OK I waited to long to drink this one, but... Let it breathe for an hour or more and it becomes very drinkable. Saved a good value wine. All gone now ��
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Drank first of six in 2010, fruity nose with a little earth or dust with fresh weeds bordering on anise, bright red fruit flavors; 2nd to last Feb 2015, still really, fresh, complex nose with subtle menthol and smooth in mouth; last Nov 2015, no sediment, earthy menthol nose, bright berries in mouth with a little acid and pucker at finish, still nice, but not as good as when young
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I only had 3 bottles left so I haven't drunk for some time. Low fruit, nice balance, long finish. I didn't get the nose that some noted, nice deep color - no brownish on the edges. Great QPR.
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The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Fig, Cherry, Plum, and Alcohol/Hot. It tastes like Blueberry, Cherry, Black Pepper, and Alcohol/Hot. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Angular texture. The wine finishes Medium. There is a nice bite of tannins and it is surprisingly smooth. It was surprisingly a bit hot still, but it seems to be mellowing as it airs some, but this could even age a bit longer.
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Last bottle of my case. Definitely past its prime and no longer the fantastic standalone drinker it once was - but still delightful with a mid-week pizza. This was one of the all-time QPR champs. 50+5+11+14+7=87
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Beginning to fade just a bit. Has lost some of its fruitiness, and is not quite as ripe and focused as previous bottles. Still has the beautiful Tuscan nose and is extremely polished and refined on the palate. One of the all-time QPR champs. Time to drink up - I've still got five more of these left. 50+5+12+14+7=88
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Don't let the screwcap and $8.99 price tag fool you - this is a Tuscan gem. Shows a very pretty nose of dark fruit, cumin and leather. Medium-bodied but loaded with flavor and personality, which is almost unheard of at this price point. Lots of ripe, sweet cherry and plum fruit along with hints of cola and vanilla. The surprisingly long, fruit-filled finish features refined tannins and hints of oak and mineral. Not a big wine, but polished, delicious and very nicely balanced. It is so rare to find this level of quality in a $8.99 bottle - undoubtedly a major factor in its selection as #61 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2009. 50+5+12+16+7=90
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Peux-t-etre attendu un peu trop avant de le boire, toutefois au nez, beaucoup d'arome de cerises noirs...interessant! En bouche, tanin assez souple, pas très long, mais fini avec p.tit gout de chêne...ca va etretres bon avec notre pizza!
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This is kind of a of a find. Saw it on the close out shelf at World Market, where I have only had moderate success with quality. I saw the screw cap, which to me means that sitting upright on a shelf for several years, is less a chance of dry cork failure. This one super over delivered even at full price. This is a rich full wine. Big dark color, almost purple. The nose is very typical Italian Sangiovese with steely graphite behind sharp black cherry, with some vanilla and plenty of minerals. The 15% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon really bring some heft, backbone, and structure, plus leave some of their tell tail flavor characteristics on the otherwise typical Sangiovese palate. This is red fruit city, dark cherry, red raspberry, and cranberry up front, followed by plum and blackberry. All this fruit is swimming in some dusty graphite, tree root and bark non fruit flavors. Well past medium bodied. Prominent, silky tannins. The bottle age has helped soften the acid. Long, impressive black cherry finish.
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I understand why this wine is frequently listed as best buy for value-- it is reliable year after year. Considering the value ($12/bt), this is definitely worth trying. Great house wine. Nice wine, structured, ruby color, medium body, nice finish. Enjoyed!
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Black cherries, plum, and leather in a very terrific nose. Reminds me a little of a CA cab. Firm tannins and high acidity at first, which smoothed out after an hour. Excellent QPR.
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Nothing special. Screw cap which is handy for this cheap picnic wine. Scores 89-90 in WS every year?? Ok. I guess I cellared it too long... Seriously, this is the commercial side of Italy. I loved the comment about thinking this was good wine before we had good wine.
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Wasn't very impressed with this one. In the world of tuscans there are far better, but this one did serve the purpose intended. NOT made to drink alone. Cork pops out a light ruby red. Color of pour is the same - very light - red - not much body here. On the nose is FRUIT. Light fruits - strawberries, cherries, apple both by smell and on the palate. It was VERY tight after having been opened. This one needed probably two hours of breathing, and it did improve with time. When enjoyed with a cheese spread it was very enjoyable. Changed the structure of the wine and enjoyment factor IMMENSELY. Fruit was more vibrant, tannic structure at the finish was observed but was very light. This is not a wine to enjoy with hearty meals but could be easily enjoyed with cheese, chicken, fruit. I'd like to see how two years of aging would do for this one.
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Per my last notes - great QPR for what you get. A year on - perhaps a little more muted and not as "exciting" but solid and like the style and actually want to get more for shelf - nice house wine with complexity.
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Fruity aromas with flavors of dried fruit, pepper, and oak. Smooth but simple finish. Good everyday wine, pairs well with most foods. I've had this wine quite a few times, and noticed that this latest bottle was past its prime, so drink now. My previous bottles would have been rated higher.
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Medium ruby, blackberry nose. Dry with tart fruit, light body, slight bitter almond. Nice fruit acid balance. I have had 3 Sangiovese & IGT blends that have the bitter almond notes which limits my enjoyment. Not having drunk much Tuscan lately, my palate may need to be reacquainted with them. Over all this has been a reliable drinker and the best of the 3, one at twice the cost.
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I understand why this wine is frequently on Wine Spectators Top 100-- it is reliable year after year. Considering the value ($10/bt), this is definitely worth trying. Great house wine. Nice wine, structured, ruby color, medium body, nice finish. Enjoyed!
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Beautiful deep crimson color with a nice fading at the edge, showing a little bottle age...even on this "cheaper" wine. On the nose, the oaky characteristics seem at the forefront, with dark berry fruit and some vegetal aromas in the background. On the palate, the mouthfeel is light bodied, with notes of prunes, plums and candied cherries. The tannins are a bit astringent, making the finish short. Certainly not off-putting, but it is a straightforward and one-dimensional wine at this point in it's life. Drink soon, or use to cook with later!
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Clean nose and palate. Red cherries, cranberries; high acidity, medium-bodied, muted tannins; a little lean on the finish. Simple, cheap and cheerful. Not as great as in previous years, but still a good wine. After all, one should not be too critical of a $9.00 wine from Costco that shows this level of quality.
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I've had a few bottles of this wine and it has always left me with a great impression for it's price point. With some air time it opens up nicely and I've found it to be have good body, some tobacco and a nice finish. Great to drink over good conversation and/or with a good tomato sauce. Look into it and enjoy.
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Very nice drinking wine, especially with the spaghetti & meatballs I had, but still good without food. Had strawberry flavor, as well as a hint of draker fruit and chocolate. On the first night, it showed much more earthiness I am used to in Tuscan wines, but on the second night, this had subsided some. Fantastic QPR.
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Certainly above average although not worthy of a rave review. In light of the price and character of the components, this wine is superb. Soft over all bit lacks a juicy feel. I like it.
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nice dark fruit on the nose, nice fruit on the palette but really pretty empty on the mid palette and bitter on the finish. i drank with indian food and the flavor evolved into a much fruitier and tannin driven goodness.
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Not a complex wine, but I continue to be impressed with the quality, given the price and the quanity this is made in. Bright, lively cherry flavors, good acidity, some herbs and even a bit of earth. Surprising charater for such an inexpensive wine. Held up well on day 2.
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Not sure why it had high scores from critics. The first two nights the acid was out of balance and the fruit was pretty low on the scale. Mostlly like sour cherries. Maybe that's what the critics like now. The second night, it was a little better, less tightly wound. The third night I finished it off right before bed and it was better. I recommend some decanting time.
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This was received as a gift on New Years Day. Translucent reddish-violet in color, thin legs. Red fruit, slight spice with a hint of oak and vanilla in the nose. You can pick up the aroma of the Sangiovese in this blend, which also includes Cabernet and Merlot. Taste? Think tart cherry blend with a skosh of spice and pepper, and you won't be far off. Light body, short finish, fair tannins, somewhat flabby. An OK everyday drinker with food; not your aperitif or weekend with guests wine.
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I agree with those who have said that this needs a good while to breathe as it starts out overly fruity. But after a while, and on Day 2, it gains depth and strength and structure. Dark plum.
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12.5% alcohol. 85% sangiovese, 10% cabernet, 5% merlot. under screw cap. not decanted. a gift from a (now former) professional colleage. bwaaahaha! under ripe. annoyingly dry on the palate. thin black tea notes. good grief, what a way to start a new year of wine. however, i will say this, it's better than the 2003 sloan cabernet. regift to a homeless person.
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Strawberries, coffee, slight earthiness. Quite dry and a little more acidic than I like. Seems like a pretty authentic table wine for a (real) Italian restaurant. Good value.
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This will be a double tasting to compare two wines.
Tonight there will be a battle. No blood will be spilled nor any wine, but much wine will be drunk. This challenge comes in the wake of the announcement of the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2010. It fact, this battle is really a battle with Wine Spectator. It’s David and Goliath battle, but this time David has a grape.
Tonight’s giant coming in at 96 point and #25 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2010 with a price of $35 (on sale for $19.99 at Mahan’s) and wearing a wine label over a cork is the Ruffino Modus Toscana 2007. Woo woo.
And in this corner a little Italian wine that no one has heard of and with a low, low Mahan’s sale price of $9.99 and wearing a screw-top top is the Monte Antico Toscana 2006. Yay yippie.
Ruffino Modus Toscana 2007 vs Monte Antico Toscana 2006 As you can see these are both Toscanas, so it should be evenly matched, but let’s look at the numbers.
The Modus is 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Merlot.
The Monte Antico is 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot.
The Modus will have a bigger body, but the Monte Antico will have the bigger rustic spirit. At least that’s what the odds makers are saying.
All right guys. Clink glasses and come out drinking.
(But first a disclaimer. Last night I opened another bottle of the Modus. I think I had a cold when I did, but it didn’t taste like it should. It tasted dark and earthy and tobaccoy. The tobacco can be expected from the Sangiovese, but not the rest. Oh, and I’m wearing my new glasses, too. My first wine post with my new glasses. My first pair of glasses.)
So here we go. Allons-y.
The glasses of wine come out slowly and present their colors and menisci (the plural of meniscus). The Modus has a shorter meniscus and with more color. Oo a jab to Monte Antico. Monte Antico counters with a brighter top color. Below the menisci, both wines, however, are solid purple in color and equally opaque – the Modus, though, is about 98% opaque and the Monte Antico is about 95% opaque. The first round goes to the Modus with shorter, deeper colored meniscus.
Round Two. The Nose.
Monte Antico comes out smelling like bacon, flowers, and carmalized sugar (my girlfriend picked up on the latter). And there is some jam, too – strawberry jam. That’s good a solid, berryful comeback for the Monte Antico.
The Modus challenges back with a deeper nose of tobacco and leather and with a bouquet of flowers, more flowery than the Monte Antico. These flowers are like lilies, Easter liliers says the girlfriend. This nose is more balanced, too.
When I returned to the Monte Antico, the nose wasn’t as delightful as before. The Modus gave an upper cut to the Monte Antico with its lilies. The Monte Antico seems a bit stunned and is a bit wobbly.
Ding ding. Monte Antico has been temporarily saved by the bell.
This round goes to Modus, too.
Round Three. The Tasting.
The Modus comes out with a swagger and leads with dark berries (dark cherries and cranberries) and finishes with tartness, flowers, and a dry finish. This wine is getting excited and styling as it’s showing off its long, clingy legs. The taste reminds me of an old, sturdy, rocky, bald mountain under a clear blue sky. From its peak you can see the Mediterranean Sea.
Can the Monte Antico counter? Does it have what it takes? Can this David stand up to this Goliath?
Tasters clean their palates, and here comes Monte Antico. (Tip on cleansing the palate: Use water at room temperature. Don’t dull the taste buds with cold water.)
The tobacco nose rushes out of the glass before I even begin to taste. The nose has recovered. It’s stronger, faster, better. It seems bionic. It seems six million dollars.
The Monte Antico is completely different. It leads with some sourness then turns quite juicy and finishes with caramel. What a counter. It’s body is a little lighter than the Modus, but what a little spar it just had. It’s delightful. It makes me think of a fair with cotton candy. It makes me think of the movie Big when he is at the fairground and right before he leaves to go get his wish from Zoltar.
Ding ding ding. That’s the end of the battle. Who wins.
The girlfriend scores it 10-10, 9-10, 10-8. The burnt sugar and finish of the Monte Antico won it for her.
This judge scores it 10-10, 10-9, 10-9. The complexity and depth of the Modus won it for him, but he sure loves the playfulness of the Monte Antico.
For price, the Monte Antico wins. For quality, the Modus wins.
I’d say the Modus is like 91.5 points and the Monte Antico is like a fully loaded 89 points.
Now, I’m going back and forth between the two and it’s getting nasty. I need food interruptus. I need bread and onion-fig jam.
Wait. Hold on. There’s an after-the-match scrum with the onion-fig jam and ciabatta bread.
Monte Antico comes out swinging. Oh, it’s a wonderful complement that smooths out the wine and brings out the onions.
Modus counters and says, “Hey, man I ain’t that dry. With this jam I’m chill. I’m a complex mo fo.”
Medium bodied, started out sweet, than showed some acid, short tart not very pleasant finish. Not what I am used to from a super tuscany. Maybe it was just that particular bottle, but certainly not my kind of wine. Every medium priced Chianti is better for italian food.
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Medium ruby color. Nice, but reserved nose with cherry, licorice, some white pepper, a bit of earthiness, and some vanilla. Medium body with soft tannins and good acidity. Short finish that shows a bit too much oak. Not bad, but not much more then a week night pizza wine. Did not stand up to some baked ziti.
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I think I am starting to like this wine after a few overripe off balance dark fruited bombs. This is bottle is very tasty after 2 hrs of air. Fruity and floral on the nose, light ruby in the glass is almost pinot-like in color and charm. Excellent balance of fruit and acidity smooth finish. A killer under $9.
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Nice aroma; a bit floral with red berries. Plum and some funk on palate. Little too much oak for me; was not vanilla, almost bitter. Nice acidity. Not my cup of tea, so to speak. Drank with pasta with red sauce and Italian sausage.
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Consistent with last bottle. Not a great wine, but it's drinkable, though a little medicinal and oaky for my palate. Went well with pasta. I've certainly had many horrible wines at this price ($8). IMO, Wine Spectator tasted something different than I drank to get the 90 point score.
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Consistent with last bottle. Good ripeness, medium bodied with good acidity. A little bit medicinal tasting and a bit more oak than I like. Good with pasta and pizza. Not getting the WS 90 point score, though.
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90 points? I'm sorry I purchased this. The Da Vinci Chianti is a much better alternative for a cheap wine/cheap pasta pairing. Others rated this higher; perhaps I got a bad CostCo bottle.
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Very nice. Has that acidic berry taste I love from the Sangiovese grape. Yet the other blends were very noticeable and well-balanced! A nice wine with pepperoni pizza!
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I did not like this wine last year (05 vintage) and I don't like it in this vintage. For me, it is out of balance and just lacking any oomph. Not interesting at all. It might be a good QPR for some, but for me, I couldn't even finish the first glass poured. Just not my cup of tea and doesn't jive with my palette. I would rather spend $20 and drink Stefania Haut Tubee if a good inexpensive red is needed. Life is too short to drink sh*tty wine.
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Very consistent with last bottle.....what a great value at $8-$10; give the bottle/glass about a half-hour to open, or decant. Pretty black fruit flavors, nicely crafted and balanced, and very food-friendly. Nice example of a real Vino Genuino. Well made and enjoyable.
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Definitely one of my favorite "bargain" pasta wines. Medium garnet color with a nose of blackberries and cherries with a cedar base. On the palate, some sour cherry and floral notes, particularly in the rear palate. Very short finish. Great food wine -- went really well with pizza.
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Berries and red fruit. More sweet than smokey. Screw cap - don't try a wine opener, it won't work. (not even if you try twice...). Easy drinking and approachable, but hard to consider it representative of a Super Tuscan.
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Brought to our Spanish group. Popped and poured, notes pretty consistent with all the others. Pleasant not great, but good for the occasion. Screw top great for take out.
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Drank with spaghetti & meat sauce. Popped and ran through the aerator. Muted nose. Taste cherry & licorice. Reminds me of a candied orange. I don't agree with the 90 Spectator gave it.
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Cherry and red raspberry. a little lighter than expected but medium bodied. nice oaky tannins. definitely taste the sangiovese (80%) dominating this blend, and i like that. Nice QPR.
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I almost hate myself for liking this wine as much as I did, but what can I say--it is delicious, drinking really well, and surprisingly structured and complex for the price. This would make a great house red... I think I saw it at Costco for under $10.
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I spent 8 bucks on this wine. It's food wine. Dry, slightly chunkier than medium body. Its flavor truly comes out with a good bowl of pasta -- or a hamburger. What's not to like?
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The wine looks Violet colored. The legs are Fast. It smells like and Blackberry. It tastes like and Blackberry. The body is Medium/Full. The wine is textured Smooth. The wine finishes Short.
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A bit of a tinny, shrill, metallic taste when first uncorked... err... unscrewed. With air, this came around to it's typical, sleek, cherry, tobacco and herb profile. High acid, food friendly and a good everyday wine.
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Good, classic, Tuscan red -- leather, cherry, good acidity and complements tomato sauces well. I thought the wood treatment was a bit too heavy handed and I was getting some spice (cinammon?) from it that I wasn't too crazy about.
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Had with spaghetti and was a great pair. Awesome food wine but not complex enough to drink on its own. Will buy more because we eat italian food all the time.
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I am getting a killer nose off this wine again. Bottle number two is different than number one. This bottle is giving me oak, vanilla and flowers. Didn't get floural anything last time, but today I am tasting what I think carnations smell like. Odd. I really find this an interesting wine. Makes for a good cellar protector.
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Bright red. Medium wieght nose with cherry, raspberry and vanilla. Nice red fruit flavours and a medium tannic high acid finish. A style of Tuscan wine I really like.
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While most enjoyed the Brunello di Montalcino I served before this one, some in our group enjoyed this much more and there were many gasps as I revealed the price of this wine compared to the Brunellos.
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Opened and served right away. Medium bright ruby red in colour. A little hot on the nose and palate at first (was at room temperature), so stuck in the fridge for 15min to cool it down a bit. Bright and juicy notes of raspberry and strawberries with some red current and a hint of toasty oak. Medium body, high acidity, low to medium tannins, decent length giving notes of cranberries. Good value. Drinking well. Good.
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Textbook Tuscan, with red cherry and garden-soil aromas and a fresh, smooth palate with some slight reduction. With the high WS rating, I was expecting a more New World-styled bomb and was pleasantly surprised to find a very classically styled Italian red. It won't blow you away, but it's certainly a better-than-average value for a table wine.
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Cheap Super Tuscan with sangiovese flavors being dominant. Reticent nose. In the mouth...again you really taste the sangio, some floral, nice mid palate. Not particularly tannic, but enough to provide a nice counterpoint. Overall... More pleasant to drink that most cheap Chiantis and a very food friendly choice with hearty red sauce dishes and braises. (used some in our ragu so it probably was open for a good hour before drinking) Good to great QPR.
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Very nice bouquet and focused fruit on the palate with prominent notes of tart red cherry. Good finish with contained alcohol. Slightly flabby on the mid palate but still an excellent value for the price.
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I don't think this wine deserves WS 90, but it's still a heck of a bargain. A bit thin, as others have observed, but great everyday red with pasta and pizza.
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Not undrinkable but I found it kind of bland and lacking character. I can't complain too much because of how cheap it is, but it's just a red table wine that I'm sure would go fine with a big table full of red-sauce Italian food, but I think there are probably better wines out there for $8. Better the 2nd day though.
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Costco advertises this with a 90 point rating from Wine Spectator and sells it for $9.00, drink now What a deal -- right??? Wrong, it's thin, tannic and full of alcohol on the finish according to my palate. Fruit is better than last time. Decanted for 1 hour.
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Carbonic smelling with a fake wood overlay. Not in a bad way I suppose. Watermelon tasty. I bit sour. A ready definition for what Chianti is like at its worst -- commercial and somewhat inept.
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Brought this bottle to my brother in laws for him to try. We drank it with JG Melon burgers. Paired well, and wine is drinking well as expected. Brother in law loved it.
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Performed better than last time. On this bottle I can pick out the Cab and Merlot making it distinctly Super Tuscan. Still a little lighter than I like but nice food wine.
Day 2-3: Even better. Notes of blueberry and sweat. It also put on weight and leaves me wanting more based on the exceptional QPR. 88
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It took surprisingly longer to open than I would have thought, but once it did it really rouded out nice. Early on it was too biting of a finish, but after opening it really came to life. Great value.
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Better than the last botle, perhaps bottle variation. Opened up after an hour, cherry, violets, earth on the nose, similar flavors on the palate, medium silky body, vibrant acidity, light tannins, with a sour and tart medium finish. Good for the price, still like Fontanafredda Barbera better for only couple of bucks more.
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Balanced internally and with respect to old and new world approach. Detailed notes not taken. Nose has cherry and earthier notes and tobacco. Body is fairly light for the blend, but makes it a solid choice for food. Overall pleasant, enjoyable, but not memorable. Great QPR.
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Much better than previous bottles. Red and dark berries and leather; bright fruit and medium acidity; clean; the finish is decent, but not great. There was no overwhelming oak - as in previous bottles. This seems to be rounding out a bit and should drink well in the short-medium term.
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This was my third and last bottle of Monte. Should have picked up more - what a great value. Easy drinking and follows most other bottles - made for a great 2nd bottle (would be a good first bottle).
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, fairly clear hue. Nose of Kirsch and black berries that carries through to the palate with perhaps some added flavors of currants. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink now. Underperformed compared to that last bottle.
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Dark ruby color. Smells woody and cherry. Taste has a bit of cola and also cherry. Not much depth to the flavor, pretty straightforward. Enjoyable and easy-drinking. Good QPR.
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From a QPR perspective this is a completely acceptable wine, and an easy quaffer, but from a WS Top 100 perspective it's a major disappointment. With about a billion cases of this wine made, I can't help but wonder how much variation there is between the different rounds of bottling?
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Still going strong. At nine or ten bucks, this is one of my personal favorite wine bargains. There is some bottle variation, but about 2/3 of the case has been worthy of 91 points, the others down around 88-89 so I averaged it out to 90. Primary notes are raspberry and iron, with a little smoky leather in the background. Cabernet-like, but softer.
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Bright cherries on the nose with a bit of herbs. deep red plums and violet flavor, nice tannins herbal finish, Lush but a little short on the finish falls short. great value wine for 10.00. Would buy agian.
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Good solid wine, decent price. Needs 15+ mins to open up. Nice dark fruits, enjoyed the dusty italian nature of the sango. Some spice that is good. Drink over the next 2 years...AMM
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Only two relevant characteristics here: elegant nose and its affordable price at less than $10 (for a Toscana wine)! Not necessarily bad, but one dimensional with a shy structure...I don't agree with the many good reviews on this one.
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Deep crimson; plums, black cherries, herbs; sweet cherry, herbal, medium body, good acidity, soft tannins, nice finish. Nice colour with dark fruit/herbal flavours. Good mid-week wine for tomato pasta.
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Yes... Good bang for the buck. I like it less than others but this is a nice wine. A big wine with dark dried fruit. Long less than perfect finish. I would be pleased to drink this as a daily wine.... "Wine of the Week" and 90 points WS: "Bright plum, dried cherry and flowers on the nose. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and refined berry and cherry flavors.
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This is a solid wine for the price as others have mentioned. My comments echo "CAREYD" below, and i can't be quite as eloquent. Light bodied, with great flavour profile of cherry/casis - with light vegetal/herby notes in background. The tannins/acid are such that this is easy to drink solo and of course nice with variety of foods.
For price, can't go wrong. At least try it out before i buy the last few off the shelf.
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Pop and pour. Color: Medium ruby. Clear. Nose: Initially, this nose has a minty/eucalyptus thing happening over the top of red fruit-cherry, blackberry. Underneath that, some sweaty sock and scorched earth. On the palate: Initial attack: Nice sour cherry meets vegetal notes on this medium bodied effort. Midpalate: Nice fresh acidity augments the bright fruit with over and under tones of black and white pepper, and late stage leather. Finish: The transition into the finish is very smooth with mild, fine tannins. Grippy on the palate, leaves it try with latent plums. Ready for more. This is a fairly simple wine but lovely nonetheless. Certainly a good value and would buy again.
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Delicious anytime drinker, with bright fruit and good acidity. Am headed back to Costco to back the truck up for this stuff. Everything I want in a house wine. 89.
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Bright cherries on the nose with a bit of herbs. deep red plums and violet flavor, nice tannins herbal finish, falls a little short on the finish falls short. great value wine. Would buy agian.
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Had this at a restaurant last summer with good Italian food, and was not impressed. Day 1: gave it plenty of time to open up this time around, had it with Italian food again, and still was not terribly impressed. Very pretty nose, with a touch of spice, bubblegum, roses, and dark fruit; nice acidity, restrained dark fruit, and very dry tannins; nice peppery finish, with black cherries. Days 2 and 3: what a difference. Everything has come together and is in balance. The fruit and intensity in particular have come to the front, and the dryness has softened. Probably an 87 on day one and an 89 on day 3. Very good for the price, but still nowhere near a top 100 wine.
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High PR Italian IGT- The go to table red for Italian Pasta and Pizza fare. Good color and bright Cherry notes. Cannot beat it for the price. Just a tad boring for drinking on it's own accord. More interesting with food.
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color: light ruby red-purple; nose: faint blackberry-oak and just a little cherry -- underwhelming; taste: dark fruit medium-body mouth feel, chalky mid-palate, earthy mushroom and slightly sour short finish with light-medium pepper and minimal tannins; overall: old world style that's interesting for its several twists and turns, but it doesn't deliver much thunder for me -- not a bad wine, just not my style.
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Great little SuperT from Pisa. Dark in glass, medium on palate, with a nice influence of sweet Merlot typical of the region to soften the spikey Sangiovese. Don't buy for complexity, just for the easy style. Short finish, just a good solid drinker.
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A little light. Not for drinking alone as it provides no pleasure. Did perform better with food (chicken with blueberry-balsamic reduction and risotto.) Very little oak presence, some bright acidity. Mixed feelings really, will try again with a different dish but I think I prefer proper chianti as it has more substance.
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Good, not great. A little thinner than I expected for the blend and the hype. Nice cherry and dried flower layers, settled down nicely after being opened a few hours (and later a day), but just didn't have much stuffing. Would go nice with a homemade pizza or a red-sauce pasta--like the wine, nothing too fancy.
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Cherry and vanilla on the nose. Mildly tannic, not a deep flavour but opened up slightly with the second glass. Better wines available at lower price point. Would be better with an antipasto than with a hearty pasta.
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I usually don't post twice on a wine, and I've never written about a wine a third time, but WTF? It was as if I had a completely different wine. Don't believe that the bottle was corked, just vastly different. Very much a one-note wine. Even more thin than the second bottle we had. Almost no fruit to speak of. No currant this time. Very distant red cherry. More of a cough drop flavor. Almost tasted watered-down, except for some sharpness with the alcohol. Might have to chalk this up as just a bad bottle, as we did enjoy the other two.
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Nice ruby color, hints of blackberry and cherry to the nose. Light and crisp bodied with a hint of tannins. Not overly impressive for the pedigree but good with pizza or pasta.
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Pretty consistent with previous bottle we opened - still a great deal. Should have bought more - makes a great 2nd bottle and is mellow enough in flavor to follow most wines and not throw you for a loop.
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Wasn't overly impressed at first, but it developed nicely in the glass and became quite tasty and complex - Dark, medium bodied with a nose of cherry, plum and vanilla, nice balancing acidity, decent complexity, tart, smooth on the palate with a good finish, very good (89 Points).
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Tonight this wine showed much better, I always find wide bottle variation in large production wines. This was a good match with the food at a local BYO Italian restaurant. Red fruit and earth, balanced by dusty tannins. Not complex, but was perfect for a low cost italian meal. Drink over the next year...AMM
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This wine was really hyped for me to try so I was excited, maybe too excited. This is a very good wine for $10-13, but I was told that it would taste like a $20-30 super tuscan and that is not true. The refreshing thing is that this is "real" wine, not like all the Cali/Ausi stuff in this price range. Nice garnet color, soft red fruits and dusty tannins. A hint of sweet fruit that was nice. I can't imagine this will get any better. Good party or mother-in-law wine...AMM
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Note after poured 1 hour. Very alluring nose of rose petals, graphite and cherries. Palate is not nearly as complex as the nose. Sour cherries and dried tea leaves. Very, very good.
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Bright cherries on the nose with a bit of herbs. deep red plums and violet flavor, nice tannins herbal finish, falls a little short on the finish falls short. great value wine. Would buy agian.
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Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 2 hours. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of red berries and cherries that carries through to the palate. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink over the short term. Pretty much a pop and pour QPR at this point and recommended on that basis.
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I get cherry on the nose with a little spice. Bitter then sweet in the palate with a dry aftertaste. Fairly light body with medium to high tannin. Quite tasty!
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Reading the comments makes me wonder if I am tasting the same wine. I do not enjoy this at all, hope it is just bad bottle or needs more time. Tastes more like a bad barbera, than a Tuscan IGT with merlot and cab in it. I would much rather drink Briggotondo Fontanafredda, which has a lot more going on in all respects at similar price and style.
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Bright cherries on the nose with a bit of herbs. deep red plums and violet flavor, nice tannins herbal finish, falls a little short on the finish falls short. great value wine. Would buy agian.
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Cherries and a bit of oak on the nose for me, good acidity light-bodied, finish a bit on the short side, but good structure. Very good price/quality ratio. Likely to buy more though I would like to try side by side with Maritma "4 Old Guys" Sangiovese, at the about the same price point..
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Bright cherries on the nose with a bit of herbs. Plum and violets flavors, with good tannins and an herbaciousness towards the end, although the short finish falls short of pushing this into the 90s.
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This was $9 at my Costco vs $7 others were touting, but still a very nice value. Cherry and currant fruit, with medium to high acidity that has nice structure and balance for this price point. Also a touch of earth on the finish. Can't ask for much more for under $10. A winner.
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Certainly a better value at the lower range of prices I've seen here, but I was not disappointed even having paid a few bucks more. Screwcap. "popped & poured" nicely dry, some oak. Overall, enjoyable. I would buy again, especially at a lower price.
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Nose is red and dark fruit, a herbal component, kinda tight. Very smooth, nice fruit, dry, good finish. Really nice, good acidity, not complex, but nice structure. I like this, and it will pair very well with casual red sauce food (pizza, pasta, etc). 3/5, 14/20, 87/100
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Very enjoyable wine at an amazing price - very consistent in flavor - flavors didn't change (open up) as the night went by - but it was tasting good upon opening - so no worries. Well integrated tannins and acidity with good berry flavors. At $6.99 a bottle from Costco - this is a must buy!!
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Note after wine open 1 hr. Nose of leather and a hint of cassis. Soft cherry, cola and a little oak. Well integrated and very enjoyable, if a little simple. Very good.
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a wonderful wine with a bowl of pasta with a side of meatballs and sausage would also work well with a steak dinner can't beat the price for such a tasty Italian red
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Intersting, Dark fuit, blackberries and boysenberry come through with aromas of violets and herbs, sage and rosemary. Tannins grip nicely, balanced with just enough acidity. Dry Slightly earthy palate with a hint of a mineral finish. I could see this go nicely with duck or a meaty mushroom risotto.
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Wow! Really? At this price point what's to complain about? This wine isn't anything special but for the money GREAT! Definitely tannic and a little on the dry side. Bit of red fruits and spice. Definitely pair with food, not a good soloist.
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Blackberries and something floral on the nose. Pleasant dryness, smooth with enough acidity to be interesting. This is a great food wine – works with pizza, mexican soup, cheese and chips. I would definitely buy this again at this price.
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Not impressed. Dry & smooth, but lacking in fruit & complexity. Maybe I should have let it breathe more. Worth another try given WS rating and price. (Read other CT reviews, and maybe there is a lot of bottle variation?)
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Needs about an hour or so to open up, but otherwise a very pleasant Tuscan blend...smoother tannins than I would have expected for so young a wine. Hard to beat for 10 bucks.
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Not sure why, but I liked this much less with this bottle than last time. Not very fruity, not much aroma. Overall, felt watered down and disappointing.
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It's hard not to take cost into consideration when drinking this $10 bottle of wine. Definitely not a "big" Italian red, it was smooth and nicely dry. Don't think I'd have enjoyed it if I'd paid $30, but for >$10 it's tolerable, despite the tacky twist top. Not a terrible wine, but far from great. I'm not rushing to drink the other bottles we have.
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nose - roasted fruit, toasted oak, licorice, maybe even some floral notes mouth - juicy cherries, very ripe verging on overripe red berry fruit, almost fruit-punch like on the midpalate without being overly candied, nice proportional oak influence noted, good finish. Blinded I might guess this to be an elegant and restrained zinfandel. An interesting wine.
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a very drinkable red at an amazing price. This wil probably be my dinner wine for the near future - I'm stocking up. Not as fruit forward as I had hoped, and could stand a little more body. But I'm going back to costco now.
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Exceptional QPR, and regardless of previous comments of whether this is a Super Tuscan blend, or representative of same, this is just a very, very nice wine for the price. Drinking very well now - on its own or with a red sauce pasta as I did. Glad I picked up a couple of bottles.
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Light red color, quite transparent. Red berries, cherries, red apple skins. There's a nice in-mouth aromatic component. Finish is fruity, almost like watermelon jolly rancher. Finish is fresh, and quite long with a slight drying action of tannins. This wine is a Toscano IGT. That doesn't necessarily mean Super-Tuscan, as some have been disappointed to discover. Make no mistake, this wine is not a Super-Tuscan, but it is of another breed completely and quite enjoyable.
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A disappointment. Starts with berry and moves to hints of spice but is surprisingly light. Although labeled a Super Tuscan, I would not consider it a reasonable example of the "designation" even at $10 a bottle. I am even more surprised that Wine Spectator gave this wine 90 points, and rated #61 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009.
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This wine is a good example of basic red tuscan wine. The varietal blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and CS says Super Tuscan, but there is nothing Super about this wine. Very soft tannins, dark berry and earth on the palate, thin finish. Good quality for the price. I don't see this improving much with age.
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Dark blood red. Strawberry, soil, and leather nose. Bright cherries that turn somewhat sour, light to medium bodied, some late tannins, and a shortish finish. It was better with dinner; good pizza wine at a nice price.
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A pleasant surprise. Excellent wine. Excellent QPR. Very Italian -- nice Old World style, without overdoing it. For about $10, this is a hell of a deal.
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Second bottle. Again, red cherries and slight currant on the palate. Mild tannins. A bit thin on the finish. Bit of earthiness which I demand from an Italian wine.
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Very good bottle of wine, esp. of the price! Deep dark color, fragrant nose of dark berries, Smooth, almost too light of a mouth feel, well integrated and approachable tannins, a bit of a fruit bomb of berries, spice and currant. Nice, finish. I like the screw cap!
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minor mineral and floral notes; medium body and texture; started out lean with some cab notes of black currant, good acidity and tannic backbone; after 2 d this opened up with some softer red currant, pomegranate, cherry, strawberry notes; despite the low cost, this has the structure to hold for a time; enjoyable.
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Smoky and rustic and fantastic with food. For the price point this wine is a must-try! I picked up a bottle to taste from Hollywood Fred Meyer in Portland for $10.79/bottle. This is a case-worthy buy for sure! An excellent wine to have around.
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Wow - insane QPR @ $9. Remarkable structure at this price point. Love the dry dusty character and dark fruits/chocolate/leather. Great length. Lovely acids. Fresh & Ripe at the same time. Food Friendly. Looks like I have a new house wine!
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Dusty, smoky, dried cherries and herbs on the nose. Rather restrained bouquet. More black cherry and earthiness with biting tannins on the palate. Nice easy-drinking wine. I found myself moving back to it quite rapidly, and I think that says more about the fact that it made me think and I found it enjoyable, and not that the finish was short. Quite nice for $11.
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Medium red in color with a hint of orange, translucent. A medium-bodied wine with a noise of red cherry, raspberry, and a sort of creamy milk chocolate. On the palate, I was surprised by how much chocolate came through. Gentle grip with nice acidity and a nice finish. Highly agreeable & at $9+tax an excellent QPR. Would buy again.
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Decent on day one with Spaghetti and meat balls, much better on day two with with Red Lentil Chili.. When we opened it we were reminded of a very run of the mill Sangiovese w/ no complexity, lackluster fruit piercing tannins... Day 2, WOW! This puppy grew into a whole different wine! Complexity, vibrant fruit, well rounded tannin, etc...
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Rustic dried cherry, soil, and spice. Has medium-high acidity and a bit of tannic grip, but the flavors are not well-integrated and is not in balance. Maybe an every day food wine, but you will get what you pay for.
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Nice low/medium intensity primary sangiovese - cherry and earth. Very tight palate - rustic, sharp, rough, hard, angular, bitter. Better after an hour but still not good enough after two. Next day still no go. Not recommended. Looks like I'm an outlier on this one. May have been off.
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Very good daily drinker. #1 not in my book but then that is a personal issue as to what I expect from a #1. This wine upon opening had a very distinct smell and taste I couldn't identify and was floral and herbal all at the same time. At times I thought it was caramel and others smoke. Hence, the nose confused me but that is my inexperience. After 30 minutes it mellowed somewhat and balanced and became a very nice drinkable wine especialy for the money.
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while this is a very good wine for the money and I will buy more for casual consumption, I cannot call it a great wine. Good color, bouquet, spicey flavour, heat of the alcohol in the finish, very pleasant drinker, excellant party wine. I wish all my wines that I paid much more for were at least this good.
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On the top 100?! Nice wine for $10. And it is nice wine for $10 as far as that goes. Thin on mid palate. Not mch finish. Some interesting flavors...herbs, smoke, peppermint...but the top 100?! I feel sorry for the idiots paying over $150 for the number one wine cause I have that one as well and it aint much
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What a surprise! I really wasn't expecting much from this bottle, but the wine merchant said I should test-drive it. Much better than one would expect from a $10.69 bottle. Red cherries & currants on the palate, with mild tannins. I don't see this cellaring long, but it might become a daily drinker for us, especially at the price point. Recommended.
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Moderately dark. Dried flowers on nose. Appealing mid palate of cherry, approachable with short finish. Good value, reasonable choice for an everyday wine. Wine opened up about 2 hours after opening.
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Great go to everyday wine. Lovely bright nose of dried cherries and sage. Refreshing dried cherry cranberry fruit. Shows better with food. Maybe not a Top 100 but the QPR cannot be beat especially at under $10!
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this had some dried flowers, cranberries and red cherries on the nose. medium bodied with a good dose of acidity. there is some good tannic weight here, although it could be a bit firmer on the palate. good fruit and some pepper here. not bad.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of spice, berries, roses and talc. Flavors of berries, cherries and a dash of bitters. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium body. Drink over the short term. Allow for a little bit of air time before serving.
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Wine Spectator's 2009 Top 100 Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had bright cherries, plum jam, and some dried flowers at the end. The palate was very gamey, but also had cherry, spice, floral notes, and a slightly oaky finish.
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Lots of red fruit, fresh and a little tart. This has a simple but big nose. For less than ten bucks this is pretty good and it is better with food than on its own. I would buy more at this price. What do you really expect at this price level for a red?
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Popped and poured at a party. Soft, good red fruit....low acidity, easy drinker and a very good QPR...Not WS top 100 of the year good, but a good value that is simple and easy to drink... Would definitely buy more...Mrs. Coupe also really enjoyed it...
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Polished off another bottle with some Chicken/bruchetta style dish. Alone this is a passable IGT table Red, but given some food it changes. Like many Sangio blends, the tomato sweetness brings out the acidity and genius in this blend. The lower score has more to do with lack of complexity or finish. There is enough polish and briar-patch cherry to make this an endearing table Red. Particularly when pair with some Tomato sauce based dishes.
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Light red wine, simple structure and body, improves with some open time, nice casual drinker, very good for the price, improved on third night, much smoother, still simple, but good, up 1 pt.
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Nice smokey nose typical of sangiovese, deep current of lush red fruit and a hint of earth on the palate. Decent acidity. A little soft on the finish. Fantastic QPR is you can get this under $10.
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Half hour breathe time. James Suckling hit the nail on the head with a score of 90. For the price, this is a GREAT value! Dried cherry, li-hing, and currant on the nose. Nice finish and velvety. Drink Now.
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90, but 91 for the price. Due to multitasking tonight, I tasted it back and forth every 30 minutes. 1st Try: Aroma of almost raisony dark fruit, taste shallow, medium body. Nose more complex than taste? 2nd Try: with air, No fruit but, Dark chocolate. 3rd, Better, spicy, dried cherry. 4th try: Sour Cherry, Choco, coffee. 5th try: still fruity but in the decline, best to drink now. One of the best cheap wine I've tasted to date. Thank you James Suckling.
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A great value, if not quite a 90, but pretty darn close. Very floral on the nose, with primarily the Sangio's earthy cherry scent also coming through. The cherries are definitely there on the palate, but also a nice, ripe rasberry element, carried by soft, refined tannins right through to the finish. For 9.99 I highly recommend.
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RUSSK, Day 1: Not that bad, not that great. Watery, without much finish. No rough edges, but pretty boring too. Would not buy more. 86pts Day 1 Day 4: After vinvac-ing and refrig'g, much better. Sangio seems to do that, better a few days after openning. Better nose and firmer finish. 88pts Day 4
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Deep purple/red in glass. Big cherry nose with lots of oak. Lush mouthfeel. Very fruity--bordering on being oversaturated--with acidity taking a backseat. Flavor profile is lots of dark cherry and grape, tons of oak, and some spice notes. Long metallic finish with dried fruit, rare meat, woodsmoke. 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot. 12.5 % alcohol. Around $15.
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WAY overrated IMO or maybe I just got a bottle from a really bad lot. Limited/no nose....where is the sangiovese??? I've had better cheap Chianti....Not worth $10, that's for sure
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Very nice and great QPR. Monte Antico is very consistent year after year. 2006 is no different. One of our "go to" bottles for nice middle of the week dinner.
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Not impressed. Very strong tannin up front, like a punch in the mouth, then falls away with minimal complexity or any real defining fruit (minimal cherry and blackbery). Drank half with a chicken parmesan dish, and it was quaffable, then remaining bottle afer dinner solo. As solo, could not finish the bottle, way too strong up front.
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Nose of cherry and chocolate. Taste is well built and nicely balanced closing (a bit quick) with some tannin and lingering acidity. Nice pair with a basic Italian meal and great value for the price.
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Bright acidity, red berries and plum. Medium body with unobtrusive tannins that give a little dryness on the short to medium long finish. A nice, uncomplicated compliment to a weekday meal.
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114 NOK PnP til pizza. Enkel og god. muskat på nesen. 1 dag i åpen flaske: Merkelig grønn, tutti frutti, kumøkk. Ok vin som sklir greit inn med pizza og sånn.
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Opened not decanted. Served at a friend's house at a party. Sweet nose of raisin fruit. Sweet on the palate with dark tastes of raisins and must; showing some tannins, but nothing off putting; thin middle and a somewhat short finish. Not complex but, very quaffable. Easy and fun drinker. Good.
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9/28/2020 - Hoi wrote:
Dark fruits, peppery, mild
Recommended date is 2017 and it’s 2020 and it’s not bad.
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8/31/2020 - Alemany wrote: 89 Points
Surprisingly amazingly good!
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8/16/2017 - Daveyspi wrote:
OK I waited to long to drink this one, but... Let it breathe for an hour or more and it becomes very drinkable. Saved a good value wine. All gone now ��
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11/23/2015 - JCWmedia Likes this wine: 88 Points
Drank first of six in 2010, fruity nose with a little earth or dust with fresh weeds bordering on anise, bright red fruit flavors; 2nd to last Feb 2015, still really, fresh, complex nose with subtle menthol and smooth in mouth; last Nov 2015, no sediment, earthy menthol nose, bright berries in mouth with a little acid and pucker at finish, still nice, but not as good as when young
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8/25/2015 - all4ya wrote: 80 Points
Nothing special, tasted a little metallic
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3/4/2015 - GreenCook Does not like this wine:
Beyond drinking; vinegary taste.
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10/5/2014 - Raja wrote: 88 Points
Needed a long time to open up. Once opened, it was enjoyable.
At first, seemed like a flawed bottle.
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4/25/2014 - Janstan Does not like this wine: 81 Points
Tight. Little fruit... Hmmmm maybe 81 is too high
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12/9/2013 - dalemosier Likes this wine: 85 Points
Needs to air a long time
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9/30/2013 - Wineasaurus Rex Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking like a wonderful Italian table wine right now. Great with pasta.
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9/29/2013 - redbrix wrote: 80 Points
Decent pizza/pasta wine. 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet s., 5% merlot .
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9/19/2013 - dalemosier Likes this wine: 88 Points
I only had 3 bottles left so I haven't drunk for some time. Low fruit, nice balance, long finish. I didn't get the nose that some noted, nice deep color - no brownish on the edges. Great QPR.
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8/8/2013 - bakke wrote: 80 Points
Dark fruit, better than my former bottles.
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7/24/2013 - Brett and Megan Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Fig, Cherry, Plum, and Alcohol/Hot. It tastes like Blueberry, Cherry, Black Pepper, and Alcohol/Hot. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Angular texture. The wine finishes Medium. There is a nice bite of tannins and it is surprisingly smooth. It was surprisingly a bit hot still, but it seems to be mellowing as it airs some, but this could even age a bit longer.
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7/10/2013 - imissjerry wrote: 91 Points
This wine got VERY good!
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5/18/2013 - Vinobc wrote: 90 Points
It continues to amaze me that this is a $10-12 wine. Good red and dark fruit nose, nice body, all with good balance.
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5/5/2013 - eniskonuk wrote: 88 Points
- Garnet color.
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4/21/2013 - Erolso1 wrote: 87 Points
dry and a little thin for my taste. decent value I suppose but there are much better super tuscans out there for the money
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2/13/2013 - Bam_Man wrote: 87 Points
Last bottle of my case. Definitely past its prime and no longer the fantastic standalone drinker it once was - but still delightful with a mid-week pizza. This was one of the all-time QPR champs.
50+5+11+14+7=87
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2/9/2013 - bakke wrote: flawed
Over the hill. I expected the good Toscana year 2006 to last, but 3 bottles were all bad.
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12/22/2012 - handymom wrote: 88 Points
Still holding on. Acidity and fruit nicely balanced.
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11/12/2012 - Launchair wrote: 88 Points
try again
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9/29/2012 - Bam_Man wrote: 88 Points
Beginning to fade just a bit. Has lost some of its fruitiness, and is not quite as ripe and focused as previous bottles. Still has the beautiful Tuscan nose and is extremely polished and refined on the palate. One of the all-time QPR champs. Time to drink up - I've still got five more of these left.
50+5+12+14+7=88
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6/10/2012 - DTWOB wrote: 90 Points
Best value in my cellar - should have bought a couple of cases when I had the chance!
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4/7/2012 - Bam_Man wrote: 90 Points
Don't let the screwcap and $8.99 price tag fool you - this is a Tuscan gem. Shows a very pretty nose of dark fruit, cumin and leather. Medium-bodied but loaded with flavor and personality, which is almost unheard of at this price point. Lots of ripe, sweet cherry and plum fruit along with hints of cola and vanilla. The surprisingly long, fruit-filled finish features refined tannins and hints of oak and mineral. Not a big wine, but polished, delicious and very nicely balanced. It is so rare to find this level of quality in a $8.99 bottle - undoubtedly a major factor in its selection as #61 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2009.
50+5+12+16+7=90
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4/6/2012 - GrandAcadien wrote: 89 Points
Peux-t-etre attendu un peu trop avant de le boire, toutefois au nez, beaucoup d'arome de cerises noirs...interessant! En bouche, tanin assez souple, pas très long, mais fini avec p.tit gout de chêne...ca va etretres bon avec notre pizza!
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3/10/2012 - Chapel wrote: 89 Points
very nice red for a great price. stand alone but also goes well with pasta.
kept aerated pourer instead of recapping and next night still delicious
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3/4/2012 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 89 Points
This is kind of a of a find. Saw it on the close out shelf at World Market, where I have only had moderate success with quality. I saw the screw cap, which to me means that sitting upright on a shelf for several years, is less a chance of dry cork failure. This one super over delivered even at full price. This is a rich full wine. Big dark color, almost purple. The nose is very typical Italian Sangiovese with steely graphite behind sharp black cherry, with some vanilla and plenty of minerals. The 15% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon really bring some heft, backbone, and structure, plus leave some of their tell tail flavor characteristics on the otherwise typical Sangiovese palate. This is red fruit city, dark cherry, red raspberry, and cranberry up front, followed by plum and blackberry. All this fruit is swimming in some dusty graphite, tree root and bark non fruit flavors. Well past medium bodied. Prominent, silky tannins. The bottle age has helped soften the acid. Long, impressive black cherry finish.
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1/30/2012 - williamswhine wrote: 90 Points
I understand why this wine is frequently listed as best buy for value-- it is reliable year after year. Considering the value ($12/bt), this is definitely worth trying. Great house wine. Nice wine, structured, ruby color, medium body, nice finish. Enjoyed!
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1/17/2012 - jfarley3 wrote: 85 Points
Simple table wine with enough acid to stand up to most food. Barely any tannin or structure, has notes of red licorice, cherry and cough syrup.
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1/9/2012 - gcarl wrote: 86 Points
Pleasnt, simple wine. Easy to drink and might buy again for $10 delivered.
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1/2/2012 - Bobs Wine Info wrote: 87 Points
Very good wine for everyday consumption. Consistent from year to year.
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11/27/2011 - Lordmichaud wrote: 77 Points
Correct mais rien d'impressionnant. Ce vin manque de profondeur et de générosité. Je n'achèterai plus.
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11/12/2011 - rlleigh wrote: 80 Points
Not worth buying
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10/31/2011 - td1836 wrote: 89 Points
Black cherries, plum, and leather in a very terrific nose. Reminds me a little of a CA cab. Firm tannins and high acidity at first, which smoothed out after an hour. Excellent QPR.
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10/30/2011 - Red4me31 wrote: 90 Points
90 Points Best Value Wine Spectator
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10/11/2011 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 85 Points
Nothing special. Screw cap which is handy for this cheap picnic wine. Scores 89-90 in WS every year?? Ok. I guess I cellared it too long... Seriously, this is the commercial side of Italy. I loved the comment about thinking this was good wine before we had good wine.
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10/10/2011 - no leashes wrote: 89 Points
Actually drinking quite nicely now, with red cherry, a hint of chocolate, earth pepper and spice flavors. Medium weight, nicely balanced.
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10/8/2011 - dsgris wrote: 87 Points
Mostly tart fruit, vita C, some bitter, vegetable, light tannins. Best with food, cheese and sopresata or pizza.
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9/30/2011 - J&SKing wrote: 65 Points
Turned already
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9/23/2011 - gajalaa wrote: 88 Points
Decent everyday wine
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9/23/2011 - domco wrote: 80 Points
Not a lot going on here, but fine w/ pizza tonight. A wine we used to think was good, before we had good wine.
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9/18/2011 - mflesh wrote: 86 Points
Wasn't very impressed with this one. In the world of tuscans there are far better, but this one did serve the purpose intended. NOT made to drink alone. Cork pops out a light ruby red. Color of pour is the same - very light - red - not much body here. On the nose is FRUIT. Light fruits - strawberries, cherries, apple both by smell and on the palate. It was VERY tight after having been opened. This one needed probably two hours of breathing, and it did improve with time. When enjoyed with a cheese spread it was very enjoyable. Changed the structure of the wine and enjoyment factor IMMENSELY. Fruit was more vibrant, tannic structure at the finish was observed but was very light. This is not a wine to enjoy with hearty meals but could be easily enjoyed with cheese, chicken, fruit. I'd like to see how two years of aging would do for this one.
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9/9/2011 - scaredone wrote: 88 Points
Red in color. Nice flavour, smooth, pretty reliable.
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9/7/2011 - YWG Wine Guy Likes this wine: 88 Points
Per my last notes - great QPR for what you get. A year on - perhaps a little more muted and not as "exciting" but solid and like the style and actually want to get more for shelf - nice house wine with complexity.
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8/25/2011 - NathanJM wrote: 89 Points
Delicious. Dark fruit, peppers, oak, and a bit of what I'd call "crayon". Excellent balance, medium finish. Drink now.
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8/21/2011 - GoBlue2002 wrote: 84 Points
Fruity aromas with flavors of dried fruit, pepper, and oak. Smooth but simple finish. Good everyday wine, pairs well with most foods. I've had this wine quite a few times, and noticed that this latest bottle was past its prime, so drink now. My previous bottles would have been rated higher.
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8/14/2011 - dsgris wrote: 88 Points
Medium ruby, blackberry nose. Dry with tart fruit, light body, slight bitter almond. Nice fruit acid balance. I have had 3 Sangiovese & IGT blends that have the bitter almond notes which limits my enjoyment. Not having drunk much Tuscan lately, my palate may need to be reacquainted with them. Over all this has been a reliable drinker and the best of the 3, one at twice the cost.
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8/12/2011 - dblbogey wrote: 89 Points
Really enjoyed this bottle.
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8/8/2011 - Alfaro wrote: 85 Points
Good, but it is what it is without any surprises.
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8/7/2011 - Larry333 wrote: 87 Points
Wonderful!!! Great value.
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7/25/2011 - Oakjeff wrote: 85 Points
A bit candied like
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7/23/2011 - patsox wrote: 83 Points
Over the hill.
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7/20/2011 - kmicho wrote: 82 Points
Decent everyday drinking wine. Consistent year to year. Nothing terribly special, but very drinkable.
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7/11/2011 - williamswhine wrote: 90 Points
I understand why this wine is frequently on Wine Spectators Top 100-- it is reliable year after year. Considering the value ($10/bt), this is definitely worth trying. Great house wine. Nice wine, structured, ruby color, medium body, nice finish. Enjoyed!
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6/27/2011 - drrobvino wrote: 85 Points
Beautiful deep crimson color with a nice fading at the edge, showing a little bottle age...even on this "cheaper" wine. On the nose, the oaky characteristics seem at the forefront, with dark berry fruit and some vegetal aromas in the background. On the palate, the mouthfeel is light bodied, with notes of prunes, plums and candied cherries. The tannins are a bit astringent, making the finish short. Certainly not off-putting, but it is a straightforward and one-dimensional wine at this point in it's life. Drink soon, or use to cook with later!
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6/12/2011 - no leashes wrote: 88 Points
Ripe, round cherry and earth flavors, with some pepper and spice. Good sunday night pizza wine.
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5/20/2011 - jason_boatman wrote: 84 Points
Lots of flavors, spiciness, the flavors didn't completely work together, but I enjoyed drinking this bottle with some hummus and corn chips.
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5/15/2011 - goldgarf wrote: 75 Points
A bit insipid but pleasant enough with pizza.
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5/14/2011 - TannicBeast wrote: 86 Points
Clean nose and palate. Red cherries, cranberries; high acidity, medium-bodied, muted tannins; a little lean on the finish. Simple, cheap and cheerful. Not as great as in previous years, but still a good wine. After all, one should not be too critical of a $9.00 wine from Costco that shows this level of quality.
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5/13/2011 - Alfaro wrote: 88 Points
Went very well with pizza dinner
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5/8/2011 - laelops wrote:
Good drinker
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5/4/2011 - Quarked wrote: 86 Points
Was much better last year.
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5/1/2011 - goldgarf wrote: 78 Points
Eh. Smooth, but not a ton of flavor. Very acidic. This wine seems to be be going downhill after many good vintages.
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4/15/2011 - JRo wrote: 86 Points
Nice nose but getting thin - best t drink up
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3/22/2011 - JRo wrote: 88 Points
Still drinking well - let it open up for a couple hours and it improves noticeably.
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3/21/2011 - moxielady wrote: 87 Points
Good value 2nd bottle, esp. w/food
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3/21/2011 - cessna700 wrote: 88 Points
I've had a few bottles of this wine and it has always left me with a great impression for it's price point. With some air time it opens up nicely and I've found it to be have good body, some tobacco and a nice finish. Great to drink over good conversation and/or with a good tomato sauce. Look into it and enjoy.
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3/16/2011 - Wine Sparty wrote: 88 Points
Very nice drinking wine, especially with the spaghetti & meatballs I had, but still good without food. Had strawberry flavor, as well as a hint of draker fruit and chocolate. On the first night, it showed much more earthiness I am used to in Tuscan wines, but on the second night, this had subsided some. Fantastic QPR.
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3/15/2011 - Wine Concert Guy wrote:
Pam didn't like this very much; too much tanin
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3/15/2011 - jersyko wrote: 87 Points
Very herbaceous nose. Red color. Red fruit and herbs on tasting. I like it. Very nice QPR.
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3/13/2011 - tadams66 wrote: 89 Points
Open and decanted for 1 hour. Very nice fruit and structure. Not a long finish but excellent with food. Ready for drinking. Excellent value.
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3/11/2011 - Oakjeff wrote: 86 Points
Amazing what two months can do..... much softer & fruitier.
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3/7/2011 - feffer wrote:
Tasty Italian Sangiovese blend. A nice quaffer.
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3/5/2011 - jbbmttx wrote: 88 Points
Certainly above average although not worthy of a rave review. In light of the price and character of the components, this wine is superb. Soft over all bit lacks a juicy feel. I like it.
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2/26/2011 - Hankkey wrote: 89 Points
Good everyday wine for a great price!
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2/25/2011 - 6831 wrote: 85 Points
Thin band of red fruit and wood. Short finish. Balanced but unexciting.
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2/7/2011 - jdidom wrote: 88 Points
Just finished my last of 6. Solid! Can't beat the price.
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2/6/2011 - Naso wrote: 90 Points
This is such a nice wine for the price.
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1/30/2011 - PIntag wrote: 85 Points
Enjoyed again. Tastes a little strange when opened, but improves with air. Give this one a decant if you can.
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1/29/2011 - Briangray77 wrote: 88 Points
nice dark fruit on the nose, nice fruit on the palette but really pretty empty on the mid palette and bitter on the finish. i drank with indian food and the flavor evolved into a much fruitier and tannin driven goodness.
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1/19/2011 - mdefreitas wrote: 88 Points
Not a complex wine, but I continue to be impressed with the quality, given the price and the quanity this is made in. Bright, lively cherry flavors, good acidity, some herbs and even a bit of earth. Surprising charater for such an inexpensive wine. Held up well on day 2.
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1/19/2011 - bdublu wrote: 88 Points
Always a solid wine from Tuscany. This vintage is no exception. Great QPR for about $11.
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1/17/2011 - soyhead wrote: 89 Points
Mid bodied juicy fruit with a fruit punchy essence
Great with pizza.
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1/16/2011 - Not647f wrote: 82 Points
Not sure why it had high scores from critics. The first two nights the acid was out of balance and the fruit was pretty low on the scale. Mostlly like sour cherries. Maybe that's what the critics like now. The second night, it was a little better, less tightly wound. The third night I finished it off right before bed and it was better. I recommend some decanting time.
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1/13/2011 - ghoztly wrote: 86 Points
This was received as a gift on New Years Day. Translucent reddish-violet in color, thin legs. Red fruit, slight spice with a hint of oak and vanilla in the nose. You can pick up the aroma of the Sangiovese in this blend, which also includes Cabernet and Merlot. Taste? Think tart cherry blend with a skosh of spice and pepper, and you won't be far off. Light body, short finish, fair tannins, somewhat flabby. An OK everyday drinker with food; not your aperitif or weekend with guests wine.
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1/12/2011 - Philly NQ King wrote: 88 Points
Mouthwatering in acidity with lush, clean flavors of dried flowers, cherries and oak. Medium bodied and a helluva value...
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1/10/2011 - moxielady wrote: 87 Points
Light fruit slightly acidic/tart but balances w food.
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1/8/2011 - wineZombie wrote:
A: ok. E: very good.
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1/7/2011 - Giannth wrote:
Great value wine
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1/7/2011 - Primordialsoup wrote: 89 Points
Last bottle. Seems to have improved over the last year or so. Light on its feet. Certainly a good QPR for $10.
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1/4/2011 - Oakjeff wrote: 87 Points
I agree with those who have said that this needs a good while to breathe as it starts out overly fruity. But after a while, and on Day 2, it gains depth and strength and structure. Dark plum.
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1/1/2011 - jeff nowak wrote:
12.5% alcohol. 85% sangiovese, 10% cabernet, 5% merlot. under screw cap. not decanted. a gift from a (now former) professional colleage. bwaaahaha! under ripe. annoyingly dry on the palate. thin black tea notes. good grief, what a way to start a new year of wine. however, i will say this, it's better than the 2003 sloan cabernet. regift to a homeless person.
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12/31/2010 - jbrater wrote: 87 Points
A great everyday red. Decent body, some deep red fruit forward and some spice with nice tannins throughout. great QPR at $12.
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12/30/2010 - jmcmurtry wrote: 89 Points
This is an awesome sangiovese blend. It needs an hour or so in caraffe to open up but it is a Terrific wine and an outstanding value.
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12/30/2010 - Jason Rzutkiewicz wrote:
Had with company so no formal notes but this one drank very well. Quite pleasing for the price point. I'd buy again.
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12/29/2010 - JRo wrote: 88 Points
Still drinking well
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12/27/2010 - bkrup wrote: 88 Points
This was a nice Sangiovese. It did need some time to open up though, and the second night it was better than the first. Will get this again.
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12/26/2010 - WineSnob7 wrote: 88 Points
Good everyday drinker!
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12/25/2010 - jpinsb wrote: 88 Points
Notes consistent with last tasting. Great QPR.
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12/24/2010 - billgeorge767 wrote: 88 Points
Great match with red sauce pasta dishes.
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12/22/2010 - hairynosedwombat wrote: 85 Points
Strawberries, coffee, slight earthiness. Quite dry and a little more acidic than I like. Seems like a pretty authentic table wine for a (real) Italian restaurant. Good value.
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12/21/2010 - muskie wrote: 89 Points
Maybe the best $10 bottle of wine i have consumed Mid tempo red with light nose. Could easy be an everyday drinker
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12/18/2010 - TGMainprize wrote:
Excellent full bodied
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12/16/2010 - ctjared wrote:
Light, red fruit on the nose. A little hot at the back, but tannins are soft and the finish is longer then expected. Pop, pour and enjoy.
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12/14/2010 - BRENTEF wrote: 88 Points
better than expected
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12/4/2010 - wineward Likes this wine: 88 Points
A strawberry vinegar nose. Leather and a little currant and sour cherry. Nice acid, but no harshness or bitterness. Very, very good.
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12/4/2010 - thelinebreak wrote: 89 Points
This will be a double tasting to compare two wines.
Tonight there will be a battle. No blood will be spilled nor any wine, but much wine will be drunk. This challenge comes in the wake of the announcement of the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2010. It fact, this battle is really a battle with Wine Spectator. It’s David and Goliath battle, but this time David has a grape.
Tonight’s giant coming in at 96 point and #25 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2010 with a price of $35 (on sale for $19.99 at Mahan’s) and wearing a wine label over a cork is the Ruffino Modus Toscana 2007. Woo woo.
And in this corner a little Italian wine that no one has heard of and with a low, low Mahan’s sale price of $9.99 and wearing a screw-top top is the Monte Antico Toscana 2006. Yay yippie.
Ruffino Modus Toscana 2007 vs Monte Antico Toscana 2006
As you can see these are both Toscanas, so it should be evenly matched, but let’s look at the numbers.
The Modus is 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Merlot.
The Monte Antico is 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot.
The Modus will have a bigger body, but the Monte Antico will have the bigger rustic spirit. At least that’s what the odds makers are saying.
All right guys. Clink glasses and come out drinking.
(But first a disclaimer. Last night I opened another bottle of the Modus. I think I had a cold when I did, but it didn’t taste like it should. It tasted dark and earthy and tobaccoy. The tobacco can be expected from the Sangiovese, but not the rest. Oh, and I’m wearing my new glasses, too. My first wine post with my new glasses. My first pair of glasses.)
So here we go. Allons-y.
The glasses of wine come out slowly and present their colors and menisci (the plural of meniscus). The Modus has a shorter meniscus and with more color. Oo a jab to Monte Antico. Monte Antico counters with a brighter top color. Below the menisci, both wines, however, are solid purple in color and equally opaque – the Modus, though, is about 98% opaque and the Monte Antico is about 95% opaque. The first round goes to the Modus with shorter, deeper colored meniscus.
Round Two. The Nose.
Monte Antico comes out smelling like bacon, flowers, and carmalized sugar (my girlfriend picked up on the latter). And there is some jam, too – strawberry jam. That’s good a solid, berryful comeback for the Monte Antico.
The Modus challenges back with a deeper nose of tobacco and leather and with a bouquet of flowers, more flowery than the Monte Antico. These flowers are like lilies, Easter liliers says the girlfriend. This nose is more balanced, too.
When I returned to the Monte Antico, the nose wasn’t as delightful as before. The Modus gave an upper cut to the Monte Antico with its lilies. The Monte Antico seems a bit stunned and is a bit wobbly.
Ding ding. Monte Antico has been temporarily saved by the bell.
This round goes to Modus, too.
Round Three. The Tasting.
The Modus comes out with a swagger and leads with dark berries (dark cherries and cranberries) and finishes with tartness, flowers, and a dry finish. This wine is getting excited and styling as it’s showing off its long, clingy legs. The taste reminds me of an old, sturdy, rocky, bald mountain under a clear blue sky. From its peak you can see the Mediterranean Sea.
Can the Monte Antico counter? Does it have what it takes? Can this David stand up to this Goliath?
Tasters clean their palates, and here comes Monte Antico. (Tip on cleansing the palate: Use water at room temperature. Don’t dull the taste buds with cold water.)
The tobacco nose rushes out of the glass before I even begin to taste. The nose has recovered. It’s stronger, faster, better. It seems bionic. It seems six million dollars.
The Monte Antico is completely different. It leads with some sourness then turns quite juicy and finishes with caramel. What a counter. It’s body is a little lighter than the Modus, but what a little spar it just had. It’s delightful. It makes me think of a fair with cotton candy. It makes me think of the movie Big when he is at the fairground and right before he leaves to go get his wish from Zoltar.
Ding ding ding. That’s the end of the battle. Who wins.
The girlfriend scores it 10-10, 9-10, 10-8. The burnt sugar and finish of the Monte Antico won it for her.
This judge scores it 10-10, 10-9, 10-9. The complexity and depth of the Modus won it for him, but he sure loves the playfulness of the Monte Antico.
For price, the Monte Antico wins. For quality, the Modus wins.
I’d say the Modus is like 91.5 points and the Monte Antico is like a fully loaded 89 points.
Now, I’m going back and forth between the two and it’s getting nasty. I need food interruptus. I need bread and onion-fig jam.
Wait. Hold on. There’s an after-the-match scrum with the onion-fig jam and ciabatta bread.
Monte Antico comes out swinging. Oh, it’s a wonderful complement that smooths out the wine and brings out the onions.
Modus counters and says, “Hey, man I ain’t that dry. With this jam I’m chill. I’m a complex mo fo.”
That’s it. That’s it. They are both winners.
And aren’t we all when we drink good wine.
http://thelinebreak.wordpress.com/2010/12/03/in-pursuit-of-the-juiciest-wine-day-seventy/
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11/26/2010 - degrandcru wrote: 79 Points
Medium bodied, started out sweet, than showed some acid, short tart not very pleasant finish. Not what I am used to from a super tuscany. Maybe it was just that particular bottle, but certainly not my kind of wine. Every medium priced Chianti is better for italian food.
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11/24/2010 - sunalsorises wrote: 86 Points
A bit funky at first. Fruit developed and went nicely with pizza.
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11/20/2010 - PIntag wrote: 85 Points
Again, a solid bottle that went well with pizza. Fairly simple and easy drinking red that's pretty well-balanced.
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11/19/2010 - pogy4 Likes this wine: 89 Points
burgers
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11/17/2010 - cbbrown3 wrote: 85 Points
Medium ruby color. Nice, but reserved nose with cherry, licorice, some white pepper, a bit of earthiness, and some vanilla. Medium body with soft tannins and good acidity. Short finish that shows a bit too much oak. Not bad, but not much more then a week night pizza wine. Did not stand up to some baked ziti.
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11/14/2010 - moxielady wrote:
Solid pizza wine, nice fruit and acid balance. Light tannin.
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11/14/2010 - sftoto wrote: 90 Points
Good acidity and medium finish. Excellent daily wine for $8.00.
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11/13/2010 - x85712 wrote: 88 Points
Very good for $12, very drinkable after 1-2 days...opened & decanted for 2 hrs
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11/11/2010 - Edzo wrote: 87 Points
Nice sangiovese based table wine. Great with spaguetti and meat balls.
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11/8/2010 - mikesvins wrote: 88 Points
I think I am starting to like this wine after a few overripe off balance dark fruited bombs. This is bottle is very tasty after 2 hrs of air. Fruity and floral on the nose, light ruby in the glass is almost pinot-like in color and charm. Excellent balance of fruit and acidity smooth finish. A killer under $9.
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11/5/2010 - PIntag wrote: 85 Points
Went well with peperoni pizza. Not spectacular, but solid and a good value at $8.
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11/3/2010 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Solid. Great Costco buy. Can be a definite every night go-to.
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10/27/2010 - phillywinefinder wrote: 87 Points
Agree with other notes. What we like about it is how the Merlot in the blend smooths out the Sangiovese. http://ph.ly/37
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10/27/2010 - pasqualini wrote: 88 Points
Nice acidity. Good Italian red. Perfect with cured meat.
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10/27/2010 - Mstroh55 wrote: 78 Points
Ok probably not buy again
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10/26/2010 - nvexplorer wrote: 88 Points
Big, bold Italian red, made even better with fruit and smoothness of merlot and cabernet. Best pizza wine I know for under $25.
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10/25/2010 - leighrichman wrote: 85 Points
Moderate red fruit on the nose and palate. Good tannins with a bit of a racy finish. Great pizza wine at a great price.
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10/22/2010 - AlanGee wrote: 88 Points
Good, inexpensive Toscana.
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10/21/2010 - Chrisinroch wrote: 88 Points
Consistently over delivers for the $$. Just soft enough to drink young but no mistaking the Sangiovese being dominant. Great food wine and QPR
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10/19/2010 - kcsteve wrote: 84 Points
Nice aroma; a bit floral with red berries. Plum and some funk on palate. Little too much oak for me; was not vanilla, almost bitter. Nice acidity. Not my cup of tea, so to speak. Drank with pasta with red sauce and Italian sausage.
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10/17/2010 - jpinsb wrote: 88 Points
Big cheap Italian fruit bomb. A steal at this price.
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10/15/2010 - tcfryjr wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine for the money for sure. Good, balanced fruit and some acidity that makes it fruit friendly.
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10/9/2010 - PIntag wrote: 85 Points
Consistent with last bottle. Not a great wine, but it's drinkable, though a little medicinal and oaky for my palate. Went well with pasta. I've certainly had many horrible wines at this price ($8). IMO, Wine Spectator tasted something different than I drank to get the 90 point score.
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10/8/2010 - PIntag wrote: 85 Points
Consistent with last bottle. Good ripeness, medium bodied with good acidity. A little bit medicinal tasting and a bit more oak than I like. Good with pasta and pizza. Not getting the WS 90 point score, though.
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10/4/2010 - pogy4 Likes this wine: 90 Points
best value super tuscan i've ever had
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10/3/2010 - jnmcdonald@gmail.com Likes this wine: 88 Points
Strong but fairly smooth, Did not taste particularly good by tself but came alive with pizza.
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10/2/2010 - valecnik wrote: 89 Points
Nice. Flowers and berries on the nose. Good acidity, and delicious red fruit on the palate. Very fresh and balanced.
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10/1/2010 - mwagner7700 wrote:
Typical Italian "table" wine. High in acidity, light fruit notes of cherry, earth, barnyard. Nothing special here. Obviously this needs food. Good
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9/27/2010 - Sandab0 wrote:
table wine. Very acidic and tannins are overpowering. Sour cherries. Barnyard nose.
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9/25/2010 - Tpmess wrote: 89 Points
Earthy tastes with bit of licorice and a lingering taste of white pepper
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9/24/2010 - mhenry wrote: 83 Points
90 points? I'm sorry I purchased this. The Da Vinci Chianti is a much better alternative for a cheap wine/cheap pasta pairing. Others rated this higher; perhaps I got a bad CostCo bottle.
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9/18/2010 - ScottGoodwin Likes this wine: 87 Points
Meaty. Barnyard. Sheep poop. Tart red fruits. Decent grip.
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9/13/2010 - bigcheese88 wrote: 88 Points
Very nice. Has that acidic berry taste I love from the Sangiovese grape. Yet the other blends were very noticeable and well-balanced! A nice wine with pepperoni pizza!
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9/6/2010 - wallstreet wrote: 85 Points
I did not like this wine last year (05 vintage) and I don't like it in this vintage. For me, it is out of balance and just lacking any oomph. Not interesting at all. It might be a good QPR for some, but for me, I couldn't even finish the first glass poured. Just not my cup of tea and doesn't jive with my palette. I would rather spend $20 and drink Stefania Haut Tubee if a good inexpensive red is needed. Life is too short to drink sh*tty wine.
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9/2/2010 - df1962 wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous notes.
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8/30/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Holy Grail type of wine, drinkable well and under $11 a bottle.
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8/29/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 90 Points
(Italian Value Night)
Did not decant. Always a value. See previous notes. There's something about the lack of bottle variation. This is of quality. Worth a decant.
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8/28/2010 - wabi47 wrote: 88 Points
good currant, mineral; nice structure; still a bit tight and lean at first but nicely balanced and opens up well; just right for a big pizza party.
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8/20/2010 - SJ05 Likes this wine: 87 Points
This bottle much better than the last few. Not sure what is going on with this wine, some bottles are better than others.
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8/19/2010 - td1836 wrote: 89 Points
A solid Italian performer, paired well with spagetti. Earthy flavors, herbs, leather and berry.
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8/18/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Very pleasant quaffer for $11, I wish I had more.
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8/16/2010 - Snoman wrote: 88 Points
Very consistent with last bottle.....what a great value at $8-$10; give the bottle/glass about a half-hour to open, or decant. Pretty black fruit flavors, nicely crafted and balanced, and very food-friendly. Nice example of a real Vino Genuino. Well made and enjoyable.
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8/7/2010 - DRS-Inc wrote: 86 Points
90% Sangiovese + 10% Cab & Merlot. Screw cap. Let breathe for two hrs. (def evolved while breathing; but does not hold well after 2nd day).
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8/2/2010 - ruffem wrote: 87 Points
Definitely one of my favorite "bargain" pasta wines. Medium garnet color with a nose of blackberries and cherries with a cedar base. On the palate, some sour cherry and floral notes, particularly in the rear palate. Very short finish. Great food wine -- went really well with pizza.
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8/2/2010 - cliffo41 wrote: 84 Points
Berries and red fruit. More sweet than smokey. Screw cap - don't try a wine opener, it won't work. (not even if you try twice...). Easy drinking and approachable, but hard to consider it representative of a Super Tuscan.
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7/31/2010 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 88 Points
Drank and cooked with -- great for a combo wine!
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7/30/2010 - westcoastwannabe wrote: 88 Points
Great nose and good body/finish. Great QPR.
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7/30/2010 - dsgris wrote: 88 Points
Brought to our Spanish group. Popped and poured, notes pretty consistent with all the others. Pleasant not great, but good for the occasion. Screw top great for take out.
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7/28/2010 - soyhead wrote: 87 Points
nose - earthy, floral, herbal
mouth - good acidity, juicy, but overall thin. lacks body. good food wine, slightly vegetal. needs food.
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7/22/2010 - ckilpatrick wrote: 86 Points
Drank with spaghetti & meat sauce. Popped and ran through the aerator. Muted nose. Taste cherry & licorice. Reminds me of a candied orange. I don't agree with the 90 Spectator gave it.
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7/20/2010 - jbrater wrote: 87 Points
Cherry and red raspberry. a little lighter than expected but medium bodied. nice oaky tannins. definitely taste the sangiovese (80%) dominating this blend, and i like that. Nice QPR.
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7/10/2010 - Sparkotron wrote: 88 Points
I almost hate myself for liking this wine as much as I did, but what can I say--it is delicious, drinking really well, and surprisingly structured and complex for the price. This would make a great house red... I think I saw it at Costco for under $10.
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7/7/2010 - kevjenw wrote: 77 Points
Needs to air out; First glass typical Italian with strong acid and tannins; After airing much better; OK with pizza; Buy again: Maybe
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7/7/2010 - jeffal66 wrote: 88 Points
I spent 8 bucks on this wine. It's food wine. Dry, slightly chunkier than medium body. Its flavor truly comes out with a good bowl of pasta -- or a hamburger. What's not to like?
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7/5/2010 - Ryan Sullivan Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine looks Violet colored.
The legs are Fast.
It smells like and Blackberry.
It tastes like and Blackberry.
The body is Medium/Full.
The wine is textured Smooth.
The wine finishes Short.
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7/3/2010 - knurdami wrote: 86 Points
OK but didn't blow me away. Cost $11. Could go either way on buying it again.
85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot
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6/30/2010 - Gfritzh wrote: 88 Points
A good pairing with spaghetti and meatballs.
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6/29/2010 - alamoave wrote: 89 Points
Extremely good value. Screwtop simplicity. Take it on your next picnic.
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6/28/2010 - mdefreitas wrote: 87 Points
A bit of a tinny, shrill, metallic taste when first uncorked... err... unscrewed. With air, this came around to it's typical, sleek, cherry, tobacco and herb profile. High acid, food friendly and a good everyday wine.
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6/22/2010 - godx wrote: 87 Points
No formal notes. 2 bottles consumed. Consistent with previous bottle. Good.
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6/18/2010 - vinole wrote: 86 Points
Consistent with previous note.
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6/16/2010 - PIntag wrote: 85 Points
Good, classic, Tuscan red -- leather, cherry, good acidity and complements tomato sauces well. I thought the wood treatment was a bit too heavy handed and I was getting some spice (cinammon?) from it that I wasn't too crazy about.
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6/15/2010 - cummingstom1 wrote: 87 Points
good QPR
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6/15/2010 - winepups wrote: 89 Points
Great nose, good depth of palate, unreal value
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6/15/2010 - cadams wrote: 87 Points
Had with spaghetti and was a great pair. Awesome food wine but not complex enough to drink on its own. Will buy more because we eat italian food all the time.
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6/14/2010 - wffinn wrote: 88 Points
This wine improved once decanted and softened over time.
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6/14/2010 - juggernt wrote: 88 Points
Super-good for $9.
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6/13/2010 - geppetto wrote: 90 Points
I am getting a killer nose off this wine again. Bottle number two is different than number one. This bottle is giving me oak, vanilla and flowers. Didn't get floural anything last time, but today I am tasting what I think carnations smell like. Odd. I really find this an interesting wine. Makes for a good cellar protector.
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6/11/2010 - moxey1 wrote: 90 Points
Excellent super tuscan
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6/7/2010 - BSpdx wrote: 85 Points
Just not as good as the first bottle. Much thinner, and very tart cherry flavors that finish very unevenly.
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6/6/2010 - LeGaulois wrote: 86 Points
I did not enjoy the first sip but after few minutes it became more enjoyable. Very fuity and fresh. I liked it but will not buy it again.
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6/6/2010 - David J Cooper wrote:
Bright red. Medium wieght nose with cherry, raspberry and vanilla. Nice red fruit flavours and a medium tannic high acid finish. A style of Tuscan wine I really like.
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6/1/2010 - Fredpug wrote: 89 Points
nice for the money
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6/1/2010 - mikec42 wrote: 89 Points
Had with homemade pepperoni/mushroom pizza and this was excellent.
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6/1/2010 - handymom wrote: 89 Points
While most enjoyed the Brunello di Montalcino I served before this one, some in our group enjoyed this much more and there were many gasps as I revealed the price of this wine compared to the Brunellos.
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5/31/2010 - corkscrews wrote: 85 Points
A nose of cherries and flowers, medium ruby in color. Plum, cherries, spice and earth, medium bodied, I found it a bit sour, not as good as the hype.
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5/25/2010 - Gfritzh wrote: 88 Points
Decanted one hour. A great value for an every day wine.
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5/23/2010 - df1962 wrote: 88 Points
Suffering a bit of a cold. Consistent with previous notes
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5/23/2010 - ey1294 wrote: 88 Points
Let this wine open up and breath. Great value!
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5/19/2010 - godx wrote: 87 Points
Opened and served right away. Medium bright ruby red in colour. A little hot on the nose and palate at first (was at room temperature), so stuck in the fridge for 15min to cool it down a bit. Bright and juicy notes of raspberry and strawberries with some red current and a hint of toasty oak. Medium body, high acidity, low to medium tannins, decent length giving notes of cranberries. Good value. Drinking well. Good.
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5/14/2010 - dirtyharry wrote: 89 Points
Always better the 2nd night
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5/13/2010 - will2wine wrote: 87 Points
Textbook Tuscan, with red cherry and garden-soil aromas and a fresh, smooth palate with some slight reduction. With the high WS rating, I was expecting a more New World-styled bomb and was pleasantly surprised to find a very classically styled Italian red. It won't blow you away, but it's certainly a better-than-average value for a table wine.
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5/12/2010 - otisabdul wrote: 87 Points
Nice "house wine" style red, with simple but juicy fruit and enough acidity to hold up to a tomato sauce.
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5/12/2010 - Joshiemac wrote:
Consistent with previous notes. Still drinking well, still a good value.
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5/10/2010 - Chrisinroch wrote: 87 Points
Cheap Super Tuscan with sangiovese flavors being dominant. Reticent nose. In the mouth...again you really taste the sangio, some floral, nice mid palate. Not particularly tannic, but enough to provide a nice counterpoint. Overall... More pleasant to drink that most cheap Chiantis and a very food friendly choice with hearty red sauce dishes and braises. (used some in our ragu so it probably was open for a good hour before drinking) Good to great QPR.
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5/9/2010 - Winiac wrote: 88 Points
Very nice bouquet and focused fruit on the palate with prominent notes of tart red cherry. Good finish with contained alcohol. Slightly flabby on the mid palate but still an excellent value for the price.
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5/8/2010 - thewinewhisperer wrote: 89 Points
I don't think this wine deserves WS 90, but it's still a heck of a bargain. A bit thin, as others have observed, but great everyday red with pasta and pizza.
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5/5/2010 - PeteNJ75 wrote: 82 Points
Not undrinkable but I found it kind of bland and lacking character. I can't complain too much because of how cheap it is, but it's just a red table wine that I'm sure would go fine with a big table full of red-sauce Italian food, but I think there are probably better wines out there for $8. Better the 2nd day though.
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5/4/2010 - cphd wrote: 83 Points
Costco advertises this with a 90 point rating from Wine Spectator and sells it for $9.00, drink now What a deal -- right??? Wrong, it's thin, tannic and full of alcohol on the finish according to my palate. Fruit is better than last time. Decanted for 1 hour.
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5/3/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Carbonic smelling with a fake wood overlay. Not in a bad way I suppose. Watermelon tasty. I bit sour. A ready definition for what Chianti is like at its worst -- commercial and somewhat inept.
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5/2/2010 - John Nezlek wrote: 89 Points
See previous notes -- old world style, spectacular deal at $10
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5/2/2010 - pogy4 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brought this bottle to my brother in laws for him to try. We drank it with JG Melon burgers. Paired well, and wine is drinking well as expected. Brother in law loved it.
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5/2/2010 - florida wine guy wrote: 89 Points
Went well with pizza
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5/1/2010 - Srognlie wrote: 94 Points
Gino's with mia bella
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5/1/2010 - lumpyelbow wrote: 88 Points
Performed better than last time. On this bottle I can pick out the Cab and Merlot making it distinctly Super Tuscan. Still a little lighter than I like but nice food wine.
Day 2-3: Even better. Notes of blueberry and sweat. It also put on weight and leaves me wanting more based on the exceptional QPR. 88
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4/28/2010 - df1962 wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Really comes out with food.
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4/28/2010 - JoshA wrote: 87 Points
Opened up after a bit of decanting to a decently balanced super Tuscan. Enjoyable but missing some depth.
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4/27/2010 - pogy4 Likes this wine: 89 Points
It took surprisingly longer to open than I would have thought, but once it did it really rouded out nice. Early on it was too biting of a finish, but after opening it really came to life. Great value.
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4/25/2010 - jbinnh wrote: 88 Points
I let it decant for about 2 hours. Very fruity lots of red fruit. It is more my wifes palate than mine. It was a goo winr for the money though.
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4/23/2010 - Tom_Neyman wrote: 86 Points
Nothing special. Had with wife's lasagna. A little sharp with alcohol on the first glass. Mellowed on second glass.
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4/21/2010 - Tag01 wrote: 89 Points
Developed nicely in glass. Similar experience to previously openend bottles. Very refreshing with good blend of fresh fruit and tannins.
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4/20/2010 - mikesvins wrote: 86 Points
Better than the last botle, perhaps bottle variation. Opened up after an hour, cherry, violets, earth on the nose, similar flavors on the palate, medium silky body, vibrant acidity, light tannins, with a sour and tart medium finish. Good for the price, still like Fontanafredda Barbera better for only couple of bucks more.
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4/19/2010 - Mophair wrote: 89 Points
Good wine for during the week, nice with tomato soup
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4/18/2010 - tward Likes this wine: 86 Points
Balanced internally and with respect to old and new world approach. Detailed notes not taken. Nose has cherry and earthier notes and tobacco. Body is fairly light for the blend, but makes it a solid choice for food. Overall pleasant, enjoyable, but not memorable. Great QPR.
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4/18/2010 - Rini Das wrote: 89 Points
Good cheap very drinakable wine -- goes well with beets, tomatoes etc
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4/16/2010 - vinole Likes this wine: 86 Points
Consistent with my earlier notes (2/18).
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4/14/2010 - mdefreitas wrote: 88 Points
A light, crisp, juicy wine. Cherry, tobacco and herbs. Medium to light bodied -- but lots of flavor and character for such an inexpensive wine.
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4/13/2010 - gigabit wrote: 88 Points
Much better than previous bottles. Red and dark berries and leather; bright fruit and medium acidity; clean; the finish is decent, but not great. There was no overwhelming oak - as in previous bottles. This seems to be rounding out a bit and should drink well in the short-medium term.
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4/13/2010 - wabi47 wrote: 87 Points
moderate mixed fruit with good mineral, tannin and acid backbone; bright enough acidity; nice price
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4/13/2010 - Bwallace wrote: 88 Points
Mer really liked.
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4/10/2010 - haldolugr wrote: 86 Points
This was my third and last bottle of Monte. Should have picked up more - what a great value. Easy drinking and follows most other bottles - made for a great 2nd bottle (would be a good first bottle).
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4/10/2010 - Staff Sargent Dignam wrote: 84 Points
Hints of fruit, a little bit harsh on the palate
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4/9/2010 - wineismylife wrote: 88 Points
WIML88
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, fairly clear hue. Nose of Kirsch and black berries that carries through to the palate with perhaps some added flavors of currants. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink now. Underperformed compared to that last bottle.
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4/9/2010 - Wine Sparty wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby color. Smells woody and cherry. Taste has a bit of cola and also cherry. Not much depth to the flavor, pretty straightforward. Enjoyable and easy-drinking. Good QPR.
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4/9/2010 - The Vinsider wrote: 86 Points
From a QPR perspective this is a completely acceptable wine, and an easy quaffer, but from a WS Top 100 perspective it's a major disappointment. With about a billion cases of this wine made, I can't help but wonder how much variation there is between the different rounds of bottling?
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4/8/2010 - eeeeeradicator wrote: 90 Points
Still going strong. At nine or ten bucks, this is one of my personal favorite wine bargains. There is some bottle variation, but about 2/3 of the case has been worthy of 91 points, the others down around 88-89 so I averaged it out to 90. Primary notes are raspberry and iron, with a little smoky leather in the background. Cabernet-like, but softer.
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4/8/2010 - Joshiemac wrote:
Seemed a little softer than previous bottles but still drinking well, and still very enjoyable.
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4/5/2010 - cortisj2 wrote: 89 Points
Bright cherries on the nose with a bit of herbs. deep red plums and violet flavor, nice tannins herbal finish, Lush but a little short on the finish falls short. great value wine for 10.00. Would buy agian.
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4/5/2010 - df1962 wrote: 90 Points
Lovely fruit. nice and smooth rich earthy dried cherry tabacco after taste.
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4/3/2010 - jawegs wrote: 89 Points
Always a great blend. Perfect with Italian food or pizza.
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4/2/2010 - JCarella wrote: 84 Points
Good bottle of Italian Red. The longer it open the better it gets. Great value as stated in other notes
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4/2/2010 - dblackdc wrote: 87 Points
Floral nose. Medium bodied, fruity. Enjoyable.
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4/1/2010 - AMM3RD wrote: 85 Points
Good solid wine, decent price. Needs 15+ mins to open up. Nice dark fruits, enjoyed the dusty italian nature of the sango. Some spice that is good. Drink over the next 2 years...AMM
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4/1/2010 - RATER wrote: 84 Points
Only two relevant characteristics here: elegant nose and its affordable price at less than $10 (for a Toscana wine)!
Not necessarily bad, but one dimensional with a shy structure...I don't agree with the many good reviews on this one.
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4/1/2010 - FredF wrote: 87 Points
Deep color, cherries and other red fruit.Soft tannin mouth feel. Great weekday wine value!
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3/29/2010 - ColinR wrote: 87 Points
Deep crimson; plums, black cherries, herbs; sweet cherry, herbal, medium body, good acidity, soft tannins, nice finish.
Nice colour with dark fruit/herbal flavours. Good mid-week wine for tomato pasta.
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3/28/2010 - jiggerz wrote: 90 Points
Nice Tuscan blend for the money!
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3/27/2010 - TedH wrote: 87 Points
Yes... Good bang for the buck. I like it less than others but this is a nice wine. A big wine with dark dried fruit. Long less than perfect finish. I would be pleased to drink this as a daily wine.... "Wine of the Week" and 90 points WS: "Bright plum, dried cherry and flowers on the nose. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and refined berry and cherry flavors.
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3/27/2010 - WannabeRenaissanceMan wrote: 81 Points
No formal tasting notes. It was okay, but nothing great.
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3/26/2010 - bvwino wrote: 89 Points
Great with food. Not so good later.
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3/22/2010 - Weston3220 wrote:
A: Meaty, Toasty Oak
T: Med Body, Med Acid, Good use of Oak, Round
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3/21/2010 - YWG Wine Guy wrote: 88 Points
This is a solid wine for the price as others have mentioned. My comments echo "CAREYD" below, and i can't be quite as eloquent. Light bodied, with great flavour profile of cherry/casis - with light vegetal/herby notes in background. The tannins/acid are such that this is easy to drink solo and of course nice with variety of foods.
For price, can't go wrong. At least try it out before i buy the last few off the shelf.
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3/20/2010 - geppetto wrote: 90 Points
Full bodied, almost thick. Powerful nose with long finish.
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3/19/2010 - Pour Boy wrote: 88 Points
Very approachable and easy drinker. Nose of cherry. Blend of Cab, Sangiovese, and Merlot. Nice effort, particularly given the quantity (80,000 cases).
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3/19/2010 - careyd Likes this wine: 88 Points
Pop and pour. Color: Medium ruby. Clear. Nose: Initially, this nose has a minty/eucalyptus thing happening over the top of red fruit-cherry, blackberry. Underneath that, some sweaty sock and scorched earth. On the palate: Initial attack: Nice sour cherry meets vegetal notes on this medium bodied effort. Midpalate: Nice fresh acidity augments the bright fruit with over and under tones of black and white pepper, and late stage leather. Finish: The transition into the finish is very smooth with mild, fine tannins. Grippy on the palate, leaves it try with latent plums. Ready for more. This is a fairly simple wine but lovely nonetheless. Certainly a good value and would buy again.
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3/18/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Some strawberry fruit, doesn't really taste like sangiovese. But for just kinda generic Italian wine at $9 it isn't bad.
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3/17/2010 - tbailey540 wrote: 90 Points
Good nose strong fruits, very new world style, balancede tanins and acids
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3/15/2010 - AMM3RD wrote: 86 Points
Similar to previous notes, Real wine for a cheap price. Drink up...AMM
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3/15/2010 - jmull wrote: 89 Points
Delicious anytime drinker, with bright fruit and good acidity. Am headed back to Costco to back the truck up for this stuff. Everything I want in a house wine. 89.
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3/15/2010 - cortisj2 wrote: 89 Points
Bright cherries on the nose with a bit of herbs. deep red plums and violet flavor, nice tannins herbal finish, falls a little short on the finish falls short. great value wine. Would buy agian.
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3/14/2010 - wahoo70 wrote: 88 Points
Had this at a restaurant last summer with good Italian food, and was not impressed. Day 1: gave it plenty of time to open up this time around, had it with Italian food again, and still was not terribly impressed. Very pretty nose, with a touch of spice, bubblegum, roses, and dark fruit; nice acidity, restrained dark fruit, and very dry tannins; nice peppery finish, with black cherries. Days 2 and 3: what a difference. Everything has come together and is in balance. The fruit and intensity in particular have come to the front, and the dryness has softened. Probably an 87 on day one and an 89 on day 3. Very good for the price, but still nowhere near a top 100 wine.
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3/13/2010 - cphd wrote: 82 Points
light and thin, too earthy (barnyard finish)
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3/12/2010 - yui wrote: 85 Points
OK
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3/12/2010 - mpricher wrote: 89 Points
High PR Italian IGT- The go to table red for Italian Pasta and Pizza fare. Good color and bright Cherry notes. Cannot beat it for the price. Just a tad boring for drinking on it's own accord. More interesting with food.
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3/11/2010 - Epic Tale Does not like this wine: 82 Points
color: light ruby red-purple; nose: faint blackberry-oak and just a little cherry -- underwhelming; taste: dark fruit medium-body mouth feel, chalky mid-palate, earthy mushroom and slightly sour short finish with light-medium pepper and minimal tannins; overall: old world style that's interesting for its several twists and turns, but it doesn't deliver much thunder for me -- not a bad wine, just not my style.
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3/9/2010 - Snoman wrote: 88 Points
Great little SuperT from Pisa. Dark in glass, medium on palate, with a nice influence of sweet Merlot typical of the region to soften the spikey Sangiovese. Don't buy for complexity, just for the easy style. Short finish, just a good solid drinker.
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3/9/2010 - lumpyelbow wrote: 86 Points
A little light. Not for drinking alone as it provides no pleasure. Did perform better with food (chicken with blueberry-balsamic reduction and risotto.) Very little oak presence, some bright acidity. Mixed feelings really, will try again with a different dish but I think I prefer proper chianti as it has more substance.
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3/9/2010 - The Vinsider wrote: 87 Points
Good, not great. A little thinner than I expected for the blend and the hype. Nice cherry and dried flower layers, settled down nicely after being opened a few hours (and later a day), but just didn't have much stuffing. Would go nice with a homemade pizza or a red-sauce pasta--like the wine, nothing too fancy.
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3/5/2010 - anonymoose12345 wrote: 85 Points
it'll do, it'll do.
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3/4/2010 - senor_jefe wrote: 83 Points
Cherry and vanilla on the nose. Mildly tannic, not a deep flavour but opened up slightly with the second glass. Better wines available at lower price point. Would be better with an antipasto than with a hearty pasta.
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3/3/2010 - wadcorp wrote:
I usually don't post twice on a wine, and I've never written about a wine a third time, but WTF? It was as if I had a completely different wine. Don't believe that the bottle was corked, just vastly different. Very much a one-note wine. Even more thin than the second bottle we had. Almost no fruit to speak of. No currant this time. Very distant red cherry. More of a cough drop flavor. Almost tasted watered-down, except for some sharpness with the alcohol. Might have to chalk this up as just a bad bottle, as we did enjoy the other two.
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3/1/2010 - Cburlette wrote: 82 Points
Nice ruby color, hints of blackberry and cherry to the nose. Light and crisp bodied with a hint of tannins. Not overly impressive for the pedigree but good with pizza or pasta.
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3/1/2010 - df1962 wrote: 90 Points
Solid as always
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2/27/2010 - haldolugr wrote: 87 Points
Pretty consistent with previous bottle we opened - still a great deal. Should have bought more - makes a great 2nd bottle and is mellow enough in flavor to follow most wines and not throw you for a loop.
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2/27/2010 - Tarrant wrote: 89 Points
Wasn't overly impressed at first, but it developed nicely in the glass and became quite tasty and complex - Dark, medium bodied with a nose of cherry, plum and vanilla, nice balancing acidity, decent complexity, tart, smooth on the palate with a good finish, very good (89 Points).
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2/27/2010 - AMM3RD wrote: 88 Points
Tonight this wine showed much better, I always find wide bottle variation in large production wines. This was a good match with the food at a local BYO Italian restaurant. Red fruit and earth, balanced by dusty tannins. Not complex, but was perfect for a low cost italian meal. Drink over the next year...AMM
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2/26/2010 - AMM3RD wrote: 86 Points
This wine was really hyped for me to try so I was excited, maybe too excited. This is a very good wine for $10-13, but I was told that it would taste like a $20-30 super tuscan and that is not true. The refreshing thing is that this is "real" wine, not like all the Cali/Ausi stuff in this price range. Nice garnet color, soft red fruits and dusty tannins. A hint of sweet fruit that was nice. I can't imagine this will get any better. Good party or mother-in-law wine...AMM
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2/24/2010 - MJB wrote:
Tried the first of 3 bottles. Did not like it at all...
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2/24/2010 - yui wrote: 86 Points
had a glass or 2, simple italian red
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2/23/2010 - Cobbster wrote: 89 Points
An interesting wine at a great price. Fruity nose and fleshy berry flavors.
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2/23/2010 - Sauvyfan wrote: 88 Points
Drank as before. Nice table wine that gets bonus points for the QPR.
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2/22/2010 - wineward wrote: 88 Points
Note after poured 1 hour. Very alluring nose of rose petals, graphite and cherries. Palate is not nearly as complex as the nose. Sour cherries and dried tea leaves. Very, very good.
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2/22/2010 - Chateaunole-du-Pape wrote: 88 Points
Much better than my last bottle. Lots of fruit and relatively restrained tannins. Great pizza wine, which is how I consumed it.
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2/22/2010 - mdefreitas wrote: 88 Points
High toned red fruits, herbs and sharp acids (in a good way). A fine, bright, chiseled, food friendly wine for $8. Definitely a re-buy.
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2/22/2010 - mickey9463 wrote: 83 Points
Not as advertised....bitter finish.... Not a typical Tuscan...where's the cab??
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2/21/2010 - cortisj2 wrote: 89 Points
Bright cherries on the nose with a bit of herbs. deep red plums and violet flavor, nice tannins herbal finish, falls a little short on the finish falls short. great value wine. Would buy agian.
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2/18/2010 - vinole wrote: 86 Points
A tad less fruit and a bit of astringency knocked a point off the score on this bottle vs. my previous two.
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2/17/2010 - tstork wrote: 89 Points
Really enjoy this wine. It has that right balance of fruit, spice and tannins.
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2/15/2010 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
WIML90
Tasted February 15, 2010.
Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 2 hours. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of red berries and cherries that carries through to the palate. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink over the short term. Pretty much a pop and pour QPR at this point and recommended on that basis.
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2/15/2010 - daisy-nigel wrote: 88 Points
I was looking for a super-tuscan, and the salesperson directed me to this wine. Great value. Lots of complexity and flavor-- great price.
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2/15/2010 - df1962 wrote: 90 Points
Solid as always.
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2/13/2010 - MusicAndWines wrote: 88 Points
A wonderful table wine that improved with 2+ hours of air. The value can not be beat! More notes on my next bottle. www.MusicAndWines.com
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2/12/2010 - bkaasin wrote: 86 Points
God vin til prisen. Bløt, rund og frisk.Godt kjøp
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2/11/2010 - Sourdough wrote: 88 Points
Sangiovese, Merlot, Cab blend - Costco. Good but not up to rating.
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2/11/2010 - finewhine wrote: 88 Points
Nice hearty Tuscana, went well with pasta should go nicely with meat
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2/10/2010 - Joshiemac wrote:
Still drinking well, though wasn't as good on the 2nd night as previous bottles.
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2/8/2010 - Pinot Evil wrote: 90 Points
Made WS top 100 list for 2009, under $10, could be the house wine
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2/8/2010 - boyajian wrote: 87 Points
I get cherry on the nose with a little spice. Bitter then sweet in the palate with a dry aftertaste. Fairly light body with medium to high tannin. Quite tasty!
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2/7/2010 - vinole wrote: 87 Points
Consistent with previous note.
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2/7/2010 - Cabfrancophile wrote:
Cherry and earth nose. Lighter structure and body. Dry and earthy finish. Nice mellow food wine for the price.
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2/4/2010 - mikesvins wrote: 80 Points
Reading the comments makes me wonder if I am tasting the same wine. I do not enjoy this at all, hope it is just bad bottle or needs more time. Tastes more like a bad barbera, than a Tuscan IGT with merlot and cab in it. I would much rather drink Briggotondo Fontanafredda, which has a lot more going on in all respects at similar price and style.
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2/4/2010 - paulmase wrote: 85 Points
Decent wine dried cerries and some florial tones. Not bad for $9 probably would not buy more 85pts.
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2/1/2010 - cortisj2 wrote: 88 Points
Bright cherries on the nose with a bit of herbs. deep red plums and violet flavor, nice tannins herbal finish, falls a little short on the finish falls short. great value wine. Would buy agian.
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1/26/2010 - Martin Redmond wrote: 85 Points
Cherries and a bit of oak on the nose for me, good acidity light-bodied, finish a bit on the short side, but good structure. Very good price/quality ratio. Likely to buy more though I would like to try side by side with Maritma "4 Old Guys" Sangiovese, at the about the same price point..
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1/26/2010 - David_T wrote: 89 Points
Bright cherries on the nose with a bit of herbs. Plum and violets flavors, with good tannins and an herbaciousness towards the end, although the short finish falls short of pushing this into the 90s.
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1/26/2010 - vinole wrote: 87 Points
This was $9 at my Costco vs $7 others were touting, but still a very nice value. Cherry and currant fruit, with medium to high acidity that has nice structure and balance for this price point. Also a touch of earth on the finish. Can't ask for much more for under $10. A winner.
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1/26/2010 - Sid_Mac wrote: 85 Points
Certainly a better value at the lower range of prices I've seen here, but I was not disappointed even having paid a few bucks more. Screwcap. "popped & poured" nicely dry, some oak. Overall, enjoyable. I would buy again, especially at a lower price.
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1/25/2010 - floating_cellar wrote: 87 Points
Agree with most all reviews, good wine at good price. If I could get it at Costco for 6.99 I'd get a case or 2.
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1/24/2010 - BruceLord wrote: 85 Points
Light finish
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1/23/2010 - nick_pivonka wrote:
Consistent with previous. Will probably stock back up tomorrow.
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1/23/2010 - Paul_Stagg wrote: 87 Points
Nose is red and dark fruit, a herbal component, kinda tight. Very smooth, nice fruit, dry, good finish. Really nice, good acidity, not complex, but nice structure. I like this, and it will pair very well with casual red sauce food (pizza, pasta, etc).
3/5, 14/20, 87/100
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1/23/2010 - Joshiemac wrote:
Consistent with previous note. Still drinking well.
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1/22/2010 - haldolugr wrote: 88 Points
Very enjoyable wine at an amazing price - very consistent in flavor - flavors didn't change (open up) as the night went by - but it was tasting good upon opening - so no worries. Well integrated tannins and acidity with good berry flavors. At $6.99 a bottle from Costco - this is a must buy!!
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1/22/2010 - wineward wrote: 87 Points
Note after wine open 1 hr. Nose of leather and a hint of cassis. Soft cherry, cola and a little oak. Well integrated and very enjoyable, if a little simple. Very good.
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1/22/2010 - finewhine wrote: 88 Points
a wonderful wine with a bowl of pasta with a side of meatballs and sausage
would also work well with a steak dinner
can't beat the price for such a tasty Italian red
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1/22/2010 - bjamesclark wrote: 88 Points
Intersting, Dark fuit, blackberries and boysenberry come through with aromas of violets and herbs, sage and rosemary. Tannins grip nicely, balanced with just enough acidity. Dry Slightly earthy palate with a hint of a mineral finish. I could see this go nicely with duck or a meaty mushroom risotto.
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1/20/2010 - mos wrote: 88 Points
Wow! Really? At this price point what's to complain about? This wine isn't anything special but for the money GREAT! Definitely tannic and a little on the dry side. Bit of red fruits and spice. Definitely pair with food, not a good soloist.
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1/20/2010 - klister wrote: 88 Points
Good every day QPR
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1/17/2010 - df1962 wrote: 90 Points
Still rocking
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1/17/2010 - rharlow wrote: 88 Points
Better than the first bottle. Decent pallet, with red berries and light tannins. Not too interesting, but great with Pizza!
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1/15/2010 - nittanyjack wrote: 86 Points
Very sangiovese in character. Good with pizza or pasta on a weeknight. I will keep buying this wine for $9.
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1/14/2010 - Matushka S wrote: 89 Points
Blackberries and something floral on the nose. Pleasant dryness, smooth with enough acidity to be interesting. This is a great food wine – works with pizza, mexican soup, cheese and chips. I would definitely buy this again at this price.
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1/13/2010 - df1962 wrote: 90 Points
Still great.
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1/13/2010 - geoffucla wrote: 88 Points
Decent balanced, young Chianti-style wine. Excellent for cooking (and having a glass while you cook!).
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1/11/2010 - maxmanx wrote: 86 Points
Not impressed. Dry & smooth, but lacking in fruit & complexity. Maybe I should have let it breathe more. Worth another try given WS rating and price. (Read other CT reviews, and maybe there is a lot of bottle variation?)
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1/11/2010 - Coupe 60 wrote:
consistent notes with previous bottles
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1/10/2010 - Jab_343434 wrote: 85 Points
Good bottle of wine for the price.
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1/10/2010 - df1962 wrote: 90 Points
Wine of the night. Solid stuff as always. Showed well with food.
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1/10/2010 - ggkemp wrote: 87 Points
Better than the 1st 2 bottles. Fruit and complexity came through...
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1/9/2010 - topher18 wrote: 89 Points
Bright red, unfiltered. Nose of cherry Sucrets. Delicious everyday drink. Tastes of sweet cherry, nice acidity, nice tannin grip.
color 5/5
nose 7/10
taste 15/20
balance 7/10
finish 4/5
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1/8/2010 - jimmyrice14 wrote: 90 Points
Needs about an hour or so to open up, but otherwise a very pleasant Tuscan blend...smoother tannins than I would have expected for so young a wine. Hard to beat for 10 bucks.
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1/8/2010 - brentmid wrote: 80 Points
Not sure why, but I liked this much less with this bottle than last time. Not very fruity, not much aroma. Overall, felt watered down and disappointing.
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1/8/2010 - Markshawphotos wrote: 88 Points
enjoyed with Italian Sausage with peppers and onions. Paired well.
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1/7/2010 - jimyc wrote: 86 Points
Popped and poured though vinturi. Berry and cherry nose. Ripe fruit throughout. Mild tannin. Enjoyable but felt like this would be better with food.
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1/6/2010 - jcasey555 wrote: 90 Points
light but smooth.
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1/6/2010 - tbone wrote:
Tasted spoofalated/manipulated, which could be expected at this price point I guess. Not as good of a qpr as others find it to be.
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1/6/2010 - rharlow wrote: 85 Points
No complexity, and not very interesting for my pallet. I can find better for the same price.
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1/5/2010 - markandsusanw wrote: 85 Points
It's hard not to take cost into consideration when drinking this $10 bottle of wine. Definitely not a "big" Italian red, it was smooth and nicely dry. Don't think I'd have enjoyed it if I'd paid $30, but for >$10 it's tolerable, despite the tacky twist top. Not a terrible wine, but far from great. I'm not rushing to drink the other bottles we have.
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1/5/2010 - soyhead wrote: 89 Points
nose - roasted fruit, toasted oak, licorice, maybe even some floral notes
mouth - juicy cherries, very ripe verging on overripe red berry fruit, almost fruit-punch like on the midpalate without being overly candied, nice proportional oak influence noted, good finish. Blinded I might guess this to be an elegant and restrained zinfandel. An interesting wine.
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1/2/2010 - ggkemp wrote: 83 Points
Easy to drink, and little more. Has less appeal to me than most 100% sangioveses...
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1/2/2010 - nick_pivonka wrote: 89 Points
a very drinkable red at an amazing price. This wil probably be my dinner wine for the near future - I'm stocking up. Not as fruit forward as I had hoped, and could stand a little more body. But I'm going back to costco now.
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1/2/2010 - davo22 wrote: 90 Points
Exceptional QPR, and regardless of previous comments of whether this is a Super Tuscan blend, or representative of same, this is just a very, very nice wine for the price. Drinking very well now - on its own or with a red sauce pasta as I did. Glad I picked up a couple of bottles.
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1/2/2010 - jeremy_ross wrote: 88 Points
Light red color, quite transparent. Red berries, cherries, red apple skins. There's a nice in-mouth aromatic component. Finish is fruity, almost like watermelon jolly rancher. Finish is fresh, and quite long with a slight drying action of tannins. This wine is a Toscano IGT. That doesn't necessarily mean Super-Tuscan, as some have been disappointed to discover. Make no mistake, this wine is not a Super-Tuscan, but it is of another breed completely and quite enjoyable.
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1/2/2010 - Rubanyi wrote: 89 Points
What a wonderful, light, easy drinking wine with or without food. Excellent QPR
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1/1/2010 - df1962 wrote: 89 Points
Solid stuff as always. Really opened up over an hour or so in the glass. Must get some more!
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1/1/2010 - chanote44 wrote: 89 Points
For the price this should get bumped up to a 90. Delicious easy drinking wine.
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1/1/2010 - Battleship wrote: 89 Points
Very pleasant as a food friendly wine, or if given sufficient air, it really opens to a fairly sophisticated blend.
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12/31/2009 - colinsegovis wrote: 80 Points
A disappointment. Starts with berry and moves to hints of spice but is surprisingly light. Although labeled a Super Tuscan, I would not consider it a reasonable example of the "designation" even at $10 a bottle. I am even more surprised that Wine Spectator gave this wine 90 points, and rated #61 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009.
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12/31/2009 - sfnights wrote: 84 Points
This wine is a good example of basic red tuscan wine. The varietal blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and CS says Super Tuscan, but there is nothing Super about this wine. Very soft tannins, dark berry and earth on the palate, thin finish. Good quality for the price. I don't see this improving much with age.
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12/30/2009 - hanism wrote: 93 Points
Yummy wine. Had it with pasta dinner (at Becco) and it was a perfect. Light tannins. Smooth finish. Yum.
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12/28/2009 - ScottGoodwin wrote: 88 Points
No formal tasting note taken. But a crowd pleaser at dinner.
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12/28/2009 - merryberry wrote: 87 Points
Dark blood red. Strawberry, soil, and leather nose. Bright cherries that turn somewhat sour, light to medium bodied, some late tannins, and a shortish finish. It was better with dinner; good pizza wine at a nice price.
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12/27/2009 - jcasey555 wrote: 90 Points
Well worth the price
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12/27/2009 - Ombibulous wrote: 80 Points
Christmas evening. I didn't like this much. Average.
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12/26/2009 - gordoyflaca wrote: 89 Points
This is a good deal as well.
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12/24/2009 - John Nezlek wrote: 89 Points
A pleasant surprise. Excellent wine. Excellent QPR. Very Italian -- nice Old World style, without overdoing it. For about $10, this is a hell of a deal.
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12/23/2009 - df1962 wrote: 88 Points
Solidly delicious good value as always.
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12/22/2009 - wadcorp wrote:
Second bottle. Again, red cherries and slight currant on the palate. Mild tannins. A bit thin on the finish. Bit of earthiness which I demand from an Italian wine.
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12/22/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Very enjoyable. Really good QPR wine.
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12/22/2009 - Outplaying wrote:
Similar notes as last time: red fruits, fresh, tart. Better with food. This time I am not sure if I would buy more.
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12/20/2009 - 8trigram wrote: 89 Points
Subtle,a great value.
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12/20/2009 - DTWOB wrote: 91 Points
Very good bottle of wine, esp. of the price! Deep dark color, fragrant nose of dark berries, Smooth, almost too light of a mouth feel, well integrated and approachable tannins, a bit of a fruit bomb of berries, spice and currant. Nice, finish. I like the screw cap!
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12/19/2009 - wabi47 wrote: 89 Points
minor mineral and floral notes; medium body and texture; started out lean with some cab notes of black currant, good acidity and tannic backbone; after 2 d this opened up with some softer red currant, pomegranate, cherry, strawberry notes; despite the low cost, this has the structure to hold for a time; enjoyable.
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12/19/2009 - kbrater wrote: 89 Points
Smoky and rustic and fantastic with food. For the price point this wine is a must-try! I picked up a bottle to taste from Hollywood Fred Meyer in Portland for $10.79/bottle. This is a case-worthy buy for sure! An excellent wine to have around.
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12/18/2009 - dke wrote: 86 Points
Very pretty toscan nose, the palate was smooth with dark fruit and some oak, but finish was very short. 86-87.
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12/17/2009 - jbeauprez wrote: 90 Points
Wow - insane QPR @ $9. Remarkable structure at this price point. Love the dry dusty character and dark fruits/chocolate/leather. Great length. Lovely acids. Fresh & Ripe at the same time. Food Friendly. Looks like I have a new house wine!
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12/15/2009 - Sauvyfan wrote: 88 Points
Dusty, smoky, dried cherries and herbs on the nose. Rather restrained bouquet. More black cherry and earthiness with biting tannins on the palate. Nice easy-drinking wine. I found myself moving back to it quite rapidly, and I think that says more about the fact that it made me think and I found it enjoyable, and not that the finish was short. Quite nice for $11.
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12/14/2009 - Winebof wrote: 89 Points
Has a rustic acidity like others have said - good on its own and dynamite with food. You can't do better for $12.
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12/13/2009 - rhz wrote: 88 Points
Medium red in color with a hint of orange, translucent. A medium-bodied wine with a noise of red cherry, raspberry, and a sort of creamy milk chocolate. On the palate, I was surprised by how much chocolate came through. Gentle grip with nice acidity and a nice finish. Highly agreeable & at $9+tax an excellent QPR. Would buy again.
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12/10/2009 - bmancini15 wrote: 86 Points
Decent on day one with Spaghetti and meat balls, much better on day two with with Red Lentil Chili.. When we opened it we were reminded of a very run of the mill Sangiovese w/ no complexity, lackluster fruit piercing tannins... Day 2, WOW! This puppy grew into a whole different wine! Complexity, vibrant fruit, well rounded tannin, etc...
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12/10/2009 - monkeylug wrote: 84 Points
Rustic dried cherry, soil, and spice. Has medium-high acidity and a bit of tannic grip, but the flavors are not well-integrated and is not in balance. Maybe an every day food wine, but you will get what you pay for.
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12/9/2009 - VinoTx wrote: 87 Points
Grows on you - especially after a little air and/or with food. Pretty refined for the price. Fair amount of tannin. Screwcap.
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12/8/2009 - esb wrote:
Nice low/medium intensity primary sangiovese - cherry and earth. Very tight palate - rustic, sharp, rough, hard, angular, bitter. Better after an hour but still not good enough after two. Next day still no go. Not recommended. Looks like I'm an outlier on this one. May have been off.
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12/7/2009 - Suzfenton wrote: 89 Points
Dang good especially for the price
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12/7/2009 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 85 Points
this is a fun wine. unscrew with pizza, burgers, whatever. sometimes simple pleasures are the best pleasures.
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12/7/2009 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
Very good daily drinker. #1 not in my book but then that is a personal issue as to what I expect from a #1. This wine upon opening had a very distinct smell and taste I couldn't identify and was floral and herbal all at the same time. At times I thought it was caramel and others smoke. Hence, the nose confused me but that is my inexperience. After 30 minutes it mellowed somewhat and balanced and became a very nice drinkable wine especialy for the money.
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12/4/2009 - brentmid wrote: 90 Points
Nice and dry. Good blend, very drinkable.
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12/3/2009 - dsgris wrote: 88 Points
while this is a very good wine for the money and I will buy more for casual consumption, I cannot call it a great wine. Good color, bouquet, spicey flavour, heat of the alcohol in the finish, very pleasant drinker, excellant party wine. I wish all my wines that I paid much more for were at least this good.
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12/1/2009 - biggwater wrote: 88 Points
On the top 100?! Nice wine for $10. And it is nice wine for $10 as far as that goes. Thin on mid palate. Not mch finish. Some interesting flavors...herbs, smoke, peppermint...but the top 100?! I feel sorry for the idiots paying over $150 for the number one wine cause I have that one as well and it aint much
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12/1/2009 - wadcorp wrote:
What a surprise! I really wasn't expecting much from this bottle, but the wine merchant said I should test-drive it. Much better than one would expect from a $10.69 bottle. Red cherries & currants on the palate, with mild tannins. I don't see this cellaring long, but it might become a daily drinker for us, especially at the price point. Recommended.
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11/30/2009 - KSWinegeek wrote: 88 Points
Moderately dark. Dried flowers on nose. Appealing mid palate of cherry, approachable with short finish. Good value, reasonable choice for an everyday wine. Wine opened up about 2 hours after opening.
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11/30/2009 - df1962 wrote: 88 Points
Great go to everyday wine. Lovely bright nose of dried cherries and sage. Refreshing dried cherry cranberry fruit. Shows better with food. Maybe not a Top 100 but the QPR cannot be beat especially at under $10!
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11/29/2009 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:
this had some dried flowers, cranberries and red cherries on the nose. medium bodied with a good dose of acidity. there is some good tannic weight here, although it could be a bit firmer on the palate. good fruit and some pepper here. not bad.
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11/28/2009 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
A few Saturday afternoon tasting notes...11/28/2009: WIML90
Tasted November 28, 2009 at a retail tasting.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of spice, berries, roses and talc. Flavors of berries, cherries and a dash of bitters. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium body. Drink over the short term. Allow for a little bit of air time before serving.
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11/28/2009 - mmurry wrote: 89 Points
Wine Spectator's 2009 Top 100 Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had bright cherries, plum jam, and some dried flowers at the end. The palate was very gamey, but also had cherry, spice, floral notes, and a slightly oaky finish.
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11/28/2009 - the godfather wrote: 87 Points
A nice quaffer that requires some pasta, nice on it's own as well
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11/27/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 88 Points
Super tasty and easy drinking wine. A bit on thin but great fruit and balance. Great QPR.
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11/27/2009 - michigan dogs wrote: 84 Points
Good, hard to see how in got such a high score from WS, maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance, one of several bottles for thanksgiving
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11/26/2009 - Outplaying wrote: 87 Points
Lots of red fruit, fresh and a little tart. This has a simple but big nose. For less than ten bucks this is pretty good and it is better with food than on its own. I would buy more at this price. What do you really expect at this price level for a red?
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11/25/2009 - wetlandwino wrote: 84 Points
This is an OK wine for the price, but I really don't get the hype.
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11/25/2009 - jdbcolumbus wrote: 85 Points
Varietal sangiovese nose that is a little closed. Dusty finish that overpowers the fruit.
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11/24/2009 - dchorton wrote: 87 Points
A terrific $9 wine.
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11/24/2009 - Kathamo wrote: 89 Points
Well balanced; will buy again.
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11/24/2009 - ggkemp wrote: 84 Points
Good drinking medium bodied wine. Very one dimensional and a short finish. OK for $9, but we're not clammering for more.
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11/23/2009 - Coupe 60 wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured at a party. Soft, good red fruit....low acidity, easy drinker and a very good QPR...Not WS top 100 of the year good, but a good value that is simple and easy to drink... Would definitely buy more...Mrs. Coupe also really enjoyed it...
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11/22/2009 - Pour Boy wrote: 88 Points
Tried this Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cab, and Merlot after seeing it on the WS Top 100 -- nice quaffer for $9.
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11/21/2009 - mpricher wrote: 87 Points
Polished off another bottle with some Chicken/bruchetta style dish. Alone this is a passable IGT table Red, but given some food it changes. Like many Sangio blends, the tomato sweetness brings out the acidity and genius in this blend. The lower score has more to do with lack of complexity or finish. There is enough polish and briar-patch cherry to make this an endearing table Red. Particularly when pair with some Tomato sauce based dishes.
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11/19/2009 - dirtyharry wrote: 90 Points
More fruit showing than 1st bottle, nice acidity, will buy more
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11/18/2009 - dsgris wrote: 87 Points
Light red wine, simple structure and body, improves with some open time, nice casual drinker, very good for the price, improved on third night, much smoother, still simple, but good, up 1 pt.
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11/17/2009 - John wrote: 79 Points
eh. nothing special. gets a nod for being cheap
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11/15/2009 - jim dixon wrote:
On opening this tastes very, well, cheap. With air it gets better. At $8 I can't complain, but I won't buy again.
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11/14/2009 - Joshiemac wrote: 87 Points
Nice smokey nose typical of sangiovese, deep current of lush red fruit and a hint of earth on the palate. Decent acidity. A little soft on the finish. Fantastic QPR is you can get this under $10.
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11/13/2009 - ScottGoodwin wrote: 90 Points
Exuburant and very expressive nose of dusty berries and dry earth. Nice tart rounded fruit with goof acidity. Medium bodied. Excellent QPR.
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11/11/2009 - mpricher wrote: 89 Points
Food freindly table red at a great QPR. Great case filler!
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11/11/2009 - Matt Scott wrote: 90 Points
Half hour breathe time. James Suckling hit the nail on the head with a score of 90. For the price, this is a GREAT value! Dried cherry, li-hing, and currant on the nose. Nice finish and velvety. Drink Now.
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11/8/2009 - Tturner wrote: 88 Points
Opened with time. It has a nice taste but is under powered
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11/7/2009 - LelouchViBritannia wrote: 91 Points
90, but 91 for the price. Due to multitasking tonight, I tasted it back and forth every 30 minutes. 1st Try: Aroma of almost raisony dark fruit, taste shallow, medium body. Nose more complex than taste? 2nd Try: with air, No fruit but, Dark chocolate. 3rd, Better, spicy, dried cherry. 4th try: Sour Cherry, Choco, coffee. 5th try: still fruity but in the decline, best to drink now. One of the best cheap wine I've tasted to date. Thank you James Suckling.
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11/7/2009 - whits wrote: 84 Points
leather and dark fruit on the nose, soft palate, oaky, chocolate covered cherries, full, simple, matched well with a pizza
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11/1/2009 - BSpdx wrote: 88 Points
A great value, if not quite a 90, but pretty darn close. Very floral on the nose, with primarily the Sangio's earthy cherry scent also coming through. The cherries are definitely there on the palate, but also a nice, ripe rasberry element, carried by soft, refined tannins right through to the finish. For 9.99 I highly recommend.
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11/1/2009 - RussK wrote: 87 Points
RUSSK,
Day 1: Not that bad, not that great. Watery, without much finish. No rough edges, but pretty boring too. Would not buy more. 86pts Day 1
Day 4: After vinvac-ing and refrig'g, much better. Sangio seems to do that, better a few days after openning. Better nose and firmer finish. 88pts Day 4
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10/31/2009 - suzanna9452000 wrote: 88 Points
Deep purple/red in glass. Big cherry nose with lots of oak. Lush mouthfeel. Very fruity--bordering on being oversaturated--with acidity taking a backseat. Flavor profile is lots of dark cherry and grape, tons of oak, and some spice notes. Long metallic finish with dried fruit, rare meat, woodsmoke. 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot. 12.5 % alcohol. Around $15.
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10/30/2009 - SadEdjo wrote: 87 Points
medium colour. smoky, meaty nose and finish. dark cherry medium weight finish with lively acidic underpinning and soft tannins. Very good QPR.
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10/25/2009 - golfwineski wrote: 80 Points
WAY overrated IMO or maybe I just got a bottle from a really bad lot. Limited/no nose....where is the sangiovese??? I've had better cheap Chianti....Not worth $10, that's for sure
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10/23/2009 - DanH wrote: 88 Points
Soft cherry, cassis smoke wood, tannins. Aroma promises something bigger than this wine...lighter. 88
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10/22/2009 - dirtyharry wrote: 86 Points
Easy drinker, mild fruit notes, short finish, good everyday bottle
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10/22/2009 - bdublu wrote: 87 Points
Very nice and great QPR. Monte Antico is very consistent year after year. 2006 is no different. One of our "go to" bottles for nice middle of the week dinner.
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10/20/2009 - cpsmith33 wrote: 87 Points
solid fruit and chocolate and spice. not great finish. very good for $10-12 however.
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10/19/2009 - Dogbone wrote: 86 Points
A very pleasant, easy drinking blend with light fruit notes and a hint of spice
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10/15/2009 - gvergolias wrote: 85 Points
Not impressed. Very strong tannin up front, like a punch in the mouth, then falls away with minimal complexity or any real defining fruit (minimal cherry and blackbery). Drank half with a chicken parmesan dish, and it was quaffable, then remaining bottle afer dinner solo. As solo, could not finish the bottle, way too strong up front.
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10/15/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
very good as a 5th bottle at 4 persons dinner
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10/12/2009 - jarfour wrote: 88 Points
Nose of cherry and chocolate. Taste is well built and nicely balanced closing (a bit quick) with some tannin and lingering acidity. Nice pair with a basic Italian meal and great value for the price.
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10/7/2009 - Wine Sparty wrote: 89 Points
Good tasting Tuscan wine with chocolate and tobacco flavors. Great QPR.
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9/27/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
second day, second bottle, similar results
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9/27/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Funk blew off real fast leaving an excelelnt structure and wine behind. The best $11 bottle I ever had. Worth another visit to the store.
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9/20/2009 - flashvictor wrote: 88 Points
Really good QPR, but not the 90 points given by the Spectator. Goes down smooth with spaghetti.
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9/3/2009 - hutch wrote: 84 Points
Empson Shows Their Wines (Conference room): Soft, easy drinking red. A little tannic bit. Not digging this too much. 83-85
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7/26/2009 - ey1294 wrote: 87 Points
Delicious Tuscan wine. Soft on the palate and the wine shows bright red fruit with some acidity. A very nice everyday red wine.
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7/8/2009 - Cahill wrote: 85 Points
This bottle was juicy and disjointed for me. Had some interesting elements, but the couldn't quite come together.
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6/9/2009 - Quantum32 wrote: 84 Points
2004/2005? Vintage was much better
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5/31/2009 - krmcgrath wrote: 87 Points
Bright acidity, red berries and plum. Medium body with unobtrusive tannins that give a little dryness on the short to medium long finish. A nice, uncomplicated compliment to a weekday meal.
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5/26/2009 - Colima74 wrote: 89 Points
Simply and easy drinking, we had this with carne asada. An easy repeat buy, and an everyday wine for those who visit who just want something to drink.
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5/2/2009 - FjordogFjell wrote: 82 Points
114 NOK PnP til pizza. Enkel og god. muskat på nesen. 1 dag i åpen flaske: Merkelig grønn, tutti frutti, kumøkk. Ok vin som sklir greit inn med pizza og sånn.
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6/22/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Served at a friend's house at a party. Sweet nose of raisin fruit. Sweet on the palate with dark tastes of raisins and must; showing some tannins, but nothing off putting; thin middle and a somewhat short finish. Not complex but, very quaffable. Easy and fun drinker. Good.
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