Very enjoyable and great balance. Smooth and integrated probably just slightly passed peak. Black and red fruits. A little chocolate and clove. Quite gentle but lovely and not the depth and complexity (nor freshness) of recent Grandi Annate or better Brunellos.
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Opened this wine while cooking pasta and listening to Pavarotti. Initially, the tannins hit my mouth and it puckered. A half hour later, the tannins had smoothed out and let me taste the dark fruit even raisins. This wine stands up well to full flavored garlic pasta sauce. The finish was getting longer as the bottle aired out. This wine is definitely too young, but is very enjoyable. Four minutes later the finish was still there. This is a well made wine. Wish I had more!
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Tarrant's observations are also mine. This one is a bit more austere than previous vintages, but the good qualities took a while to express (which was unexpected since my past experiences with these Vino Nobiles were to 'pop and pour'). This wine was way too closed at first, but opened up after a while and by day 2 (preserved with gas), was much better. Unfortunately, after day 3 it was done. If you drink, decant for about 1 to 2 hours and consume.
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Drank alongside the 2010. This was ready to go quicker, and had some nice funk and elegance. Cork wasn't in great shape, and it started to go downhill after about an hour. Hard not to love though.
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I kinda went back and forth on this one, my initial thought was 'weak', but turned to 'elegant' and restrained, boring then turned to 'interesting' and 'complex, I probably went from 81 points to 91 points so I'm settling close to the middle - Brick red, medium bodied with a nose of plum, earth, cherry, floral notes, spice and vanilla, very good acidity and structure, balance, complex, dusty, yet off dry on the palate with very good length, nice! (88 Points).
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Prachtige wijn! In de neus vooral veel fruit: kersen en zwarte bessen. De wijn heeft ook een duidelijke houtrijping gehad. De geuren komen in de smaak terug. Ook een lichte dropsmaak. Hele mooie zachte tannines en een mooi zuurtje die de wijn fris houdt.
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aroma highlights mushrooms and leather. flavor mostly ripe cherries with a bit of earth. a little spicy on the finish. Medium body, medium tannin. Very nice as usual. Popped and poured at a BYO - might have been just a bit nicer with some decanting.
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I consistently enjoy this wine. It's nothing remarkable, but very soid, with interesting fruits such as plum. Used a vinturi, as it's still a bit young.
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A very focused and balanced wine with intense dark fruit flavors. Plums, blackberries, figs and currents with hints of licorice and nutmeg. An after-taste reminiscent of sponge-cake; slightly sweet that lingers after the last sip. A very straight-forward but satisfying wine, not much variance from the nose to the finish. Excellent quality for the price and deserving of the WS top 100 pick.
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To my surprise, this showed a very internationally styled bouquet, with aromas cherry, wild berry, cinnamon sugar and cacao powder rising from the glass. With time, the sweetshop aromas backed off and allowed spice and floral undergrowth to come forward. On the palate, I found red berries and clove with a hint of sweetness but very fresh through the long juicy finish. This wine may not have shown it's Italian roots very well but it was enjoyable in a new world kind-of-way.
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Decent wine in the mouth that opened up over two days. Nice cherry, leather and spice on a mid to heavier weight palate. BUT there just was something about the nose on this one. Smelled like melting hard candy, or better yet a Cherry Ludens cough drop that just wouldn’t go away and caused me to back off the sip a bit. Strange and not typical in my opinion.
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Vanilla, oak, leather, tobacco, menthol, mint, camphor, bitter chocolate, cedar, rasberry, eucalyptus on the nose. Fairly light garnet color with a translucent rim, and light legs and body in the glass. Light attack with dark chocolate on the palate, smooth tannins and acidity, light mouth feel but lengthy spicy finish. Somewhat one dimensional with just the dark, bittersweet chocolate on the mid palate Not bad at all and very easy drinking.
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very dark, clear, long legs - just pretty. nose: strong, dark fruits, some sweet cherries, pure, some toasted notes plus coco nut - perfect. taste: full bodied, big friut, nice lenght, later nice tannins. Good bottle but lacks some personality. We had that to bistecca alla fiorentina and was too sweet, we should have gone for wine with more guts, maybe simpler but with more accidity and tannins but less fruit.
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A smooth and easy drinking young wine with tasty red berry flavors and only a slightly tannic touch on the finish. Goes great with a variety of hearty Italian dishes.
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Shows some richness. Quite tannic right now, but really delicious. Heavy duty Vino Nobile, and this vintage is my favorite that I've had from Avignonesi. 91+
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Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of licorice, spice and black berries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and light notes of raspberries. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium body. Drink over the short term, perhaps into the medium term.
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Easter Wine (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had a bunch of leather and cherry, with some spice at the end. The palate had lots of cherry with some leather, licorice, and spice on the finish.
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8/23/2020 - BradMac wrote:
Really nice. Very dry. Maybe a bit dry for me.
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12/26/2019 - Penguino212 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic. Aging really well.
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4/27/2019 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very enjoyable and great balance. Smooth and integrated probably just slightly passed peak. Black and red fruits. A little chocolate and clove. Quite gentle but lovely and not the depth and complexity (nor freshness) of recent Grandi Annate or better Brunellos.
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4/27/2019 - millerarner wrote: 88 Points
Past peak, but well within its window.
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12/25/2015 - Drummer wpc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delightful surprise.
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12/12/2015 - Abierce wrote:
Gave to Dan and Edie
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12/22/2014 - allenadale wrote: 93 Points
Opened this wine while cooking pasta and listening to Pavarotti. Initially, the tannins hit my mouth and it puckered. A half hour later, the tannins had smoothed out and let me taste the dark fruit even raisins. This wine stands up well to full flavored garlic pasta sauce. The finish was getting longer as the bottle aired out. This wine is definitely too young, but is very enjoyable. Four minutes later the finish was still there. This is a well made wine. Wish I had more!
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11/13/2014 - RSTAR4 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tarrant's observations are also mine. This one is a bit more austere than previous vintages, but the good qualities took a while to express (which was unexpected since my past experiences with these Vino Nobiles were to 'pop and pour'). This wine was way too closed at first, but opened up after a while and by day 2 (preserved with gas), was much better. Unfortunately, after day 3 it was done. If you drink, decant for about 1 to 2 hours and consume.
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12/6/2013 - lifeattable Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank alongside the 2010. This was ready to go quicker, and had some nice funk and elegance. Cork wasn't in great shape, and it started to go downhill after about an hour. Hard not to love though.
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8/5/2013 - Mike G wrote: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this wine, drinking very well right now
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6/18/2013 - Tarrant wrote: 88 Points
I kinda went back and forth on this one, my initial thought was 'weak', but turned to 'elegant' and restrained, boring then turned to 'interesting' and 'complex, I probably went from 81 points to 91 points so I'm settling close to the middle - Brick red, medium bodied with a nose of plum, earth, cherry, floral notes, spice and vanilla, very good acidity and structure, balance, complex, dusty, yet off dry on the palate with very good length, nice! (88 Points).
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8/12/2012 - Antonius wrote: 91 Points
Prachtige wijn! In de neus vooral veel fruit: kersen en zwarte bessen. De wijn heeft ook een duidelijke houtrijping gehad. De geuren komen in de smaak terug. Ook een lichte dropsmaak. Hele mooie zachte tannines en een mooi zuurtje die de wijn fris houdt.
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2/13/2012 - lifeattable wrote: 90 Points
Still very nice - consistent notes with before. Maybe noticed a bit more oak on the finish. http://bit.ly/wZQFFI
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12/27/2011 - old_red_lion wrote: 91 Points
Lovely intense nose, full, complex with a hint of licorice, great with food, and a long finish
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9/23/2011 - lifeattable wrote: 90 Points
aroma highlights mushrooms and leather. flavor mostly ripe cherries with a bit of earth. a little spicy on the finish. Medium body, medium tannin. Very nice as usual. Popped and poured at a BYO - might have been just a bit nicer with some decanting.
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8/18/2011 - Jack O'Brien wrote:
Good bottle and this is the go-to house for Vino Nobile. Little pricey though.... Better Sangio is found at cheeper prices.
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7/29/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 87 Points
Dark fruit, vanilla, cedar, very sweet. Notable heat on the backend. Will it integrate better with age?
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7/15/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 89 Points
I consistently enjoy this wine. It's nothing remarkable, but very soid, with interesting fruits such as plum. Used a vinturi, as it's still a bit young.
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7/10/2011 - Muskatd wrote: 89 Points
Yum. Drink it now. Don't think
About it. Just drink it
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6/26/2011 - lifeattable wrote: 91 Points
nice mix of grass and fruit. very drinkable. Drink now or hold for 2-3 years.
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5/28/2011 - lagavulin wrote: 92 Points
A very focused and balanced wine with intense dark fruit flavors. Plums, blackberries, figs and currents with hints of licorice and nutmeg. An after-taste reminiscent of sponge-cake; slightly sweet that lingers after the last sip. A very straight-forward but satisfying wine, not much variance from the nose to the finish. Excellent quality for the price and deserving of the WS top 100 pick.
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5/16/2011 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote: 92 Points
Very food friendly, well-balanced
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3/20/2011 - Johehn wrote: 89 Points
No heavy at all and a really nice drinkin' wine.
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3/12/2011 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 91 Points
To my surprise, this showed a very internationally styled bouquet, with aromas cherry, wild berry, cinnamon sugar and cacao powder rising from the glass. With time, the sweetshop aromas backed off and allowed spice and floral undergrowth to come forward. On the palate, I found red berries and clove with a hint of sweetness but very fresh through the long juicy finish. This wine may not have shown it's Italian roots very well but it was enjoyable in a new world kind-of-way.
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3/3/2011 - cloveras wrote:
Engebret
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2/21/2011 - brian55 wrote: 89 Points
Open, attractive. Riper than most recent vintages. Very enjoyable in the near term while the '05 and '06 continue to evolve.
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2/17/2011 - EleonoraScholes wrote:
Structured and deep, good complexity. Tasted at Avignonesi. VG
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2/12/2011 - Sid_Mac wrote: 90 Points
really nice. decanted for 3 + hours & Vinturi. will buy again.
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2/10/2011 - birkirb Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very smooth, fragrant and ripe. Drink now!
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2/4/2011 - CounselorEp wrote: 87 Points
Tannic, not complex, and little acidic. It is fine for the money, but it was not special.
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1/19/2011 - vancouvermatt wrote: 92 Points
Took a little while for the wine to open up, but once it did I really got into the wine and started liking it more and more.
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1/14/2011 - Klensing wrote: 90 Points
Good example of vnm. More fruit than your average chianti with the same acidity and balance.
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1/8/2011 - muredskin14 wrote: 85 Points
Decent wine in the mouth that opened up over two days. Nice cherry, leather and spice on a mid to heavier weight palate. BUT there just was something about the nose on this one. Smelled like melting hard candy, or better yet a Cherry Ludens cough drop that just wouldn’t go away and caused me to back off the sip a bit. Strange and not typical in my opinion.
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11/21/2010 - BillyT wrote: 91 Points
Vanilla, oak, leather, tobacco, menthol, mint, camphor, bitter chocolate, cedar, rasberry, eucalyptus on the nose. Fairly light garnet color with a translucent rim, and light legs and body in the glass. Light attack with dark chocolate on the palate, smooth tannins and acidity, light mouth feel but lengthy spicy finish. Somewhat one dimensional with just the dark, bittersweet chocolate on the mid palate Not bad at all and very easy drinking.
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9/17/2010 - Jeffyboy wrote: 88 Points
very dark, clear, long legs - just pretty. nose: strong, dark fruits, some sweet cherries, pure, some toasted notes plus coco nut - perfect. taste: full bodied, big friut, nice lenght, later nice tannins. Good bottle but lacks some personality. We had that to bistecca alla fiorentina and was too sweet, we should have gone for wine with more guts, maybe simpler but with more accidity and tannins but less fruit.
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9/11/2010 - bdublu wrote: 89 Points
Nice dark fruit. Earthy. Opened nicely after about 1 hour. Short to medium finish. Decant or pop and pour to see this develop.
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9/7/2010 - vegasoenophile wrote: 87 Points
Nose of cherry, flowers and spice. The palate is much bigger and more dry than the aromas let on. Exotic and ripe.
- Tasted at Marché Bacchus 9/4/10
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7/2/2010 - Rob MacKay wrote: 85 Points
A smooth and easy drinking young wine with tasty red berry flavors and only a slightly tannic touch on the finish. Goes great with a variety of hearty Italian dishes.
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4/21/2010 - hutch wrote: 91 Points
Shows some richness. Quite tannic right now, but really delicious. Heavy duty Vino Nobile, and this vintage is my favorite that I've had from Avignonesi. 91+
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4/3/2010 - RedLoverJim Likes this wine: 89 Points
Smooth bottle, with hints of spice and leather.
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4/3/2010 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
Saturdays at One - Volume 16: WIML90-91
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of licorice, spice and black berries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and light notes of raspberries. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium body. Drink over the short term, perhaps into the medium term.
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4/3/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 89 Points
Easter Wine (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had a bunch of leather and cherry, with some spice at the end. The palate had lots of cherry with some leather, licorice, and spice on the finish.
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4/3/2010 - Minkey wrote: 88 Points
The nose has a lot of spice, especially cinnamon and cloves. The slightly tannic palate is spicy with dark cherries.
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