The 3rd bottle I have drank over the years and has aged very well. Was number 25 of WS top 100 in 2010. It has had a wonderful nose had had hints of blueberry, with a bit of spice. Have enjoyed it with both lamb and beef and pairs well with food. I am sorry it is my last bottle and if I had another I would wait till 2025 to open, but you can really enjoy how
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Still wonderful and youthful, complex and classy. I remember my first bottle in 2012 and after 11 years this Modus seems timeless. Dark chocolate and underbrush, leather and cigar box and a full pleasantness. Big wine in an exceptional vintage. The peace of senses with all senses alive and kicking under the blades
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Very good QPR. The fact is that after 15 years this wine is still at it's peak is a testament on how well it was made. There is no sign of bricking or oxidation. This has many years left but is drinking at what I believe is its peak.
This wine is finally starting to open up. Maybe the last 2 bottles will approach original rating. Went well with grilled pork chops with Italian seasoning
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VIRTUAL TASTING: medium ruby with medium intensity developed aromas of violet, sour cherry, raspberry, blackberry, iron, wet cedar, earth, nutmeg. This wine has a medium body and tired tannins. Flavors of cherry, raspberry, blackberry, iron, nutmeg, burnt wood with a medium finish. This is good wine that’s past it’s prime.
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Decanted, had quite a bit of sediment. Nice cherry sangio flavors with some beef and forest floor to give subtle hints. Age lightened it out on the finish. Would have liked to hit it a year or two sooner.
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This has developed into a very fine wine. The tannins and acidty have subsided and the fruit has come out. Colour is very good, deep dark red. This has many more years left at its peak.
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Don't know if this fell off or bottle variation, but only so-so now compared to my 2019 tasting. Fruit is on the soft side now. Drinking now recommended.
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4th Saturday Brown Bagger (Eagle Brook CC): Double blind. Opens with a terrific herbaceous top note, with currant and leather underneath. Mixed red and black fruit on the palate. Softened tannins; balanced. Long finish. Gorgeous. 93+ pts. Guessed Bordeaux. (M&R)
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Was excited to try after the amazing recent reviews. Unfortunately cork was very hard and dry. While I didn’t smell anything strong on the cork, the wine itself was very harsh boxwood/barn taint, even after several hours decant. Flawed.
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time goes by, but Modus 2007 is always in superb shape, as complex and classy as years ago. Prime time seems to last more than expected. Red rubin, still, wonderful notes of pencil and oak at the nose, mouth is consistent but even more complex with tannins and with some spicy and balsamic notes which seduce senses. Underbrush, wet leaves, leather, pencil, mocha and some red ripe fruit in a perfect and armonic ensemble. Hard to find such a vintage again.
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Let breath for 3+ hours. Opened up nice drank like a Tuscan. 50 Sangiovese, 25 Cab 25 Merlot. S&ZF dominant merlot came on last. Dark purple color with intensity. Would buy again great value for the money. Would rate a 93 Tuscan
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This is not an over rating. It is spectrigjt now. Last bottle. Big fruit. Syrupy soft tannins. Some structure cola on the nose. Dark fruit on the palate. Enjoying with bouillabaisse.
The edges are all gone, the black cherry is bursting from this delightfully elegant super Tuscan that is always a crowd pleaser. I would say this is starting to show its age, but at 13, who can blame it! Time to drink up.
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I'm sitting here swilling 2007 wine in 2020. Thirteen year old wine that ROCKS! Oh yeah! I can't describe how many times I've uncorked old Brunellos only to pour them down the sink. I won't drink bad wine. It's a health thing. I don't wan't to grimace and slug down slop. This is great!
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SUPER Super Tuscan! Drank with my generous bro-in-law during a visit to their kick ass urban condo. Amazing depth of flavors of earth, dark fruits, spice, tobacco and chocolate. Lovely tannins and loooong finish. This wine has at least another decade of life, but man, it’s spectacular now! Enjoy!
The 2007 Ruffino Modus, composed of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, was aged for 12 months in French and American oak casks and was rated #25 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010. Decanted, and allowed to breathe. Deep and opaque in the glass and glass staining after the swirl. Still holding it's pigment well. The nose shows the mature notes that lead with dominating scents of leather and tobacco followed by the notes of tar and pine resin, forest floor, dried porcini, dried rose, dry aged meats, walnut bitters, spent ground coffee, and wild herbs with traces of dried fruits that consist of cherry, mission fig, cranberry and currant. The palate remains on the full side showing mouth watering acidity and smooth but gripping tannins that expand across the palate and gain through the finish. Flavors mimic the nose showing dried porcini, dusty leather, cigar tobacco, dried herbs, decaying rose petal, earth and loam with cured air dried meats, dried cherry, dried cranberry and blueberry with fig and currant. The intensity accelerates through the long finish. So much bang for the buck and a wine that has shined with cellar time. I have had the pleasure to enjoy this wine along its development since release and continues to show how well made it was.
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Nice bouquet upon opening, cork solid and deeply stained. Deep magenta in glass. Tasted almost like a cabernet without the silkiness, don't know why or how, since this is mostly Sangiovese. Age has treated this wine well and fruit dominant but with a bit of acidity which age has dialed down to a nice level. In a very good spot now, drink. Might age up to 5 more years but when it tastes this good now, why wait. Recommended. Side note: inadvertently rated in the 80, thanks to Ravi for informing me, revised.
From memory as consumed two days ago-new world style super Tuscan. At peak and didn’t improve over 90 minutes. Bright red fruit, no sharp edges and not in need of a decant or even food, this fleshy wine is open for business. This was a fun wine but not sure of the high 96 wine spectator score 9 years ago.
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PnP at a restaurant and was ready to go right away. I found this has improved since my last bottle in 2014. It had a rounder, lusher texture and was an absolute pleasure to drink. Medium body and acidity, with a dark red fruit profile and nice balance. My impression is that it is at peak right now, so I would enjoy soon.
Prior bottle was just over ten months ago and while the wine continues to show well generally, this particular bottle was a step down from my prior ones. Nose shows black cherry and earth with lots more red cherry notes starting to creep in than previously. Medium bodied with black cherry upfront and some hints of blackberry, but without the youthful brightness that marked so many of my bottles. Mid-body continues to show good depth and balance and the backside shows tart black cherry and fine grained tannins, but the distinct plum note has faded a bit. Overall, this wine still shows good complexity, but this bottle was a clear step backwards on that front. There's good fruit here, but it's just a bit softer and more open than previously. As some of the brighter fruit notes fade and the structure softens, this wine should still be able to drink quite well, but it won't have the special factors that made it so enjoyable in prior years. For the price paid, this remains a great value, but I'd drink it sooner rather than later as additional cellar time won't be beneficial.
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Surprisingly fresh and dynamic!@ Deep Purple - looks much younger than it is. Excellent nose of black fruits, oak and a bit of tobacco and coffee. Maybe a hint of tomato. Refined palate - well balanced and integrated cherry, berry and a hint of herbaceousness. Sublime finish - mature but still vibrant. Well stored bottles can obviously be enjoyed for another 5 years. Amazing baby super Tuscan! As my wife said - "should have bought a case!" 92+
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still in great shape showing no sign of age. Complex with leather, roasted coffee, underbrush, pencil and a lot of ripe red fruit basically plums and cherries. Great balance, great vintage.
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Nicely matured. Blind, I would have said this was a Vacqeyras/Gigondas although it had a Bordeaux like balance to it. It really betrayed no evidence of its country of origin.
It was thick and creamy on the palate with moderate fruit and a subdued nose.
After drinking, and on reflection I thought the wine, while balanced, flavourful and enjoyable, was a little uni-dimensional, without the tension or excitement that even moderately priced bottles can give, and thus my lower score compared to others. May have been a bottle issue or not decanted long enough (2 hours).
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Now finally down to my last 7 bottles from a 3 case purchase back in 2010. This one may have been the best yet. Still surprisingly youthful-looking in the glass. A pretty, semi-opaque, royal purple in color, right up to the edge. Absolutely amazing on the nose. Powerful, complex aromas of dark berries, leather, spice and violets fill the glass. Full-bodied and silky in texture. Immediately saturates the palate with tangy, delicious plum, blackberry and dark currant fruit. Nicely balanced, with a moderate acidity and just a touch of oak. Shows tremendous depth and focus on the mid-palate. Builds and builds into an incredibly long and complex finish that contains alluring notes of coffee, licorice, tobacco and mineral. The velvety tannins are perfectly integrated. Just goes on and on. Could easily stand toe-to-toe with an Ornellaia or Sassicaia from the same vintage. An amazing, freakishly good bottle of wine, which still remains my choice for all-time QPR champ. 50+5+14+19+8=96
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Consistent with previous notes. Glad I got this finished in a sweet spot. This vintage is more BDX than Tusscan. I think Ruffino is trying to figure out style more than place with this wine/brand.
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You’re going to think “Is this guy nuts?” All I can say is that is wine is at its peak. The great tangy fruit, structure, tannins, terroir all all in sync. So glad I bought a case way back when. So sad that I have only 2 bottles left. The Merlot and Cab blend plus the soil must be the secret because it has that Sangiovese tannin (terroir?). Spectator got this one right with 96 points and a patient after 14 drink by. Patience has been rewarded red Man chewing tobacco, unfiltered.
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Leaner and fruitful. Acidity is med-high, tannins are high, extract medium, secondary notes starting to pop. Soil and leather, like wet leather jacket. Sweet in the midpalate. Dry finish. Went well with lasagna. Save last bottle for 2023.
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Prior bottle was almost nine months ago and this wine continues to show quite well. Opened two hours ahead of time and drunk over an additional three hours, just like the prior bottle. Virtually the same nose with blackberry, black cherry and earth. Medium bodied with bright, youthful blackberry upfront, then black cherry through the middle and darker notes behind; nearly plum. Retains good tartness (tart black cherry with hints of red) on the backside, mixed with acidity and tannins; the wine still has a solid backbone. Mid-body has very good depth and even expansiveness, that's where I taste the merlot the most. Cabernet notes and structure come in on the finish and are tied in quite well with the body of the wine. Spice notes and mineral qualities on the finish along with enough tannin for good length. I see no current signs that this wine has begun to decline, nearly the opposite.
Now, is this a 96 point wine? No; never was and never will be. But it has expressive fruit, good complexity, solid structure (especially for 11 years old) and even some moments of elegance. The blend of grapes works quite well and contributes to the complexity. Yes, it doesn't show it's best as a PnP and really does need 3 hours open. It shows good overall balance as well as mid-body depth. Simply put, this may not be the spectacular, world-beating, remember for the rest of your life wine that the professional score promised. But it is an excellent wine and when coupled with the ridiculously low price paid, I'm honestly sorry I only have one bottle left of my original 15.
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Clean medium(+) intensity on the nose with aroma cassis violets plum fig incense anise touch of vanilla prune and tar.
Dry. Medium acidity. Medium(+) tannin. Medium alcohol. Medium(+) body. Medium(+) intensity with flavours of cassis fig anise vanilla prune tobacco incense and lavender.
Long finish. Outstanding. Drink now. Don't risk it as this is. Real sweet spot of freshness and complexity.
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Still amazingly tannic and tightly wound - you would never know it was 11 years old already. Has a nice dry note on the finish. Overall though this is a bit lacking in charm.
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dark red, almost black at the eye. Rich nose of plums and cigar box, intense and fashinating. At the mouth consistent taste of red ripe fruit where plums and blueberry emerge over all. Juicy with silky testure, tannins smoothed over time. Very enjojable and extremely pleasant. a masterpiece for Ruffino the 2007 vintage.
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every bottle of Modus 2007 is an experience and with the passing time this wine gets better and more complex maintaining its rich pleasantness made of red ripe fruit melt with juicy and truly enjoyable notes of smoke and oak, pencil, underwood. Probably reached its best now and will stay here foir two to four years, in my opinion.
Double decanted and left in the decanter for another 3 hours, it still was very wood driven and on the modern side of things, not my style but I see how it can please some. Nice tannins but a lack of acidity is showing, I prefer a bit more finesse and complexity.
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Sangiovese 50%, Merlot 25% and Cabernet Sauvignon 25%
Full body, deep garnet color. Impressive intense but very delicate black fruits, tobacco and leather aroma. Dominant cherry, plum and notes of black olives palate, long rounding and delicious finish. Very pleasure wine, rich and complex, bold texture, excellent balanced, completely integrated silky tannins and lovely berries acidity. Food friendly, best match is pasta with porcini sauce. Serve 18º - 22º. Open about one hour ahead. Drink now and next six/eight years, perhaps longer.
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Decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, black cherry, currant, licorice, tobacco leaf and vanilla. Black and red fruit, cocoa powder, espresso, tobacco, leather, dried herbs and fine tannins on the palate. Layered and dense. Leads to a long finish. Full bodied. Drinking beautifully. Served with spinach lasagna.
Russk. Expats at Pablo and Cindy's. Pleasant, but a little less expressive this time. maybe it needs a longer decant. Not showing signs of early maturity. 90+.
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Prior bottle was almost four months ago, but my notes were somewhat different due to the extended time open. Opened about two hours ahead of time and drunk over the next three hours (5 total) and this particular bottle showed the most sangiovese dominance of any of the bottles I have tried. Blackberry, black cherry and earthy cigarbox on the nose. More medium (as opposed to full bodied) with bright blackberry upfront, gaining density through the middle and adding black cherry, tart black cherry and integrated spices and solid mineral notes through the finish. I didn't taste the depth of the cabernet or the richness of the merlot in this bottle (other than as background notes) as it seemed focused the the purity of the sangiovese fruit, blending with balanced structure notes. Overall, this bottle showed a bit more finesse and nuance. A different experience, but certainly quite pleasant. Next bottle in July 2018.
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Drinking really well right now. Perfect balance of black berries, earth, leather, smoke, lavender, chocolate and toasted cedar. Complex but approachable.
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Decanted. In an absolutely great spot tonight and drinking beautiful. Still showing a dark ruby color in the glass with little to no bricking. Aromas are complex and intriguing showing notes of leather, cigar tobacco, dried mushroom, dried flowers, spice, balsamic, cranberry sauce, dark cherry, cedar and forrest scents, earth, sous bois, black truffle, game meats, olive with charred wood and light touches of mahogany, vanilla and espresso. The palate retains its bright acid structure and firm, bold tannins. Complex flavors dance across the palate revealing notes of dried cherry, cranberry sauce, goji, cigar tobacco, dusty leather, dried rose hip, forrest floor, porcini, ground espresso, spice, black tea, game meats, olive, truffle and notes of wood, balsamic and herbs. The finish pushes on with intensity with firm dusty tannins and juicy acidity.
first taste with Coravin. Dark ruby, almost impenetrable. Powerful, astringent still, warm. Ripe red fruit, basically plums in an smoky cloud with a silky texture. Rich, elegant, juicy and complex. 2007 big vintage for Modus. Still 5 years ahead or so.
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At 11 years I remain blown away by this dark and brooding red wine. It has aged wonderfully and is at its best right. A very aromatic nose of a wine which is totally modern Italian. Fruit driven palette with some graphite tones to it, especially on the finish. Long finish and worth finding. Drink over the next 5 years. Finish lasts for 30 + seconds.
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Consistent with my note 2 years ago. Great wine. Everybody liked it. Drinking well, don't see it getting better, but should maintain good drinking for another 4-5 years. 4 out of 4 bottles enjoyed, disappointed to see the last one go
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Prior bottle was eight months ago and today's was yet another fantastic bottle. Remains close to full bodied with very similar overall notes. Blackfruit, cassis and leather notes on the nose. Similar blackfruit notes upfront of deep plums, black cherry and brighter blackberry. Softens and deepens through the middle with black cherry, chocolate and cassis. Adds tart, yet bright black cherry towards the back before finishing with cigarbox notes and solid, but balanced structure. Integration remains the star for this wine as the cabernet, merlot and sangiovese all work together to create a better overall bottle, resulting in a wine of complexity and depth, with the fruit and backbone to continue to age well. Next bottle in November 2017.
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I should have read some notes before opening this because I did not decant and just opened at a BYOB, color was black cherry. Nose of plum and dark fruit, palate was medium, some tannin. i wish I had decanted or held this bottle another year or so
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Väri tumma viininpunainen. Tuoksu maanläheinen melkein korkkiintunut. Parani tuntien dekantoinnin jälkeen. Kirsikkaa. Nahkaa. Boysenmarjaa Maku tuhti. Täyteläinen tanniininen. Paksun marjainen. Mausteinen pippuria Juhannuksena 2017 lauran ja antin kansss. Säilyy vielä monta vuotta
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no detailed notes - 4-5 hour decant, drank over 2.5 hours. It just kept getting better. The Sangiovese notes on the nose were muted, perhaps in comparison to the Cab and Merlot, not sure. Even after a lengthy decant it started the night a bit lean and tight, which is funny considering how big the wine is alcohol wise. Some tart red berries, tobacco, and perhaps a wee touch of leather on the palate. The wine maintained a certain reticence over the whole evening, even though it continued to open and the last sip was best. Hold, or decant for 5-6 hr minimum.
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From Magnum - decanted 15 mins, consumed over next 2 hours. Compare to a year ago, the initial boldness, big tannin, big fruits, seems to have tamed a bit. Within 30 mins from bottle opening, wine is already pleasing - Tuscan not doubt... plenty of fruits, tannin, leather & herbs, fantastic with rib roast! Saving the last mag
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The 2007 Ruffino Modus Toscana IGT was a black cherry red color with no bricking. This is a wine that needs air! It was awkward and funky at opening but after 3 hours in the decanter it was very nice. The nose was not explosive but provided scents of anise, plum, dark fruits and wet stone. The mouth feel was chewy with a medium to heavy feel. Some tannins but very mild. The taste was rich and provided flavors of graphite, plum, cherry, and blackberry. A good wine that is still drinking nicely. Should be good for another 10 years. Score 91
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Popped and poured. This is a dark red wine with some mild sediment at the end; a decant is worthwhile. On the nose, I get cassis, cherry, and some forest scents. In the mouth, this is smooth and chewy, with a nice savory element. The finish remains a bit tight. Overall, this is a bit of a generic "red," but is still a good wine, especially for the price. 91 points.
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still too young with a lot of prominent tannins left in this, black fruits, ripe, intense, the dominant grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, after more air it becomes rounder
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Due to my previous experience with this wine a lengthy decant was given. Once in the glass moderately intense aromas of Maduro tobacco, warm gravel, earth and dried mushrooms lead the charge followed by leather, dried herbs, aged red meats, pencil shavings, French press coffee and dried fruit scents of fig, dark cherry, blackberry and currant. additional scents of dried violets, mineral and black olive. Showing good development on the palate. Tannins are present but have softened but retain a slightly chewy presence. Acidity is still lively and medium-plus. Mid-palate density is starting to lighten but remains moderate. Developed flavors of tobacco, leather, dried porcini mushrooms, dry aged red meats, salt and iron, black olive, dried flowers and dried herbs are well integrated and blend with notes of dried currant, fig, dried cherry, and bramble that lead to finishing flavors of dark coffee, pencil, sous bois and dust. The finish lingers nicely with presence of flavors.
Overall in a great spot right now showing its maturity well. A savory wine that has shedded it's sweeter (oak) aspects of toffee and burnt sugar. A perfect meat and cheese wine! Has delivered very well for the price
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60 min decant, but agrees with recent notes- initial taste very disappointing. 85 then. Over next 20min with some cheese and salami opened up beautiful and whatever was there blew off.
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First bottle of this. PnP and quite disappointed given the reviews. Seems beyond its peak. Recorded and put aside for a day and it really opened up. Nice dark fruit, nice balance...difficult to find the Sangiovese. This can go a good bit longer. If opening now, let it breathe.
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Aromas of black cherry, blackberry, tobacco, road tar, black licorice and forest floor. Ripe black and red fruit, espresso, forest floor, a hint of cocoa and stone on the palate. Fruit forward with a rich texture, leading to a lean, soft finish with good length. Full bodied. Served with steak pizza.
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Opened three hours ahead of time and this was another spectacular bottle, just like my prior bottle from July 2016. Close to full bodied and overall, the wine is improving most on the integration front. Dark blackfruit along with tobacco and leather on the nose. Darker blackfruits to start (plums, blackberry black cherry), then lightens and brightens considerably through the middle with red cherry and then transitions softly into the finish with merlot dominant chocolate and cassis. When this wine shows well, the complexity is always a highpoint. Good tannic structure throughout and into and through the finish. I see no signs of fading fruit or strongly softening structure which tells me that this wine should be able to maintain this plateau for several more years.
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Plums with blueberry tar rubber and prunes. Structured balanced and long. Aging gracefully. Lots of power. Smokey with a seductive profile. lots to like here. Still with lots left in the tank. Drink 2016-2020.
This is still going strong. Inky black color, no signs of aging. Decanted 1 hr. First night was heavy black fruits, burnt forest floor and thick tannins. Rebottled and on 2nd night less wound up, but still full of black fruit, leather and some peppery spice. It takes some digging to get the Sangiovese flavors out from behind the Cab and Merlot. It's solid wine, but I feel like this wine has an identity crisis.
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A bit musty on the open which was resolved with a one hour decant. Wet earth, tart red fruit, firm tannic structure. Bit metallic on the long finish. Right in stride.
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Wow, this was good tonight. My last of 6 bottles. Great nose, soft tannins, wonderful finish. Glad I waited on this one. The last few bottles of this were the best.
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Red fruit, barnyard and damp earth on the nose. A lot of the same on the palate with some gravely acid from the sangiovese. Dense, tannic wine with miles to go...not sure where the "past prime" tasting notes are coming from.
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three years after my last bottle. This is dark, red, almost black, and I remember a more balanced wine. This is a little bit overwhelming and heavy. A little too much although elegant and powerful. Notes of ripe red fruit melt with roasted coffee, earth and notes of oak. Drink now or wait some time, but will not improve further
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PnD 1/3 of the bottle. Let air for 1hr. Consistent with previous notes. Holding up better than I thought with last bottle. Exotic intoxicating nose. Lots of complexity and depth with balance. Lingering black fruits tobacco and espresso on the finish.
Balance of the bottle held up amazingly well. Glad I have two more bottles and wish I had more.
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My prior bottle was about eight months ago and it really seems like this wine is hitting its stride as all the component fruit flavors are coming together incredibly well, just as they did on my prior bottle. Full bodied and while smooth, retains excellent tannic structure so I have no worries about this wine getting flabby in the near term. Deeper, darker blackfruits to start, then brightens with a burst of red cherry in the middle and then smooths out beautifully with more mid-weight, merlot dominant fruit towards the back. Very nice structure and length on the finish. Overall, this was very close to be an identical experience to my prior bottle (Nov 2015). Based on how well this wine is holding up, I may have to extend its peak window. While I continue to believe there's not much room for additional improvement, this wine has certainly proved it has the fruit and structure to stay at peak level for another few years. Next bottle in Nov 2016 and I'll continue to see how it evolves. What a fantastic QPR!
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Developing into a really nice wine. My last notes said this wine wouldnt improve much but I was totally wrong. Fruit has come out and the tannins subsided. Really nice.
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Coravin tasting. Dark opaque Dark ripe fruits nose with sous bois notes, licorice, animal hints and more Heavy palate, full bodied, firm tannins, dark ripe earthy fruits flavors, still tight and young. Seducing aftertaste. Can further age 5-10 years. should try this bottle again within 2-4 years.
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At nearly 9 years I was truly impressed. The wine is dark. And purple color. It is a full throttle wine with a modern and fruit driven profile. It is mature and not quite what it was 5 years ago. The nose is perfumed, with herbs and a burnt cedar aroma. Imagine salmon cooking on a cedar plank like flavor.
Remarkable and unique flavor. I taste some fig on the palette and yet smell some asphalt. Finish includes dark berries and graphite. Lingering for 30 + seconds.
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Dark and inky in the glass. Nice bouquet: moss, cherry vanilla, saddle leather, and floral notes. Quite acidic to have without food, but showing flavors of smoked meats, chewing tobacco, sour cherries, lead, and dried mushrooms. Quite complex with a very old world charm. I'm going to say "yes"!
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Excellent wine after nine years. Opaque purple colour but lots of sediment in the bottle. Tertiary flavours have emerged, and plenty of fruit. I think this has a good 10 years ahead of it.
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Still dark, dense and silky with earthy flavors. Outstanding value for a super Tuscan. Drink soon. This wine is peaked and loses its specialness on day two.
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Opened and decanted. Medium-plus staining in the tears and still not a lot of color variation. sediment is present. With air time medium-plus aromas rise from the glass showing beautiful balance and complexity. Aromas show a blend of leather, dried violets, pencil shavings, black truffle, dry aged game meats, tobacco and coffee with secondary notes of blueberry, dried cherry, dried currant, and wild bramble berry. On the palate Mineral driven with notes of iron and graphite, brined black and green olives, dried venison jerky, tobacco, shaved black truffle, leather and a blend of dried cranberry, cherry and goji with additional flavors of dried roses, earth, wood and hints of blueberry and bitter sweet cocoa. long through the finish with great, medium-plus acidity and drying, slightly chewy tannins.
Overall consistent with previous notes and still has a lot of life left.
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Stored in controlled cellar. This was exceptional tonight. Served with grilled KC Strips. Decanted 1/2 hour. Opened up after 1 hour. I believe this is in a prime drinking window. Was like velvet on the palate. Black cherry, blackberries, underbrush and delicious. Not as heavy on the palate as I remembered. Tannins have softened since bottle in 2015. Drink up but will last a few more years.
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Please refer my note of 09/08/2013. Decanted for four hours. About the only positive thing I can say about this wine are the chewy tannins. Otherwise, not much has changed since 2013. This experience is what I would imagine chewing on a toasted barrel stave would impart. Alas, I am in the minority since all other reviews, including WS, see this wine in a much more favorable light. I enjoy the elegance of "Old World" wines, but the use of wood in this effort is completely over the top. Makes me think, what was the winemaker trying to disguise?
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With an almost bordelaise nose, shows rich dark berries and a wonderful funk up front. The palate is decidedly less fruity with an old world structure. The fruit is there, black cherry and blackberry, but matched by a green olive acidity, and an Italian tannic structure of leather and fennel. The French grapes do show, but are faithful to their Italian provenance. Wonderful, possibly starting to fade.
Showing much better now vs. when I first tried it a few years ago. This is still very firm and tight but starting to Show signs of life. Shows great sense of terroir, dark racey fruit but a strong smoakey, leather and red brick backdrop. I'd wait a couple more years before trying again; this is still a bit of a monster. The quality and potential is there though. Very good value for the quality.
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Last bottle of a beloved case. Scorched earth, fuel, and beneath it all solar flares of sizzling, blissful fruit. A special wine that gave a ton of pleasure over the years.
The last sixth of this bottle sat unnoticed and unpreserved for six full days and was not half bad! This will hold through at least 2019.
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Drank my first bottle a few years ago and thought I wasted my money. Had my second bottle today and now I see where the high scores are coming from. I think it will continue to get better for a few more years.
From Magnum - decanted 90 mins, consumed over next 3 hours. Super dark color but wonderful wines with 2 faces. Stage 1 (15mins to 90 mins) is big bold wine, fruits with big tannin, not harsh. At some point, it evolves into a very Tuscan like wine... leather, herbs, elegant, dried plum, a little acidity, all nicely integrated... long finish. C$80 tax in, worth every penny, bought all 3 bottles in the system.
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The highlight of the dinner party standing out among several good bottles. Drinking very well right now. This is a big style wine with ample dark and red fruit on the nose and palate. The oak and tannins are plentiful, yet well integrated and in proportion. Excellent overall balance, structure and mouthfeel with a long finish. Will keep my remaining two bottles for another year or so. Very pleased with this wine. 93-95 pts. PJP 2016.
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My last bottle of the '07s, had it with pizza tonight. Unlike the '06 I opened last week, which was a goner, this one is still alive and very good! Coffee beans, black berries, dried plums and a hint of cigar box. Very good presence on the palate and a good long finish
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Some real structure here. Funky nose at first but blew off and came together shedding a petrol tinge. Nose is dark and brooding, and that continues upon entry. A sturdy backbone with charcoal graphite and earth tones throughout the entire sip. Black cherry and dark berries entice the back sides of the tongue. Full satisfying finish. Quite good. No rush.
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Holy, 180 degree turn. This bottle had a nice hit of barnyard funk that faded as time passed. extraordinary flavors of dark berries, leather, and subtle hints of burnt toast. Very nice bottle.
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4/5 - Opened about an hour prior to drinking, Big and bold, juicy. Aromas of herbs, and dried berry, smoke, barnyard, and earthiness. Strong drying tannin, with a long finish.
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Possibly the best bottle of this wine I have tasted so far. Aromatic nose of dark fruit, berries, smoke and leather. This felt like the most complete and well integrated bottle of this wine I have opened so far where the various components were working together rather than showing separately. The wine started off more cab-dominant with the darker fruit and deeper notes. But blending in there were the brighter sangiovese notes of a more red cherry bent which added freshness and brightness in the background. Wine has plenty of structure remaining, but the tannins are well integrated. Overall the wine came off with good depth, excellent complexity and extremely well balanced. It has plenty of life left and I hope for 2-3 more at this level as I don't see much room for further improvement.
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Opaque purple color turning orange rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off perfumed, herbaceous, sinewy notes of fig paste, dark berries, burnt maple, scorched pine, cola and smoke. The palate is full-bodied, modern-styled, with a velvety texture. Notes of meat, graphite and scorched earth are accompanied by jammy, fleshy flavors of dark cherry, blueberry, plum liqueur, kirsch, and fig that are enveloped by a mentholated coating that stretches all the way to the long finish. This is extraordinarily, bold, and one of the finest I've tasted from the region. Drink now with a 20-minute decant until 2027.
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Mike G and Berto visit Cleveland (Italian wines)+ (Willoughby, Ohio): Others seemed to like this more than I. The nose is very good with a nice complexity of dusty cherries. Maybe some cassis and herbs too. It could be a bit shut down on the palate (not that familiar with this wine but I think its Cab/Merlot and maybe Sangio) but its not as complex. Easy drinking. More generic red than identifiable. That said, its tasty with ripe red fruits. Worked well with the food.
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Nice dry cherry on the dose. Full bodied, very dry, dusty dried fruit, camphor, white pepper, with strong tannins still showing, a somewhat sour finish. This is a masculine, elegant wine but a bit overrated.
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Bottle 11 of 12 of this stalwart. Still plush and deep but with none of its old extremeness. A great compromise wine for red meat since she doesn't love cab but does like Sangiovese and merlot, and the three work so well together here.
What a great purchase this case was for years of enjoyment!
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Really, really good. Purchased on release and stored since, this had a high WS rating from the JS era and normally that doesn't mean much, but this really lived up to the hype. In a perfect drinking window right now. Had a 2000 Spinetta WS 98 rated Barolo last night and I knew it was going to be trouble due to the cork seepage level, but the cork on this was perfect and the wine was fantastic. Considering what I paid for this vs. what I paid for the Spinetta, I feel like I broke even.
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Consistent with my previous notes. Maybe just slightly less impressive on the palate this time, but so powerful and amazing on the nose. We had this alongside a 2005 Ornellaia for my birthday and it managed to hold its own. Of course it couldn't match the phenomenal depth and intensity that the Ornellaia displayed on the palate - but on the nose, it might actually have been better. Incredibly powerful aromas of leather, earth and flowers explode from the glass. Full-bodied and loaded with tangy blackberry and dark currant fruit. The finish is very long and complex, with silky tannins and intriguing notes of leather, coffee, citrus and spice. One of the all-time QPR champs at around $25. Consistently outdrinks Super Tuscans that cost 2-3 times as much. 50+5+14+17+8=94
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This bottle was better than the one I most recently opened (May 2015) and I suspect some positive bottle variation. In this bottle, the cabernet seemed both more structured, but also more in balance with the sangiovese fruit. When this wine is showing its best, the cabernet adds structure and darker fruit notes while the sangiovese adds the brighter, more red fruit notes and the merlot acts to bind these two components together and adds richness and smoothness. Sometimes, it may come across as too soft if the cabernet had faded too much into the background. That was not the case here. All this being said, in order to get the most complexity and balance from this wine, I still think it should be drunk in the next two years. It won't benefit from going beyond that time and you run the risk of one of the components fading and losing the joy that this bottle really is when all its varied notes come together properly as they did in this instance.
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PnVnD let air for 1hr. Beautiful cassis aroma from the moment it was poured. Dense dark purple with plum rim. Cassis blackberry espresso and orange blossom on the nose. Medium weight with silky espresso and cherry skin tannins. Burst of black and red fruits on the palate with notes of espresso leather and herbs. Becoming more elegant and integrated. Lots of complexity for the price. Have loved this all along the way but it is in a really sweet spot right now that tempts me not to hold on to the rest too much longer.
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I am not sure how WS saw this as a 96 rated wine. It's a typical Tuscan wine. Nice blackberry. cherry, and plum taste. a little soft with tannins and acidity not so prevalent. Can't see this getting any better.
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Ruffino wines tasting (Wine Route, Savion): dark red-black dark ripe fruity aroma with earthy notes med-full bodied, good complexity, quality fruity flavours, pleasant finish.
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Opaque purple in color, this wine (50% Sangiovese/25% Cabernet Sauvignon/25% Merlot) shows dark plum, new saddle leather and spices on the nose. The mouth feel is full bodied with added notes of smoke, licorice and dust. The finish is medium/long in length with unexpected heat at the end, causing this taster to think there may be more alcohol than the 13.5% abv listed on the label.
A recent gift from my boss, this wine is in its prime drinking window now. Served pnp, the first several glasses were the most vibrant. The last 2 glasses, poured 2 hours after opening, faded quickly. Drink now.
Imported by Ruffino Import Company, Rutherford, CA.
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Tastes of dark cherry and black fruit. some interesting spice. Found tannins at first to be a little round and rough but that died down in a few hours and had grest structure against the fruit. Rich and complex on the palate.
great balanced bottle - right in prime drinking window.
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Smooth...This bottle exhibited some Barolo-like qualities this evening. Still takes a bit of time to open up, and may even still be a bit too young to try at this time.
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Wow this is a brute of a wine in a good way. Sipping the last glass five hours after decanting it still is vibrant and powerful. Can definitely make out the Cabernet on the nose. Tannins are still present in a way that suggests a long life but alas this was my last bottle. Paired well with homemade Italian feast prepared by my wife for dinner.
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I will reserve points and any notes as this bottle was flawed. An enormous amount of Brett that did not blow off even after 5 hours worth of air time. Shame.
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This was stellar. Such a rich and homogenous blend of cherry, plumb, violets, leather, and spice. I doubted the rating like most of you until I popped the cork. What a bohemian deal @ 25 bones. Served with linguine carbonara and sweet sausage.
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Nose a dark berries. Really dark purple with sediment. Wonderful flavors of dark cherry and black fruit. A touch of sweetness with some interesting spice. My sense is that this will go for a few more years before decline.
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Drinking really well right now. Everything I look for in a wine....great fruit, lingering finish with some soft tannins and a touch of brett. Wonderful!
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On the nose, comes off like a cabernet. Medium bodied and noticeably softer and more integrated than my last bottle (July 2014). Still shows bright red cherry dominant brunello-type fruit through the middle. Cabernet is in the background adding structure and the merlot comes in on the finish adding a richness, additional depth and darker fruit and chocolate notes. This wine still has the complexity, fruit and structure to last two years more of so, but it will start to lose the complexity and balance that make it such an interesting wine soon after that time. Given where it is today, I don't see it gaining anything by additional time in the cellar; best to enjoy these over the next two years.
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Good, but certainly not a 96 point wine that WS gave. Can't say I love the combination of sangiovese, merlot and cab here. It's a tasty wine, but a bit odd flavor profile. Long finish.
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Heavy wine with rough tannins but drinks a bit lighter as the alcohol is not that high, good fruit, nice balance, nice bouquet, interesting wine, enjoyed with veal parm, would drink again but probably not available, wine is probably at it peak.
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I'm beginning to worry about this wine. the tannins are still pronounced with some dropping in fruit. Cherries, tobacco, barnyard. Had 1/2 bottle night one, way too young but the 2cnd half bottle the next night was not enough softer.
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First one of these in eight months. We had this alongside a 2006 Flaccianello, a 2007 Dofana (Cresti) and a 2008 Saffredi. It put each and every one of them to shame. Still very dark, semi-opaque and young-looking. Extremely powerful on the nose. Smelled like a brand new baseball glove, with hints of earth and spice. There's such incredible richness and depth to the palate here. Layer upon layer of ripe, tangy blackberry and dark currant fruit completely saturate the mouth. The long, polished finish is bursting with dark fruit and notes of coffee, toasted oak and spice. So complex, balanced and delicious. It's hard to imagine, but this may be getting even better. Wow. 94+ 50+5+13+18+8=94
A great example of a price-quality giant. Decanted 1.5 hour, no change in the two hours (we had a brake walking the dog). Beautiful dark fruit notes in the nose, elegant though powerful in the mouth, with dark fruit, earth and "terroir", which shows up after the vibrant start.
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Ein Geschmackserlebnis- schon nach dem öffnen ausgezeichnete Nase von dunkelroten Früchten , Cassis, Leder. Nach 1 h Stunde im Decanter zeigt sich am Gaunem dann eine ausbalancierte Aromenvielfalt von Erde, Leder , Kirsche, Cassis. Holz sehr gut eingebunden . Voluminöser (dezente 13,5 %) , aber nicht marmeladiger Wein . Unaufdringliche Tannine zeigen sich nach einer Stunde . Wein jetzt genossen , wird aber noch einige Jahre auf dem Höhepunkt sein.
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Nice bottle, but drinking a bit awkward at the moment. A little of the feistiness of youth, a small measure of maturing composure, but only glimpses of one or the other. I would wait another two years to see what this bottle decides to be.
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Decanted two hours, and had with Veal cutlet and spicy red sauce with bacon wrapped chorizo stuffed dates. While this wine is very good, I may have been expecting too much from it. Certainly earthy and even a little barnyard on the nose yielding to fig, dark fruit and still a hint of earthiness on the palate. However it doesn't linger long on the palate and the finish is weak, making me wonder if it is just the nature of this wine or it needs consumed soon.
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I do think this is a quality wine, but it still feel it's just a bit early on this one. The nose has wonderfully pure deep and rich primary fruit with loads of blackberry compote, cassis, dark cherry and blueberry. There also a good whack of oak that's not yet integrated providing notes of pine, pine sap and sawdust. There are also glimpses of rustic, just slightly bretty leather and farmyard. The palate had elevated acid and medium tannin with a medium plus finish of bright berry fruit and oaky notes. While drinking alright now everything in this wine points to a bright future of much more integration. The bright fruit and oak need some time to settle down. I'm going to try to wait five years on my next one.
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This hasn't changed much in the two years since I last had a bottle. Still a tasty, structured wine. The grilled meat/blackberry/herbal notes still stand out; the acidity and tannins are mostly integrated but still noticeable. Drinking well now but no rush at all.
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PnP. I like the nose best right out of the bottle, as I get a bit of funk with a swirl. Remarkably black fruit, graphite, charcoal, chewing tobacco. The full body I expect with Modus. Supposed to be 50% sangio, but the cab and merlot seem to be overpowering that.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 2 hours. Aromas of cherry, blackberry, tar, licorice, dried herbs and espresso. On the palate, a velvety, black fruit core with notes of espresso and oak combine with firm gripping tannins. Leads to a long finish. Full bodied with a dense, rich texture. Drinking well. Paired with Stromboli.
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I've been holding these for 4 years now, waiting for the tannins to soften. They finally are. A big wine with a medicinal nose and gentle tannins that coat the tongue. The fruit is there but it's in the background. This wine is ready to drink, but give it time to open up before quaffing.
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Drinking very nicely. Lots of legs. Last 2 bottles were spoiled but this bottle was a big surprise. Lots of fruit and well balanced. Long finish and drinking better than a few years ago. Hints of cedar and tobacco. Really enjoyed.
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Smokey with ash, sage and ripe dark red fruit. Juicy, rich and opulent. Fantastic finish with vanilla, berries, leather and cedar notes. Griping tannin and fresh acidity. Very good.
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Reaching maturity. Has settled into a somewhat monochromatic dark, plummy and very soft, satiny profile, with fully integrated tannins and acidity. This was more interesting, and more Italian, when the acidity was more prominent last year. Now drinking like the more opulent, modern style 2007 Brunellos, but with less palate-cleansing tannin and acidity. Drink up.
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As always, this wine is difficult to get right. It's reduced which must be cleared to reveal the fruit. It's tight and unsettled initially leaving a so-so impression in the mouth. There is still some light tannin and it's bright so temperature matters. It starts to drink after about 45min/1 hour. Before that, don't bother. I like the way it feels after it settles down. It's fine now, will probably improve, but perhaps at the expense of the fruit which seems a little less interesting with each bottle. It has lots of smoke and some complexity but the smoke dominates the fruit. Good with food but open it early.
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Très grand vin, dans un excellent millésime ! Très proche d'un Brunello, avec de la finesse et longueur. Le Merlot ( et un peut le cabernet Sauvignon) lui donne un peut plus de corps qu'un Brunello classic
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PnD let air for 2hrs. Dense dark purple with clear rim. Big aroma of cassis tar espresso blackberry plum and rosemary. Medium(+) with a lot of silky ripe tannin. Burst of elegant abundant fruit with espresso dark chocolate tobacco and rosemary notes. Lingering blackberry pastille and savory finish. Oak is much more integrated than it was since last bottle two years ago. Well balanced and delicious.
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Three years later, I don't think this is going to make old bones. It is already drying out and the tannins are still pretty fierce. Fruit is there but pretty walled off by tannins and oak treatment. Try again in a couple of years and hope for the best. Best guess 88 pts/
Dark fruits, vanilla, smooth finish. Agree with others that there is a bit of barnyard funk (bret?) to it. Not overwhelming though, so doesn't distract too much. Certainly punches above its weight, but not sure I would score as high as others.
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This is a particularly nice red that, last night, went very well with grilled lamb shoulder chops. I am always surprised that the listed auction price is so very low- $13. If you can find it for that price, or anywhere up to the mid $20 range, I do not think you will be disappointed.
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PnP at a restaurant and drank nicely after 15 mins in the glass. Mostly dried cherry fruit on the entry, with some leather, earth, and dustiness. Medium acidity and a somewhat lean, medium bodied frame with some currant and plum also showing on the finish. Nice wine that is true to its Tuscan origin.
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Gradually working my way through 2+ cases purchased in 2011. Consistent with my most recent note from January, 2014. This still has a very youthful look to it. Displays a very dark, opaque purple color that is only beginning to lighten around the edge. The nose is amazing. Extremely powerful aromas of dark berries, leather, spices, lavender and a hint of barnyard. Full-bodied, showing incredible depth without a lot of weight. The sour cherry and dark currant fruit is beginning to fade somewhat, but there is so much structure underneath that this is still mouth-filling and very satisfying. Very long, beautifully balanced and complex, with a lingering aftertaste of coffee, tobacco, citrus and mineral. One of the all-time QPR champs, this phenomenal wine has many more wonderful years ahead of it. 50+5+14+17+8=94
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When first opened, it seemed so soft and open that I was worried these bottles might be aging faster than I thought. But given an hour and it broadened and deepened considerably. The varied complexities of the mid-palette fruits are perhaps even better than I remember from the prior bottles. The integration and balance have also improved. Overall, drank exceptionally well and should have a number of years left in front of it.
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Very beautiful red colour; nose classic tabacco, chocolate, leather; taste good balance sweet/sour, bordeaux-like, too less fruit, too much tannins. Short finish. (Parker 96 p., ???)
Russk my wine at WIC. Starting off tight after a 1.5hr decant. 91-. Day2 91+. Day3 92pts. Showing nice complexity. Just dont want to put the glass down.
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Russk. WIC at Peters. This bottle seemed less mature on day 1 than others of the same vintage that I have had recently. Almost too tight and after a 1.5hr decant. Now on day 2 it is really signing. Nose and mouth of iron, cherry, coffee. Some old Bx notes. Pretty complex. Glad I have more, but they can still go longer.
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Skipped day 2 and consumed remainder on day 3. What a difference! Smoother more expressive and egads some nice juicy fruit. Decant or wait. There is something here...even if hiding once popped.
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Coming together nicely; Consistent with previous bottles with tobacco, plum and cherry aromas and flavors dominating. Dark chocolate, earth and licorice notes on smooth finish; tannins are in check
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Highly rated upon release. Dark purple out of bottle with cedar and wood smoke. Muted and not a lot going on in this. Very dry tannin on the finish and almost devoid of fruit profile. This was much better in the past. Perhaps a little cork taint or bottle variance.
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Popped and poured. This is a darker purple wine, one with a bit of sediment toward the end of the bottle. On the nose, there is some chocolate (likely from oak), leather, and some moderate fruit. In the mouth, there are some red fruits and a bit of dusty stone. The finish leaves a woodsy note. Overall, this is enjoyable, although it certainly is a wine cut in a modern/international style; although only 25% of the blend, the cab dominates. I would give this at least another year or so. 91 points.
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Vin over-hypé je trouves, rustique et sur la chauffe. Le nez est discret, un peu de cerise. En bouche c`est simpliste, fruit primaire et grosse chauffe, déception!
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First one of these in almost exactly a year. Still looks like a baby. A dark, opaque purple in color, lightening only very slightly at the edge. The nose is as beguiling as ever. Gorgeous aromas of dark fruits, spice, flowers and leather fill the glass. Full-bodied and smooth as silk. Everything is coming into balance now. Mouthwatering sour cherry fruit, matched with the perfect amount of acidity and smooth, polished tannins caress the palate. There's such wonderful depth and focus to this. The long, lip-smacking finish is full of tangy fruit, along with subtle notes of citrus, leather and coffee. As outstanding as this is, it may be even better in another year or two. Can easily stand toe-to-toe with the Guado al Tasso and Tignanello of this vintage, at a third of the price. 50+5+14+17+8=94
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The fruit wasn't right until a slight reduction was cleared. I raised the temperature a few degrees to fill the middle. This had dark fruit with road tar, good balance and was even across the palate. Needed some work to show its best. Nice wine. Good now, but this should make a good old wine if that's your preference.
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Just as good as before. Good right out of the bottle after decanting. Nice nose and good legs. Well developed tannins and fruits. Smooth on the palate. Wish I had another case at this price ($25).
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Decanted for 1 hour. Would have benefited from opening much earlier. Deep color, Heavy body, Good Legs. The longer it opened in the glass the more it paired with food *Beef Tenderloin *Will age a few more years
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Just as good as before. Good right out of the bottle after decanting. Nice nose and good legs. Well developed tannins and fruits. Smooth on the palate. Wish I had another case at this price ($25).
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From memory…. Dark ruby colour. Nose of pyrazene, mocha, dark cherry, plum and blackberry flavours. The palate is big….rich fruit, vanilla, pyrazene, menthol and subtle spice. Finish is medium medium+ This is a well made wine…but definitely out of my comfort zone in terms of what I like to drink…just a bit too big and rich lacking some nuance and finesse.
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Needed 2 hours to come together. Deep garnet color with a big Bordeaux nose. The palate was dominated by the Sangiovese, however. Really good but I wasn't blown away. I think this gets better with more cellar time.
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Its been over a year since my previous tasting, and with current reviews I decided it was time to reassess what I recall as a stunning wine. The smell of the cork is exciting after opening... now time to wait... After decant aromas are reminiscent from previous assessments with earthy aromas of black truffle, forest floor, and wood that are forefront of the dried cherry, plum, black pepper, dried red currant, fresh herb bouquet, violets and red meat aromas that finish with a heavy dose of dark toast, tobacco and burnt sugar. yes this wine still requires a good long decant. The palate remains vibrant with moderate-plus acidity that gives this wine structure and its aging capability. The tannins are moderate, gentle and drying but play a back up to the firm acidity. Not short on flavor. Meaty; like a char-grilled venison steak, mineral (iron and graphite), dark cherry, currant, black and blueberries, toasted wood, violets/roses, leather and dark chocolate lingering on coffee and tobacco. Rustic, and old world, structured and stunning.
This wine is one that needs to breathe and needs to open up. For me this wine still has a lot of life still remains young, and still shows remarkably well.
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Just rough, tough Sangiovese. No other flavors. Got tougher day 2. Could not distinguish any cabernet or merlot flavors because the sango was so dominant and rough.
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A bit better than last year but still an over the top wine, quite simple & monolithic! Too bad this is well priced and promised much more...perhaps with a couple of year but the lack of acidity makes me weary!
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Somewhat disappointed in this now. It's very bold at first, but fades pretty quickly. I plugged this up to try on the second night, thinking it would open further, but it turned out dull and ordinary. Doesn't have the stuffing that I thought it had when initially tasted 1.5 years ago. Bold but not much more.
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After a three hour decant on Day 1, found this wine to be impenetrable with oak overwhelming nose, palate and finish. Day 2 produced only slightly better results. Will cellar my remaining bottles until 2016 to see if this wine is truly worthy of its favorable reviews.
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Vin sur un plateau secondaire. Arome de violette, de cuir et de cerise à l'eau de vie. En bouche, c'est long avec une bouche typiquement italienne. Une trame serrée qui commence à se délier.
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Dark fruits up front, followed by cedar and herbs, finishing with spice, oak, and leather. This seems to be in a really good spot right now, I thoroughly enjoyed drinking this.
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Comments In a good spot, everything seems to be together, the tannins have mellowed quite a bit, the fruit and acidity are in balance. And I think this has more time, doesn't seem tired at all.
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First of three bottles. Well rounded, earthy with slight tabacco leaf, savory herbs, roasted coffee bean and some saddle leather. Long silky finish. Quite a bargain.
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Beautiful nose; sweet fruit and a sense of richness. As other tasters have noted, this wine is currently in a very good drinking window, showing much better than the last time I opened a bottle. Full bodied, with wonderful density and complexity of fruit. Cabernet is noticeable first with the weight, structure and nose. Then the sangiovese fruit becomes prominent; excellent transition. Merlot notes show up on the end and bind the whole wine together into the long, smooth finish. This is an extremely well put together wine that I think will improve over the next few years and drink very well for more after that.
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Huge nose with great complexity. This Super Tuscan shows some of the lightness of sangiovese in the palate. A bit rough around the edges or perhaps hollow in the middle, but still quite enjoyable.
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Tough to score, but a pleasurable wine. Actually quite backward upon opening with rich cassis on the nose and a more mineral driven and savory palate. Grainy tannins are the only detractor on day 1. It screamed "Better on day 2", but it lied. Day 2 showed a raisiny over-ripeness that stripped away any freshness. I think it will further improve, but for how long?
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Has great potential, but agree with others that this needs to age for at least another couple of years. Deep dark purple red in color with robust dark blue fruit. Tannins starting to relax, but still need some time.
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still way too young even after 2.5 hours it hadn't opened fully. Changed from heavy barnyard to multiple dark fruits and tobacco (cherry) . 2 years before another. Had with cheese, crackers and salami
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Dark garnet red. Rich plums and blackberry aromas lead to a full bodied wine that adds light vanilla sweetness, coffee and pepper to the plum, cherry and blackberry. Nice weight, great texture.
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This is drinking perfectly now. My only complaint is that it has softened a tad, which makes it more of a challenge for food pairing. It has a great fruit nose, and is inky as all get out. You can taste the three varietals (Sangiovese, Cab,Merlot), but they are well-integrated. Better than medium finish. Great wine, do not see aging potential beyond 2013. Notes of cinammon, mocha and oak. No way this is a 96, but still good for the price. Two more bottles left.
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50th birthday party. Dark purple. Italianesque nose. A little bit of iron with notes of violets, chocolate and crushed black fruit. A nice wine but not the 96 pointer that WS claimed. 90 points.
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Very dark fruited, cassis, plum, blackberry, some dark cherry. Licorice, anise, tannins are beautifully integrated from my last experience, some faint earth tones. Drinking well now.
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Big supertuscan with superb nose of cherry, chocolate, leather and roasted coffee. Intense oak hints and mocha with chocolate too. Long finish with endless peat ashes Unforgettable under the falling rain PD
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Great fruit, chocolate, a little bit of spice. Pretty smooth tannins and decent acidity rounding it our. The wine seems to be in a good drinking window.
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Venison medallions and an assortment of hearty wines (Private Residence): Full body rich black color with long tears. Nose of intense charred oak, currants, blackberries with an entry that is acidic yet restrained with plenty of tannins. Body is lush with blackberries that jump off the glass and engulf the oak ending in a medium finish. Very masculine yet fruit forward effort that is a tour de force for Ruffino for this particular vintage (not been impressed with the other years). If you can get it for less than $30 it will be worth your while.
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This is evolving more quickly than anticipated, but headed for greatness. Will be tame in 2015, ready in 2016, but will it last? I say 20 years or more.
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Nose: A bit of oak, salmiac and urine from a stable. Smells like a bordeaux wine that is halfway too peak maturity.
Attack: earth and sour tannins.
Midpalete: Mostly earth and dirty earth tannins. The tannins are sour and grainy. almost zero fruit some sprakling strawberryjuice and salmiac coming through. Pretty full body.
Finish:Dry with the sour earthy tones coming through. Very long finish.
It tasted almost like a Bordeaux wine then it was fairly obvious that it was a sangiovese, cab blend.
Good food wine. It will be significantly better 3-4 years from now but don´t save it longer then that.
This will be a 90+ wine over time right now it´s 89. The long finish is the main reason I give it 90 now.
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Decanted for almost 4 hours!!! The color is extremely dark, almost inky pitch black...over extracted you say!!!
The nose is extremely fruity, this is a Fruit Bomb. some spices & licorice action also. The wood and vanilla are also quite apparent at this stage!
The palate is powerful to say the least...this is a big wine. The oak monster has arrived! Chewy tannins and quite long but way over the board for me! Some heat at the end but quite long nonetheless! This confirms my first bottle, this is overdone for me, did not like at all!!!
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Consumed over a four-day period. Upon opening, very dark purple in color with a slight watery, translucent edge. Nose of cherry, oak, kirsch liqueur, and smoked prunes. Also, as the wine was swirled and as it began to warm to room temperature, there was a definitive musty, barnyard smell, probably associated with brett. Palate of cherry, earth, candied fruit, and mocha. Strong on the tannins right now with a strong acid punch, but balanced. Medium bodied and medium finish.
Brett: ( http://palatepress.com/2013/01/wine/revelations-about-brettanomyces-in-wine/brett-aroma-wheel/ )...the barnyard, musty odor and the candied fruit flavors have me thinking it was definitely present. Also, knowing Italian winemakers appreciate and enjoy brett has me thinking this was it. For my taste, while I appreciate terroir, this was a little much for me and I couldn't get past it with every sniff and sip. Putting that aside, the structure of the wine was very well done and I do look forward to my final bottle in years to come. Really nice QPR.
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Popped and decanted and left to breath and loose the "funk" of initial opening. It was a Super Tuscan night out on the patio of our friend's home. Consumed about 10 hours after the morning's decant with great results. This wine is finally clicking on all levels. It kicked the ass of the 2008 Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo Toscana and the 2007 Terrabianca Campaccio Toscana that were also open and available. Demure nose of dark fruit, deep dark, dense inky glass staining color. BIG flavor profile that immediately wakes up your mouth to a great experience filled with layers of fruit working in harmony with the heat and acidity. Beautiful tanins and a long finish support the detail to appreciate this wines complexity. Restrained power is the best way I choose to describe this wine, providing surprise without fatigue. This has potential to continue to age beautifully for the next few decades.
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Excellent qualities all around, except for the musty notes on the nose and palate. Symtomatic of TCA contribution. But not overly offensive, esp. if consumed with a nice food paring. The longer left to air out, the better.
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Perhaps a touch let down after the absurd review and score that WS gave it, but I guess that's why we taste wines blind. Really nice wine and a terrific value with that mash-up of old world dirt and funk with new world fruit and extraction. Saturates the palate with rich mocha, espresso, wet pipe tobacco, olives and gallons of fruit and the finish is long and sweet. I'll be interested to try it again in a few years.
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Big year, big wine (not a block buster but very substantial), this cab/Italian mix was deep dark and tasty. For those of you who really secretly yearn for Cab, this is for you. You can pretend to be trendy and drink Italian wine, while secretly you are slurping down your Cab and Merlot in a roman wrapper. Its a better cocktail than what comes out of OZ (sorry chaps but I can not abide Cab/Syrah blends - just not meant by mother nature to be.....) but like so many cocktail wines, it really looses any sense of place or time. Its just a nice wine to drink but could, with your eyes closed, more or less be from anywhere. Well, except for the Sangiovese. It is yummy.
I do not understand how WS could rate this a 96?! Must have been the day/time/flight.......
Round and juicy. Good tannin nice blackberry and cherry fruit and earth. Good acidity and a long finish. This always delivers every time I have it. Drink now or hold.
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Much better than when I had it in 2011. The metallic taste has gone away. Still not a lot on the nose but a pretty good value. I still think this is more of a B+/A- vs a 96 pt wine. Suckling scores minus 6 or 7 points = normal.
Very young, with formidable tannins and black fruit balanced by acidity. With time in the glass, red fruit, leather, earth and mushrooms emerge, followed by sour cherries. This is going to be a great one, just nees time.
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Spectacular wine. Dark rubin at the eye. Intense and superb nose with aromas cherry, chocolate, wild leather and roasted coffee. Intense oak hints, but definetively balanced . Rich and sontuous palate of cherry, red plum, and mocha with chocolate too. Superb stuff. Long finish. Full-bodied.
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Best bottle yet. Good thing I've still got two cases left because I am obviously having a hard time keeping away from this. Powerful, very attractive aromas of dark fruit, tobacco, spice, and some Sangio funk fill the glass. Dark in color and full-bodied, but not at all heavy or over-extracted. There is a phenomenal complexity to this, with so many layers of subtle flavor. Sour cherries, leather, coffee, vanilla and a hint of citrus on the long, dry finish. The oak and tannins are less pronounced than I remember from previous bottles, making for a better sense of balance. What a beauty this is turning into. I've tasted the 2007 Cabreo il Borgo and Tenuta di Castiglioni recently, along with the 2006 Oreno - all great wines - but I must say that at this point in time, the 2007 Modus is the king of the hill. Well on its way to eventually living up to its WS 96 point score. 93+ 50+5+13+17+8=93
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Much improved since my first tasting 18 months ago. Vin-aerated, decanted, poured and sipped over an hour. Nose is closed for the most part with hints of oak and liquorish, deep, dark, dense eggplant color. Beautiful moutn feel, medium to full bodied, silky tannins that carry the dark (blueberry) fruit, acidity and heat thru the palate and on and on till the end of the long finish. Probably could improve with a little more time. I was able to score a couple of cases when released, glad I did.
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Tasted blind. I've had this so many times that it was rather apparent, identifying the requisite blueberry, tobacco and lava. Undeniably the best Modus of the tasting, being the most unique as well. See previous notes.
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- Brick color with slow forming legs and aromas of mushroom. It's balanced and has flavours of mushroom with a full body. Round texture with a long finish - Dark and earthy. Prunes, apricot, leather and tobacco. Very well integrated for a young wine but still a lot of tannin on the finish. Enjoyed it a lot. Needs another 2 years or so at minimum but hugely better than last year. I would bet this will peak in 5-7 years 2017-2019.
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The Ruffino Modus 2007 is still great big boy juice! Appearance is quite inky (f the 50% Sangiovese). Smell is a bowl of dark fruit and bramble. We let this breathe for an hour, then decanted for thirty minutes. Taste is of ripe plum, only no where as sweet. Taste some top of the line black licorice and wood/earth. Better than a medium finish. The Tuscan fruit is supple, but robust; the three grape varietals are well-integrated and balanced. This paired nicely with a marinated lamb rack oven cooked in a coating of panko breadcrumbs&rosemary, sage and basil and served with mint pesto sauce over noodles, with fresh al dente asparagus. While this was GREAT now, I see aging potential for another year or two, easy. So happy we have almost half a case of this stuff left. The 2008 will likely be good, but the 2007 is a CLASSIC, over the top. The definition of Quality to Price Ratio!!! :}
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just plain awful, it tasted like chewing on a cigar and an oak barrel at the same time. I gave it the benefit of the dought and decanted for 2 hour and the oxygenation did not complement it at all, now it tasted like rusty cigar. I have a cellar and bought about 5% Italian wines and have been disappointed by all these selections that get rave reviews. Even at dinner parties when we have tastings the italian reds come dead last, I believe someone is paying critics for the ratings on these wine, of course this is only my opinion. Buy some californias and riojas and you will better pleased in the long run.
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wow...lived up to the hype...at least relative to my expectations as I was expecting a fruit bomb with high alc. Lots of earth and barnyard notes to compliment the rich tuscan fruit and savory sangiovese character. 08 was lacking any wow factor in comparison which i tasted the next day.
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What a great wine! When tasted blind I was initially thinking a young, old-school rioja. Fairly heavy oak treatment, ripe, but not at all jammy fruit. This wine shows such great promise and should improve for several more years.
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Thursday Night Mixed Bag (Andrew's House): Decanted approximately 30 minutes. Deep purple in the glass, served blind. On the nose, this bursts from the glass, with notes of roasted plums, coffee grinds, nice funk/barnyard notes, slate, herbs and a touch of graphite. There is a quite a bit of oak on this wine, but it seems there is enough substance to integrate with a bit more of time, and even at this juncture, it is tastefully done. On the palate, fairly approachable at this time, showing some drying tannin on the moderate length, savoury/gamey finish, that is accentuated by a nice lift of acidity.
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Highly rated WS Top 100 selection at a value price. Bested my choice in our tasting last Spring. A nice wine, indeed. The wine looks Crimson with a hint of purple. Drink now, as I think that the fruit will fade quickly and soon. Nearly opaque. The legs are Medium. It smells like Raspberry, Prune, Oak, and Cinnamon. Lots of Sangiovese with a cab aspect. It tastes chianti- like with Raspberry and dried fruit-Prune, and Rose, a bitter but complex finish but with wine an Angular aspect. Intriguing texture. The body is Medium. The wine finishes Long.
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Enjoyable aromas of earth, barnyard and red fruit. Rustic with hints of balsamic vinegar and iron as well. The palate is rich, full-bodied, complex and flavorful, with notes of balsamic vinegar, grilled steak, some red & black fruit and earth. Fairly strong acidity and full tannins, yet very balanced. This is drinking great now but should easily last another 5+ years.
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dark red subtle dense fruity aroma full body, heavy tannins, med balance & harmony. Decanted for an hour, however seems too young to fully enjoy. I'll wait few years until I'll open the next one. Finally it went quite well with an entrecôte.
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Decanted a few hours. Dark shiny ruby red color. Love the nose here. Distinctly Italian yet new world style. Cherry, leather, aneis, very dusty citrus notes so smooth and balanced. Love it. One of the better vintages of this wine. This will get better, give it a few more years but hard to resist. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cab. Drink 2014 to 2017.
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What a difference. First night, wine was completely closed, even after time in the glass. Drank the rest a couple of nights later and it was better, but not the fruity, chocolately wine we had before.
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first sniff - cherry, funky spice, ripe tobacco, cinnamon, rose, smokey flavors. taste - acidity, cherry, dark fruits, tobacco, spice, cigar box, great potential to increase in score but i dont think it will ever be a 96 pointer as it was rated by WS. maybe 95
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Drank this bottle with a group doing an Italian tasting and this was clearly the best and favorite of the group. Yes, it's still young but a good decant brought out a bold and balanced wine. This wine certainly rivals any big NAPA cab you've had and certainly more new world in profile.
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This one definately needs a lot of air after opening. Recommend decanting for at least 8-10 hours. Initial impression of wine is closed and tight. But this one will open to dark fruit, cherry, tobacco & cedar. Well balanced and long finish. 3rd bottle opened in the last yr. Oak seemed a bit more prevalent in this bottle. Gorgeous mouth feel and I believe this one should hold for quite a while. Excited to see how this will evolve over the next few years.
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Opened and let slow-ox for about 90 minutes before drinking with pasta. Very earthy with typical Tuscan traits of strawberry initially. Darker fruit came out later in the night of plum and blackberry. I really am surprised that I had such a different opinion on this than I did last year, but that's how it goes sometimes.
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It's been over seven months since my last bottle and as a reward for showing such amazing willpower, I decided to treat myself by opening another one tonight. Very curious to see what progress this is making. Be sure to give this at least a 2-3 hour decanting. Right out of the bottle, this was very closed and quite acidic. Once it opens though, it is gorgeous. Such a beautiful nose of ripe berries, flowers and sweet spice. Rich and complex, with layer upon layer of dark fruit flavor, leather, chocolate, and hints of coffee and citrus on the long, smooth finish. The tannins are so incredibly fine and polished. Yes, this is getting better - but taking its sweet time. I would say right now this is a 92 plus - almost, but not quite a 93. Hard not to drink now, but further patience is required here. 50+5+13+16+8=92
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Wow. Still a bit tight and tannic but after opening up, day 2 &3, it was a real beauty. Lively tobacco and plum, mocha and spice, I dig this. Will save the rest for next year but this bottle showed real promise for the future. Glad I have more.
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Day 1: Wall of tannin. Seemed to have fruit hiding somewhere. Day 2: Tannin's have resolved. Tastes like a Bordeaux (blackberry, licorice, and maybe cofee?). The 50% Sangiovese seems to be MIA. Pretty good...
Day 3: Its singing now. Blackberry and Kirsch are coming out. This wine will be very good in 2-3 years.
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Agreed with JS to give this wine a high score (93pt) although not sure it should be classic rated at 96 pt by JS. Very impressive young wine! Dark ruby red with purple hue. Expressive nose with dark berries, earthy tone, and coffee. Loaded with crashed fresh blueberry, blackberry, cherry, some mushroom, earthy, leather, chocolate, expresso, licrorice, cedar wood, thick chewy tannins but refined and constrained, powerful, balanced with nice acid. delicious to drink now. Long harmony finish. 1st btl out of a case. It should be aged well in Eurocave in next 3-5yr. A nice wine at a great price!
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I waited a year to try this wine again and am very happy for my patience. The tannins have softened and the fruit, earth, mocha and cedar have integrated beautifully. This is wonderful vino!
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Just over a year since my last tasting... Just as dark, and opaque purple as before. a touch of sediment is present. Aromas (Decanted) are as bold and powerful as I remember, with with a wonderful earthiness and forest floor scents that are intertwined with complex aromas of toast, blackberry, blueberry, caramelized sugar, violets, wood, mineral and meat screaming to be tasted. Excellent balance and structure, with plenty of acid and rustic, chewy tannins. Better on the palate than I remember, but consistent with previous notes, flavorful, with blue and black fruits, strong tobacco, leather, wood, cured meat and touch of iron. The finish is long ending on notes of cocoa powder and coffee. Very old world, and very solid wine Not decanting this wine would be an injustice!
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First bottle out of three. Improves with air (after 4hrs reached its peak). Intense and superb nose with aroma of plum, cherry, chocolate, leather and coffee. Intense oak hints, but definetively balanced . At sight, rich black-red color. Rich and sontuous palate of cherry, red plum, and mocha with chocolate too. Medium-to-long finish. Will keep the other bottles until its peak, expected to be in 2015-2016. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at their best. Sure will improve further.
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Needs major decanting (2 hours +) if you want to drink it right now. The other bottles will definitely sit at least 24-36 more months, but has a lot of potential for aging.
Good character, good nose and good legs. You can taste the cherry and plume with a very nice finish.
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My second time to have this wine with the first tasting essentially being at release. The Modus 2007 is still young...it needs significantly more time in the cellar. If you are impatient, you will need to decant for at least 3 hours before drinking...I would recommend 5 hours. I decanted and tasted at hour 2, 3, 4, and 16! This wine definitely needs air. This will afford you the opportunity to truly appreciate its aroma and taste attributes. The aroma elucidates a sampling of plum, cherry, chocolate, leather, coffee and a hint of clove. At sight, the color is very seductive and looks to be rich and heavy as illustrated by its black-red color. The 2007 Modus has a medium feel in the mouth. On a scale of 1-5 for tannin's (5 very strong tannin), I would give this one a 2.5. The taste provides bing cherry, red plum, and mocha. The most pronounced characteristics would be that of red plum followed by sour bing cherry. This wine is not a mid 90 point wine as scored by one of it's ratings. Nevertheless, a fantastic wine based on price, taste, and age-ability. I would score this wine 92 points. I do believe it will be fantastic when it reaches peak somewhere between it's 7th and 10th birthday...so for now, it will sit in the cellar until 2014 and 2017.
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Very dark and syrup-y. Sweet leather and anise on the nose. Can taste the cherry (Sangiovese) upfront, finishing with a nice menthol medium finish. I suspect the alcohol will become more integrated as it ages.
Still young, but with a 2-3 decant, very ripe.
Have 2 cases, and excited to see how this progresses over the next 10 yrs. Expect the 96 pt score to be earned in 5-7 yrs.
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What lovely charcter. Lots of complexity. Beautiful oak and spice on the nose. The body was full and round with a long sensual finish. Loads of flavor to balance the fruit and very nice tannins. PDQ94
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Bottle was opened and consumed within an hour.This bottle was delicious (had it with Pizza) Complex nose, and thicker than I remember palate, bordering on viscous. Slight funk blew off after a bit of air got to it. I don't see 96 Pts here, but perhaps with a few more years of age.. 93+ points.
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Deep inky purple with a complex bouquet of cherry (Sangiovese), sweet tobacco, chocolate, etc etc. With several hours of slow oxidation and a short decant, this beauty showed big acid and tannis w/o the astringent pyrazine from the bordeaux varietals. Definate classic (96 pts) potential. Drink from 2015. 50% Sangio, 25% Cab and Merlot.
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Decanted for one hour. See previous notes. Redemption and the mere fact that she is even more evolved and open says something very sublime. Blueberry and mocha, with lava and tobacco. Floral and pure on the silky palate. Drink 2013 - 2028.
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this wine has really improved over the last 18 months while in bottle. i was skeptical of the 96 rating and it still might be high but this wine has evolved tremendously. purple black in color with a pungent and aromatic nose. on the palate it is very rich and dense for an italian wine but still expresses minerality. long finish this is a wine that will continue to age well.
PnVnD let air for 6hrs. Saturated purple almost black with a magenta rim. Big aroma was present from initial decant through to the end consisting of cassis plum black cherry raspberry rosemary and coffee. Medium(+) weight with powdery espresso tannins. Huge flavors of cassis blackberry coffee and anise. Long cherry and cranberry finish keeps it in balance. Big wine in an elegant package. The WS rating gives it a lot to live up to and if it doesn't quite make it it does not miss by much. Tremendous for the price and look forward to consuming my other 8 bottles over the next decade.
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It is very good but did not taste like a 96pt wine. Understand that ratings are relative to the style of wine (Toscana tasted against other Toscanas)...in that regard it may rate that high. Smooth with pleasant aftertaste that will probably incorporate into the main drink over a couple of years -- maybe that's why recommended after 2014.
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In no way is this a 96 pt wine, but it is pretty darn tasty. One recommendation and that is to let this breath... for hours and hours and hours. There's a wall of tannins to be resolved and when first opened was pretty uneven. But after breathing for at least 6+ hours this comes together nicely, with bright plum and cherry flavors, along with pinches of herbs, annise and coffee. Given the amount of acidity it's also a good food wine. My guess is this could easily go 10 years. Highly recommend.
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Opened the bottle and let it sit for an hour with cork out. Consistent with previous notes. Acidity seemed to be a bit off in this bottle leading me to wonder how long this can last.
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Inky purple. Amazing nose of dark fruit (blackberries and blueberries in particular). Maybe a little bit of violets also. First taste is very tannic. This is a huge wine. Opened up over a couple of hours to reveal a bit of mocha. On day two, most of the tannins were gone. The fruit was a bit more jammy with a hint of heat on the finish.
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Every time we drink this I wonder why I spend much more on brunello that costs 3 times as much and often disappoints. This is a big wine, a fruit bomb, nice acidity. Should age well and be spectacular in 4 or 5 years.
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No doubt that this wine will score higher in a few years when it is actually ready to drink. Big powerful wine. Good balance but still needs some smoothing out.
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Double decanted for almost 5 hours!!! The color is extremely dark, almost inky pitch black...perhaps a bit too much concentration here!!!
The nose is extremely fruity, almost like over the top Australian Fruit Bomb. A bit of earth and black licorice action also. The wood and vanilla are also quite apparent at this stage!
The palate is powerful to say the least...this is a big wine. Lots of cherries and plum with loads vanilla...a bit on the artificial side I found. Tannins are mouth puckering and the acidity at the mid-palate stage is much too present. Some heath at the end but quite long nonetheless! Thsi wine is a bit too unbalanced for me presently...might come around in 5-7 years...maybe!!!
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Nose: Violets, Plum, Blackberry, Charcoal and sandalwood. Some brett. Very perfumed nose. Palate: Full and dense in the mouth with black fruits, dried cherries, plum, rose petal, mineral and smoke notes. Very complex and ripe. Velvety on the palate. Finish: Persistant and leathery with wood and dark fruit notes. Nice old world meets new execution
Great wine. Decanted 4 hours, and it needed it. Highly recommend.
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While this is an outstanding wine, the bride and I were highly surprised at the 96 Wine Spectator gave it???? Come on WS. Still, one of the best QPR (quality to price ratio) wines we have recently experienced. You can taste the elements each of the three wines bring to the table: The Sangiovese brings the fruit and fulfills the entire wine. The Cabernet brings the tannin and the POW! The Merlot augments the fruit, softens slightly to bring it all into a perfect balance. We tasted berry and cedar on the front and a good long dark chocolate finish; good tannin from start to finish. Stood up to our home made spicy spaghetti with meat sauce (and pesto and fire roasted tomato and home made garlic toast) just fine. It was a little tight, but not badly. Aerating didn't do much for it, we let it breathe for 30+ minutes in a slightly chilled container to keep the temp below 70, which was perfect serving temp. I would let it breathe longer than 30 minutes and don't aerate. Bride said 90-91, I said 93, we compromised on 92. We have enough bottles that we do want to see what time does to this wine, but I would not wait a super long time, for example 2017-ten years-may be too long, but it will likely improve a few more years. The wine purveyor who sold us three bottles is doling it out a little at a time, and you may experience that if you are trying to buy a larger quantity at this late date. Also the price may be more. I paid $25 for the first three bottles and $34 for the last three.
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C: dark plum N: blackberry, tobacco, tar, cedar P: just like the nose, blackberry and tobacco; nice dusty tannins; mouth coating and silky; some oak F: long
Originally gave this a 91, but it opened up enough over the course of 90 minutes to raise it another point. Delicious!
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The attractive combination of fruit, tobacco, spice and coffee aromas combine with the very deep, dark purple color to let you know before your first sip that this is very refined and well-made. As far as the palate goes, this wine clearly still needs time. All the pieces are there, but right now the ultra-fine, polished tannins dominate the dark fruit, oak and acidity. Rich and mouth-coating, it's drinking well now, but definitely has the potential to be an absolute stunner in four or five years time. Good thing I've got two cases because this wine will be hard to resist in the meantime. 50+5+13+16+8=92
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opened up with a whiff of alcohol but it dissipated quickly. My first thought after tasting was: it reminds me of Paul Romero's 2007 Hot Taubee. Good daily drinker and very enjoyable, indeed. Good compliment to smoked cheese and prosciutto.
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Tasted after a splash decant. Great nose of fruit, mineral, tar, spice and oak. The same flavour elements with the tar and spice increased in intensity. Long finish and good acidity. Very tight and at this point the tannins modestly overpower the fruit. This needs time and patience will certainly be rewarded. It worked well with this evening's pasta in a tomato, basil and meat sauce. Good stuff and an excellent QPR.
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Meaty nose with bacon fat character, milky oak, tobacco and roasted coffee. Fullbodied and pretty intense palate with dark cherry fruit, oak spice and clove. Brooding finish with some toast action. Very good, but somehow just too pushy for me.
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Birthday Week; 10/9/2011-10/16/2011 (Galveston, TX): Rating withheld. This is a long way from being anywhere near ready to evaluate. The nose was really good with sour cherry, tar, cedar, florals, and tons of spicey oak. On the palate, fruit was completely walled off by fierce tannins. Has a good acidic spine but for right now, the tannins dominate. With a gun to my head I would say 90 pts.
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Carafé 8h de temps, avec quelques brassages de temps en temps au cours de la journée.
Je n'ai pas habitude de commenter la couleur, à moins de quelque chose d'exceptionnel. C'est le cas ici: couleur encre extrêmement foncée, bien plus que les Cahors les plus foncés que j'ai vus. Le nez n'offre pas grand chose pour l'instant; un peu de bois et de réglisse noire.
Je ne suis pas un chasseur de cotes d'ordinaire, et je dois avouer qu'avec tout ce que j'avais lu sur le net sur ce WS96, j'étais un peu sceptique. Confiant d'un bon vin certes, mais très sceptique et surtout craintif d'une bombe giga-fruitée, ce qui n'est pas ma tasse de thé.
La bouche est sans doute la plus sublime que j'ai pu boire en 2011 pour un rouge. Structure absolument magnifique! Le fruit est juste parfait, pas "over the top" du tout comme je le craignais. Délicieux goût de bleuets un peu en retrait. Le seul vin toutes catégories confondues qui allie cette puissance et ce raffinement en même temps est le Rieussec. Je suis totalement incapable de dire s'il est davantage nouveau-monde ou ancien-monde. Il est littéralement un équilibre parfait des deux. Finale absolument interminable. Il manque définitivement de repos en cave, mais c'est un des plus grands potentiels que j'ai jamais vus. Oh, et il était 29$...!
Extraordinaire!
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Intens dybrød farve med tunge gardiner. Duft af kirsebær med lidt eg og jord. I munden tannin og umoden kirsebær ... Men vokser sig større og større i samme tema som duften.
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Saturated garnet/purple color. Expressive nose: crushed blueberry, fig, and black cherry fruit with cassis, cedar, tobacco leaf, violet, and graphite. Medium/full body on the complex palate: blueberry and black cherry with more cassis, plum sauce, tobacco leaf, cedar, cola, and graphite. Meduim+ acidity. Moderate/firm sweet mouth-coating tannins. Lingering tobacco leaf, plum skin, and graphite on the long dry finish. Classy, seductive, and very well balanced. Not yet at it's peak. Give it another two years in the cellar and drink over the following 5-10 years. Competes well with Super-Tuscans triple the price. Ruffino really nailed it this vintage. 96 points? No. But an impressive 93.
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See previous notes. I've had this vino at least ten times over the past year and the particular bottle that I had last night was a little off. Not much blueberry and seemed to lack the same level of balance. Still outstanding, just lacking. Decanted for two hours as well.
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Needs time. Drank from decanter with no resting time. Started out a bit of barnyard, that quickly blew off. Very thick, a bit of a beefy taste with overwhelming fruit pushing through. Made me order another 12 since you can still get them for around $25.
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A little thin and stringent at this point in time. Maybe too young but not getting the necessary texture and plushness that says this wine will evolve into a 95+ wine
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Very tannic upon popping the cork, but rounded out very nicely over a couple of hours. The fruit is a little hidden behind the oak, but should develop over time. Excellent wine for the price, will stand up against wines that cost twice as much. Very smooth and drinkable now with a little decanting.
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Popped, aerated, filtered into decanter - returned to bottle after 1.5 hours, aerated again into the decanter. Nose was still closed and the taste was pronounced with barnyard junk. Very dissapointed!
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2nd Technical tasting course #5 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): (blind tasting - second time in same session) dark red-black, purple rim spicy, fruity, Bret, earth, wood, baked bread aromas high balanced acidity, med-full body, ripe fruits flavors with spices, bestial, greenery and dryness of tannin & bitterness. Good harmony, long aftertaste.
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2nd Technical tasting course #5 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): (blind tasting) dark red-purple, unfiltered, un-oxidized rim Bret, earth, spices, eucalyptus, licorice, some sour jam, buttery and some fruity aromas red sour forest fruits flavors, with vanilla oak, balanced acidity, very tannic & bitter, med+ body, med harmony, long and sour after taste
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Vinaerated, funnel decanted, left for 2 hrs. - obscene taste at first 85 pts. - next day, WOW!!! What a difference! This wine needs to lay on its side for awhile to integrate! ... or left to breathe for a very, very, long time!
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Vin de couleur rouge violacé foncé. Nez assez puissant d’où émanent des notes de fruits noirs mûrs, de cacao, de vanille et de truffe. Faites la découverte de ce rouge sec exprimant une agréable fraîcheur et pourvu d’une structure tannique qui gagnera à s’assouplir. En bouche, sa texture ample se termine dans une finale assez soutenue. Accord vin et mets Menu suggéré Cuisson / Préparation Sauce / Garniture Viande rouge : gibier grillé sauce aux fruits sauvages Fromage : pâte ferme (ex. : cheddar, parmesan) sans préparation sans accompagnement Charcuteries : saucisse grillée moutarde
too early on this one. Dark blue fruit. Blueberries galore. Tannins are rough at this point. I think a few years of bottle age are a must. Lots of potential. 90-93?
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Great price to quality. Noticed the tannins, but drinking pretty good now. Earth/barnyard and dark fruits on the nose. Similar palate with some mocha on the finish. Fun wine. Shared at a cookout....went good with the hamburgers. Will wait on opening my other bottles for a year or so.
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Dark purple, fruity nose, very tannic initially. a 88 upon opening. After 2 hours, much improved a 90. The next day, significantly bette 93. Great nose. Ability to cellar.
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Intens dybrød farve med tunge gardiner. Duft af kirsebær med lidt eg og jord. I munden tannin og umoden kirsebær ... Men vokser sig større og større i samme tema som duften. Slot resltatet er en kraftfuld vin med velbalanceret tannin masser af frugt som helt sikkert bliver bedre om nogle år - skal den drikkes nu skal den dekanteres godt og grundigt. smoke.
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Color is purple and dense, and on the edge a lighter but still purple density with some dark ruby higlights. Smells like crushed black fruits and dark chocolate and coffee. I get tastes of jammy fruits like blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, with liqourice, dark chocolate and coffee. The acidity is good and the tannins are prominent and are like a very fine powdery dusting sensation in the mouth. I love that this wine changes personality too as it opens up. This is a fantastic wine and I am glad to have more bottles. I hope I can keep them corked for the next few years and track the evolution of this wine over time. It's going to be hard to resist these bottles anytime I grill up a good steak!
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An eminently large wine. Highly extracted and complex. Still needs time to mature, almost regret not aging another couple years. Given time to breathe this wine goes on for days.
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I'm up there on this. Great nose of flowers, leather and grilled chicken. Firm tannins, but absolutely drinkable. Grilled meats, red fruits, soft leather on the palate. I love it. Great for the price. I need to find more. This is going great with lasagna.
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Upon first opening and tasting I thought this was a wood wine and couldn't get past the woody flavor. Contrary to many drinkers, I don't mind that woody characteristic, however, this one was overbearing. After about fifteen minutes this started to transform into a cigar box hinting a dark fruit flavor, nice. As this wine evolved it finally came to what I feel was quite single dimension, lacking sophistication I have come to long for in a wine. Would I pop another $25 for this okay wine? Not when I can find wines that are similar in quality for $10 less. I'm out.
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This a a big, burly and unapologenic Super Tuscan. The concentration and color alone are the best I have ever seen in the Modus blend (dark purple/blue hue). There are intense flavors of blueberry and blackberry that are balanced with forest floor and a little barnyard.
This wine is full bodied and very smooth. There is a ton of oak but it is far short of a "bomb". This one is a crowd pleaser...especially for the novice.
Not sure if this will ever be a 96 but the score is in keeping with Suckling's passion for big wines. I would love to see how Galloni would score this one...my guess would be 87. Cheers!
(Decanted for 2 hours)
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Deep opaque purple. Looks big even before the first taste. Good but don't see the WS review although still decent deal at $24 and likely to improve. Blackberry but a bit much with the oak as others have reported. I'll let the other bottles sit for a bit.
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definitely new world style, but with the earthiness and acidity of its Italian roots. fruit driven, rich dark red to purple fruit, and oak and spice on the finish. A great blend of the soul of sangiovese, with the richness of cab.
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Opened this bottle to see if we wanted to purchase more. Would hold for another two years before opening. After sitting in the glass for over an hour, the wine started to show its potential. Expect that this will age into something very nice.
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Nice mix of flavors here with some of the traditional Tuscan earthiness with some darker fruit & chocolate flavors. Suckling may have scored this higher than I have, but it is still an outstanding bottle of wine, especially at the price point.
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PnDnV. Aired for 4hrs. Consistent with previous note. Still young. I promise not to try another for at least 1 year. If you open it now and don't give it at least 4 hours in the decanter do not complain. This has tons of good stuff going on but it is a bambino!
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Tasted blind. Black cherry, dusty oak, and soil on the nose. Very earthy on the palate with sour cherry and smoke. Med-bodied with nicely integrated tannins and a medium finish that tails off a bit. I have to agree with the masses here and say this is not a 96 point wine.
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I really have no idea what everyone is seeing in this wine. It was attractive yes....but the oak....so much oak. Nice blueberry and coffee fruit but the oak....oh the oak. This wine is a lot of things. 96 points it is not.
2nd Tasting.... I bought this again and aerated it for ten hours. Suckling is still wrong about this wine, but I am starting to agree with the people who say this will age well. It still isn't 96 points.
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I respect the other tasting notes that seem to really dig this tuscan vino. I let this air and sampled the following day - some dark berry fruit and earthy notes with some oaky notes on finish. A little to much earth for my palate. For the pricey 40$ CAN - no qpr for me.
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the wine is very dark and dense. upon decant the nose shows some black fruit with earthy barnyard, while the palate has blackberry with earth and a surprisingly long finish with olive. good acid. shows promise, 92 points upon opening.
after 3 hours the nose shows blackberry, anise, minerality and a touch of non gamey meat. the palate is mouthcoating with blackberry and black cherry fading into earth and some game (the meat on the palate seems more gamey). the wine has started to display many nuances adding the black olive back into the palate while adding an espresso tinge to the fruit, among other flavors that pop up here and there.
i would say the oak was light but may seem heavier to some due to the dense extraction from the grapes. the wine gets much smoother with air. has plenty of tannin but they are soft enough to slip by for the first glass or two. with good acidity and tannin it should age well, but may not improve much since it's pretty good now. i think it could use a year or two to settle down, and should drink well for 5 years minimum.
with such a large production, i'm sure there is some bottle variation, but this bottle was outstanding. one of the top 5 tuscan wines i have had. glad i bought 6, but wish i had 12.
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RUSSK GC@P&C'S Wine Event. Top Tier. Still a bit young. But after an evening in the decanter you could sense some of the sangio earthyness wanting to break free. Deep and Tarry. Wait a few more years and/or give a long decant.
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The wine looks Ruby colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Raspberry, Blackberry, and Clove. It tastes like Blackberry, and Plum. The body is Medium. The wine is textured Leathery. The wine finishes Medium.
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Decanted two hours, no sediment. Inky color, almost black in the core. On the nose, massive black fruit, slightly medicinal, with oak. On the palate, hugely extracted and concentrated. Tannic and acidic, but not over the top by Italian standards. The oak is very up-front, so if you're afraid of that style, stay away. There's an interesting contrast between the big fruit and ripe flavors with the relatively light body and savory flavors. Lots of Indian spice, with some fennel. Somewhat new world in its approach, but closer to Bordeaux than a Napa blend. Nowhere near its peak, fairly challenging at this point, but this has the bones to be a knockout in 5-10 years. This doesn't live up to the 96 point hype right now, but this is delicious, and a great value for $25.
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Decanted and aired for 5hrs. Then decanted through a Vinturri and aired for another hour. Dense purple black almost to the rim which is purple at the end. Coffee cassis cedar box earth mushrooms and rosemary nose with nioticeable oak influences - lots going on. Medium weight and not as heavy as I thought with nice structure from fairly smooth espresso tannins and nice acid balance. Big flavors of black and blue fruits coffee rosemary porcini. good plummy mid palate and long cassis herbal and licorice finish. I can see both the praise and criticism of this wine are understandable as it is very young. This is an oak fist in a velvet glove. It has tons life ahead. I wish I let this breathe even more. It came totally alive with the meal of home made porchetta and roasted potatoes. Will wait a few more months before trying another and in the meantime look to buy more. Super impressive. Score based on today and I think it will become more balanced and get even better.
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Wow, I don't get the scores on this, especially from JS. The tannins are not "silky", to me, they are chunky, chewy and drying from the oak. I like the influence of wood and you have to hit me with a 2x4 before I am noticing it. I am getting smacked right between the eyes here. At first, I thought it was corked, but then realized it was oak. The oak settles down a bit to show coffee and toast, but oak is the dominant flavor. Hard to discern any other flavors. Finishes with a bitter note. I point chased based on the price point and karma catches up to me.
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I could not agree more with HUDAMANG! (I actually did the same thing, waited until day 2 to be able to write my tasting note here.)
One thing though this wine has a beautiful color and a robust and a dense appearance of a wonderful wine. But when you come to smell this, it is actually mute with a palate overpowered by oak and more oak. It lacks structure and complexity...which means little room for improvement here. Good thing this experiment only cost me around $23. Even if WS gave 96 to this wine for its potential, I do not think it will even evolve into a truly 90 pointer. I wonder what wine WS tasted to give this one a 96 points and put into the top 100 wines of 2010, #25 in that group. I am no longer a subscriber, for this and other inaccuracies…
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Poured through an aerator an decanted about 45 minutes. This is a highly concentrated wine with great, primary fruit that shows impeccable balance. Not over the top, but really delicious. Long finish, too, with nice grippy tannins. Modern styled, with lots of oak influence. For that reason, I think this is better as a steak wine or a sipper than as a red sauce accompaniment. But tremendous for the price in any event. 92+.
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I was excited to try this wine due to the WS96 and the QPR that I thought it represents. Purchased for $21 at the San Diego Costco. First day: Dark garnet in color. Pop and pour into Riedel Cabernet glasses. The nose was extremely muted and had a metallic scent. Wasn't getting much on the palate and I decided to wait for Day2.
Day 2: Much nicer nose. Black cherries..pleasant nose. On the palate, sour cherries, coffee, minerals, and spice. The finish is medium and pleasant. I prefer some of the Chianti Classicos and definitely the Brunellos over this Super Tuscan. I was expecting a lot. In my book, a 96 pointer should represent a Solid A, A+. This was a B+ wine to me.
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Let this wine breathe Dark and opaque... Deep purple with good legs. BIG Nose. Dark berry fruits of black and blueberry and strong aromas of oak, and tabacco with sufficient earthy aromas, all backed by purple flowers and carmalized sugar. On the palate just as big with dark berry flavors. Meat and wood are solid throughout, with great minerality (iron/graphite) nuance. the finish is pleasant with cocoa powder and rustic tanins. Excited to see how this wine will age.. A great complex wine, but needs time.. 90 pts at this point in time
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Decanted for only 15 minutes which was just enough to open it up. Full-bodied with dusty tannins and nicely integrated oak. New age style italian that's capable of hanging with some of the super tuscans that cost twice as much. Jammy blueberry with leather and spice. A real crowd pleaser and a perfect pairing with almost any tomato sauce. Give it a few years and it's probably approaching the WS score.
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Did not decant. I consumed half of this on Friday and the other half on Saturday. The blueberry shimmers and the oak is not obnoxious. Well-integrated, and sexy. Really on the verge of 95 pts and I plan on visiting this again in a couple of years.
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This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Diogo Belo. It is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. The robe is opaque purple and the nose shows moderately intense aromas of black cherries, underbrush and black pepper. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and massive rustic tannins. The flavors are black fruit and mineral-dominated and the middle palate is solid. Medium-length, astringent finish. This wine needs some time in the cellar to simmer down the tannins. It certainly has enough fruit and acidity to allow for such time, and may merit a higher score in the future. Drink 1/14-12/21.
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Utilized the Vinturi. This was not blind, nor am I trying to be predictable, however, what a vino! This eclipses any other Modus offerings and I love the blueberry, lava and tobacco. I also get some sun-soaked leather. The mid-palate and fine, silky tannins really bring this together with the right amount of acidity. See previous notes. See future notes. This is truly an accomplishment and worth having with most top echelon Super Tuscans. Wait, even though I clearly cannot. Drink 2014 -2026
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After having in back-to-back weekends vs. the 2006 Modus, I clearly prefer that one. This is quality juice and nothing wrong with it, but the '06 seems to be made much better. This is more a modern style, up front fruit, not much interesting underneath. Not a good value in the high $20s.
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(Ok..Had to see what all the hype was about. Pop this and decanted for 3-4 hours.)
The '07 may be the best Modus ever produced. This wine has a beautiful dark color. Stunning aromas of fresh crushed blackberry, currant, with saddle leather, espresso and cigar box. Full-bodied, with super-silky on the palate, tannins are amazing but very aggressive at this stage. The finish goes on for minutes. With age this wine should be worthy of another point or two. (Drink 2013-2025) - JD92-94
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Used a Vinturi. Eggplant and ruby in colour. Toasted oak, blueberry, rosemary, tobacco and lava. A vibrant mid-palate that zooms past the soft tannins. Full-bodied, concentrated and seductive. The toasted oak shimmers, while retaining a paulliac element that is evident. What an awesome blend, with a finish that really is seductive and showing the tobacco. Tasted blind and I don't understand the lack of appreciation. This is not ready and a little incongruous at the moment. Drink 2014 - 2026.
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Picked up a bottle of this to try following the WS hype. Clearly not a 96 point wine to our palates, but we did like it. Very nice nose which reminded me of blueberry pie. Lively fruit on the palate with a distinct sour cherry note. Good structure here with moderate tannins and lively acidity. 13.5% ABV and pleasantly no heat at all. It was a bit too oaky for my taste at this point but Karen didn't mind that. Paired nicely with stuffed shells in a red sauce. I think this will improve nicely over the next few years, and I expect the oak will integrate. Will definitely buy more to cellar. Good QPR at $23.
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The color showed a deep dark purple. On the nose, I found aromas of dark chocolate, cherries, sweet spices and a hint of barnyard. The palate showed its Italian roots as brisk acidity gave way to wild berries but came across as one dimensional against this wines lean medium body. The finish was fresh with hints of red fruit.
A good wine for the price and great with red sauce but I can hardly justify the 96 points awarded to it by WS.
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I'm normally not a SuperTuscan fan but this is easy to like, if ultra-modern and polished. There's oak but plenty of lively and energetic fruit to accompany it, drink or hold for oak to settle in.
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Was excited to find and try this based upon the WS review.
Opened the bottle and tasted a small pour. Inky purple. On the palate, incredible concentration of black and red fruits, mineral, and great acidity. Tannins certainly apparent.
Decanted an hour and subsequently drank over another two hours. Fruit, minerality, acid integrated beautifully. Tannins softened greatly.
The wine has obvious potential. Will hold the rest of the 6-pack for a few years down the road, though it will be difficult to stay away. . .
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Explosive room filling nose of ripe cherries, new leather, some tar, hints of licorice, pipe tobacco, and floral notes. On the palate this has great concentrated red fruits, subtle spiced oak, and more tobacco. I would say shy of full bodied but coats the glass and palate if that makes sense. 30 second finish with grippy tannins. Has the stuffing to age well. Complex and well made for sure. 96 Spectator is a reach at this point but I can see this improving in time. Certainly approachable now but will improve with a couple of years in the cellar. Great QPR. Drank over 5 hours.
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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.”
11/27/2023 - Ravi Deshpande Likes this wine: 91 Points
Thick and tasty - still has grippy tannins but good with food.
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9/12/2023 - Bag1 wrote: 94 Points
The 3rd bottle I have drank over the years and has aged very well. Was number 25 of WS top 100 in 2010. It has had a wonderful nose had had hints of blueberry, with a bit of spice. Have enjoyed it with both lamb and beef and pairs well with food. I am sorry it is my last bottle and if I had another I would wait till 2025 to open, but you can really enjoy how
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8/4/2023 - olracx62 wrote: 94 Points
Still wonderful and youthful, complex and classy. I remember my first bottle in 2012 and after 11 years this Modus seems timeless. Dark chocolate and underbrush, leather and cigar box and a full pleasantness. Big wine in an exceptional vintage. The peace of senses with all senses alive and kicking under the blades
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6/14/2023 - AMG4RPM Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still drinking very nicely. Inexpensive Super-Tuscan~ straight forward Italian red.
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1/30/2023 - JCMPB wrote: 88 Points
Past it's prime
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12/18/2022 - rinnocenzi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big super Tuscan hold for 5-15 years
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11/21/2022 - rinnocenzi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully right now, very smooth
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11/2/2022 - mike410 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good QPR. The fact is that after 15 years this wine is still at it's peak is a testament on how well it was made. There is no sign of bricking or oxidation. This has many years left but is drinking at what I believe is its peak.
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10/9/2022 - Ravi Deshpande Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good but not great has chalky tannins. Drinking well but I’m not sure more time will help.
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7/25/2022 - Janstan Likes this wine: 87 Points
This wine is finally starting to open up. Maybe the last 2 bottles will approach original rating. Went well with grilled pork chops with Italian seasoning
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4/30/2022 - sanjuanlewis Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drink, do not hold. Still drinking well at the moment.
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1/9/2022 - lewisrise wrote: 89 Points
VIRTUAL TASTING: medium ruby with medium intensity developed aromas of violet, sour cherry, raspberry, blackberry, iron, wet cedar, earth, nutmeg. This wine has a medium body and tired tannins. Flavors of cherry, raspberry, blackberry, iron, nutmeg, burnt wood with a medium finish. This is good wine that’s past it’s prime.
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11/6/2021 - BURGHen Boy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted, had quite a bit of sediment. Nice cherry sangio flavors with some beef and forest floor to give subtle hints. Age lightened it out on the finish. Would have liked to hit it a year or two sooner.
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3/21/2021 - mike410 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has developed into a very fine wine. The tannins and acidty have subsided and the fruit has come out. Colour is very good, deep dark red. This has many more years left at its peak.
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3/9/2021 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 89 Points
Don't know if this fell off or bottle variation, but only so-so now compared to my 2019 tasting. Fruit is on the soft side now. Drinking now recommended.
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2/27/2021 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (Eagle Brook CC): Double blind. Opens with a terrific herbaceous top note, with currant and leather underneath. Mixed red and black fruit on the palate. Softened tannins; balanced. Long finish. Gorgeous. 93+ pts. Guessed Bordeaux. (M&R)
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2/13/2021 - CheviotCellar wrote: flawed
Was excited to try after the amazing recent reviews. Unfortunately cork was very hard and dry. While I didn’t smell anything strong on the cork, the wine itself was very harsh boxwood/barn taint, even after several hours decant. Flawed.
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1/1/2021 - Nahebub wrote: 90 Points
Anfangs leichter Stinker, der sich nach ca. 20 Minuten zum Glück gelegt hat. Rote Beeren, mittlerer Abgang.
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10/28/2020 - olracx62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
time goes by, but Modus 2007 is always in superb shape, as complex and classy as years ago. Prime time seems to last more than expected. Red rubin, still, wonderful notes of pencil and oak at the nose, mouth is consistent but even more complex with tannins and with some spicy and balsamic notes which seduce senses. Underbrush, wet leaves, leather, pencil, mocha and some red ripe fruit in a perfect and armonic ensemble. Hard to find such a vintage again.
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10/6/2020 - dlcolester wrote:
Let breath for 3+ hours. Opened up nice drank like a Tuscan. 50 Sangiovese, 25 Cab 25 Merlot. S&ZF dominant merlot came on last. Dark purple color with intensity. Would buy again great value for the money. Would rate a 93 Tuscan
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9/7/2020 - jfolbe wrote: 95 Points
This is not an over rating. It is spectrigjt now. Last bottle. Big fruit. Syrupy soft tannins. Some structure cola on the nose. Dark fruit on the palate. Enjoying with bouillabaisse.
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8/10/2020 - Zunga Likes this wine: 90 Points
The edges are all gone, the black cherry is bursting from this delightfully elegant super Tuscan that is always a crowd pleaser. I would say this is starting to show its age, but at 13, who can blame it! Time to drink up.
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7/30/2020 - Author wrote:
94 points..the wine color is deep purple..beautiful bouquet
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2/28/2020 - der Schmecker Likes this wine: 93 Points
I'm sitting here swilling 2007 wine in 2020. Thirteen year old wine that ROCKS! Oh yeah! I can't describe how many times I've uncorked old Brunellos only to pour them down the sink. I won't drink bad wine. It's a health thing. I don't wan't to grimace and slug down slop. This is great!
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2/22/2020 - Hover low 64 Likes this wine: 94 Points
SUPER Super Tuscan! Drank with my generous bro-in-law during a visit to their kick ass urban condo. Amazing depth of flavors of earth, dark fruits, spice, tobacco and chocolate. Lovely tannins and loooong finish. This wine has at least another decade of life, but man, it’s spectacular now! Enjoy!
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12/26/2019 - Rcolella wrote:
Christmas Gift Tina & John Cardillo
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12/14/2019 - Cellarseller wrote:
Waited too long on this beauty. Last bottle is well over the hill.
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11/17/2019 - bjamesclark wrote: 94 Points
The 2007 Ruffino Modus, composed of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, was aged for 12 months in French and American oak casks and was rated #25 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010.
Decanted, and allowed to breathe.
Deep and opaque in the glass and glass staining after the swirl. Still holding it's pigment well.
The nose shows the mature notes that lead with dominating scents of leather and tobacco followed by the notes of tar and pine resin, forest floor, dried porcini, dried rose, dry aged meats, walnut bitters, spent ground coffee, and wild herbs with traces of dried fruits that consist of cherry, mission fig, cranberry and currant.
The palate remains on the full side showing mouth watering acidity and smooth but gripping tannins that expand across the palate and gain through the finish. Flavors mimic the nose showing dried porcini, dusty leather, cigar tobacco, dried herbs, decaying rose petal, earth and loam with cured air dried meats, dried cherry, dried cranberry and blueberry with fig and currant. The intensity accelerates through the long finish.
So much bang for the buck and a wine that has shined with cellar time. I have had the pleasure to enjoy this wine along its development since release and continues to show how well made it was.
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9/25/2019 - dalemosier Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sorry this is my last bottle. I think it could improve slightly or at least hold its own for the next several years.
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9/23/2019 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice bouquet upon opening, cork solid and deeply stained. Deep magenta in glass. Tasted almost like a cabernet without the silkiness, don't know why or how, since this is mostly Sangiovese. Age has treated this wine well and fruit dominant but with a bit of acidity which age has dialed down to a nice level. In a very good spot now, drink. Might age up to 5 more years but when it tastes this good now, why wait. Recommended. Side note: inadvertently rated in the 80, thanks to Ravi for informing me, revised.
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8/28/2019 - Dalex Likes this wine: 92 Points
From memory as consumed two days ago-new world style super Tuscan. At peak and didn’t improve over 90 minutes. Bright red fruit, no sharp edges and not in need of a decant or even food, this fleshy wine is open for business. This was a fun wine but not sure of the high 96 wine spectator score 9 years ago.
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8/17/2019 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
PnP at a restaurant and was ready to go right away. I found this has improved since my last bottle in 2014. It had a rounder, lusher texture and was an absolute pleasure to drink. Medium body and acidity, with a dark red fruit profile and nice balance. My impression is that it is at peak right now, so I would enjoy soon.
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7/10/2019 - Wags58 wrote: 89 Points
Had many Vintages of this wine, 2007 the best.
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6/14/2019 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 Points
Prior bottle was just over ten months ago and while the wine continues to show well generally, this particular bottle was a step down from my prior ones. Nose shows black cherry and earth with lots more red cherry notes starting to creep in than previously. Medium bodied with black cherry upfront and some hints of blackberry, but without the youthful brightness that marked so many of my bottles. Mid-body continues to show good depth and balance and the backside shows tart black cherry and fine grained tannins, but the distinct plum note has faded a bit. Overall, this wine still shows good complexity, but this bottle was a clear step backwards on that front. There's good fruit here, but it's just a bit softer and more open than previously. As some of the brighter fruit notes fade and the structure softens, this wine should still be able to drink quite well, but it won't have the special factors that made it so enjoyable in prior years. For the price paid, this remains a great value, but I'd drink it sooner rather than later as additional cellar time won't be beneficial.
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5/7/2019 - BHRH Likes this wine: 92 Points
Surprisingly fresh and dynamic!@ Deep Purple - looks much younger than it is. Excellent nose of black fruits, oak and a bit of tobacco and coffee. Maybe a hint of tomato. Refined palate - well balanced and integrated cherry, berry and a hint of herbaceousness. Sublime finish - mature but still vibrant. Well stored bottles can obviously be enjoyed for another 5 years. Amazing baby super Tuscan! As my wife said - "should have bought a case!" 92+
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4/15/2019 - Ruubious wrote:
Similar notes to the previous bottle, didn't decant, which it would have benefited from.
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3/30/2019 - olracx62 wrote: 92 Points
still in great shape showing no sign of age. Complex with leather, roasted coffee, underbrush, pencil and a lot of ripe red fruit basically plums and cherries. Great balance, great vintage.
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3/22/2019 - Ravi Deshpande Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nicely matured. Blind, I would have said this was a Vacqeyras/Gigondas although it had a Bordeaux like balance to it. It really betrayed no evidence of its country of origin.
It was thick and creamy on the palate with moderate fruit and a subdued nose.
After drinking, and on reflection I thought the wine, while balanced, flavourful and enjoyable, was a little uni-dimensional, without the tension or excitement that even moderately priced bottles can give, and thus my lower score compared to others. May have been a bottle issue or not decanted long enough (2 hours).
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3/11/2019 - David_T wrote: 90 Points
Likely peaking, earth/funk up front with red/black fruit underneath. Integrated medium tannins/acid.
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3/3/2019 - Bam_Man wrote: 96 Points
Now finally down to my last 7 bottles from a 3 case purchase back in 2010. This one may have been the best yet. Still surprisingly youthful-looking in the glass. A pretty, semi-opaque, royal purple in color, right up to the edge. Absolutely amazing on the nose. Powerful, complex aromas of dark berries, leather, spice and violets fill the glass. Full-bodied and silky in texture. Immediately saturates the palate with tangy, delicious plum, blackberry and dark currant fruit. Nicely balanced, with a moderate acidity and just a touch of oak. Shows tremendous depth and focus on the mid-palate. Builds and builds into an incredibly long and complex finish that contains alluring notes of coffee, licorice, tobacco and mineral. The velvety tannins are perfectly integrated. Just goes on and on. Could easily stand toe-to-toe with an Ornellaia or Sassicaia from the same vintage. An amazing, freakishly good bottle of wine, which still remains my choice for all-time QPR champ.
50+5+14+19+8=96
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3/3/2019 - df1962 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Glad I got this finished in a sweet spot. This vintage is more BDX than Tusscan. I think Ruffino is trying to figure out style more than place with this wine/brand.
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3/2/2019 - df1962 wrote: 94 Points
PnD
Consistent with previous note. Plummy and fresh. Drink up in the sweet spot.
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2/11/2019 - jfolbe wrote: 94 Points
You’re going to think “Is this guy nuts?” All I can say is that is wine is at its peak. The great tangy fruit, structure, tannins, terroir all all in sync. So glad I bought a case way back when. So sad that I have only 2 bottles left. The Merlot and Cab blend plus the soil must be the secret because it has that Sangiovese tannin (terroir?). Spectator got this one right with 96 points and a patient after 14 drink by. Patience has been rewarded red Man chewing tobacco, unfiltered.
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1/7/2019 - jfolbe wrote: 93 Points
Incredible tannins and structure
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12/21/2018 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 91 Points
Leaner and fruitful. Acidity is med-high, tannins are high, extract medium, secondary notes starting to pop. Soil and leather, like wet leather jacket. Sweet in the midpalate. Dry finish. Went well with lasagna.
Save last bottle for 2023.
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8/11/2018 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prior bottle was almost nine months ago and this wine continues to show quite well. Opened two hours ahead of time and drunk over an additional three hours, just like the prior bottle. Virtually the same nose with blackberry, black cherry and earth. Medium bodied with bright, youthful blackberry upfront, then black cherry through the middle and darker notes behind; nearly plum. Retains good tartness (tart black cherry with hints of red) on the backside, mixed with acidity and tannins; the wine still has a solid backbone. Mid-body has very good depth and even expansiveness, that's where I taste the merlot the most. Cabernet notes and structure come in on the finish and are tied in quite well with the body of the wine. Spice notes and mineral qualities on the finish along with enough tannin for good length. I see no current signs that this wine has begun to decline, nearly the opposite.
Now, is this a 96 point wine? No; never was and never will be. But it has expressive fruit, good complexity, solid structure (especially for 11 years old) and even some moments of elegance. The blend of grapes works quite well and contributes to the complexity. Yes, it doesn't show it's best as a PnP and really does need 3 hours open. It shows good overall balance as well as mid-body depth. Simply put, this may not be the spectacular, world-beating, remember for the rest of your life wine that the professional score promised. But it is an excellent wine and when coupled with the ridiculously low price paid, I'm honestly sorry I only have one bottle left of my original 15.
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8/3/2018 - df1962 wrote: 94 Points
PnVnD 2/3of the bottle let air for 1hr.
Clear deep ruby.
Clean medium(+) intensity on the nose with aroma cassis violets plum fig incense anise touch of vanilla prune and tar.
Dry. Medium acidity. Medium(+) tannin. Medium alcohol. Medium(+) body. Medium(+) intensity with flavours of cassis fig anise vanilla prune tobacco incense and lavender.
Long finish. Outstanding. Drink now. Don't risk it as this is. Real sweet spot of freshness and complexity.
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8/3/2018 - su vino wrote: 89 Points
Just marginal. Decanted a while but this may be end of life.
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7/5/2018 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
see my previous TN
bottom line: a medium level solid Super-Toscan
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7/5/2018 - cweiner wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for more than an hour before serving with brats and burgers. Reasonable, but certainly not memorable.
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6/10/2018 - joet626 Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is perfect! Very dark purple color. Wonderful nose. Rich and lush. lots of dark berry fruit. longgggg finish. Most enjoyable bottle of the year.
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5/17/2018 - jfutey wrote: 91 Points
Carbon smoked blueberries wrapped in dank humid tobacco leaves aged in a cold war era tigonderoga pencil case.
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4/20/2018 - John O' Likes this wine:
For all you Suckling haters, he nailed this a long time ago. absolutely fantastic
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4/11/2018 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Still amazingly tannic and tightly wound - you would never know it was 11 years old already. Has a nice dry note on the finish. Overall though this is a bit lacking in charm.
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3/9/2018 - olracx62 Likes this wine: 95 Points
dark red, almost black at the eye. Rich nose of plums and cigar box, intense and fashinating. At the mouth consistent taste of red ripe fruit where plums and blueberry emerge over all. Juicy with silky testure, tannins smoothed over time. Very enjojable and extremely pleasant. a masterpiece for Ruffino the 2007 vintage.
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1/23/2018 - olracx62 wrote: 93 Points
every bottle of Modus 2007 is an experience and with the passing time this wine gets better and more complex maintaining its rich pleasantness made of red ripe fruit melt with juicy and truly enjoyable notes of smoke and oak, pencil, underwood. Probably reached its best now and will stay here foir two to four years, in my opinion.
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1/23/2018 - jcomm wrote: 85 Points
Double decanted and left in the decanter for another 3 hours, it still was very wood driven and on the modern side of things, not my style but I see how it can please some. Nice tannins but a lack of acidity is showing, I prefer a bit more finesse and complexity.
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12/25/2017 - vlzat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sangiovese 50%, Merlot 25% and Cabernet Sauvignon 25%
Full body, deep garnet color. Impressive intense but very delicate black fruits, tobacco and leather aroma. Dominant cherry, plum and notes of black olives palate, long rounding and delicious finish. Very pleasure wine, rich and complex, bold texture, excellent balanced, completely integrated silky tannins and lovely berries acidity. Food friendly, best match is pasta with porcini sauce. Serve 18º - 22º. Open about one hour ahead. Drink now and next six/eight years, perhaps longer.
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12/18/2017 - hoservin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, black cherry, currant, licorice, tobacco leaf and vanilla. Black and red fruit, cocoa powder, espresso, tobacco, leather, dried herbs and fine tannins on the palate. Layered and dense. Leads to a long finish. Full bodied. Drinking beautifully. Served with spinach lasagna.
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12/3/2017 - RussK wrote: 90 Points
Russk. Expats at Pablo and Cindy's. Pleasant, but a little less expressive this time. maybe it needs a longer decant. Not showing signs of early maturity. 90+.
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11/19/2017 - maxima wrote: 83 Points
Boisé et facile, trop de chauffe. Profile trop moderne pour moi, on passe!
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11/18/2017 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prior bottle was almost four months ago, but my notes were somewhat different due to the extended time open. Opened about two hours ahead of time and drunk over the next three hours (5 total) and this particular bottle showed the most sangiovese dominance of any of the bottles I have tried. Blackberry, black cherry and earthy cigarbox on the nose. More medium (as opposed to full bodied) with bright blackberry upfront, gaining density through the middle and adding black cherry, tart black cherry and integrated spices and solid mineral notes through the finish. I didn't taste the depth of the cabernet or the richness of the merlot in this bottle (other than as background notes) as it seemed focused the the purity of the sangiovese fruit, blending with balanced structure notes. Overall, this bottle showed a bit more finesse and nuance. A different experience, but certainly quite pleasant. Next bottle in July 2018.
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11/11/2017 - JCMPB wrote: 92 Points
Decanting 30 minutes before drinking helped a lot.
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11/6/2017 - Castle Peak wrote: 93 Points
Drinking really well right now. Perfect balance of black berries, earth, leather, smoke, lavender, chocolate and toasted cedar. Complex but approachable.
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10/22/2017 - bjamesclark wrote: 94 Points
Decanted.
In an absolutely great spot tonight and drinking beautiful. Still showing a dark ruby color in the glass with little to no bricking.
Aromas are complex and intriguing showing notes of leather, cigar tobacco, dried mushroom, dried flowers, spice, balsamic, cranberry sauce, dark cherry, cedar and forrest scents, earth, sous bois, black truffle, game meats, olive with charred wood and light touches of mahogany, vanilla and espresso.
The palate retains its bright acid structure and firm, bold tannins. Complex flavors dance across the palate revealing notes of dried cherry, cranberry sauce, goji, cigar tobacco, dusty leather, dried rose hip, forrest floor, porcini, ground espresso, spice, black tea, game meats, olive, truffle and notes of wood, balsamic and herbs. The finish pushes on with intensity with firm dusty tannins and juicy acidity.
Possibly the best showing of this wine to date.
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10/16/2017 - Janstan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Significantly better than last bottle. Dark fruit, earthy, dark sweet cherry, tobacco. Had with no food and no decant.
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10/1/2017 - olracx62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
first taste with Coravin. Dark ruby, almost impenetrable. Powerful, astringent still, warm. Ripe red fruit, basically plums in an smoky cloud with a silky texture. Rich, elegant, juicy and complex. 2007 big vintage for Modus. Still 5 years ahead or so.
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9/2/2017 - Janstan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Many years to go. Nose: EARTHY. Anise, which carries over to palate.
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8/31/2017 - tomoem wrote: 94 Points
At 11 years I remain blown away by this dark and brooding red wine. It has aged wonderfully and is at its best right. A very aromatic nose of a wine which is totally modern Italian. Fruit driven palette with some graphite tones to it, especially on the finish. Long finish and worth finding. Drink over the next 5 years. Finish lasts for 30 + seconds.
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8/10/2017 - Dar3 wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with my note 2 years ago. Great wine. Everybody liked it. Drinking well, don't see it getting better, but should maintain good drinking for another 4-5 years. 4 out of 4 bottles enjoyed, disappointed to see the last one go
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7/24/2017 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prior bottle was eight months ago and today's was yet another fantastic bottle. Remains close to full bodied with very similar overall notes. Blackfruit, cassis and leather notes on the nose. Similar blackfruit notes upfront of deep plums, black cherry and brighter blackberry. Softens and deepens through the middle with black cherry, chocolate and cassis. Adds tart, yet bright black cherry towards the back before finishing with cigarbox notes and solid, but balanced structure. Integration remains the star for this wine as the cabernet, merlot and sangiovese all work together to create a better overall bottle, resulting in a wine of complexity and depth, with the fruit and backbone to continue to age well. Next bottle in November 2017.
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7/8/2017 - gajalaa Likes this wine: 91 Points
I should have read some notes before opening this because I did not decant and just opened at a BYOB, color was black cherry. Nose of plum and dark fruit, palate was medium, some tannin. i wish I had decanted or held this bottle another year or so
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6/24/2017 - teemuskogberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Väri tumma viininpunainen.
Tuoksu maanläheinen melkein korkkiintunut. Parani tuntien dekantoinnin jälkeen. Kirsikkaa. Nahkaa. Boysenmarjaa
Maku tuhti. Täyteläinen tanniininen. Paksun marjainen. Mausteinen pippuria
Juhannuksena 2017 lauran ja antin kansss. Säilyy vielä monta vuotta
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4/5/2017 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Similar to previous notes. Quite dry, starting to unfurl but still a bit tight and unyielding. There is quality but also a pronounced dry etch.
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2/12/2017 - PDX-S wrote:
no detailed notes - 4-5 hour decant, drank over 2.5 hours. It just kept getting better. The Sangiovese notes on the nose were muted, perhaps in comparison to the Cab and Merlot, not sure. Even after a lengthy decant it started the night a bit lean and tight, which is funny considering how big the wine is alcohol wise. Some tart red berries, tobacco, and perhaps a wee touch of leather on the palate. The wine maintained a certain reticence over the whole evening, even though it continued to open and the last sip was best.
Hold, or decant for 5-6 hr minimum.
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2/4/2017 - bboard Likes this wine:
From Magnum - decanted 15 mins, consumed over next 2 hours. Compare to a year ago, the initial boldness, big tannin, big fruits, seems to have tamed a bit. Within 30 mins from bottle opening, wine is already pleasing - Tuscan not doubt... plenty of fruits, tannin, leather & herbs, fantastic with rib roast! Saving the last mag
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2/3/2017 - wineman73 Likes this wine: 91 Points
The 2007 Ruffino Modus Toscana IGT was a black cherry red color with no bricking. This is a wine that needs air! It was awkward and funky at opening but after 3 hours in the decanter it was very nice. The nose was not explosive but provided scents of anise, plum, dark fruits and wet stone. The mouth feel was chewy with a medium to heavy feel. Some tannins but very mild. The taste was rich and provided flavors of graphite, plum, cherry, and blackberry. A good wine that is still drinking nicely. Should be good for another 10 years. Score 91
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1/29/2017 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This is a dark red wine with some mild sediment at the end; a decant is worthwhile. On the nose, I get cassis, cherry, and some forest scents. In the mouth, this is smooth and chewy, with a nice savory element. The finish remains a bit tight. Overall, this is a bit of a generic "red," but is still a good wine, especially for the price. 91 points.
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1/19/2017 - Kris G Likes this wine: 91 Points
still too young with a lot of prominent tannins left in this, black fruits, ripe, intense, the dominant grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, after more air it becomes rounder
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1/8/2017 - cjmueller9288 wrote: 93 Points
Showing very well. Has structure to last at least a couple more years. Wish I had more.
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1/7/2017 - bjamesclark wrote: 93 Points
Due to my previous experience with this wine a lengthy decant was given. Once in the glass moderately intense aromas of Maduro tobacco, warm gravel, earth and dried mushrooms lead the charge followed by leather, dried herbs, aged red meats, pencil shavings, French press coffee and dried fruit scents of fig, dark cherry, blackberry and currant. additional scents of dried violets, mineral and black olive.
Showing good development on the palate. Tannins are present but have softened but retain a slightly chewy presence. Acidity is still lively and medium-plus. Mid-palate density is starting to lighten but remains moderate. Developed flavors of tobacco, leather, dried porcini mushrooms, dry aged red meats, salt and iron, black olive, dried flowers and dried herbs are well integrated and blend with notes of dried currant, fig, dried cherry, and bramble that lead to finishing flavors of dark coffee, pencil, sous bois and dust. The finish lingers nicely with presence of flavors.
Overall in a great spot right now showing its maturity well. A savory wine that has shedded it's sweeter (oak) aspects of toffee and burnt sugar. A perfect meat and cheese wine! Has delivered very well for the price
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1/2/2017 - Le Gaulois Likes this wine: 91 Points
La patience paye, il était bien appoint sur de jolies notes de fruits rouge avec tanins présents mais très bien intégrés. Un beau toscan!
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12/31/2016 - cweiner Likes this wine: 90 Points
60 min decant, but agrees with recent notes- initial taste very disappointing. 85 then. Over next 20min with some cheese and salami opened up beautiful and whatever was there blew off.
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12/30/2016 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 91 Points
Something funky and liquorishy at first but after this blew off it was quite nice. A strong wine- forte. Good stuff with more time in the bottle.
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12/28/2016 - hebill wrote:
First bottle of this. PnP and quite disappointed given the reviews. Seems beyond its peak. Recorded and put aside for a day and it really opened up. Nice dark fruit, nice balance...difficult to find the Sangiovese. This can go a good bit longer. If opening now, let it breathe.
50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% merlot
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12/23/2016 - Thief Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tannins are finely integrated in this inky black bargain superTuscan.
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12/8/2016 - krmcgrath wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/23/2016 - hoservin wrote: 92 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Aromas of black cherry, blackberry, tobacco, road tar, black licorice and forest floor. Ripe black and red fruit, espresso, forest floor, a hint of cocoa and stone on the palate. Fruit forward with a rich texture, leading to a lean, soft finish with good length. Full bodied. Served with steak pizza.
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11/19/2016 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened three hours ahead of time and this was another spectacular bottle, just like my prior bottle from July 2016. Close to full bodied and overall, the wine is improving most on the integration front. Dark blackfruit along with tobacco and leather on the nose. Darker blackfruits to start (plums, blackberry black cherry), then lightens and brightens considerably through the middle with red cherry and then transitions softly into the finish with merlot dominant chocolate and cassis. When this wine shows well, the complexity is always a highpoint. Good tannic structure throughout and into and through the finish. I see no signs of fading fruit or strongly softening structure which tells me that this wine should be able to maintain this plateau for several more years.
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11/10/2016 - Poisey Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tried at tasting Nov 10 2016.
Plums with blueberry tar rubber and prunes. Structured balanced and long. Aging gracefully. Lots of power. Smokey with a seductive profile. lots to like here. Still with lots left in the tank. Drink 2016-2020.
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11/9/2016 - floating_cellar wrote: 91 Points
This is still going strong. Inky black color, no signs of aging. Decanted 1 hr. First night was heavy black fruits, burnt forest floor and thick tannins. Rebottled and on 2nd night less wound up, but still full of black fruit, leather and some peppery spice. It takes some digging to get the Sangiovese flavors out from behind the Cab and Merlot. It's solid wine, but I feel like this wine has an identity crisis.
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10/31/2016 - bvwino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Only bottle and wish I had more. Best wine I've had all year.
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10/31/2016 - yayinski wrote: 93 Points
Herbs, maraschino cherries, some tobacco. Velvety and long on the finish. Solid stuff.
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10/21/2016 - ptelgenh wrote: 86 Points
This is a bit rough and unbalanced
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10/16/2016 - Gcashman wrote: 90 Points
A bit musty on the open which was resolved with a one hour decant. Wet earth, tart red fruit, firm tannic structure. Bit metallic on the long finish. Right in stride.
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10/9/2016 - theplatz wrote: flawed
4 bottles left are all spoiled.
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9/25/2016 - Pour Boy wrote: 94 Points
Wow, this was good tonight. My last of 6 bottles. Great nose, soft tannins, wonderful finish. Glad I waited on this one. The last few bottles of this were the best.
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9/23/2016 - SICILIAN-SOLE Likes this wine: 93 Points
Red fruit, barnyard and damp earth on the nose. A lot of the same on the palate with some gravely acid from the sangiovese. Dense, tannic wine with miles to go...not sure where the "past prime" tasting notes are coming from.
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9/16/2016 - Levinsb wrote:
Very dark. Softer. Fruit fading. Drink up.
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9/3/2016 - olracx62 wrote: 90 Points
three years after my last bottle. This is dark, red, almost black, and I remember a more balanced wine. This is a little bit overwhelming and heavy. A little too much although elegant and powerful. Notes of ripe red fruit melt with roasted coffee, earth and notes of oak. Drink now or wait some time, but will not improve further
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8/21/2016 - bboomer Does not like this wine: 72 Points
Over the hill
Lost its fruit
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8/4/2016 - df1962 Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnD 1/3 of the bottle. Let air for 1hr. Consistent with previous notes. Holding up better than I thought with last bottle. Exotic intoxicating nose. Lots of complexity and depth with balance. Lingering black fruits tobacco and espresso on the finish.
Balance of the bottle held up amazingly well. Glad I have two more bottles and wish I had more.
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7/29/2016 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
My prior bottle was about eight months ago and it really seems like this wine is hitting its stride as all the component fruit flavors are coming together incredibly well, just as they did on my prior bottle. Full bodied and while smooth, retains excellent tannic structure so I have no worries about this wine getting flabby in the near term. Deeper, darker blackfruits to start, then brightens with a burst of red cherry in the middle and then smooths out beautifully with more mid-weight, merlot dominant fruit towards the back. Very nice structure and length on the finish. Overall, this was very close to be an identical experience to my prior bottle (Nov 2015). Based on how well this wine is holding up, I may have to extend its peak window. While I continue to believe there's not much room for additional improvement, this wine has certainly proved it has the fruit and structure to stay at peak level for another few years. Next bottle in Nov 2016 and I'll continue to see how it evolves. What a fantastic QPR!
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7/10/2016 - mike410 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Developing into a really nice wine. My last notes said this wine wouldnt improve much but I was totally wrong. Fruit has come out and the tannins subsided. Really nice.
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7/3/2016 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
Coravin tasting.
Dark opaque
Dark ripe fruits nose with sous bois notes, licorice, animal hints and more
Heavy palate, full bodied, firm tannins, dark ripe earthy fruits flavors, still tight and young. Seducing aftertaste.
Can further age 5-10 years.
should try this bottle again within 2-4 years.
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6/18/2016 - tomoem wrote: 92 Points
At nearly 9 years I was truly impressed. The wine is dark. And purple color. It is a full throttle wine with a modern and fruit driven profile. It is mature and not quite what it was 5 years ago. The nose is perfumed, with herbs and a burnt cedar aroma. Imagine salmon cooking on a cedar plank like flavor.
Remarkable and unique flavor. I taste some fig on the palette and yet smell some asphalt. Finish includes dark berries and graphite. Lingering for 30 + seconds.
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6/1/2016 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Over delivered. Great wine with strong fruit, tannin, and complexity.
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5/31/2016 - Tannic Monster Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark and inky in the glass. Nice bouquet: moss, cherry vanilla, saddle leather, and floral notes. Quite acidic to have without food, but showing flavors of smoked meats, chewing tobacco, sour cherries, lead, and dried mushrooms. Quite complex with a very old world charm. I'm going to say "yes"!
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5/13/2016 - nm10 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent wine after nine years. Opaque purple colour but lots of sediment in the bottle. Tertiary flavours have emerged, and plenty of fruit. I think this has a good 10 years ahead of it.
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5/13/2016 - Cellarseller Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still dark, dense and silky with earthy flavors. Outstanding value for a super Tuscan. Drink soon. This wine is peaked and loses its specialness on day two.
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5/8/2016 - bjamesclark wrote: 93 Points
Opened and decanted.
Medium-plus staining in the tears and still not a lot of color variation. sediment is present.
With air time medium-plus aromas rise from the glass showing beautiful balance and complexity. Aromas show a blend of leather, dried violets, pencil shavings, black truffle, dry aged game meats, tobacco and coffee with secondary notes of blueberry, dried cherry, dried currant, and wild bramble berry.
On the palate Mineral driven with notes of iron and graphite, brined black and green olives, dried venison jerky, tobacco, shaved black truffle, leather and a blend of dried cranberry, cherry and goji with additional flavors of dried roses, earth, wood and hints of blueberry and bitter sweet cocoa. long through the finish with great, medium-plus acidity and drying, slightly chewy tannins.
Overall consistent with previous notes and still has a lot of life left.
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5/8/2016 - kcsteve Likes this wine: 91 Points
Stored in controlled cellar. This was exceptional tonight. Served with grilled KC Strips. Decanted 1/2 hour. Opened up after 1 hour. I believe this is in a prime drinking window. Was like velvet on the palate. Black cherry, blackberries, underbrush and delicious. Not as heavy on the palate as I remembered. Tannins have softened since bottle in 2015. Drink up but will last a few more years.
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4/9/2016 - oenophilemoose wrote: 79 Points
Please refer my note of 09/08/2013. Decanted for four hours. About the only positive thing I can say about this wine are the chewy tannins. Otherwise, not much has changed since 2013. This experience is what I would imagine chewing on a toasted barrel stave would impart. Alas, I am in the minority since all other reviews, including WS, see this wine in a much more favorable light. I enjoy the elegance of "Old World" wines, but the use of wood in this effort is completely over the top. Makes me think, what was the winemaker trying to disguise?
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4/4/2016 - stevenrcagle Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smell and taste consistent w/previous note. Definitely improving over time. Very nice structure, tannins still firm. Could go for many more years.
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3/24/2016 - Mezz Likes this wine: 93 Points
With an almost bordelaise nose, shows rich dark berries and a wonderful funk up front. The palate is decidedly less fruity with an old world structure. The fruit is there, black cherry and blackberry, but matched by a green olive acidity, and an Italian tannic structure of leather and fennel. The French grapes do show, but are faithful to their Italian provenance. Wonderful, possibly starting to fade.
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3/4/2016 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Showing much better now vs. when I first tried it a few years ago. This is still very firm and tight but starting to Show signs of life. Shows great sense of terroir, dark racey fruit but a strong smoakey, leather and red brick backdrop. I'd wait a couple more years before trying again; this is still a bit of a monster. The quality and potential is there though. Very good value for the quality.
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1/31/2016 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle of a beloved case. Scorched earth, fuel, and beneath it all solar flares of sizzling, blissful fruit. A special wine that gave a ton of pleasure over the years.
The last sixth of this bottle sat unnoticed and unpreserved for six full days and was not half bad! This will hold through at least 2019.
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1/14/2016 - jack21 wrote: 93 Points
Drank my first bottle a few years ago and thought I wasted my money. Had my second bottle today and now I see where the high scores are coming from. I think it will continue to get better for a few more years.
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1/4/2016 - megropolis wrote: 92 Points
Finally, it reached maturity. Drinks up and enjoy.
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1/3/2016 - bboard Likes this wine:
From Magnum - decanted 90 mins, consumed over next 3 hours. Super dark color but wonderful wines with 2 faces. Stage 1 (15mins to 90 mins) is big bold wine, fruits with big tannin, not harsh. At some point, it evolves into a very Tuscan like wine... leather, herbs, elegant, dried plum, a little acidity, all nicely integrated... long finish. C$80 tax in, worth every penny, bought all 3 bottles in the system.
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12/30/2015 - Cartesc wrote: 92 Points
I drank one bottle with bob and marie and I loved it. This wine was not very drinkable when I got it but now it is smooth as silk
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12/25/2015 - dalemosier Likes this wine: 92 Points
tasted along side a Brunello 2006 - this was very thin by comparison
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12/23/2015 - geppetto Likes this wine:
This is just an amazing wine. Developing a nice funk.
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12/14/2015 - John O' Likes this wine: 94 Points
keeps getting better and better with age. decanted for 45 minutes and drank over 1 hour. outstanding
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12/12/2015 - ppaluszewski Likes this wine: 94 Points
The highlight of the dinner party standing out among several good bottles. Drinking very well right now. This is a big style wine with ample dark and red fruit on the nose and palate. The oak and tannins are plentiful, yet well integrated and in proportion. Excellent overall balance, structure and mouthfeel with a long finish. Will keep my remaining two bottles for another year or so. Very pleased with this wine. 93-95 pts. PJP 2016.
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12/5/2015 - joet626 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really good! Perfectly balanced. Rich and smooth on the palate. Loads of dark blackberry fruit. Really liked this
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12/5/2015 - IvanKrazy Likes this wine: 91 Points
My last bottle of the '07s, had it with pizza tonight. Unlike the '06 I opened last week, which was a goner, this one is still alive and very good! Coffee beans, black berries, dried plums and a hint of cigar box. Very good presence on the palate and a good long finish
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11/29/2015 - PDX-S wrote:
Too tight. Not ready
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11/28/2015 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 91 Points
Some real structure here. Funky nose at first but blew off and came together shedding a petrol tinge. Nose is dark and brooding, and that continues upon entry. A sturdy backbone with charcoal graphite and earth tones throughout the entire sip. Black cherry and dark berries entice the back sides of the tongue. Full satisfying finish. Quite good. No rush.
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11/25/2015 - geppetto Likes this wine: 94 Points
Holy, 180 degree turn. This bottle had a nice hit of barnyard funk that faded as time passed. extraordinary flavors of dark berries, leather, and subtle hints of burnt toast. Very nice bottle.
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11/23/2015 - Ruubious wrote:
4/5 - Opened about an hour prior to drinking, Big and bold, juicy.
Aromas of herbs, and dried berry, smoke, barnyard, and earthiness.
Strong drying tannin, with a long finish.
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11/23/2015 - Grape_ape Likes this wine:
I think Life at your leisure nailed the notes onthis one, though I probably wouldn't go as high as 96... still has tons of life left... nice wine.
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11/22/2015 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Possibly the best bottle of this wine I have tasted so far. Aromatic nose of dark fruit, berries, smoke and leather. This felt like the most complete and well integrated bottle of this wine I have opened so far where the various components were working together rather than showing separately. The wine started off more cab-dominant with the darker fruit and deeper notes. But blending in there were the brighter sangiovese notes of a more red cherry bent which added freshness and brightness in the background. Wine has plenty of structure remaining, but the tannins are well integrated. Overall the wine came off with good depth, excellent complexity and extremely well balanced. It has plenty of life left and I hope for 2-3 more at this level as I don't see much room for further improvement.
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11/22/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 96 Points
Opaque purple color turning orange rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off perfumed, herbaceous, sinewy notes of fig paste, dark berries, burnt maple, scorched pine, cola and smoke. The palate is full-bodied, modern-styled, with a velvety texture. Notes of meat, graphite and scorched earth are accompanied by jammy, fleshy flavors of dark cherry, blueberry, plum liqueur, kirsch, and fig that are enveloped by a mentholated coating that stretches all the way to the long finish. This is extraordinarily, bold, and one of the finest I've tasted from the region. Drink now with a 20-minute decant until 2027.
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11/14/2015 - dollevoet Likes this wine: 92 Points
Powerfull cab-sangiovese combination. Decanted for 1 hour and it opened up beautifully. Very good wine and at its best right now.
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10/26/2015 - grantsky wrote: 90 Points
Big wine. 3-5 years left, showing its age development now. Dried cherry, cassis, plum.
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10/12/2015 - quanmeister wrote: 88 Points
Starting to lose fruit flavour. Definitely might be peaking. Finding some inconsistency with the bottles we have out of the same case.
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10/5/2015 - nicksala Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had a 1/3 left in the bottle, and the next day this wine was exquisite.
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10/4/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 88 Points
Mike G and Berto visit Cleveland (Italian wines)+ (Willoughby, Ohio): Others seemed to like this more than I. The nose is very good with a nice complexity of dusty cherries. Maybe some cassis and herbs too. It could be a bit shut down on the palate (not that familiar with this wine but I think its Cab/Merlot and maybe Sangio) but its not as complex. Easy drinking. More generic red than identifiable. That said, its tasty with ripe red fruits. Worked well with the food.
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10/3/2015 - stevenrcagle Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice dry cherry on the dose. Full bodied, very dry, dusty dried fruit, camphor, white pepper, with strong tannins still showing, a somewhat sour finish. This is a masculine, elegant wine but a bit overrated.
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10/3/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Smells like napa...the palate is fruity and ripe. Out of place in thsi italian table but I like it :) lots of all kinds of dark berries.
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9/21/2015 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Bottle 11 of 12 of this stalwart. Still plush and deep but with none of its old extremeness. A great compromise wine for red meat since she doesn't love cab but does like Sangiovese and merlot, and the three work so well together here.
What a great purchase this case was for years of enjoyment!
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8/30/2015 - Idrink,therefore,Iam wrote: 94 Points
Really, really good. Purchased on release and stored since, this had a high WS rating from the JS era and normally that doesn't mean much, but this really lived up to the hype. In a perfect drinking window right now. Had a 2000 Spinetta WS 98 rated Barolo last night and I knew it was going to be trouble due to the cork seepage level, but the cork on this was perfect and the wine was fantastic. Considering what I paid for this vs. what I paid for the Spinetta, I feel like I broke even.
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8/28/2015 - dom1581 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Getting better and better...
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8/27/2015 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice integration and balance. Aging well.
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8/20/2015 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with my previous notes. Maybe just slightly less impressive on the palate this time, but so powerful and amazing on the nose. We had this alongside a 2005 Ornellaia for my birthday and it managed to hold its own. Of course it couldn't match the phenomenal depth and intensity that the Ornellaia displayed on the palate - but on the nose, it might actually have been better. Incredibly powerful aromas of leather, earth and flowers explode from the glass. Full-bodied and loaded with tangy blackberry and dark currant fruit. The finish is very long and complex, with silky tannins and intriguing notes of leather, coffee, citrus and spice. One of the all-time QPR champs at around $25. Consistently outdrinks Super Tuscans that cost 2-3 times as much.
50+5+14+17+8=94
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8/12/2015 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 90 Points
Maturing nicely. Still a bit dense. Try again in 3 years.
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8/9/2015 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 93 Points
Leather, smoke, black cherry. Dusty tannins, with a 1-minute finish. Crazy good.
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7/31/2015 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle was better than the one I most recently opened (May 2015) and I suspect some positive bottle variation. In this bottle, the cabernet seemed both more structured, but also more in balance with the sangiovese fruit. When this wine is showing its best, the cabernet adds structure and darker fruit notes while the sangiovese adds the brighter, more red fruit notes and the merlot acts to bind these two components together and adds richness and smoothness. Sometimes, it may come across as too soft if the cabernet had faded too much into the background. That was not the case here. All this being said, in order to get the most complexity and balance from this wine, I still think it should be drunk in the next two years. It won't benefit from going beyond that time and you run the risk of one of the components fading and losing the joy that this bottle really is when all its varied notes come together properly as they did in this instance.
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7/26/2015 - df1962 Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnVnD let air for 1hr. Beautiful cassis aroma from the moment it was poured. Dense dark purple with plum rim. Cassis blackberry espresso and orange blossom on the nose. Medium weight with silky espresso and cherry skin tannins. Burst of black and red fruits on the palate with notes of espresso leather and herbs. Becoming more elegant and integrated. Lots of complexity for the price. Have loved this all along the way but it is in a really sweet spot right now that tempts me not to hold on to the rest too much longer.
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7/22/2015 - mike410 Likes this wine: 90 Points
I am not sure how WS saw this as a 96 rated wine. It's a typical Tuscan wine. Nice blackberry. cherry, and plum taste. a little soft with tannins and acidity not so prevalent. Can't see this getting any better.
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7/21/2015 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
Ruffino wines tasting (Wine Route, Savion): dark red-black
dark ripe fruity aroma with earthy notes
med-full bodied, good complexity, quality fruity flavours, pleasant finish.
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7/20/2015 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opaque purple in color, this wine (50% Sangiovese/25% Cabernet Sauvignon/25% Merlot) shows dark plum, new saddle leather and spices on the nose. The mouth feel is full bodied with added notes of smoke, licorice and dust. The finish is medium/long in length with unexpected heat at the end, causing this taster to think there may be more alcohol than the 13.5% abv listed on the label.
A recent gift from my boss, this wine is in its prime drinking window now. Served pnp, the first several glasses were the most vibrant. The last 2 glasses, poured 2 hours after opening, faded quickly. Drink now.
Imported by Ruffino Import Company, Rutherford, CA.
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6/25/2015 - Gail and Len Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is really drinking well right now. Glad I have three more. Great with grilled ribeye and grilled peaches
Shared with Steven and Gail. Both liked it as well.
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6/13/2015 - quanmeister wrote: 91 Points
Took this bottle to a restaurant and had it with duck ragu and chicken liver tagliatelle. It was pretty good.
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6/13/2015 - njgolfer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tastes of dark cherry and black fruit. some interesting spice. Found tannins at first to be a little round and rough but that died down in a few hours and had grest structure against the fruit. Rich and complex on the palate.
great balanced bottle - right in prime drinking window.
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6/12/2015 - moega Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth...This bottle exhibited some Barolo-like qualities this evening. Still takes a bit of time to open up, and may even still be a bit too young to try at this time.
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5/31/2015 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow this is a brute of a wine in a good way. Sipping the last glass five hours after decanting it still is vibrant and powerful. Can definitely make out the Cabernet on the nose. Tannins are still present in a way that suggests a long life but alas this was my last bottle. Paired well with homemade Italian feast prepared by my wife for dinner.
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5/28/2015 - Dar3 wrote: 92 Points
Everybody enjoyed this significantly. Drinking well now. Don't see this getting better but will drink well for the next few years.
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5/25/2015 - bjamesclark wrote: flawed
I will reserve points and any notes as this bottle was flawed.
An enormous amount of Brett that did not blow off even after 5 hours worth of air time. Shame.
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5/25/2015 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes but similar to the last time I had this. 90 points
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5/25/2015 - Pour Boy wrote: 89 Points
Tannins have softened but at the expense of the fruit.
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5/20/2015 - brian przyzycki wrote: 95 Points
This was stellar. Such a rich and homogenous blend of cherry, plumb, violets, leather, and spice. I doubted the rating like most of you until I popped the cork. What a bohemian deal @ 25 bones. Served with linguine carbonara and sweet sausage.
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5/18/2015 - geppetto wrote: 93 Points
Nose a dark berries. Really dark purple with sediment. Wonderful flavors of dark cherry and black fruit. A touch of sweetness with some interesting spice. My sense is that this will go for a few more years before decline.
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5/12/2015 - Duderino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking really well right now. Everything I look for in a wine....great fruit, lingering finish with some soft tannins and a touch of brett. Wonderful!
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5/10/2015 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 92 Points
On the nose, comes off like a cabernet. Medium bodied and noticeably softer and more integrated than my last bottle (July 2014). Still shows bright red cherry dominant brunello-type fruit through the middle. Cabernet is in the background adding structure and the merlot comes in on the finish adding a richness, additional depth and darker fruit and chocolate notes. This wine still has the complexity, fruit and structure to last two years more of so, but it will start to lose the complexity and balance that make it such an interesting wine soon after that time. Given where it is today, I don't see it gaining anything by additional time in the cellar; best to enjoy these over the next two years.
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5/3/2015 - kenthargis wrote: 91 Points
Good, but certainly not a 96 point wine that WS gave. Can't say I love the combination of sangiovese, merlot and cab here. It's a tasty wine, but a bit odd flavor profile. Long finish.
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4/24/2015 - mwneil Likes this wine: 92 Points
Heavy wine with rough tannins but drinks a bit lighter as the alcohol is not that high, good fruit, nice balance, nice bouquet, interesting wine, enjoyed with veal parm, would drink again but probably not available, wine is probably at it peak.
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4/2/2015 - jwolf99 wrote: 91 Points
Notes consistent with previous bottle. Well into it's sweet spot. Drink up.
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3/28/2015 - Janstan Likes this wine: 90 Points
I'm beginning to worry about this wine. the tannins are still pronounced with some dropping in fruit. Cherries, tobacco, barnyard. Had 1/2 bottle night one, way too young but the 2cnd half bottle the next night was not enough softer.
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3/6/2015 - meurig Likes this wine: 92 Points
dark fruits, leather and earth. tannins have resolved nicely.
Hitting its stride, much improved from the bottle popped a few years back
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3/2/2015 - ephorn wrote: 89 Points
Adequate fruit and savory complexity. Still drinks well day 2.
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2/28/2015 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
First one of these in eight months. We had this alongside a 2006 Flaccianello, a 2007 Dofana (Cresti) and a 2008 Saffredi. It put each and every one of them to shame. Still very dark, semi-opaque and young-looking. Extremely powerful on the nose. Smelled like a brand new baseball glove, with hints of earth and spice. There's such incredible richness and depth to the palate here. Layer upon layer of ripe, tangy blackberry and dark currant fruit completely saturate the mouth. The long, polished finish is bursting with dark fruit and notes of coffee, toasted oak and spice. So complex, balanced and delicious. It's hard to imagine, but this may be getting even better. Wow. 94+
50+5+13+18+8=94
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2/23/2015 - kcsteve wrote: 90 Points
Very extracted. Black fruit and bit if wet earth that receded over the evening. Decantered 30 min. Needed more. Not my style but a very good wine.
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2/23/2015 - VancouverRay wrote: 90 Points
Was hoping for more but still very nice. Took about 1.5hrs of decant to really come around.
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2/21/2015 - maaike2 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A great example of a price-quality giant. Decanted 1.5 hour, no change in the two hours (we had a brake walking the dog). Beautiful dark fruit notes in the nose, elegant though powerful in the mouth, with dark fruit, earth and "terroir", which shows up after the vibrant start.
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2/20/2015 - dalemosier Likes this wine: 92 Points
full bodied, dark red. a little musty nose and taste - (pleasant). Long lingering taste. Expect to hold well and should improve some.
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2/12/2015 - scheune wrote: 93 Points
Ein Geschmackserlebnis- schon nach dem öffnen ausgezeichnete Nase von dunkelroten Früchten , Cassis, Leder. Nach 1 h Stunde im Decanter zeigt sich am Gaunem dann eine ausbalancierte Aromenvielfalt von Erde, Leder , Kirsche, Cassis. Holz sehr gut eingebunden . Voluminöser (dezente 13,5 %) , aber nicht marmeladiger Wein . Unaufdringliche Tannine zeigen sich nach einer Stunde . Wein jetzt genossen , wird aber noch einige Jahre auf dem Höhepunkt sein.
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2/3/2015 - Mtnmd1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking right in its sweet spot. Balanced all the way through. Turned into a great value at this point.
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1/31/2015 - temchugh wrote: 90 Points
Needs time to open up, but drinking well.
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12/28/2014 - moben Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking really well.
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12/25/2014 - Aunt Esther wrote: 90 Points
Nice bottle, but drinking a bit awkward at the moment. A little of the feistiness of youth, a small measure of maturing composure, but only glimpses of one or the other. I would wait another two years to see what this bottle decides to be.
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12/6/2014 - fritza wrote: 90 Points
Decanted two hours, and had with Veal cutlet and spicy red sauce with bacon wrapped chorizo stuffed dates. While this wine is very good, I may have been expecting too much from it. Certainly earthy and even a little barnyard on the nose yielding to fig, dark fruit and still a hint of earthiness on the palate. However it doesn't linger long on the palate and the finish is weak, making me wonder if it is just the nature of this wine or it needs consumed soon.
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12/5/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
I do think this is a quality wine, but it still feel it's just a bit early on this one. The nose has wonderfully pure deep and rich primary fruit with loads of blackberry compote, cassis, dark cherry and blueberry. There also a good whack of oak that's not yet integrated providing notes of pine, pine sap and sawdust. There are also glimpses of rustic, just slightly bretty leather and farmyard. The palate had elevated acid and medium tannin with a medium plus finish of bright berry fruit and oaky notes. While drinking alright now everything in this wine points to a bright future of much more integration. The bright fruit and oak need some time to settle down. I'm going to try to wait five years on my next one.
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11/27/2014 - David_T wrote: 91 Points
This hasn't changed much in the two years since I last had a bottle. Still a tasty, structured wine. The grilled meat/blackberry/herbal notes still stand out; the acidity and tannins are mostly integrated but still noticeable. Drinking well now but no rush at all.
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11/23/2014 - BrunelloBob wrote: 90 Points
PnP. I like the nose best right out of the bottle, as I get a bit of funk with a swirl. Remarkably black fruit, graphite, charcoal, chewing tobacco. The full body I expect with Modus. Supposed to be 50% sangio, but the cab and merlot seem to be overpowering that.
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11/22/2014 - RhoneG Likes this wine: 92 Points
The tannins are resolved, the fruit is front and center with good acidity. Wish I had more.
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11/7/2014 - hoservin wrote: 91 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 2 hours. Aromas of cherry, blackberry, tar, licorice, dried herbs and espresso. On the palate, a velvety, black fruit core with notes of espresso and oak combine with firm gripping tannins. Leads to a long finish. Full bodied with a dense, rich texture. Drinking well. Paired with Stromboli.
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11/7/2014 - Cellarseller Likes this wine: 94 Points
Silky, rich and ready!
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11/2/2014 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk. My WW at Morton's. one of my favorites from the evening. Drinking like an old Bordeaux. Glad I have a bit more.
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10/29/2014 - Pour Boy wrote: 90 Points
I've been holding these for 4 years now, waiting for the tannins to soften. They finally are. A big wine with a medicinal nose and gentle tannins that coat the tongue. The fruit is there but it's in the background. This wine is ready to drink, but give it time to open up before quaffing.
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10/5/2014 - quanmeister wrote: 94 Points
Drinking very nicely. Lots of legs. Last 2 bottles were spoiled but this bottle was a big surprise. Lots of fruit and well balanced. Long finish and drinking better than a few years ago. Hints of cedar and tobacco. Really enjoyed.
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10/3/2014 - Poisey Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smokey with ash, sage and ripe dark red fruit. Juicy, rich and opulent. Fantastic finish with vanilla, berries, leather and cedar notes. Griping tannin and fresh acidity. Very good.
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9/15/2014 - theplatz wrote: 89 Points
Wine was not that impressive
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9/14/2014 - Henry Miller Likes this wine: 91 Points
Reaching maturity. Has settled into a somewhat monochromatic dark, plummy and very soft, satiny profile, with fully integrated tannins and acidity. This was more interesting, and more Italian, when the acidity was more prominent last year. Now drinking like the more opulent, modern style 2007 Brunellos, but with less palate-cleansing tannin and acidity. Drink up.
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9/6/2014 - esb wrote:
As always, this wine is difficult to get right. It's reduced which must be cleared to reveal the fruit. It's tight and unsettled initially leaving a so-so impression in the mouth. There is still some light tannin and it's bright so temperature matters. It starts to drink after about 45min/1 hour. Before that, don't bother. I like the way it feels after it settles down. It's fine now, will probably improve, but perhaps at the expense of the fruit which seems a little less interesting with each bottle. It has lots of smoke and some complexity but the smoke dominates the fruit. Good with food but open it early.
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9/4/2014 - gut72ch wrote: 92 Points
Très grand vin, dans un excellent millésime !
Très proche d'un Brunello, avec de la finesse et longueur.
Le Merlot ( et un peut le cabernet Sauvignon) lui donne un peut plus de corps qu'un Brunello classic
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8/29/2014 - df1962 Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnD let air for 2hrs. Dense dark purple with clear rim. Big aroma of cassis tar espresso blackberry plum and rosemary. Medium(+) with a lot of silky ripe tannin. Burst of elegant abundant fruit with espresso dark chocolate tobacco and rosemary notes. Lingering blackberry pastille and savory finish. Oak is much more integrated than it was since last bottle two years ago. Well balanced and delicious.
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8/25/2014 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine:
Three years later, I don't think this is going to make old bones. It is already drying out and the tannins are still pretty fierce. Fruit is there but pretty walled off by tannins and oak treatment. Try again in a couple of years and hope for the best. Best guess 88 pts/
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8/21/2014 - domco wrote:
Dark fruits, vanilla, smooth finish. Agree with others that there is a bit of barnyard funk (bret?) to it. Not overwhelming though, so doesn't distract too much. Certainly punches above its weight, but not sure I would score as high as others.
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7/14/2014 - slrankin Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a particularly nice red that, last night, went very well with grilled lamb shoulder chops. I am always surprised that the listed auction price is so very low- $13. If you can find it for that price, or anywhere up to the mid $20 range, I do not think you will be disappointed.
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7/9/2014 - flashvictor wrote:
Slightly corked bottle. Disappointing!
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7/5/2014 - vinole wrote: 91 Points
PnP at a restaurant and drank nicely after 15 mins in the glass. Mostly dried cherry fruit on the entry, with some leather, earth, and dustiness. Medium acidity and a somewhat lean, medium bodied frame with some currant and plum also showing on the finish. Nice wine that is true to its Tuscan origin.
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6/22/2014 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gradually working my way through 2+ cases purchased in 2011. Consistent with my most recent note from January, 2014. This still has a very youthful look to it. Displays a very dark, opaque purple color that is only beginning to lighten around the edge. The nose is amazing. Extremely powerful aromas of dark berries, leather, spices, lavender and a hint of barnyard. Full-bodied, showing incredible depth without a lot of weight. The sour cherry and dark currant fruit is beginning to fade somewhat, but there is so much structure underneath that this is still mouth-filling and very satisfying. Very long, beautifully balanced and complex, with a lingering aftertaste of coffee, tobacco, citrus and mineral. One of the all-time QPR champs, this phenomenal wine has many more wonderful years ahead of it.
50+5+14+17+8=94
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6/8/2014 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
When first opened, it seemed so soft and open that I was worried these bottles might be aging faster than I thought. But given an hour and it broadened and deepened considerably. The varied complexities of the mid-palette fruits are perhaps even better than I remember from the prior bottles. The integration and balance have also improved. Overall, drank exceptionally well and should have a number of years left in front of it.
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6/8/2014 - Marccur wrote: 86 Points
Very beautiful red colour; nose classic tabacco, chocolate, leather; taste good balance sweet/sour, bordeaux-like, too less fruit, too much tannins. Short finish. (Parker 96 p., ???)
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6/8/2014 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk my wine at WIC. Starting off tight after a 1.5hr decant. 91-. Day2 91+. Day3 92pts. Showing nice complexity. Just dont want to put the glass down.
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6/7/2014 - dom1581 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Persistent good Wine.
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6/6/2014 - RussK wrote: flawed
Russk. WIC at Peters. This bottle seemed less mature on day 1 than others of the same vintage that I have had recently. Almost too tight and after a 1.5hr decant. Now on day 2 it is really signing. Nose and mouth of iron, cherry, coffee. Some old Bx notes. Pretty complex. Glad I have more, but they can still go longer.
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6/2/2014 - Mezz wrote: 92 Points
Very distinctive earthy nose initially. Leather, tobacco, very stony Bordeaux flavors. The fruit seems faded but we will see as the decant opens up.
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5/24/2014 - cookndoc wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours before drinking. Still lots of fruit. Will wait a couple of years for my last 2 bottles
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5/21/2014 - RhoneG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Earthy, fruity, smooth, delicious
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5/18/2014 - Levinsb wrote:
Skipped day 2 and consumed remainder on day 3. What a difference! Smoother more expressive and egads some nice juicy fruit. Decant or wait. There is something here...even if hiding once popped.
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5/16/2014 - Levinsb wrote:
Tarry bitter tannic and acidic. I'll see what happens tomorrow but not so sure about the remaining bottles.
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5/5/2014 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Coming together nicely; Consistent with previous bottles with tobacco, plum and cherry aromas and flavors dominating. Dark chocolate, earth and licorice notes on smooth finish; tannins are in check
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5/2/2014 - Poisey wrote: 88 Points
Highly rated upon release. Dark purple out of bottle with cedar and wood smoke. Muted and not a lot going on in this. Very dry tannin on the finish and almost devoid of fruit profile. This was much better in the past. Perhaps a little cork taint or bottle variance.
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4/5/2014 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This is a darker purple wine, one with a bit of sediment toward the end of the bottle. On the nose, there is some chocolate (likely from oak), leather, and some moderate fruit. In the mouth, there are some red fruits and a bit of dusty stone. The finish leaves a woodsy note. Overall, this is enjoyable, although it certainly is a wine cut in a modern/international style; although only 25% of the blend, the cab dominates. I would give this at least another year or so. 91 points.
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3/25/2014 - MObiker wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/23/2014 - vijayk416 wrote:
Last one
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3/22/2014 - quanmeister wrote: 90 Points
Drinking ok. Think this one spoiled.
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3/22/2014 - Matt21 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened and decanted. Lots of barnyard at first but let it air for about 30-45 minutes and turned out very nice
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3/1/2014 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with the other twelve times that I've had this. A vino to study for awhile.
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1/26/2014 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and Decanted, consumed one hour after opening.
Sim. notes from previous. Age has been kind to this wine. The barnyard funk is not gone.
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1/22/2014 - maxima Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Vin over-hypé je trouves, rustique et sur la chauffe.
Le nez est discret, un peu de cerise.
En bouche c`est simpliste, fruit primaire et grosse chauffe, déception!
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1/13/2014 - magic2coop Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tightly wound. Decanted for an hour, and drank over 4 hours. Fruit showed consistent throughout. Still seems like it has years to go.
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1/11/2014 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
First one of these in almost exactly a year. Still looks like a baby. A dark, opaque purple in color, lightening only very slightly at the edge. The nose is as beguiling as ever. Gorgeous aromas of dark fruits, spice, flowers and leather fill the glass. Full-bodied and smooth as silk. Everything is coming into balance now. Mouthwatering sour cherry fruit, matched with the perfect amount of acidity and smooth, polished tannins caress the palate. There's such wonderful depth and focus to this. The long, lip-smacking finish is full of tangy fruit, along with subtle notes of citrus, leather and coffee. As outstanding as this is, it may be even better in another year or two. Can easily stand toe-to-toe with the Guado al Tasso and Tignanello of this vintage, at a third of the price.
50+5+14+17+8=94
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1/9/2014 - snarfglk wrote: 88 Points
Sangiovese dominant day 1, smoothed out days 2 & 3. I don't get the excitement about this wine.
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1/4/2014 - esb wrote:
The fruit wasn't right until a slight reduction was cleared. I raised the temperature a few degrees to fill the middle. This had dark fruit with road tar, good balance and was even across the palate. Needed some work to show its best. Nice wine. Good now, but this should make a good old wine if that's your preference.
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1/1/2014 - slippytoad wrote: 91 Points
Impressed, drinks like a brunello.
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12/31/2013 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Outstanding. Strong tannins. Holding second bottle for a few more years.
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12/31/2013 - johnbhamrick wrote: 93 Points
Just as good as before. Good right out of the bottle after decanting. Nice nose and good legs. Well developed tannins and fruits. Smooth on the palate. Wish I had another case at this price ($25).
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12/30/2013 - knothoef wrote: 87 Points
black colour. chocolate, licquorice, some acidity
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12/30/2013 - casaallora Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Would have benefited from opening much earlier. Deep color, Heavy body, Good Legs. The longer it opened in the glass the more it paired with food *Beef Tenderloin *Will age a few more years
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12/25/2013 - dboatguy wrote: 93 Points
Christmas dinner with Brad and Lana
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12/22/2013 - johnbhamrick wrote: 93 Points
Just as good as before. Good right out of the bottle after decanting. Nice nose and good legs. Well developed tannins and fruits. Smooth on the palate. Wish I had another case at this price ($25).
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12/14/2013 - Dave Canada wrote: 91 Points
From memory….
Dark ruby colour.
Nose of pyrazene, mocha, dark cherry, plum and blackberry flavours.
The palate is big….rich fruit, vanilla, pyrazene, menthol and subtle spice.
Finish is medium medium+
This is a well made wine…but definitely out of my comfort zone in terms of what I like to drink…just a bit too big and rich lacking some nuance and finesse.
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12/12/2013 - johnbhamrick wrote: 93 Points
Good out of the bottle right after decanting. Good character, nice nose, and good legs. Would drink another out of the case now.
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12/12/2013 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needed 2 hours to come together. Deep garnet color with a big Bordeaux nose. The palate was dominated by the Sangiovese, however. Really good but I wasn't blown away. I think this gets better with more cellar time.
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12/5/2013 - John O' Likes this wine: 92 Points
the more air you can give this, the better
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11/24/2013 - bjamesclark wrote: 93 Points
Its been over a year since my previous tasting, and with current reviews I decided it was time to reassess what I recall as a stunning wine. The smell of the cork is exciting after opening... now time to wait...
After decant aromas are reminiscent from previous assessments with earthy aromas of black truffle, forest floor, and wood that are forefront of the dried cherry, plum, black pepper, dried red currant, fresh herb bouquet, violets and red meat aromas that finish with a heavy dose of dark toast, tobacco and burnt sugar. yes this wine still requires a good long decant.
The palate remains vibrant with moderate-plus acidity that gives this wine structure and its aging capability. The tannins are moderate, gentle and drying but play a back up to the firm acidity. Not short on flavor. Meaty; like a char-grilled venison steak, mineral (iron and graphite), dark cherry, currant, black and blueberries, toasted wood, violets/roses, leather and dark chocolate lingering on coffee and tobacco. Rustic, and old world, structured and stunning.
This wine is one that needs to breathe and needs to open up. For me this wine still has a lot of life still remains young, and still shows remarkably well.
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11/22/2013 - snarfglk wrote: 85 Points
Just rough, tough Sangiovese. No other flavors. Got tougher day 2. Could not distinguish any cabernet or merlot flavors because the sango was so dominant and rough.
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11/16/2013 - jcomm wrote: 84 Points
A bit better than last year but still an over the top wine, quite simple & monolithic!
Too bad this is well priced and promised much more...perhaps with a couple of year but the lack of acidity makes me weary!
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10/3/2013 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
Somewhat disappointed in this now. It's very bold at first, but fades pretty quickly. I plugged this up to try on the second night, thinking it would open further, but it turned out dull and ordinary. Doesn't have the stuffing that I thought it had when initially tasted 1.5 years ago. Bold but not much more.
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9/17/2013 - Nyrican wrote:
Excellent integration between fruit and oak. Nice balance wine with firm silky tannins went very well with rosemary mushroom filet mignon
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9/17/2013 - Uncle John wrote: flawed
Corked (third one of 6)!!
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9/15/2013 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 89 Points
Long finish with "old world" fruit.
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9/8/2013 - oenophilemoose wrote:
After a three hour decant on Day 1, found this wine to be impenetrable with oak overwhelming nose, palate and finish. Day 2 produced only slightly better results. Will cellar my remaining bottles until 2016 to see if this wine is truly worthy of its favorable reviews.
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9/7/2013 - bcmatthias Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still needs time to open.
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9/7/2013 - mat600 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vin sur un plateau secondaire. Arome de violette, de cuir et de cerise à l'eau de vie. En bouche, c'est long avec une bouche typiquement italienne. Une trame serrée qui commence à se délier.
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9/3/2013 - aaronts222 wrote: 94 Points
Dark fruits up front, followed by cedar and herbs, finishing with spice, oak, and leather. This seems to be in a really good spot right now, I thoroughly enjoyed drinking this.
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8/30/2013 - RhoneG Likes this wine: 94 Points
Comments
In a good spot, everything seems to be together, the tannins have mellowed quite a bit, the fruit and acidity are in balance. And I think this has more time, doesn't seem tired at all.
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7/28/2013 - ray13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
First of three bottles. Well rounded, earthy with slight tabacco leaf, savory herbs, roasted coffee bean and some saddle leather. Long silky finish. Quite a bargain.
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7/15/2013 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
Pleasant wine though somewhat light in flavor considering the color and previous experience. Might as well hold and see how it goes.
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7/9/2013 - Monsieur le Comte wrote: 96 Points
great stuff, dark cherry, dark fruits, plum, cedar, tons of leather, tobacco, herbs and ashes...
superb aftertaste
a super bargain!
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7/5/2013 - docvin1107 Likes this wine: 93 Points
No formal notes, but very pleasant surprise. Very lush and modern style but just makes it within the boundaries. Enjoyed drinking it - Thumps up!!
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7/2/2013 - Mtnmd1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Finally starting to come around. Very enjoyable w the fruit emerging
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6/14/2013 - RGCM Gananda Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful nose; sweet fruit and a sense of richness. As other tasters have noted, this wine is currently in a very good drinking window, showing much better than the last time I opened a bottle. Full bodied, with wonderful density and complexity of fruit. Cabernet is noticeable first with the weight, structure and nose. Then the sangiovese fruit becomes prominent; excellent transition. Merlot notes show up on the end and bind the whole wine together into the long, smooth finish. This is an extremely well put together wine that I think will improve over the next few years and drink very well for more after that.
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6/13/2013 - aaronts222 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really nice. I think it could use another few years.
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5/29/2013 - pdemaio wrote: 92 Points
Huge nose with great complexity. This Super Tuscan shows some of the lightness of sangiovese in the palate. A bit rough around the edges or perhaps hollow in the middle, but still quite enjoyable.
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5/23/2013 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk Redheads WW tasting. Complex mature nose of old Bx and iodine. Evolving quickly. Fruit moving into the forground. Start consuming now. 92.
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5/21/2013 - DollarMenunaire wrote: 92 Points
Tough to score, but a pleasurable wine. Actually quite backward upon opening with rich cassis on the nose and a more mineral driven and savory palate. Grainy tannins are the only detractor on day 1. It screamed "Better on day 2", but it lied. Day 2 showed a raisiny over-ripeness that stripped away any freshness. I think it will further improve, but for how long?
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5/13/2013 - jfarley3 wrote: 91 Points
Has great potential, but agree with others that this needs to age for at least another couple of years. Deep dark purple red in color with robust dark blue fruit. Tannins starting to relax, but still need some time.
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5/11/2013 - Janstan Likes this wine: 93 Points
still way too young even after 2.5 hours it hadn't opened fully. Changed from heavy barnyard to multiple dark fruits and tobacco (cherry) . 2 years before another. Had with cheese, crackers and salami
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5/10/2013 - vijayk416 wrote:
Way. Too. Young. NR
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5/7/2013 - smphelps wrote: 92 Points
Dark garnet red. Rich plums and blackberry aromas lead to a full bodied wine that adds light vanilla sweetness, coffee and pepper to the plum, cherry and blackberry. Nice weight, great texture.
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5/5/2013 - Z1nnfull Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is drinking perfectly now. My only complaint is that it has softened a tad, which makes it more of a challenge for food pairing. It has a great fruit nose, and is inky as all get out. You can taste the three varietals (Sangiovese, Cab,Merlot), but they are well-integrated. Better than medium finish. Great wine, do not see aging potential beyond 2013. Notes of cinammon, mocha and oak. No way this is a 96, but still good for the price. Two more bottles left.
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4/29/2013 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
50th birthday party. Dark purple. Italianesque nose. A little bit of iron with notes of violets, chocolate and crushed black fruit. A nice wine but not the 96 pointer that WS claimed. 90 points.
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4/28/2013 - Mezz wrote: 93 Points
Very dark fruited, cassis, plum, blackberry, some dark cherry. Licorice, anise, tannins are beautifully integrated from my last experience, some faint earth tones. Drinking well now.
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4/22/2013 - olracx62 wrote: 96 Points
Big supertuscan with superb nose of cherry, chocolate, leather and roasted coffee. Intense oak hints and mocha with chocolate too. Long finish with endless peat ashes Unforgettable under the falling rain PD
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4/19/2013 - RhoneG Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great fruit, chocolate, a little bit of spice. Pretty smooth tannins and decent acidity rounding it our. The wine seems to be in a good drinking window.
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4/8/2013 - JMLE20 wrote: 88 Points
trop chocolat pour un toscan pour moi ma 3ieme pas encore convaincu peut etre plus tard... lets hope
mais pas mauvais
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4/6/2013 - WineScoundrel wrote: 93 Points
Drank like a $100 bottle the first hour, then started to fade. Give it 10 minutes of air then drink up quick.
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3/31/2013 - quanmeister wrote: 93 Points
So earthy. Good wine. Consistent.
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3/17/2013 - johnbhamrick wrote: 93 Points
Same comments as posted on 3/7/13. A great Italian Toscana wine for the money!!!
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2/24/2013 - Uncle John wrote:
Second bottle corked!!
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2/24/2013 - BGK810 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big, rich wine with lots of earthiness.
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2/7/2013 - farinas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Venison medallions and an assortment of hearty wines (Private Residence): Full body rich black color with long tears. Nose of intense charred oak, currants, blackberries with an entry that is acidic yet restrained with plenty of tannins. Body is lush with blackberries that jump off the glass and engulf the oak ending in a medium finish. Very masculine yet fruit forward effort that is a tour de force for Ruffino for this particular vintage (not been impressed with the other years). If you can get it for less than $30 it will be worth your while.
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2/3/2013 - SCMeyer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still very young. Dusty tannins and mouth coating dark fruit all kept nicely vibrant with balanced acidity. Nice finish. Should improve with some age.
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1/30/2013 - Henry Miller wrote: 95 Points
This is evolving more quickly than anticipated, but headed for greatness. Will be tame in 2015, ready in 2016, but will it last? I say 20 years or more.
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1/24/2013 - Sevencircles Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nose: A bit of oak, salmiac and urine from a stable. Smells like a bordeaux wine that is halfway too peak maturity.
Attack: earth and sour tannins.
Midpalete: Mostly earth and dirty earth tannins. The tannins are sour and grainy. almost zero fruit some sprakling strawberryjuice and salmiac coming through. Pretty full body.
Finish:Dry with the sour earthy tones coming through. Very long finish.
It tasted almost like a Bordeaux wine then it was fairly obvious that it was a sangiovese, cab blend.
Good food wine. It will be significantly better 3-4 years from now but don´t save it longer then that.
This will be a 90+ wine over time right now it´s 89. The long finish is the main reason I give it 90 now.
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1/23/2013 - jcomm wrote: 83 Points
Decanted for almost 4 hours!!!
The color is extremely dark, almost inky pitch black...over extracted you say!!!
The nose is extremely fruity, this is a Fruit Bomb. some spices & licorice action also. The wood and vanilla are also quite apparent at this stage!
The palate is powerful to say the least...this is a big wine. The oak monster has arrived! Chewy tannins and quite long but way over the board for me!
Some heat at the end but quite long nonetheless!
This confirms my first bottle, this is overdone for me, did not like at all!!!
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1/19/2013 - tcufletch wrote: 90 Points
Consumed over a four-day period. Upon opening, very dark purple in color with a slight watery, translucent edge. Nose of cherry, oak, kirsch liqueur, and smoked prunes. Also, as the wine was swirled and as it began to warm to room temperature, there was a definitive musty, barnyard smell, probably associated with brett. Palate of cherry, earth, candied fruit, and mocha. Strong on the tannins right now with a strong acid punch, but balanced. Medium bodied and medium finish.
Brett: ( http://palatepress.com/2013/01/wine/revelations-about-brettanomyces-in-wine/brett-aroma-wheel/ )...the barnyard, musty odor and the candied fruit flavors have me thinking it was definitely present. Also, knowing Italian winemakers appreciate and enjoy brett has me thinking this was it. For my taste, while I appreciate terroir, this was a little much for me and I couldn't get past it with every sniff and sip. Putting that aside, the structure of the wine was very well done and I do look forward to my final bottle in years to come. Really nice QPR.
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1/12/2013 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Popped and decanted and left to breath and loose the "funk" of initial opening. It was a Super Tuscan night out on the patio of our friend's home. Consumed about 10 hours after the morning's decant with great results. This wine is finally clicking on all levels. It kicked the ass of the 2008 Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo Toscana and the 2007 Terrabianca Campaccio Toscana that were also open and available. Demure nose of dark fruit, deep dark, dense inky glass staining color. BIG flavor profile that immediately wakes up your mouth to a great experience filled with layers of fruit working in harmony with the heat and acidity. Beautiful tanins and a long finish support the detail to appreciate this wines complexity. Restrained power is the best way I choose to describe this wine, providing surprise without fatigue. This has potential to continue to age beautifully for the next few decades.
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1/6/2013 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent qualities all around, except for the musty notes on the nose and palate. Symtomatic of TCA contribution. But not overly offensive, esp. if consumed with a nice food paring. The longer left to air out, the better.
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12/26/2012 - Reptibark wrote: 91 Points
Perhaps a touch let down after the absurd review and score that WS gave it, but I guess that's why we taste wines blind. Really nice wine and a terrific value with that mash-up of old world dirt and funk with new world fruit and extraction. Saturates the palate with rich mocha, espresso, wet pipe tobacco, olives and gallons of fruit and the finish is long and sweet. I'll be interested to try it again in a few years.
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12/23/2012 - nrickman wrote: 91 Points
Excellent wine - very enjoyable
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12/22/2012 - IconeWino wrote: 91 Points
See previous notes
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12/16/2012 - macawmom&dad Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pretty tight but nose and flavors did open up in the glass. Balanced but we consider it young.
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12/16/2012 - Lessthanzero wrote: 91 Points
Nice italian. Red fruits and leather. Vibrant acid one the palate together with some vigorous tannins. This one has the stuffings of something good.
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12/15/2012 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 90 Points
Big year, big wine (not a block buster but very substantial), this cab/Italian mix was deep dark and tasty. For those of you who really secretly yearn for Cab, this is for you. You can pretend to be trendy and drink Italian wine, while secretly you are slurping down your Cab and Merlot in a roman wrapper. Its a better cocktail than what comes out of OZ (sorry chaps but I can not abide Cab/Syrah blends - just not meant by mother nature to be.....) but like so many cocktail wines, it really looses any sense of place or time. Its just a nice wine to drink but could, with your eyes closed, more or less be from anywhere. Well, except for the Sangiovese. It is yummy.
I do not understand how WS could rate this a 96?! Must have been the day/time/flight.......
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12/13/2012 - Poisey Likes this wine: 92 Points
Round and juicy. Good tannin nice blackberry and cherry fruit and earth. Good acidity and a long finish. This always delivers every time I have it. Drink now or hold.
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11/18/2012 - hudamang wrote:
Much better than when I had it in 2011. The metallic taste has gone away. Still not a lot on the nose but a pretty good value. I still think this is more of a B+/A- vs a 96 pt wine. Suckling scores minus 6 or 7 points = normal.
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11/11/2012 - RhoneG wrote: 95 Points
Very young, with formidable tannins and black fruit balanced by acidity. With time in the glass, red fruit, leather, earth and mushrooms emerge, followed by sour cherries. This is going to be a great one, just nees time.
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10/31/2012 - olracx62 wrote: 96 Points
Spectacular wine. Dark rubin at the eye. Intense and superb nose with aromas cherry, chocolate, wild leather and roasted coffee. Intense oak hints, but definetively balanced . Rich and sontuous palate of cherry, red plum, and mocha with chocolate too. Superb stuff. Long finish. Full-bodied.
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10/29/2012 - Bam_Man wrote: 93 Points
Best bottle yet. Good thing I've still got two cases left because I am obviously having a hard time keeping away from this. Powerful, very attractive aromas of dark fruit, tobacco, spice, and some Sangio funk fill the glass. Dark in color and full-bodied, but not at all heavy or over-extracted. There is a phenomenal complexity to this, with so many layers of subtle flavor. Sour cherries, leather, coffee, vanilla and a hint of citrus on the long, dry finish. The oak and tannins are less pronounced than I remember from previous bottles, making for a better sense of balance. What a beauty this is turning into. I've tasted the 2007 Cabreo il Borgo and Tenuta di Castiglioni recently, along with the 2006 Oreno - all great wines - but I must say that at this point in time, the 2007 Modus is the king of the hill. Well on its way to eventually living up to its WS 96 point score. 93+
50+5+13+17+8=93
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10/28/2012 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much improved since my first tasting 18 months ago. Vin-aerated, decanted, poured and sipped over an hour. Nose is closed for the most part with hints of oak and liquorish, deep, dark, dense eggplant color. Beautiful moutn feel, medium to full bodied, silky tannins that carry the dark (blueberry) fruit, acidity and heat thru the palate and on and on till the end of the long finish. Probably could improve with a little more time. I was able to score a couple of cases when released, glad I did.
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10/20/2012 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind. I've had this so many times that it was rather apparent, identifying the requisite blueberry, tobacco and lava. Undeniably the best Modus of the tasting, being the most unique as well. See previous notes.
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10/16/2012 - Hawk94 wrote:
Dark, deep, concentrated, still tight, need a few more years in cellar. Will re-visit after year or two.
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10/15/2012 - BillStensrud wrote:
- Brick color with slow forming legs and aromas of mushroom. It's balanced and has flavours of mushroom with a full body. Round texture with a long finish - Dark and earthy. Prunes, apricot, leather and tobacco. Very well integrated for a young wine but still a lot of tannin on the finish. Enjoyed it a lot. Needs another 2 years or so at minimum but hugely better than last year. I would bet this will peak in 5-7 years 2017-2019.
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10/8/2012 - Z1nnfull wrote: 92 Points
The Ruffino Modus 2007 is still great big boy juice! Appearance is quite inky (f the 50% Sangiovese). Smell is a bowl of dark fruit and bramble. We let this breathe for an hour, then decanted for thirty minutes. Taste is of ripe plum, only no where as sweet. Taste some top of the line black licorice and wood/earth. Better than a medium finish. The Tuscan fruit is supple, but robust; the three grape varietals are well-integrated and balanced. This paired nicely with a marinated lamb rack oven cooked in a coating of panko breadcrumbs&rosemary, sage and basil and served with mint pesto sauce over noodles, with fresh al dente asparagus. While this was GREAT now, I see aging potential for another year or two, easy. So happy we have almost half a case of this stuff left. The 2008 will likely be good, but the 2007 is a CLASSIC, over the top. The definition of Quality to Price Ratio!!! :}
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10/5/2012 - jperez68 Does not like this wine: 77 Points
just plain awful, it tasted like chewing on a cigar and an oak barrel at the same time. I gave it the benefit of the dought and decanted for 2 hour and the oxygenation did not complement it at all, now it tasted like rusty cigar. I have a cellar and bought about 5% Italian wines and have been disappointed by all these selections that get rave reviews. Even at dinner parties when we have tastings the italian reds come dead last, I believe someone is paying critics for the ratings on these wine, of course this is only my opinion. Buy some californias and riojas and you will better pleased in the long run.
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10/2/2012 - miadelt Likes this wine: 91 Points
I love that Sangiovese is always the main grape of this blend.
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9/30/2012 - Greg_O wrote: 92 Points
wow...lived up to the hype...at least relative to my expectations as I was expecting a fruit bomb with high alc. Lots of earth and barnyard notes to compliment the rich tuscan fruit and savory sangiovese character. 08 was lacking any wow factor in comparison which i tasted the next day.
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9/30/2012 - quanmeister wrote: 90 Points
Intense flavors of oak, chocolate, tobacco. The fruit appears to be a bit muted during this tasting.
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9/27/2012 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
What a great wine! When tasted blind I was initially thinking a young, old-school rioja. Fairly heavy oak treatment, ripe, but not at all jammy fruit. This wine shows such great promise and should improve for several more years.
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9/27/2012 - alittle wrote: 92 Points
Thursday Night Mixed Bag (Andrew's House): Decanted approximately 30 minutes. Deep purple in the glass, served blind. On the nose, this bursts from the glass, with notes of roasted plums, coffee grinds, nice funk/barnyard notes, slate, herbs and a touch of graphite. There is a quite a bit of oak on this wine, but it seems there is enough substance to integrate with a bit more of time, and even at this juncture, it is tastefully done. On the palate, fairly approachable at this time, showing some drying tannin on the moderate length, savoury/gamey finish, that is accentuated by a nice lift of acidity.
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9/26/2012 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 90 Points
Better than previous bottles, starting to loose the initial "funk" in the nose and taste. Much improved.
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9/21/2012 - hosscrow wrote: 91 Points
Highly rated WS Top 100 selection at a value price. Bested my choice in our tasting last Spring. A nice wine, indeed.
The wine looks Crimson with a hint of purple. Drink now, as I think that the fruit will fade quickly and soon. Nearly opaque. The legs are Medium. It smells like Raspberry, Prune, Oak, and Cinnamon. Lots of Sangiovese with a cab aspect. It tastes chianti- like with Raspberry and dried fruit-Prune, and Rose, a bitter but complex finish but with wine an Angular aspect. Intriguing texture. The body is Medium. The wine finishes Long.
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9/14/2012 - David_T wrote: 93 Points
Enjoyable aromas of earth, barnyard and red fruit. Rustic with hints of balsamic vinegar and iron as well. The palate is rich, full-bodied, complex and flavorful, with notes of balsamic vinegar, grilled steak, some red & black fruit and earth. Fairly strong acidity and full tannins, yet very balanced. This is drinking great now but should easily last another 5+ years.
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9/12/2012 - Arch57 wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured after a 2007 Brunello, this needs more air or time. Good structure and body. Will hold next one for 3-5 years.
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9/8/2012 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smoky meat aromas. Tobacco, leather and cherry. Finishes with notes of anise and earth.
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8/31/2012 - Yagil wrote: 88 Points
dark red
subtle dense fruity aroma
full body, heavy tannins, med balance & harmony.
Decanted for an hour, however seems too young to fully enjoy. I'll wait few years until I'll open the next one.
Finally it went quite well with an entrecôte.
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8/25/2012 - Poisey wrote: 93 Points
Decanted a few hours. Dark shiny ruby red color. Love the nose here. Distinctly Italian yet new world style. Cherry, leather, aneis, very dusty citrus notes so smooth and balanced. Love it. One of the better vintages of this wine. This will get better, give it a few more years but hard to resist. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cab. Drink 2014 to 2017.
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8/17/2012 - bcmatthias wrote: 83 Points
What a difference. First night, wine was completely closed, even after time in the glass. Drank the rest a couple of nights later and it was better, but not the fruity, chocolately wine we had before.
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8/11/2012 - Nedder_travels_the_world wrote: 92 Points
first sniff - cherry, funky spice, ripe tobacco, cinnamon, rose, smokey flavors.
taste - acidity, cherry, dark fruits, tobacco, spice, cigar box,
great potential to increase in score but i dont think it will ever be a 96 pointer as it was rated by WS. maybe 95
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8/6/2012 - snarfglk wrote: 90 Points
A little rough on the edges, but smoothed out some on day 2.
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8/1/2012 - Trikd77 wrote: 92 Points
Drank this bottle with a group doing an Italian tasting and this was clearly the best and favorite of the group.
Yes, it's still young but a good decant brought out a bold and balanced wine.
This wine certainly rivals any big NAPA cab you've had and certainly more new world in profile.
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7/23/2012 - 10izguy wrote: 82 Points
Eminently forgettable bottle of wine, unpleasant nose, harsh taste particularly when first opened.
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7/8/2012 - tantotinto wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous notes and last bottle.
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7/4/2012 - yeti575rider wrote:
Consistent with previous bottle but oak is a bit better integrated. Still call it 90+ with chance to further improve.
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6/30/2012 - quanmeister wrote: 92 Points
This one definately needs a lot of air after opening. Recommend decanting for at least 8-10 hours. Initial impression of wine is closed and tight. But this one will open to dark fruit, cherry, tobacco & cedar. Well balanced and long finish. 3rd bottle opened in the last yr. Oak seemed a bit more prevalent in this bottle. Gorgeous mouth feel and I believe this one should hold for quite a while. Excited to see how this will evolve over the next few years.
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6/22/2012 - Wine Sparty wrote: 88 Points
Opened and let slow-ox for about 90 minutes before drinking with pasta. Very earthy with typical Tuscan traits of strawberry initially. Darker fruit came out later in the night of plum and blackberry. I really am surprised that I had such a different opinion on this than I did last year, but that's how it goes sometimes.
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6/21/2012 - Bam_Man wrote: 92 Points
It's been over seven months since my last bottle and as a reward for showing such amazing willpower, I decided to treat myself by opening another one tonight. Very curious to see what progress this is making. Be sure to give this at least a 2-3 hour decanting. Right out of the bottle, this was very closed and quite acidic. Once it opens though, it is gorgeous. Such a beautiful nose of ripe berries, flowers and sweet spice. Rich and complex, with layer upon layer of dark fruit flavor, leather, chocolate, and hints of coffee and citrus on the long, smooth finish. The tannins are so incredibly fine and polished. Yes, this is getting better - but taking its sweet time. I would say right now this is a 92 plus - almost, but not quite a 93. Hard not to drink now, but further patience is required here.
50+5+13+16+8=92
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6/8/2012 - Levinsb wrote: 94 Points
Wow. Still a bit tight and tannic but after opening up, day 2 &3, it was a real beauty. Lively tobacco and plum, mocha and spice, I dig this. Will save the rest for next year but this bottle showed real promise for the future. Glad I have more.
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6/8/2012 - jsherdc wrote: 92 Points
Day 1: Wall of tannin. Seemed to have fruit hiding somewhere.
Day 2: Tannin's have resolved. Tastes like a Bordeaux (blackberry, licorice, and maybe cofee?). The 50% Sangiovese seems to be MIA. Pretty good...
Day 3: Its singing now. Blackberry and Kirsch are coming out. This wine will be very good in 2-3 years.
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6/4/2012 - Hawk94 wrote: 93 Points
Agreed with JS to give this wine a high score (93pt) although not sure it should be classic rated at 96 pt by JS. Very impressive young wine! Dark ruby red with purple hue. Expressive nose with dark berries, earthy tone, and coffee. Loaded with crashed fresh blueberry, blackberry, cherry, some mushroom, earthy, leather, chocolate, expresso, licrorice, cedar wood, thick chewy tannins but refined and constrained, powerful, balanced with nice acid. delicious to drink now. Long harmony finish. 1st btl out of a case. It should be aged well in Eurocave in next 3-5yr. A nice wine at a great price!
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6/2/2012 - Mel-o-Vino wrote: 92 Points
I waited a year to try this wine again and am very happy for my patience. The tannins have softened and the fruit, earth, mocha and cedar have integrated beautifully. This is wonderful vino!
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5/21/2012 - scott w wrote: 92 Points
Very sorry to see the last bottle go...just delicious and in perfect balance.
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5/20/2012 - bjamesclark Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just over a year since my last tasting...
Just as dark, and opaque purple as before. a touch of sediment is present.
Aromas (Decanted) are as bold and powerful as I remember, with with a wonderful earthiness and forest floor scents that are intertwined with complex aromas of toast, blackberry, blueberry, caramelized sugar, violets, wood, mineral and meat screaming to be tasted.
Excellent balance and structure, with plenty of acid and rustic, chewy tannins. Better on the palate than I remember, but consistent with previous notes, flavorful, with blue and black fruits, strong tobacco, leather, wood, cured meat and touch of iron. The finish is long ending on notes of cocoa powder and coffee.
Very old world, and very solid wine
Not decanting this wine would be an injustice!
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5/18/2012 - olracx62 wrote: 95 Points
First bottle out of three. Improves with air (after 4hrs reached its peak). Intense and superb nose with aroma of plum, cherry, chocolate, leather and coffee. Intense oak hints, but definetively balanced . At sight, rich black-red color. Rich and sontuous palate of cherry, red plum, and mocha with chocolate too. Medium-to-long finish. Will keep the other bottles until its peak, expected to be in 2015-2016. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at their best. Sure will improve further.
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5/11/2012 - lewisrise wrote: 94 Points
Nose of blueberry and oak. Dark fruit with cinnamon and tobacco on the finish. A touch of chocolate on the finish as well.
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4/23/2012 - tantotinto wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous note.
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4/21/2012 - DTWOB wrote: 85 Points
The nose and palate had pronounced TCA - better the next day.
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4/18/2012 - Winebof wrote: 93 Points
Very impressive - are we sure this isn't a Bordeaux? :)
Deep and dark, got better on days 2-4 vacu-pumped and refrigerated. Should have many years ahead if properly stored. Great value.
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4/8/2012 - Pointchaser wrote: 92 Points
This bottle much better. Inky dark fruit and big beautiful tannins.
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4/2/2012 - BordeauxBuff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent!
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4/2/2012 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk GC wine event here.WOTN among the assigned wines. 4+hr decant. Still seems a bit young.
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3/30/2012 - CTwine wrote: 92 Points
Great wine Cherry red fruit, lite tannins good mouth feel.
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3/13/2012 - fllinc wrote: 92 Points
Needs major decanting (2 hours +) if you want to drink it right now. The other bottles will definitely sit at least 24-36 more months, but has a lot of potential for aging.
Good character, good nose and good legs. You can taste the cherry and plume with a very nice finish.
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3/7/2012 - johnbhamrick wrote: 93 Points
Good out of the bottle right after decanting. Good character, nice nose, and good legs. Would drink another out of the case now.
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3/5/2012 - macawmom&dad wrote: 90 Points
classic dry Italian, great with food but let it sit for a while.
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3/2/2012 - wineman73 wrote: 92 Points
My second time to have this wine with the first tasting essentially being at release. The Modus 2007 is still young...it needs significantly more time in the cellar. If you are impatient, you will need to decant for at least 3 hours before drinking...I would recommend 5 hours. I decanted and tasted at hour 2, 3, 4, and 16! This wine definitely needs air. This will afford you the opportunity to truly appreciate its aroma and taste attributes. The aroma elucidates a sampling of plum, cherry, chocolate, leather, coffee and a hint of clove. At sight, the color is very seductive and looks to be rich and heavy as illustrated by its black-red color. The 2007 Modus has a medium feel in the mouth. On a scale of 1-5 for tannin's (5 very strong tannin), I would give this one a 2.5. The taste provides bing cherry, red plum, and mocha. The most pronounced characteristics would be that of red plum followed by sour bing cherry. This wine is not a mid 90 point wine as scored by one of it's ratings. Nevertheless, a fantastic wine based on price, taste, and age-ability. I would score this wine 92 points. I do believe it will be fantastic when it reaches peak somewhere between it's 7th and 10th birthday...so for now, it will sit in the cellar until 2014 and 2017.
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3/2/2012 - IconeWino wrote: 92 Points
Very dark and syrup-y. Sweet leather and anise on the nose. Can taste the cherry (Sangiovese) upfront, finishing with a nice menthol medium finish. I suspect the alcohol will become more integrated as it ages.
Still young, but with a 2-3 decant, very ripe.
Have 2 cases, and excited to see how this progresses over the next 10 yrs. Expect the 96 pt score to be earned in 5-7 yrs.
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2/25/2012 - burr wrote: 92 Points
Thick, rich, viscous, bright fruit and a little mocha with good structure, aggressive wood. Nose pleasantly fruity.
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2/18/2012 - RussK wrote:
Russk MyWW at LaBro
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2/17/2012 - pdemaio wrote: 94 Points
What lovely charcter. Lots of complexity. Beautiful oak and spice on the nose. The body was full and round with a long sensual finish. Loads of flavor to balance the fruit and very nice tannins. PDQ94
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2/12/2012 - mprosser wrote: 93 Points
Awesome once again.
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2/8/2012 - lucaslabelle wrote: 93 Points
Bottle was opened and consumed within an hour.This bottle was delicious (had it with Pizza) Complex nose, and thicker than I remember palate, bordering on viscous. Slight funk blew off after a bit of air got to it. I don't see 96 Pts here, but perhaps with a few more years of age.. 93+ points.
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1/15/2012 - PatrickinKW wrote: 94 Points
Deep inky purple with a complex bouquet of cherry (Sangiovese), sweet tobacco, chocolate, etc etc. With several hours of slow oxidation and a short decant, this beauty showed big acid and tannis w/o the astringent pyrazine from the bordeaux varietals. Definate classic (96 pts) potential. Drink from 2015. 50% Sangio, 25% Cab and Merlot.
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1/15/2012 - marcohurt wrote:
Umberto geschenkt
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1/13/2012 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for one hour. See previous notes. Redemption and the mere fact that she is even more evolved and open says something very sublime. Blueberry and mocha, with lava and tobacco. Floral and pure on the silky palate. Drink 2013 - 2028.
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1/7/2012 - Dave Canada wrote: 92 Points
Really nice....powerful fruit, nice finish
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1/4/2012 - WineScoundrel wrote:
Underlying goodness was all there but completely walled off by tannins and acidity, even after 2 hrs of air. Needs years or a full day decant.
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12/30/2011 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 94 Points
this wine has really improved over the last 18 months while in bottle. i was skeptical of the 96 rating and it still might be high but this wine has evolved tremendously. purple black in color with a pungent and aromatic nose. on the palate it is very rich and dense for an italian wine but still expresses minerality. long finish this is a wine that will continue to age well.
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12/28/2011 - df1962 wrote: 94 Points
PnVnD let air for 6hrs. Saturated purple almost black with a magenta rim. Big aroma was present from initial decant through to the end consisting of cassis plum black cherry raspberry rosemary and coffee. Medium(+) weight with powdery espresso tannins. Huge flavors of cassis blackberry coffee and anise. Long cherry and cranberry finish keeps it in balance. Big wine in an elegant package. The WS rating gives it a lot to live up to and if it doesn't quite make it it does not miss by much. Tremendous for the price and look forward to consuming my other 8 bottles over the next decade.
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12/18/2011 - DFM60 wrote: 92 Points
It is very good but did not taste like a 96pt wine. Understand that ratings are relative to the style of wine (Toscana tasted against other Toscanas)...in that regard it may rate that high. Smooth with pleasant aftertaste that will probably incorporate into the main drink over a couple of years -- maybe that's why recommended after 2014.
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12/17/2011 - BSpdx wrote: 92 Points
In no way is this a 96 pt wine, but it is pretty darn tasty. One recommendation and that is to let this breath... for hours and hours and hours. There's a wall of tannins to be resolved and when first opened was pretty uneven. But after breathing for at least 6+ hours this comes together nicely, with bright plum and cherry flavors, along with pinches of herbs, annise and coffee. Given the amount of acidity it's also a good food wine. My guess is this could easily go 10 years. Highly recommend.
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12/16/2011 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened the bottle and let it sit for an hour with cork out. Consistent with previous notes. Acidity seemed to be a bit off in this bottle leading me to wonder how long this can last.
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12/10/2011 - 818wines wrote: 91 Points
Inky purple. Amazing nose of dark fruit (blackberries and blueberries in particular). Maybe a little bit of violets also. First taste is very tannic. This is a huge wine. Opened up over a couple of hours to reveal a bit of mocha. On day two, most of the tannins were gone. The fruit was a bit more jammy with a hint of heat on the finish.
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12/7/2011 - macawmom&dad wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple color with soft fruit. opened a little in the glass but remained pretty tight. Balanced on the palate.
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12/5/2011 - Winebof wrote: 89 Points
good, grounded wine. Can age some. Good with food
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11/30/2011 - njgolfer wrote:
Dark, intense notes - oak, plum, cherry, leather
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11/29/2011 - Blackland wrote: 92 Points
Every time we drink this I wonder why I spend much more on brunello that costs 3 times as much and often disappoints. This is a big wine, a fruit bomb, nice acidity. Should age well and be spectacular in 4 or 5 years.
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11/26/2011 - Le_Gaspesien wrote: 95 Points
P_E Le meilleur vin de la soirée, Mais quel structure !!! Incroyable... Un vin qui gagne à vieillir !!
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11/25/2011 - mike410 wrote: 91 Points
No doubt that this wine will score higher in a few years when it is actually ready to drink. Big powerful wine. Good balance but still needs some smoothing out.
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11/23/2011 - jcomm wrote: 85 Points
Double decanted for almost 5 hours!!!
The color is extremely dark, almost inky pitch black...perhaps a bit too much concentration here!!!
The nose is extremely fruity, almost like over the top Australian Fruit Bomb. A bit of earth and black licorice action also. The wood and vanilla are also quite apparent at this stage!
The palate is powerful to say the least...this is a big wine. Lots of cherries and plum with loads vanilla...a bit on the artificial side I found. Tannins are mouth puckering and the acidity at the mid-palate stage is much too present.
Some heath at the end but quite long nonetheless!
Thsi wine is a bit too unbalanced for me presently...might come around in 5-7 years...maybe!!!
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11/20/2011 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
Nose: Violets, Plum, Blackberry, Charcoal and sandalwood. Some brett. Very perfumed nose. Palate: Full and dense in the mouth with black fruits, dried cherries, plum, rose petal, mineral and smoke notes. Very complex and ripe. Velvety on the palate. Finish: Persistant and leathery with wood and dark fruit notes. Nice old world meets new execution
Great wine. Decanted 4 hours, and it needed it. Highly recommend.
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11/19/2011 - bcmatthias wrote: 92 Points
Fabulous. What a nice anniversary dinner wine. Very powerful but balanced. Red fruit and chocolate.
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11/18/2011 - Z1nnfull wrote: 92 Points
While this is an outstanding wine, the bride and I were highly surprised at the 96 Wine Spectator gave it???? Come on WS. Still, one of the best QPR (quality to price ratio) wines we have recently experienced.
You can taste the elements each of the three wines bring to the table: The Sangiovese brings the fruit and fulfills the entire wine. The Cabernet brings the tannin and the POW! The Merlot augments the fruit, softens slightly to bring it all into a perfect balance.
We tasted berry and cedar on the front and a good long dark chocolate finish; good tannin from start to finish. Stood up to our home made spicy spaghetti with meat sauce (and pesto and fire roasted tomato and home made garlic toast) just fine.
It was a little tight, but not badly. Aerating didn't do much for it, we let it breathe for 30+ minutes in a slightly chilled container to keep the temp below 70, which was perfect serving temp. I would let it breathe longer than 30 minutes and don't aerate.
Bride said 90-91, I said 93, we compromised on 92. We have enough bottles that we do want to see what time does to this wine, but I would not wait a super long time, for example 2017-ten years-may be too long, but it will likely improve a few more years.
The wine purveyor who sold us three bottles is doling it out a little at a time, and you may experience that if you are trying to buy a larger quantity at this late date. Also the price may be more. I paid $25 for the first three bottles and $34 for the last three.
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11/14/2011 - BuffaloLou wrote: 92 Points
C: dark plum
N: blackberry, tobacco, tar, cedar
P: just like the nose, blackberry and tobacco; nice dusty tannins; mouth coating and silky; some oak
F: long
Originally gave this a 91, but it opened up enough over the course of 90 minutes to raise it another point. Delicious!
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11/7/2011 - Bam_Man wrote: 92 Points
The attractive combination of fruit, tobacco, spice and coffee aromas combine with the very deep, dark purple color to let you know before your first sip that this is very refined and well-made. As far as the palate goes, this wine clearly still needs time. All the pieces are there, but right now the ultra-fine, polished tannins dominate the dark fruit, oak and acidity. Rich and mouth-coating, it's drinking well now, but definitely has the potential to be an absolute stunner in four or five years time. Good thing I've got two cases because this wine will be hard to resist in the meantime.
50+5+13+16+8=92
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11/1/2011 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aromatic, cherry, leather, mineral and toast nose. Full with assertive flavours and a long, complex finish.
4/5
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10/30/2011 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
opened up with a whiff of alcohol but it dissipated quickly. My first thought after tasting was: it reminds me of Paul Romero's 2007 Hot Taubee. Good daily drinker and very enjoyable, indeed. Good compliment to smoked cheese and prosciutto.
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10/22/2011 - Mezz wrote: 93 Points
It is definitely getting better. Tannins have smoothed out somewhat. Fruit is still in abundance, great acidity, velvety finish.
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10/20/2011 - tantotinto wrote: 90 Points
Tasted after a splash decant. Great nose of fruit, mineral, tar, spice and oak. The same flavour elements with the tar and spice increased in intensity. Long finish and good acidity. Very tight and at this point the tannins modestly overpower the fruit. This needs time and patience will certainly be rewarded. It worked well with this evening's pasta in a tomato, basil and meat sauce. Good stuff and an excellent QPR.
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10/18/2011 - avp wrote:
Meaty nose with bacon fat character, milky oak, tobacco and roasted coffee.
Fullbodied and pretty intense palate with dark cherry fruit, oak spice and clove. Brooding finish with some toast action.
Very good, but somehow just too pushy for me.
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10/13/2011 - GalvezGuy wrote:
Birthday Week; 10/9/2011-10/16/2011 (Galveston, TX): Rating withheld. This is a long way from being anywhere near ready to evaluate. The nose was really good with sour cherry, tar, cedar, florals, and tons of spicey oak. On the palate, fruit was completely walled off by fierce tannins. Has a good acidic spine but for right now, the tannins dominate. With a gun to my head I would say 90 pts.
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9/30/2011 - maxime3333 wrote: 97 Points
Carafé 8h de temps, avec quelques brassages de temps en temps au cours de la journée.
Je n'ai pas habitude de commenter la couleur, à moins de quelque chose d'exceptionnel. C'est le cas ici: couleur encre extrêmement foncée, bien plus que les Cahors les plus foncés que j'ai vus. Le nez n'offre pas grand chose pour l'instant; un peu de bois et de réglisse noire.
Je ne suis pas un chasseur de cotes d'ordinaire, et je dois avouer qu'avec tout ce que j'avais lu sur le net sur ce WS96, j'étais un peu sceptique. Confiant d'un bon vin certes, mais très sceptique et surtout craintif d'une bombe giga-fruitée, ce qui n'est pas ma tasse de thé.
La bouche est sans doute la plus sublime que j'ai pu boire en 2011 pour un rouge. Structure absolument magnifique! Le fruit est juste parfait, pas "over the top" du tout comme je le craignais. Délicieux goût de bleuets un peu en retrait. Le seul vin toutes catégories confondues qui allie cette puissance et ce raffinement en même temps est le Rieussec. Je suis totalement incapable de dire s'il est davantage nouveau-monde ou ancien-monde. Il est littéralement un équilibre parfait des deux. Finale absolument interminable. Il manque définitivement de repos en cave, mais c'est un des plus grands potentiels que j'ai jamais vus. Oh, et il était 29$...!
Extraordinaire!
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9/30/2011 - Bureso wrote: 91 Points
Intens dybrød farve med tunge gardiner. Duft af kirsebær med lidt eg og jord. I munden tannin og umoden kirsebær ... Men vokser sig større og større i samme tema som duften.
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9/29/2011 - jsums wrote: 93 Points
Saturated garnet/purple color. Expressive nose: crushed blueberry, fig, and black cherry fruit with cassis, cedar, tobacco leaf, violet, and graphite. Medium/full body on the complex palate: blueberry and black cherry with more cassis, plum sauce, tobacco leaf, cedar, cola, and graphite. Meduim+ acidity. Moderate/firm sweet mouth-coating tannins. Lingering tobacco leaf, plum skin, and graphite on the long dry finish. Classy, seductive, and very well balanced. Not yet at it's peak. Give it another two years in the cellar and drink over the following 5-10 years. Competes well with Super-Tuscans triple the price. Ruffino really nailed it this vintage. 96 points? No. But an impressive 93.
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9/28/2011 - brianngibson wrote: 92 Points
Graphite, lead pencil shavings, ripe blueberry, and tobacco. Surprisingly sophisticated.
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9/24/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 90 Points
See previous notes. I've had this vino at least ten times over the past year and the particular bottle that I had last night was a little off. Not much blueberry and seemed to lack the same level of balance. Still outstanding, just lacking. Decanted for two hours as well.
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9/21/2011 - julianomazzo wrote: 93 Points
The wine looks dark Purple colored.
The legs are Slow.
The body is Full and velvety.
The wine finishes Long.
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9/19/2011 - Mr Cabernet wrote: 93 Points
Needs time. Drank from decanter with no resting time. Started out a bit of barnyard, that quickly blew off. Very thick, a bit of a beefy taste with overwhelming fruit pushing through. Made me order another 12 since you can still get them for around $25.
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9/1/2011 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 89 Points
A little thin and stringent at this point in time. Maybe too young but not getting the necessary texture and plushness that says this wine will evolve into a 95+ wine
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8/27/2011 - moega wrote: 91 Points
Smooth and drinking extremely well. Equally as good if not slightly better than the '06. Great blend, color and taste.
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8/27/2011 - mprosser wrote: 93 Points
Very tannic upon popping the cork, but rounded out very nicely over a couple of hours. The fruit is a little hidden behind the oak, but should develop over time. Excellent wine for the price, will stand up against wines that cost twice as much. Very smooth and drinkable now with a little decanting.
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8/18/2011 - BodegaDan wrote: 90 Points
Foolishly drank during neighbor dinner without a full decant just through vinturi. There is so much promise here.
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8/17/2011 - WineScoundrel wrote: 92 Points
Very nice after 2 hrs.
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7/30/2011 - DTWOB wrote: 82 Points
Popped, aerated, filtered into decanter - returned to bottle after 1.5 hours, aerated again into the decanter. Nose was still closed and the taste was pronounced with barnyard junk. Very dissapointed!
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7/18/2011 - Gizmo2011 wrote: 90 Points
oaky, vanilla, bit aldeaidic, earthy and green. high acidity, fruity in mouth slightly wseet cause of ald. tannic, long after taste
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7/17/2011 - Yagil Likes this wine: 91 Points
2nd Technical tasting course #5 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): (blind tasting - second time in same session)
dark red-black, purple rim
spicy, fruity, Bret, earth, wood, baked bread aromas
high balanced acidity, med-full body, ripe fruits flavors with spices, bestial, greenery and dryness of tannin & bitterness. Good harmony, long aftertaste.
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7/17/2011 - Yagil wrote: 88 Points
2nd Technical tasting course #5 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): (blind tasting)
dark red-purple, unfiltered, un-oxidized rim
Bret, earth, spices, eucalyptus, licorice, some sour jam, buttery and some fruity aromas
red sour forest fruits flavors, with vanilla oak, balanced acidity, very tannic & bitter, med+ body, med harmony, long and sour after taste
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7/14/2011 - Le_Gaspesien wrote: 92 Points
Pas exceptionnel mais gagne à vieillir !! C'est un vin qui doit être carafé au moins 2-3h !
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7/3/2011 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vinaerated, funnel decanted, left for 2 hrs. - obscene taste at first 85 pts. - next day, WOW!!! What a difference! This wine needs to lay on its side for awhile to integrate! ... or left to breathe for a very, very, long time!
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6/30/2011 - archambault wrote:
WS : 96; SAQ :
Vin de couleur rouge violacé foncé. Nez assez puissant d’où émanent des notes de fruits noirs mûrs, de cacao, de vanille et de truffe. Faites la découverte de ce rouge sec exprimant une agréable fraîcheur et pourvu d’une structure tannique qui gagnera à s’assouplir. En bouche, sa texture ample se termine dans une finale assez soutenue.
Accord vin et mets
Menu suggéré Cuisson / Préparation Sauce / Garniture
Viande rouge : gibier grillé sauce aux fruits sauvages
Fromage : pâte ferme (ex. : cheddar, parmesan) sans préparation sans accompagnement
Charcuteries : saucisse grillée moutarde
Observations visuelles
Teinte : Rouge violacé Intensité : Foncée
Observations olfactives
Intensité : Intense Complexité : Complexe Famille(s) d'odeurs : Animale , Boisée , Empyreumatique , Épicée , Fruitée
Observations gustatives
Acidité : Rafraîchissante Intensité : Intense Persistance : Moyenne
Corps : Corsé Tannins : Rudes Texture : Ample
Sucre : Sec Famille(s) d'arômes : Animale , Boisée , Empyreumatique , Épicée , Fruitée
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6/24/2011 - jtinto Likes this wine: 90 Points
too early on this one. Dark blue fruit. Blueberries galore. Tannins are rough at this point. I think a few years of bottle age are a must. Lots of potential. 90-93?
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6/24/2011 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
RUSSK WW@Cielo wonderful everchanging nose. Had a 5hr decant. Go 8hrs next time, it go better toward the end.
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6/17/2011 - Mel-o-Vino wrote: 90 Points
Great price to quality. Noticed the tannins, but drinking pretty good now. Earth/barnyard and dark fruits on the nose. Similar palate with some mocha on the finish. Fun wine. Shared at a cookout....went good with the hamburgers. Will wait on opening my other bottles for a year or so.
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6/12/2011 - Ranjan wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple, fruity nose, very tannic initially. a 88 upon opening. After 2 hours, much improved a 90. The next day, significantly bette 93. Great nose. Ability to cellar.
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6/9/2011 - Bureso wrote: 90 Points
Intens dybrød farve med tunge gardiner. Duft af kirsebær med lidt eg og jord. I munden tannin og umoden kirsebær ... Men vokser sig større og større i samme tema som duften. Slot resltatet er en kraftfuld vin med velbalanceret tannin masser af frugt som helt sikkert bliver bedre om nogle år - skal den drikkes nu skal den dekanteres godt og grundigt. smoke.
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6/6/2011 - ajfreed wrote: 91 Points
Full flavored and robust. Good for a steak dinner
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5/30/2011 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Color is purple and dense, and on the edge a lighter but still purple density with some dark ruby higlights. Smells like crushed black fruits and dark chocolate and coffee. I get tastes of jammy fruits like blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, with liqourice, dark chocolate and coffee. The acidity is good and the tannins are prominent and are like a very fine powdery dusting sensation in the mouth. I love that this wine changes personality too as it opens up. This is a fantastic wine and I am glad to have more bottles. I hope I can keep them corked for the next few years and track the evolution of this wine over time. It's going to be hard to resist these bottles anytime I grill up a good steak!
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5/27/2011 - MOCGator Likes this wine: 94 Points
A 96 from WS? Maybe not.. but it should be smoking by 2014. This will be a fun wine with a crazy QPR.
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5/26/2011 - Mezz wrote: 93 Points
An eminently large wine. Highly extracted and complex. Still needs time to mature, almost regret not aging another couple years. Given time to breathe this wine goes on for days.
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5/21/2011 - DTWOB wrote: 92 Points
Poor, first day, great second - Notes are from day 2 - Terrific, layered, complex, silky smooth, long finish.
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5/21/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
See previous notes. Decanted for three hours and I am getting a mocha element, along with the stunning toasted oak and blueberry. Yum.
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5/17/2011 - TheWinedown wrote: 93 Points
I'm up there on this. Great nose of flowers, leather and grilled chicken. Firm tannins, but absolutely drinkable. Grilled meats, red fruits, soft leather on the palate. I love it. Great for the price. I need to find more. This is going great with lasagna.
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5/16/2011 - Ghostwriter777 wrote: 89 Points
Upon first opening and tasting I thought this was a wood wine and couldn't get past the woody flavor. Contrary to many drinkers, I don't mind that woody characteristic, however, this one was overbearing. After about fifteen minutes this started to transform into a cigar box hinting a dark fruit flavor, nice. As this wine evolved it finally came to what I feel was quite single dimension, lacking sophistication I have come to long for in a wine. Would I pop another $25 for this okay wine? Not when I can find wines that are similar in quality for $10 less. I'm out.
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5/14/2011 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 92 Points
This a a big, burly and unapologenic Super Tuscan. The concentration and color alone are the best I have ever seen in the Modus blend (dark purple/blue hue). There are intense flavors of blueberry and blackberry that are balanced with forest floor and a little barnyard.
This wine is full bodied and very smooth. There is a ton of oak but it is far short of a "bomb". This one is a crowd pleaser...especially for the novice.
Not sure if this will ever be a 96 but the score is in keeping with Suckling's passion for big wines. I would love to see how Galloni would score this one...my guess would be 87. Cheers!
(Decanted for 2 hours)
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5/14/2011 - Mezz wrote: 91 Points
So big, very tannic, needs time, years maybe. A fantastic wine give it room to grow up. Years.
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5/13/2011 - theplatz wrote: 92 Points
Wined was excellent. Very good and smooth. Guests didn't seem impressed. Not sure about 96 points, but good.
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5/13/2011 - yeti575rider wrote: 90 Points
Deep opaque purple. Looks big even before the first taste. Good but don't see the WS review although still decent deal at $24 and likely to improve. Blackberry but a bit much with the oak as others have reported. I'll let the other bottles sit for a bit.
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5/9/2011 - burr Likes this wine: 93 Points
definitely new world style, but with the earthiness and acidity of its Italian roots. fruit driven, rich dark red to purple fruit, and oak and spice on the finish. A great blend of the soul of sangiovese, with the richness of cab.
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5/8/2011 - daa123 wrote: 86 Points
still too young must be checked again in 1½-2½ year
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4/30/2011 - macawmom&dad wrote: 91 Points
Pretty tight but nose and flavors did open up in the glass. Balanced but we consider it young.
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4/25/2011 - bcmatthias Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened this bottle to see if we wanted to purchase more. Would hold for another two years before opening. After sitting in the glass for over an hour, the wine started to show its potential. Expect that this will age into something very nice.
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4/22/2011 - Wine Sparty wrote: 93 Points
Nice mix of flavors here with some of the traditional Tuscan earthiness with some darker fruit & chocolate flavors. Suckling may have scored this higher than I have, but it is still an outstanding bottle of wine, especially at the price point.
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4/22/2011 - df1962 wrote: 94 Points
PnDnV. Aired for 4hrs. Consistent with previous note. Still young. I promise not to try another for at least 1 year. If you open it now and don't give it at least 4 hours in the decanter do not complain. This has tons of good stuff going on but it is a bambino!
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4/16/2011 - pete s. wrote: 88 Points
Tasted blind. Black cherry, dusty oak, and soil on the nose. Very earthy on the palate with sour cherry and smoke. Med-bodied with nicely integrated tannins and a medium finish that tails off a bit. I have to agree with the masses here and say this is not a 96 point wine.
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4/10/2011 - Julius Squeezer wrote: 90 Points
I really have no idea what everyone is seeing in this wine. It was attractive yes....but the oak....so much oak. Nice blueberry and coffee fruit but the oak....oh the oak. This wine is a lot of things. 96 points it is not.
2nd Tasting....
I bought this again and aerated it for ten hours. Suckling is still wrong about this wine, but I am starting to agree with the people who say this will age well. It still isn't 96 points.
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4/9/2011 - YWG Wine Guy wrote: 87 Points
I respect the other tasting notes that seem to really dig this tuscan vino. I let this air and sampled the following day - some dark berry fruit and earthy notes with some oaky notes on finish. A little to much earth for my palate. For the pricey 40$ CAN - no qpr for me.
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4/3/2011 - Gargamel wrote: 95 Points
the wine is very dark and dense. upon decant the nose shows some black fruit with earthy barnyard, while the palate has blackberry with earth and a surprisingly long finish with olive. good acid. shows promise, 92 points upon opening.
after 3 hours the nose shows blackberry, anise, minerality and a touch of non gamey meat. the palate is mouthcoating with blackberry and black cherry fading into earth and some game (the meat on the palate seems more gamey). the wine has started to display many nuances adding the black olive back into the palate while adding an espresso tinge to the fruit, among other flavors that pop up here and there.
i would say the oak was light but may seem heavier to some due to the dense extraction from the grapes. the wine gets much smoother with air. has plenty of tannin but they are soft enough to slip by for the first glass or two. with good acidity and tannin it should age well, but may not improve much since it's pretty good now. i think it could use a year or two to settle down, and should drink well for 5 years minimum.
with such a large production, i'm sure there is some bottle variation, but this bottle was outstanding. one of the top 5 tuscan wines i have had. glad i bought 6, but wish i had 12.
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4/3/2011 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
RUSSK GC@P&C'S Wine Event. Top Tier. Still a bit young. But after an evening in the decanter you could sense some of the sangio earthyness wanting to break free. Deep and Tarry. Wait a few more years and/or give a long decant.
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4/2/2011 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 94 Points
Tasted twice. Consistent notes. 92-94
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3/28/2011 - fcaldwell wrote: 89 Points
The wine looks Ruby colored.
The legs are Medium.
It smells like Raspberry, Blackberry, and Clove.
It tastes like Blackberry, and Plum.
The body is Medium.
The wine is textured Leathery.
The wine finishes Medium.
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3/27/2011 - miller3324 wrote:
Pop and pour. New world style with soft dark fruits and some spice from the oak. Improved with air. Good qpr
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3/21/2011 - joshwoodward wrote: 92 Points
Decanted two hours, no sediment. Inky color, almost black in the core. On the nose, massive black fruit, slightly medicinal, with oak. On the palate, hugely extracted and concentrated. Tannic and acidic, but not over the top by Italian standards. The oak is very up-front, so if you're afraid of that style, stay away. There's an interesting contrast between the big fruit and ripe flavors with the relatively light body and savory flavors. Lots of Indian spice, with some fennel. Somewhat new world in its approach, but closer to Bordeaux than a Napa blend. Nowhere near its peak, fairly challenging at this point, but this has the bones to be a knockout in 5-10 years. This doesn't live up to the 96 point hype right now, but this is delicious, and a great value for $25.
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3/20/2011 - Pointchaser wrote: 84 Points
I liked the structure and the concentration, but there was this odd barnyard funk that wasn't exactly pleasant.
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3/13/2011 - df1962 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted and aired for 5hrs. Then decanted through a Vinturri and aired for another hour. Dense purple black almost to the rim which is purple at the end. Coffee cassis cedar box earth mushrooms and rosemary nose with nioticeable oak influences - lots going on. Medium weight and not as heavy as I thought with nice structure from fairly smooth espresso tannins and nice acid balance. Big flavors of black and blue fruits coffee rosemary porcini. good plummy mid palate and long cassis herbal and licorice finish. I can see both the praise and criticism of this wine are understandable as it is very young. This is an oak fist in a velvet glove. It has tons life ahead. I wish I let this breathe even more. It came totally alive with the meal of home made porchetta and roasted potatoes. Will wait a few more months before trying another and in the meantime look to buy more. Super impressive. Score based on today and I think it will become more balanced and get even better.
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3/10/2011 - tim_c wrote: 78 Points
Wow, I don't get the scores on this, especially from JS. The tannins are not "silky", to me, they are chunky, chewy and drying from the oak. I like the influence of wood and you have to hit me with a 2x4 before I am noticing it. I am getting smacked right between the eyes here. At first, I thought it was corked, but then realized it was oak. The oak settles down a bit to show coffee and toast, but oak is the dominant flavor. Hard to discern any other flavors. Finishes with a bitter note. I point chased based on the price point and karma catches up to me.
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3/3/2011 - RATER wrote: 84 Points
I could not agree more with HUDAMANG!
(I actually did the same thing, waited until day 2 to be able to write my tasting note here.)
One thing though this wine has a beautiful color and a robust and a dense appearance of a wonderful wine. But when you come to smell this, it is actually mute with a palate overpowered by oak and more oak. It lacks structure and complexity...which means little room for improvement here. Good thing this experiment only cost me around $23.
Even if WS gave 96 to this wine for its potential, I do not think it will even evolve into a truly 90 pointer.
I wonder what wine WS tasted to give this one a 96 points and put into the top 100 wines of 2010, #25 in that group. I am no longer a subscriber, for this and other inaccuracies…
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2/26/2011 - jmull wrote: 92 Points
Poured through an aerator an decanted about 45 minutes. This is a highly concentrated wine with great, primary fruit that shows impeccable balance. Not over the top, but really delicious. Long finish, too, with nice grippy tannins. Modern styled, with lots of oak influence. For that reason, I think this is better as a steak wine or a sipper than as a red sauce accompaniment. But tremendous for the price in any event. 92+.
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2/25/2011 - hudamang wrote: 88 Points
I was excited to try this wine due to the WS96 and the QPR that I thought it represents. Purchased for $21 at the San Diego Costco. First day: Dark garnet in color. Pop and pour into Riedel Cabernet glasses. The nose was extremely muted and had a metallic scent. Wasn't getting much on the palate and I decided to wait for Day2.
Day 2: Much nicer nose. Black cherries..pleasant nose. On the palate, sour cherries, coffee, minerals, and spice. The finish is medium and pleasant. I prefer some of the Chianti Classicos and definitely the Brunellos over this Super Tuscan. I was expecting a lot. In my book, a 96 pointer should represent a Solid A, A+. This was a B+ wine to me.
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2/25/2011 - bjamesclark wrote: 90 Points
Let this wine breathe
Dark and opaque... Deep purple with good legs. BIG Nose. Dark berry fruits of black and blueberry and strong aromas of oak, and tabacco with sufficient earthy aromas, all backed by purple flowers and carmalized sugar. On the palate just as big with dark berry flavors. Meat and wood are solid throughout, with great minerality (iron/graphite) nuance. the finish is pleasant with cocoa powder and rustic tanins.
Excited to see how this wine will age.. A great complex wine, but needs time.. 90 pts at this point in time
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2/23/2011 - jwolf99 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for only 15 minutes which was just enough to open it up. Full-bodied with dusty tannins and nicely integrated oak. New age style italian that's capable of hanging with some of the super tuscans that cost twice as much. Jammy blueberry with leather and spice. A real crowd pleaser and a perfect pairing with almost any tomato sauce. Give it a few years and it's probably approaching the WS score.
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2/20/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
Did not decant. I consumed half of this on Friday and the other half on Saturday. The blueberry shimmers and the oak is not obnoxious. Well-integrated, and sexy. Really on the verge of 95 pts and I plan on visiting this again in a couple of years.
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2/18/2011 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 90 Points
This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Diogo Belo. It is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. The robe is opaque purple and the nose shows moderately intense aromas of black cherries, underbrush and black pepper. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and massive rustic tannins. The flavors are black fruit and mineral-dominated and the middle palate is solid. Medium-length, astringent finish. This wine needs some time in the cellar to simmer down the tannins. It certainly has enough fruit and acidity to allow for such time, and may merit a higher score in the future. Drink 1/14-12/21.
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2/11/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
Wailea....
Utilized the Vinturi. This was not blind, nor am I trying to be predictable, however, what a vino! This eclipses any other Modus offerings and I love the blueberry, lava and tobacco. I also get some sun-soaked leather. The mid-palate and fine, silky tannins really bring this together with the right amount of acidity. See previous notes. See future notes. This is truly an accomplishment and worth having with most top echelon Super Tuscans. Wait, even though I clearly cannot. Drink 2014 -2026
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2/8/2011 - kwistie Likes this wine: 92 Points
rich, complex, some fruit & graphite, tight tannins at the end, slightly muddled, give it four more years. drink in 2015.
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2/7/2011 - Winebof wrote: 88 Points
After having in back-to-back weekends vs. the 2006 Modus, I clearly prefer that one. This is quality juice and nothing wrong with it, but the '06 seems to be made much better. This is more a modern style, up front fruit, not much interesting underneath. Not a good value in the high $20s.
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2/7/2011 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 92 Points
(Ok..Had to see what all the hype was about. Pop this and decanted for 3-4 hours.)
The '07 may be the best Modus ever produced. This wine has a beautiful dark color. Stunning aromas of fresh crushed blackberry, currant, with saddle leather, espresso and cigar box. Full-bodied, with super-silky on the palate, tannins are amazing but very aggressive at this stage. The finish goes on for minutes. With age this wine should be worthy of another point or two. (Drink 2013-2025) - JD92-94
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2/5/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
Wailea.
Used a Vinturi. Eggplant and ruby in colour. Toasted oak, blueberry, rosemary, tobacco and lava. A vibrant mid-palate that zooms past the soft tannins. Full-bodied, concentrated and seductive. The toasted oak shimmers, while retaining a paulliac element that is evident. What an awesome blend, with a finish that really is seductive and showing the tobacco. Tasted blind and I don't understand the lack of appreciation. This is not ready and a little incongruous at the moment. Drink 2014 - 2026.
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1/30/2011 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Picked up a bottle of this to try following the WS hype. Clearly not a 96 point wine to our palates, but we did like it. Very nice nose which reminded me of blueberry pie. Lively fruit on the palate with a distinct sour cherry note. Good structure here with moderate tannins and lively acidity. 13.5% ABV and pleasantly no heat at all. It was a bit too oaky for my taste at this point but Karen didn't mind that. Paired nicely with stuffed shells in a red sauce. I think this will improve nicely over the next few years, and I expect the oak will integrate. Will definitely buy more to cellar. Good QPR at $23.
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1/14/2011 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 90 Points
The color showed a deep dark purple. On the nose, I found aromas of dark chocolate, cherries, sweet spices and a hint of barnyard. The palate showed its Italian roots as brisk acidity gave way to wild berries but came across as one dimensional against this wines lean medium body. The finish was fresh with hints of red fruit.
A good wine for the price and great with red sauce but I can hardly justify the 96 points awarded to it by WS.
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1/9/2011 - LSussman wrote: 93 Points
wonderful nose with long expression of nuanced flavors in the mouth. Really was like by all who tasted it. Great PQ ratio.
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1/3/2011 - spacewrangler wrote: 84 Points
I'm normally not a SuperTuscan fan but this is easy to like, if ultra-modern and polished. There's oak but plenty of lively and energetic fruit to accompany it, drink or hold for oak to settle in.
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12/20/2010 - skin2win wrote: 93 Points
Was excited to find and try this based upon the WS review.
Opened the bottle and tasted a small pour. Inky purple. On the palate, incredible concentration of black and red fruits, mineral, and great acidity. Tannins certainly apparent.
Decanted an hour and subsequently drank over another two hours. Fruit, minerality, acid integrated beautifully. Tannins softened greatly.
The wine has obvious potential. Will hold the rest of the 6-pack for a few years down the road, though it will be difficult to stay away. . .
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12/9/2010 - Tuffdawg wrote: 93 Points
Explosive room filling nose of ripe cherries, new leather, some tar, hints of licorice, pipe tobacco, and floral notes. On the palate this has great concentrated red fruits, subtle spiced oak, and more tobacco. I would say shy of full bodied but coats the glass and palate if that makes sense. 30 second finish with grippy tannins. Has the stuffing to age well. Complex and well made for sure. 96 Spectator is a reach at this point but I can see this improving in time. Certainly approachable now but will improve with a couple of years in the cellar. Great QPR. Drank over 5 hours.
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12/4/2010 - thelinebreak wrote: 91 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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