100% Merlot Toscana

As a whole these wines were very expressive of terroir with a nice dimension of mineral/earth showing in many of them. Only the oldest wine showed any hint of maturity and most were fairly young and intense still. Not a bad wine in the group.

With buffalo tartar and arugula.

• 1992 Castello di Ama L'Apparita Toscana IGT 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  100% Merlot picked before the rains that ruined the vintage. Chocolate, cherry, plum, resiny damp earth and incense on the nose. Baked berry, mineral, charcoal, red fruit on the palate that is balanced, intense, and lively with acid. Impressive, showing some signs of inching into maturity.

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• 1994 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT 94 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Leather, cigar leaf, plum, cedar, spice, musk nose. Rich, sweet leather and plum fruit on the palate that is silky and big-bodied. Incredible balance and expression here, this absolutely exploded with lamb chops and polenta. Wow!!!

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With rack of lamb over polenta and shiitakes.

• 1995 Avignonesi Desiderio 93 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Milk chocolate, carob, mineral, rock nose. Baked berry, earth, plum palate that is deep and improving with air. Another winner.

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• 1997 Tenuta Lilliano Vignacatena Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT

  Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT

  Tapenade, sweet plum, sweet berry nose. Roasted tomato? There is something superripe and unusual about the nose on this. Some thought it was horsey/barny too. Medium-light bodied, artificial sweetness, seaweed, strawberry palate. Short finish. Did not improve with air and might not be on a great trajectory.

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With beef tenderloin in pesto and prosciutto over shaved asparagus salad and confit of tomato.

• 1996 Cennatoio Mammolo Toscana IGT 93 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Bell pepper, earth, slightly volatile nose. Spicy oak, plum, suave palate. Medium body and finish, nice acid and balance. This kept getting better and better, there is a distinct vein of Cabernet in this despite being 100% Merlot. Superb!

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• 1996 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de' Frescobaldi) Lamaione Toscana IGT

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Spicy, chocolate plum and baked berry. Tannic, with good acidity, this never really came around to compete with the other wines. Good, but lacking interest tonight.

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• 1997 Casa Emma Soloío Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT 91 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT

  Creamy plum, oak, spice charcoal, iodine nose, with some sulfur and cedar emerging. Bright, great concentration and acidity. This is a modern wine with a nice twist of minerality expressed in carob and earth. I concur with JVM below that there is something unusual going on with this wine though I didn't quite find it off-putting.

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• 2006 Ajello Sicilia Shams 92 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Sicilia

  Lemon, apricot, brown sugar and honey spice palate with a kick of mineral water at the end. Medium body and restrained sweetness, totally overpowered by vanilla bean frozen custard.

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