Milan Wine Event 3 - A 2014 vintage check up

2014 from every possible lense but more so on Italy.

• 2014 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  From Magnum.
  Quite the pretty surprise here and this definitely punches high up .
  Firm, focussed , mineral, soft apple. Young still and definitely a wine with lots of ageing capacity. Bright on the nose too and with a pretty long persistent finish. A very solid champagne. 92-93

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• 2014 Cantina Terlan Terlano Nova Domus Riserva 91 Points

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Terlano

  From magnum. Aromatically this is just the number , ever so welcoming with grassy, citrus notes. Mineral and well polished on the palate but where this falls short is the finish. Just sort of vanishes and this is the low point of an otherwise exceptional wine. 90-91 with with decent life ahead.

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• 2014 Hatzidakis Winery Assyrtiko de Louros Vignes Centenaires

  Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini

  This was lost to time and was really gone and difficult. Shame cause the other bottle we had along ( Papies 92-93) with it was the real thing but with these old Louros one needs to be ready to accept the failures and the variability along with the great ones.

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• 2014 Hatzidakis Winery Assyrtiko de Louros Vignes Centenaires 93 Points

  Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini

  The good bottle of the two and as always with these old Louros one needs to be ready for the randomness of the evolution.
  Originally with thought it was a touch oxidised but that’s the style and what really sets this wine apart is the concentration and intensity of the wine that only can come from the old pre phylloxera vines that yield so little. Unlike the modern super cuvées of Santorini this is soft and round and lacks that flinty minerality but makes up for it with the intensity and concentration. Maybe not a wine for all and one needs a bit of luck but when one’s luck is rolling like in this occasion what a beautiful experience. 93

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• 2014 Antinori Tignanello 89 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  A wine we are quite predisposed and frankly we avoid as to us much like the BMW 316i says “I know nothing about cars” so does the Tig ( especially if one calls it Tig ) says I know little about wine. And on this day it was no different and granted 2014 was a poor vintage but this was an irrelevant , muted and lacking any form of elegance wine that commands a high price on account of name and top marketing. 89-90 at best

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• 2014 Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT 93 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Maybe the best wine we rarely drink as if for some celestial reason we just never cross paths. And when we do it never fails us.
  Much like before and even more in this challenging of vintage of 2014 this was a Beauty. Elegant, soft not overdone or pushed and sort of led with a soft hand to deliver the maximum of what this vintage and Mother Nature gave it. Dark fruit, well managed and assimilated oak and just a beautiful wine. Not sure on longevity here and further evolution but happy to take the bet, very pretty 93+

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• 2014 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Sassicaia

  A wine we were looking fwd to checking out on account we have never tried this and we own a few. Also we were hoping for another 2002 Sassicaia success from a poor vintage. Alas no.Unfortunately for now the wine is muted and closed . One but gets a small glimpse of what this could be , it’s hopeful, but really a shame to open now. Soft , round and polished and definitely speaks the language iof a polished and well made wine but at the same time lacks any sort of joy and excitement. Felt like a 90 and really we hope time will help here. We suggest one forgets this for another 5yrs minimum.

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• 2014 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  The SQN of Italian super Tuscans ( albeit using Merlot and not Syrah) but has that powerful intensity and richness that punches through. Distinct in style and does not hold back, very modern , well ripe and a touch manipulated with a lot of sweet oak use. The nose is properly pretty at least , sings or actually shouts ( not a positive for us) and just grabs you by the nostrils with rich dark fruits and spice. In the palate it is definitely punch and has a feeling of heat that translates well into the long finish. A wine that we could see exciting people but for us ( ok it’s better than their Syrah and definitely more elegant) a bit of an overdone wine. 92 bit really we are the wrong people for this wine.

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• 2014 Ridge Monte Bello 94 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  From a beautiful magnum.
  Beautiful wine from start to finish and albeit at the start of its drinking cycle ( this is one that we could easily see us drinking in 20 years ) still is ever so beautiful. Still has some puppy fat to assimilate in the sense of the fruit and soft sweet oak but it is ever so elegant and delightful. Well angled richness , very much a classicist American as we call these type of wines and true to the style of beautiful Monte Bellos. We felt this was a 94 for now but easily this has a few more points to add to its score with a few more years in bottle .

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• 2014 Château L'Eglise-Clinet 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  From a beautiful magnum.
  Maybe with the luxury of hindsight we should have devoted this. At age 10 this is just about at the start of its drinking window and the ripeness and fleshyness of Pomerol ( and well added oak) definitely helped with this difficult year. Elegant and round, nice dark fruited mix on the nose and palate , nice structure and acidity and the tannins are well round and almost soft. This is now drinking beautifully but one just gets but a small glimpse of why this can accomplish with a few more years in bottle, preferably another 5. Easy 93 for now but with more to give with time.

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• 2014 Château Lynch-Bages 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  From Magnum as it should be.
  It’s unfortunate for this wine as it came last after the beautiful and with unfair advantage in this challenging vintage ( to say the least) 2014 Monte Bello and Eglise-Clinet. This is still very young and even more so from magnum and felt a bit dry and shy . They pauillac austerity is not really helping at this juncture of its life and we would suggest one forgets this beautiful wine for another 5 preferably 10 years. Unfortunately we feel most will be compelled to drink this sooner on account do the vintage reports but really this needs more chance to develop. 91 for now.

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