Toast/brioche on the nose, along with apple and pear. More powerful than the NV Marguet Blanc de Noirs Cuvee Tradition. Plenty of acidity; replays from nose and a touch of lemon. Still relatively simple for a vintage bottling.
Medium garnet colour. Aromas of wood, mineral, plum, currant, and cherry. Light-medium bodied, with decent red fruit, but the tannins really need to soften here. Short-moderate finish, ~25s. Not spectacular.
Dark ruby/purple colour; not quite opaque. Aromas of dark plums, hickory/smoke, minerals, cherry, and white and purple flowers. Medium-full bodied, with a lush texture typical of the old vines Lamole clone used at Scalette. Great structure and acidity. Plums, cherry, currant, and a touch of peach from the wood treatment that should integrate with time (as per usual). Tannins are very firm right now. Great length, ~35-40s, with dark fruit on the finish. A little behind the 2001 on its release, but really nice. If experience with this wine in previous vintages of similar quality, this wine needs at least 5 years in the cellar. Revisit in 2013.
Dark ruby/black colour. Dark fruit and vanilla on the nose, through to the medium-full bodied palate. Good structure, and plenty of tannin. Long finish, ~35-40s. Drink 2011+.
100% Sangiovese, single vineyard wine from La Corte. Medium-dark ruby colour. Great structure showing dark fruit to the very long finish. Cellar until 2011, then revisit.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from young vines - only 10 years of age. Dark ruby colour. Lush fruit on the nose an palate, showing a little bit of alcoholic heat on the lengthy, ~40s finish. This is surprisingly concentrated and complex for vines this young. Cellar until at least 2011-2013. This is a label to watch from Querceto. Impressive!
Dark ruby colour. Pretty nose, good structure and acidity. Well-made, typical Chianti that needs a few years in the cellar. The Chianti Classico Riserva is consistently a significant step up from their normale at a marginal price delta.
Pale ruby colour, showing simple red fruit (cherry, plum) on the nose and light-to-medium bodied palate. Short-moderate finish, ~20s. An attractive Rosso that bodes well for the quality of the 2004 Brunello when it is released. Drink now.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Medium ruby colour with garnet flecks. Ripe nose of plum, cherry, and currant. Medium-to-full bodied. Everything is surprisingly in check/balanced considering the heat of the vintage. Good acidity and freshness with little-to-no roasted fruit notes. Attractive finish. Drink 2010+.
Surprisingly orange/bricked colour - a little too advanced from a colour perspective. Aromas of tea, leather, mint, mineral, and tar. Full-bodied, very powerful, with tar, violet, rose, mineral, dried cherry, and truffle notes on a firmly tannic palate. Great length, ~45+ s, with replays from palate. This is really, really nice, but is at least 5 years from peak. Revisit in 2013 and drink for some time after that.
Medium-garnet colour. Restrained nose and palate, but the component parts are there. This has a ton of structure. Buy and bury - for 10 years easily to hit peak, but you could revisit in 6-8 if you have a bunch and want to check in. Not rated.
Dark ruby/purple colour; opaque. Huge nose of blackcurrant, plums, and vanillan/oak. Full-bodied, big, and lush, showing cassis, kirsch, black plum, and vanilla notes on the palate. Good length, ~35s, with more dark fruit. Drink or hold.
NV Marguet Champagne Blanc de Noirs Brut Tradition 82 Points
France, Champagne
Pale yellow, almost clear colour. Ok nose, simple, almost like apple cider on the palate. Disappointing.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2000 Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Brut Millésimé 86 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Toast/brioche on the nose, along with apple and pear. More powerful than the NV Marguet Blanc de Noirs Cuvee Tradition. Plenty of acidity; replays from nose and a touch of lemon. Still relatively simple for a vintage bottling.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2007 Ronchi di Castelluccio Lunaria Forlì IGT 83 Points
Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Forlì IGT
Pale gold/green colour. Large floral nose also showing banana and pear. Light on the palate with little going on and a short finish.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2006 Ronchi di Castelluccio Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Le More 80 Points
Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore
Simple red fruit on the nose and palate. Also shows some unpleasant greeness on the finish. Score may be a little generous. Pass on this wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2004 Ronchi di Castelluccio Ronco dei Ciliegi Forlì IGT 85 Points
Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Forlì IGT
Medium garnet colour. Aromas of wood, mineral, plum, currant, and cherry. Light-medium bodied, with decent red fruit, but the tannins really need to soften here. Short-moderate finish, ~25s. Not spectacular.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2003 Ronchi di Castelluccio Massicone Forlì IGT 88 Points
Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Forlì IGT
Dark fruit (plum, blackcurrant) and vanilla on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied. Good finish. One of the better wines in this lineup.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2004 Podere Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione Alta Valle della Greve IGT 92 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Alta Valle della Greve IGT
Dark ruby/purple colour; not quite opaque. Aromas of dark plums, hickory/smoke, minerals, cherry, and white and purple flowers. Medium-full bodied, with a lush texture typical of the old vines Lamole clone used at Scalette. Great structure and acidity. Plums, cherry, currant, and a touch of peach from the wood treatment that should integrate with time (as per usual). Tannins are very firm right now. Great length, ~35-40s, with dark fruit on the finish. A little behind the 2001 on its release, but really nice. If experience with this wine in previous vintages of similar quality, this wine needs at least 5 years in the cellar. Revisit in 2013.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2004 Castello di Querceto / Querceto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Picchio 90 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
Dark ruby/black colour. Dark fruit and vanilla on the nose, through to the medium-full bodied palate. Good structure, and plenty of tannin. Long finish, ~35-40s. Drink 2011+.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2003 Castello di Querceto / Querceto La Corte Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT 91 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
100% Sangiovese, single vineyard wine from La Corte. Medium-dark ruby colour. Great structure showing dark fruit to the very long finish. Cellar until 2011, then revisit.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2003 Castello di Querceto / Querceto Cabernet Sauvignon Il Sole Di Alessandro Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT 92 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from young vines - only 10 years of age. Dark ruby colour. Lush fruit on the nose an palate, showing a little bit of alcoholic heat on the lengthy, ~40s finish. This is surprisingly concentrated and complex for vines this young. Cellar until at least 2011-2013. This is a label to watch from Querceto. Impressive!
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2004 Castello di Querceto / Querceto Chianti Classico Riserva 90 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
Dark ruby colour. Pretty nose, good structure and acidity. Well-made, typical Chianti that needs a few years in the cellar. The Chianti Classico Riserva is consistently a significant step up from their normale at a marginal price delta.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2004 Fattoria La Gerla Rosso di Montalcino 86 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
Pale ruby colour, showing simple red fruit (cherry, plum) on the nose and light-to-medium bodied palate. Short-moderate finish, ~20s. An attractive Rosso that bodes well for the quality of the 2004 Brunello when it is released. Drink now.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2003 Fattoria La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino 90 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Medium ruby colour with garnet flecks. Ripe nose of plum, cherry, and currant. Medium-to-full bodied. Everything is surprisingly in check/balanced considering the heat of the vintage. Good acidity and freshness with little-to-no roasted fruit notes. Attractive finish. Drink 2010+.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2000 Aurelio Settimo Barolo Rocche 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Surprisingly orange/bricked colour - a little too advanced from a colour perspective. Aromas of tea, leather, mint, mineral, and tar. Full-bodied, very powerful, with tar, violet, rose, mineral, dried cherry, and truffle notes on a firmly tannic palate. Great length, ~45+ s, with replays from palate. This is really, really nice, but is at least 5 years from peak. Revisit in 2013 and drink for some time after that.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1999 Aurelio Settimo Barolo Riserva Rocche
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Medium-garnet colour. Restrained nose and palate, but the component parts are there. This has a ton of structure. Buy and bury - for 10 years easily to hit peak, but you could revisit in 6-8 if you have a bunch and want to check in. Not rated.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2005 Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Dark ruby/purple colour; opaque. Huge nose of blackcurrant, plums, and vanillan/oak. Full-bodied, big, and lush, showing cassis, kirsch, black plum, and vanilla notes on the palate. Good length, ~35s, with more dark fruit. Drink or hold.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No