1985 Castello di Gabbiano per Ania Vino da Tavola

Community Tasting Notes (9) Avg Score: 91.4 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View chambolle's profile
  • Report Issue

  12/1/2022 - chambolle Likes this wine:

  This turned up in a cellar bin I probably haven’t looked into for a quarter century, tucked in with some other stray Italian bottles from the ‘80s, so I pulled it, stood it up for a few days to settle out the considerable sediment on the wall of the bottle. I had low expectations; but the fill was damn near the cork, which was lodged in the bottle tight as a tick when I pulled it to go with a morel mushroom risotto and a huge composed salad on a cold snowy night.
  
  Decanted at cellar temperature through a funnel with fine mesh wire filter. The color is ridiculously youthful — clear, bright, ruby/purple, nary a hint of bricking. The nose is fresh fruit — crushed cherries, berries — and fresh cut flowers. The palate is mostly primary, tannins and acidity well integrated with the fruit. Not an exceptionally deep or complex wine, but certainly elegant, balanced and nowhere near senescent. This is Gabbiano’s ‘super Tuscan’ and it was put up in Nevers oak… but I don’t find a trace of woody tannin or vanilla poking out and becoming obtrusive.
  
  The wine became richer, rounder and more satisfying during its first couple of hours in the decanter. Thereafter it seemed to break up a bit, some earthy notes and fine grain tannins beginning to show, the color going brick. But all in all, way more wine than I expected. I’m sure bottles will vary quite a bit at this point, pushing 40 years from the vintage. But if you have it, try it. It may well surprise you, pleasantly, as it surprised me.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View mxpbuy's profile
  • Report Issue

  2/19/2022 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points

  PnP. Some bricking but color still a lovely ruby to the core. Cherry and other red fruit notes, dried herb, some moss, a touch of Cedar/Oak. Very smooth. Extra point for longevity. Wine did not change over the course of 2 hours. This bottle had at least another several years drinking that this level.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View mxpbuy's profile
  • Report Issue

  1/19/2016 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Fill in to neck with solid cork. A little orange and bricking, but not much - more like a 15 year than 30 year wine. Classic Tuscan Sangio profile with layers of red fruits, Oak, mushrooms, herbs, and nice food quality acidity. Beautiful wine with an extra point for its longevity. This bottle would have been good for another 5+ years.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View AtoZ's profile
  • Report Issue

  1/19/2016 - AtoZ wrote:

  Plenty of wood but enjoyable and drinking quite young.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Brandovious's profile
  • Report Issue

  7/24/2015 - Brandovious Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Very much enjoying old Sangiovese. Wood chips, dried fruit nose. Balance, nice grippy subtle chalky thing. Little fig. Perfect amount of gentle heat still present. Gosh I need more of this!

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 9 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.