a pleasure to drink. Finishes with sweet tobacco.
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7/27/2014 - patrickrains Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine gets better every time I taste it, whether the '97 vintage which was my first experience, or this '04. And I can't wait to try the 2010 when I can find it. I would think the '04 has at least another 10 years of life left.
Great taste of dark wooded cherries. Best Vino Nobile.
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5/17/2014 - globi wrote: 87 Points
A bit unballanced. Disappointing given the others comments.
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8/8/2013 - Schorschi wrote: 95 Points
Ein großer Wein. Frucht ohne Ende. Zarter Schmelz und sämtliche Früchte, die der Wald so zu bieten hat. Geschmacksexplosion. Vollkommen.
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7/23/2013 - lobsterww Likes this wine: 97 Points
Breathtaking wine that gets better every time I try it. Amazing smoothness, depth and complexity. Beats the top Brunellos. Sadly just a few bottles left.
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6/18/2013 - Brunellobuddy wrote: 95 Points
- Crimsom color.
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4/28/2013 - TheFoodieTraveler Likes this wine: 94 Points
it was almost perfect. Last bottle - sigh
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3/25/2013 - robertdtwo wrote: 94 Points
Ultimate Sunset Birthday Dinner with New Best Friends (Kamuela Provision Company, Hilton Waikoloa, Big Island, Hawai'i): 90 minute decant KPC/Big Island w/Warren & Emiko. Beautiful floral potpourri of lavender, lilac and rose petals greets the nose while candied fruits dance on the tongue... Candied? Yes! Sweet? No, no, no! This is desert dry. This wine is unforgettable once you've tried it; a unique and wonderful Old World beauty that is the finest expression of terroir I've ever encountered.
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3/16/2013 - Tarokun wrote: 95 Points
F'n great! Had with a glazed duck and it was a fruity velvety choco wonder!
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1/24/2013 - dekay Likes this wine: 94 Points
Penetrating dried cherry, dark chocolate and anise - a bit like sniffing a dark chocolate covered candied cherry cut in half; dry, medium bodied with leather, cacao and darker red fruit, well-integrated tannins; long finish with coffee-edged bitter notes. Layered, great to sip and contemplate; might pair with a glazed roast
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1/10/2013 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
(From magnum.) As always, flamboyant, over the top, perfume of potpourri (rose petals, dried fruit). Roses and raspberries on the palate. It's fascinating and enjoyable on occasion, but not for everyday (and tough to pair with food....maybe well-seasoned beef?). A wine of contemplation which presents an interesting paradoxe of flavors that seem to be both sweet and syrupy, but a tongue impact of being completely dry (and drying tannins) with no actual sweetness (certainly no residual sugar) at all. The impression, I believe, is a reaction to the strong raspberry flavors, which create an expectation of sweet and syrupy.
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12/14/2012 - robertdtwo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Florals dominate the nose (potpourri of rose petal, lavender, lilac & violet) while candied fruit (raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, with just a touch of cherry) dominates the palate BUT don't let the word 'candied' give you the impression that this is sweet. It's desert dry. Florals have subsided just a bit since last try 19 mos. ago, finally allowing this to be considered as 'pairable' with dinner entrees.
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12/1/2012 - Rani Likes this wine: 91 Points
I think I may have hit this bottle at an odd stage in its development. It was full of dark fruit and leather notes, along with licorice, and fine tannins. However it felt like the oak has not yet fully integrated. I sense it has a lot more in store and will be a lot better 4-5 years from now.
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7/3/2012 - Wali183 wrote: 98 Points
Einzigartiges Parfum nach reifen Kirschen, Kirschlikör und intensivem Veilchen-/Blütenduft. Betörende Intensität. Ganz großes Kino.
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4/22/2012 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 94 Points
The 2004 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate is so unique and interesting, with aromas of fresh black fruits, violets, lilac, roses, dried tobacco, dried herbs and even some barn notes. The structure and finish are just amazing. This is classic, and one of those wines that give you the sensation that you are back in Italy as you are drinking it.
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4/6/2012 - WDSteers wrote: 96 Points
always a phenomenal wine. eucalyptus, pine needle and rose nose, cherry and tar on palate with good acidity and tannin. pairs well with seasoned red meats or hearty pasta red sauce.
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4/3/2012 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
We ordered the wine with dinner at the restaurant of hotel Adler Dolomiti in Alto Adige. The first bottle seemed to be off (showing a chlorine component on the nose and a flat flavour profile), but the second was fine. Popped and poured. The wine was dark ruby in colour. 1/4 of the cork was soaked. It was pretty closed at first, but opened-up over time. The wine offered a delicate floral bouquet, with dark fruits, spices and roasted notes. On the palate the wine showed mixed berries, cherry, raisins, plum, spices, hints of vanilla, coffee and chocolate, with dry but fine and slightly chewy tannins, and with medium-length. The wine still seemed very young, tannic and closed and might need another two years to resolve the tannins. The Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate remains my favourite Vino Nobile. This 2004 is the most serious and probably most age-worthy of the recent vintages and I clearly prefer this 2004 to the 1999, but I also love the 2007 and in particular the 2006 for their elegant floral bouquets and immediate charm.
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2/24/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Dinner Party @ Home: Ellen's Take on Lidia Bastianich's(Felidia, NYC) Cuisine (Icon Brickell, 465 Brickell Avenue, #3303, Miami, FL 33131): Decanted for 1+hrs. Group's WOTN, not mine(I think because it was the last one tasted.). Lavender, tar, anise flavors. Very good, but didn't seem as good as Tuesday night.
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2/22/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs-III(Double Blind); 2/21/2012-2/22/2012: - Purple color with fast forming legs and aromas of bell pepper and blackberry. It's in total harmony and has flavours of licorice anise and dusty with a full body. Bright texture with a long finish - Geoff's wine. Wonderful, especially considering it was the last Red poured!!! Like a great Brunello. I've only had a few Montepulciano's,, but nothing this good. It was stellar!. My WOTN. Clearly Italian.
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2/1/2012 - nschmidt wrote: 94 Points
Drank with Adrianne at Toscania Trattoria. My sense of smell might not be as acute as some other reviewers as I wasn't overwhelmed but the taste was great. Really a fine experience. Highly recommended.
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10/29/2011 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote: 92 Points
open, great fruit, but maybe too much of the leather/tar characteristics
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10/9/2011 - registhek Likes this wine: 96 Points
One of the most delicious wines I have ever had the fortune to taste.
Upon opening this bottle, you are immediately overcome with the essence of roses, and you would think the growers in Montepulciano soak this wine in the petals themselves.
The nose is made up of roses, lavender, and perhaps some cherry.
Upon drinking, this wine explodes on the palette with more of those spectacular floral notes, as well as some cherry and earthy notes that demonstrate the terroir present in this Tuscan Village.
On the finish, balanced tannins and some black currant coat the back of your mouth to allow to enjoy a wide range of grilled foods that go absolutely deliciously with this once in a blue moon bottle.
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5/7/2011 - robertdtwo wrote: 94 Points
Took to wine tasting party because it is SO fun to expose people to this absolutely unique Old World beauty. Florals dominate the nose (potpourri of rose petal, lavender, lilac & violet) while candied fruit (raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, with just a touch of cherry) dominates the palate BUT don't let the word 'candied' give you the impression that this is sweet. It's desert dry with grippy tannins that will probably carry this wine past the 2019 window I've seen here on CT. There's no way to mistake this wine for any other once you've had it!
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12/19/2010 - viadomitia wrote: 93 Points
In decanter 90 minutes. Re-bottled, moved and drank over the next 2.5 hours. Really great wine. No detailed notes taken but on first sniff, floral, perfumes, sweet cherry and anise. Tanins are still very present and drying but not excessive. The first glass was a bit rough though. By the third hour, the tannins were much softer, the wine round with complex layers of fruit, sometime plum and cherry, sometime raspberry. The wine is full of pepper, vanilla, licorice. Complex and great. Really good. The best wine I had this year, and will only get better. Wish I had a case! 93++
2022 postcript: In the most amazing turn of events, i had the opportunity to drink another bottle of this amazing wine this summer (2022). The wine has evolved into a silky mature wine with still lots of fruit and spices. I did not write down any note but everyone at the table was more than impressed. It was a rich succulent wine at its prime. Outstanding.
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8/19/2010 - 31051 wrote: 96 Points
INSANE!!! This HAS to be one of the most fascinating old world wines I have had. First time I had this beauty was in a restaurant in Roma and it floored me. I came home and frantically seeked it out. Just a pop n'pour while throwing the rest in a decanter. Even better than I remember. You just can't get enough of the bouquet. Dried fruits up front with fig and apricot. You go back for more and get hit with a floral aspect that has roses and violets and then you get fruit with blueberries, raspberries and who knows what else. Many, many layers to this gem. The palette is just as multidimensional with grippy tannins that prove it has a nice life ahead. A very memorable wine!!!
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6/20/2010 - NathanJM wrote: 92 Points
*tasting note to come later* nicely balanced and aromatic.
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5/2/2010 - tomklev wrote: 94 Points
Tight, syrlig, frukt bla bla test av noteapparatet
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4/29/2010 - robertdtwo wrote: 92 Points
It's been a year since last visiting this oh-so-unique vino... and, man, is it fun to throw this at people who don't know what's coming! The 'cotton candy' that blew off last year was gone, and the over-the-top florals have just begun to subside. This wine is so unique and fun; sweet-smelling, yet bone dry - you just can't seem to connect palate and bouquet, yet somehow you can't help but to keep trying.
Note to Employee500: I'm getting closer to your 94 rating every time I take a taste! This was my first capture of raspberry in this wine...either it evolved, or I did.
I can't believe this is 100% Sangiovese; it is SO different from brunello... this just may be the purest example of terroir I've encountered to date.
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2/28/2010 - btbad wrote: 94 Points
First time tasting this wine and wow, what a unique flavor. The most distinctive taste that jumped out at me was a distinct raspberry with some much more subtle notes of blackberry. Agree with others here - not many wines like this. I can't wait to share the other 11 bottles with friends.
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1/24/2010 - GBK wrote: 94 Points
When first released, I fell in love with the "insane nose"; I recently tasted a bottle and the wine, while still very fragrant was showing more tobacco and sinew in taste - hopefully an excellent sign for long term cellaring.
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11/5/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
An insane, surreal and exaggerated wine, I love it....but I am always disturbed by the thought/impression that maybe this potpourri raspberry jam of a wine is created not by unique terroir but by spoofilation (or worse). Has the winemaker substituted rose petals for grapes? Is the winemaker's daughter pouring grandma's perfume into the barrels? Certainly no reason for that thought beyond the uniqueness of the wine....
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8/4/2009 - Beavis77 wrote:
Crazy nose. Orange peel and orange spices. Smells like a seasoning salt mix.
On the palate, there are grippy tannins. Salinity and dried herbs. Orange spiced tea.
This is such a unique wine. Would love to see how it ages.
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8/1/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
I have always been partial to this wine and find it one of the single most distinctive, unique and easily recognizable wines in the world, year after year, with an exotic, intense, sweet (sickly?) perfume of dried flower petals (roses and violets), countered by a surprisingly un-sweet (but still exotic) palate of roses, dried cherries, and drying tannins on the finish. If it weren't for the floral component, one might complain that this wine is dried out. Nothing green about it (disputing Alex H's note below). It's intense, rose-flavored, over the top, makes your brain think it's sweet, but it's quite dry on the finish (and drying...).
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6/13/2009 - Alex H wrote: 85 Points
Italian and Spanish Tasting (Wine Gallery): Super interesting wine that smells exactly like a salted vegetable shop that can be found at a wet market. Its like entering the shop with all the sichuan style prepared preserved vegetable hanging out to dry . Also herbal and green. On the palate, this really is like a spicy savory vegetable soup with spicy kick finish and dry tannins. Really interesting wine.
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6/9/2009 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Decanted one hour, drank over 3 nights. Medium+ brick red core, with one of the most aromatic noses yet this year - not all of it good. The nose overpowers with sautéed cherry reduction, cherry cough syrup and red flowers. The cherry component is simply over-the-top. The palate however, couldn't be more satisfying with its medium-body and palate of red fruits and vanilla. A kiss of oak comes up on the finish, but other than that, the tannins are very smooth at this tender age. I think this needs some time in the cellar, say 3-4 years. Approx $45, 14% bv, drink thru 2016
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5/7/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
Robertdtwo's note below is very accurate, with the exception that I don't ever get the (very commonly noted below and in C.T. notes on other vintages of the same wine) "cotton candy" that others seem to find on this wine. Extremely floral (as this wine always is), almost like a perfume of roses, irises violets--really a potpourri of dried flower petals, along with some odd "essence of raspberry" character. Their flavor is so strong that they give an expectation of sweetness, but in fact the wine is rather lean and austere, not at ALL rich, and quite tannic and drying, creating an odd discrepancy between expectation and reality. There is no noticeable oak on this (likely just overwhelmed by floral notes). ASSUMING there's no spoofery going on with the winemaking, this must be the most incredible expression of terroir I can think of. Year after year, there is no other wine this could ever be mistaken for.
In short, this is a classic Avigonesi Riserva Grandi Annate, which many don't seem to love, but I adore. It should age quite well (and robertdtwo, the perfumey elements should be toned down significantly) and should be in its prime drinking window in about 7-8 years. Just now the 1997 is peaking and the 1999 is very good but could still use 3-4 more years....
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4/26/2009 - robertdtwo wrote: 90 Points
My second bottle from this vineyard (first was a 97). If it's possible for a dry wine to be sweet, this is it! Dark ruby color with the most amazing nose of lilac, lavender, rose petals and cotton candy. So different from the CA Cabs that preceded it in the evening's tasting that my taste buds were absolutely & totally confused. I have no idea what food you would ever pair this wine with... I hope some of the floral notes subside over time in the bottle - it is a little overpowering at present, like a woman wearing too much perfume.
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8/20/2008 - dfitzg2 wrote: 90 Points
Very popular at a reent Spain-Italy taste-off.
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