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Grandi Marchi Tasting
Dockside Balcony, Cocklebay, Sydney
Tasted November 18, 2013 by chatters with 646 views
Introduction
Terrible weather which meant a reduced turnout - bad for the people showing, good for me as I managed to get round everything with very little hassle. Great selection of interesting and fun Italian wines - notes arranged by producer though I did whites before reds...
Flight 1 - Antinori (5 notes)
nice to do the Tignanello with 5 hours difference between opening times.
Red
2011 Santa Cristina (Antinori) Toscana IGT
leather, slight cherry, slightly meaty. Mouth: cherry, medium fine tannin carries on the palate but a bit meh
Red
2010 Antinori Tignanello
two bottles - one opened for 6.5 hours, the other for 1.5 hours
6.5 hours: perfumed cherry, smidges of herbs and blackcurrant. In the mouth red cherry, slight blackcurrant, medium plus talc like tannin, medium acid.
1.5 hours: Funky, red cherry, cream. In the mouth red cherry, medium plus chewy grippy tannin.
Interesting exercise - if we say no bottle variation (despite being under cork) then the difference over time was the tannin calmed down allowing more/different fruit to peek through, for me, at least.
6.5 hours: perfumed cherry, smidges of herbs and blackcurrant. In the mouth red cherry, slight blackcurrant, medium plus talc like tannin, medium acid.
1.5 hours: Funky, red cherry, cream. In the mouth red cherry, medium plus chewy grippy tannin.
Interesting exercise - if we say no bottle variation (despite being under cork) then the difference over time was the tannin calmed down allowing more/different fruit to peek through, for me, at least.
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Comment
Red
2007 Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Superiore
Cherry, blackcurrant, leather, cream, cedar and clove. In the mouth medium plus acid, cream, spice, tight burnt tannin over muted red and black fruit. Long. Hmm.
Red
2007 Pian Delle Vigne (Antinori) Brunello di Montalcino
Meaty, touches of Brett (?) and slight oxidised aromas dominate ripe cherry. On the palate the first impression is massive, mouth lining stripping tannin, huge structure and medium plus acid. Spice notes. Needs a lot of time…or…will it ever be anything than tannic beast.
Red
2009 Antinori Chianti Classico Marchese Antinori Riserva
Herbal, green notes…red berry fruit and touches of sandalwood and perfume. In the mouth medium plus chalky tannin, cream, red berry…hmm
Flight 2 - Argilois (2 notes)
Red
2010 Argiolas Monica di Sardegna Perdera
slightly funky, concentrated red and black berry fruits, perfumed top notes. In the mouth medium minus creamy red and back berry. Medium talc like tannin, lacks acid, medium plus length. Hmm
Red
2010 Argiolas Costera
red berry, leather spice, slightly spirituous, On the palate - concentrated red berry fruit then tannic grip. Bit meh
Flight 3 - Biondi Santi (3 notes)
the Morellino Riserva was lovely
Red
2009 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Rosso di Montalcino
Medium minus aromas of cream, slight cherry, sweet tobacco leaf. On the palate there are flavours of cream ad cherry then fine tannic grip, juicy, simple, okay…quaffable
Red
2009 Jacopo Biondi-Santi Sassoalloro Toscana IGT
cherry, acetone, cream slight greenness. In the mouth the wine has herbaceous flavours and there is some cherry fruit but this falls away quite quickly. then tight tannin dominates the palate with touches of toasty oak. Nah
Red
2000 Jacopo Biondi-Santi Morellino di Scansano Riserva Castello di Montepo
leather, cherry, spice, meaty with some herbs. In the mouth medium plus acid, leather over cherry and cold meats. Massive structure but tanning beginning to become subdued - well, not so much subdued but less shouty. Simply fantastic.
Flight 4 - Donnafugata (3 notes)
enjoyed the reserve wine
White
2012 Donnafugata Contessa Entellina La Fuga
chicken, herbs, lemon, cream, butter, spice. On the palate there is initially slight spritz, medium plus acid lemon and spice flavours, juicy, balanced, quite nice if not a touch short.
Red
2007 Donnafugata Mille e una notte
Leather, concentrated red cherry and berry, perhaps slight plain chocolate and savoury notes. Touches of cream. In the mouth medium plus body, medium plus acid and medium plus flavours of cherry (both red and black), medium plus grippy, ripe tannin with some alcohol warmth on the finish. Very nice.
Red
2010 Donnafugata Nero d'Avola Sicilia Sedàra
red cherry, spice, reductive meaty notes. In the mouth medium plus acid, slight red fruit notes, front of mouth grip. Meh. A nothing wine.
Flight 5 - Masi (5 notes)
The costasera amarone riserva isn't, unfortunately, available over here which is a great pity
Red
2012 Masi Valpolicella Classico Bonacosta
Very slight leather notes, cherry and cream. In the mouth light cherry flavours and medium minus fine silky tannin. Quaffable, easy, simple, forgettable.
Red
2008 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Costasera
meaty, very slight cedar notes, cherry, touches of chocolate and perfumed notes. In the mouth medium plus acid, plain chocolate savoury cherry notes, front of mouth and tongue gripping tannin. Very long, well balanced.
Red
2007 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Costasera
Meaty, slightly oxidised, funky, cherry, minerality. In the mouth medium plus acid, medium plus flavours dominated by cherry, chocolate, medium plus tannin. Ridiculously long. Very nice indeed.
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Red
2009 Masi Campofiorin
Meaty, cherry, slightly oxidised, savoury, cherry, tight. Hmm. Medium plus tannin.
Red
2009 Masi Brolo di Campofiorin Oro Veronese IGT
Meaty but with fruit aromas to the fore. Slight chocolate notes. In the mouth medium plus acid, savoury, cherry fruit and chocolate notes. Okay
Flight 6 - Mastroberadino (3 notes)
the Taurasi was okay
White
2011 Mastroberardino Greco di Tufo
Muted, medium minus intensity aromas of acetone, tinned grape and pear juice. On the palate there are flavours of grape and pear that is slight oxidised. There is also a rather odd mid palate scoop. The wine has medium plus intensity acidity. Weird.
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Comments (2)
Red
2011 Mastroberardino Aglianico Irpinia Redimore
Medium minus intensity aromas of slightly dusty red fruit - plum. In the mouth medium plus acid that lends juiciness to muted flavours of red plum. Medium fine tannin. Light bodied…a bit wet. Meh
Red
2008 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici
Farmyard, leather, slight plum and cherry notes, meaty. In the mouth medium plus acidity, medium plus leathery tannin, plummy fruit with some cream that all carry on a medium plus length. Oddly refreshing!
Flight 7 - Michele Chiarlo (5 notes)
White
2012 Michele Chiarlo Gavi Le Marne
perfumed, fragrant, floral, slight citrus. In the mouth slight spritz, dry, floral, slight citrus, front of mouth phenolic grip. Bit short. Nice up front but then fades rapidly
Red
2011 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore Le Orme
Cream, red cherry, slight minerality. In the mouth medium minus intensity flavours of juicy cherry, medium tannin, mid palate grip. Nice
Red
2007 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza La Court
Concentrated almost jubey red cherry, slight leather, perfumed, spice, oak. In the mouth juicy, high acid, red cherry, (touch of residual sugar), zesty a slight clove and nutmeg quality, medium plus front of mouth grip that is talc like, bit warm Okay.
Red
2007 Michele Chiarlo Barolo Tortoniano
leather, plum, tar, tiny touches of rose/floral. In the mouth medium plus intensity acid and tannin, wet and juicy, slight plum notes but chalky tannin dominates.
Red
2006 Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cerequio
perfumed, some toasted oak, rose. In the mouth high tannin dominate - tough, leathery, not much else going on. Come back in a millennia or so…
Flight 8 - Pio Cesare (4 notes)
The two nebbilo's were very nice.
White
2012 Pio Cesare Gavi
Floral, blossom, slight citrus tending to stone fruit and a certain cheesiness. In the mouth grip - tight and unwieldy also thickness through the mouthfeel. All over slight stingy fruit that finishes quite short. Nah
Red
2011 Pio Cesare Barbera d'Alba
cherry, cream, vanilla, spice, tiny amounts of cedar. In the mouth medium plus juicy acidity with flavours of black cherry, spice, Slight front of mouth grip with medium minus chalky tannin. Tiny bit short
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Red
2009 Pio Cesare Barbaresco
Cream, vanilla, slight oxidative note over rose, plum, toast, tar and cedar. In the mouth medium plus acid, plum, toast, medium plus tannin. The wine carries long with touches of pruniness. Elegant. Lovely. Plenty of time left here.
Red
2009 Pio Cesare Barolo
leather, prune over plum, slight metallic note. In the mouth high tannin dominates with medium plus acid. Needs an awful lot of time to even be approachable for me.
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Flight 9 - Rivera (3 notes)
the riserva was very good
White
2012 Rivera Sauvignon Castel del Monte Terre al Monte
Tropical fruit, ripe passion fruit, slight sweatiness and a bit boiled sweet…in them mouth there is initial spritz, then flavours of passion fruit - quite passion pop-py. Faultless but no real fun.
Red
2010 Rivera Castel del Monte Rupicolo
herbaceous, savoury, red and back berry with touches of spice. Bramble, herbaceous then slightly jammy berry notes with medium plus tannin. Little alcohol warmth is evident on the medium length
Red
2007 Rivera Castel del Monte Il Falcone Riserva
Concentrated red berry, leather, spice and an almost bay leaf herby quality. In the mouth the wine has flavours of savoury red berries, high grippy tight tannin that integrates very well with this fruit…spice and slight leather notes. Very long and very, very nice.
Flight 10 - Tasca (5 notes)
White
2011 Tasca D'Almerita Chardonnay Sicilia
medium minus aromas of herbs, meat, slight peach notes. On the palate the wine is textured and dry with mid and front of mouth phenolic grip…finishes with spice notes but lacks fruit. Meh
Red
2011 Tasca D'Almerita Etna Tascante Ghiaia Nera
Red currant over cherry, slight menthol notes. In the mouth the wine has juicy red cherry then massive tanning that is chalky textured and grabs the whole mouth dominating everything. Hmm
Red
2009 Tasca D'Almerita il Tascante
Medium minus intensity aromas of concentrated red currant and cherry, cream, slight floral top notes and herbs as well. In the mouth red currant and cherry is immediately blitzed by a massive tannic attack. It survives this onslaught, though, to reappear through this grippy veil. Okay.
White
2012 Tasca D'Almerita Grillo
Hmm, like Sauvignon blanc kind of…but ripe…fresh, crisp, tending to passion fruit notes…clean. In the mouth very slight spritz, crisp, fresh, a bit short but finishes rather pleasantly with notes of passion fruit. Simple, okay.
Red
2008 Tasca D'Almerita Rosso del Conte
flawed
Slightly oxidised with aromas of luncheon meat - morta della and cheesy notes. In the mouth there is alcohol heat, spice and the wine is quite flat. I can't believe this is how this is meant to taste - FLAW
Flight 11 - Umani Ronchi (4 notes)
probably the best bracket of the day
White
2012 Umani Ronchi Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Casal di Serra
Peach, cream, slight spice, slight cheese. In the mouth initial peach, tight, some tannin, then spice and the wine ends slightly bitter with touches of alcohol warmth
White
2010 Umani Ronchi Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Casal di Serra
Meaty , savoury over slight stone fruit, spice…on the palate medium plus body, all about structure here, spice, some fruit then mid palate phenolic grip. Very long with very, very slight bitterness - or, more likely, just balanced with the fruit and spice notes. Nice
Red
2011 Umani Ronchi Rosso Conero San Lorenzo
Red cherry, plum, primary fruit then cream and spice and herbaceousness. In the mouth medium plus acid, fresh, primary fruit then fine textured but firm tannic grip. Medium length. Well made quaffer.
Red
2008 Umani Ronchi Rosso Conero Cúmaro Riserva
Medium plus intensity aromas of concentrated red cherry & spice over slight cream and vanilla. In the mouth the wine has medium plus body, thick red and black cherry, medium plus acid, fine textured but very chewy tannin. Long and very nice.
Closing
Lovely tasting.