Almost Extra Dry in style. The aromatics were very pleasant with ripe Bosc pear and floral notes. The palate is richer in style than most and had a slight creaminess to it. Bursts of fruit, pear and yellow apples mainly, without the chalkiness or over yeasty characteristics. First time trying Gosset, very impressed.

Had a previous vintage of this, but this was nicer. Glad to see that they are using native varietals too. Ripe and creamy peach nose as well as palate. Very soft acidity with some floral notes towards finish. Medium body, short finish. Good, different in style, not my favorite but well made wine. Would probably work very well with risotto or creamy pastas.

Liked better than the Capitel Croce. Again, nice ripe peaches and apricots with a decent amount of richness. The acidity is soft and the body is medium. Different in style, this time in the style that I like due to some better balanced acidity along with with bright fruit and richness. I do believe that this is aged sur lie, or at least it drinks like it.

Apparently a new lineup for this winery, and they're in the right direction. Blue fruits, dried meats almost jerky like nose. The palate is rich and consists of black fruits, nice mouthfeel and tannin structure. Somewhat simple, very pleasant, nothing offensive. I would love to know the price point for this. If under $20, I would be very impressed.

A touch of sulphur right off the bat on the nose, ech:( Soon blows off and never follows through on the palate:) Rich, soft, extracted black currant fruit, chocolate, moderate amount of toasted oak. Finishes with very soft acidity and the tannins are well integrated, but definitely there.

Funky barnyard nose with a hint of toasty oak, but not too much fruit. Earthy minerals and gripping tannins make up the front palate with some black fruits hiding in the back. Could use a good decant or some time in the bottle to round out. The acidity was very well balanced though.

Hmmm. Very hard to pick this one apart. Tight, tannic, and beastly. Hard to see through the tannins, raw wood, and volcanized rubber. However, this does exhibit great balance with the body, acidity, and structure. Have had past vintages of this wine and understand how it rounds out after some time in bottle. Therefore the 87 represents what I believe this wine to be within the next 5 years.

CORKED. But McVittie has another sample and will try again.

Did not care for this one too much, probably due to the lineup before hand, out of context. High acid, leathery characteristic dominated, toast, with a bit of black cherry following. Flat finish and almost thin body and characteristics. I think some tomato based pastas or even pizza would help show this one off. Will try again under different circumstances.

CORKED, 2nd of night (But corks are good right??Damn traditionalists)

Very young Brunello, and it showed. Some nice spicy cherries, lots of toasty oak, and fine grained tannins. High acidity and thick tannin structure kept this one from being enjoyable, but it is definitely well made. Along with some of the other wines tonight, I would have liked to spend more time with them. This one however could use some time in bottle.

Showed a bit better than the '01 Brunello tried earlier. Probably due to a more New World style of wine that this one held. Lots of oak and vanilla, cassis, black cherries, and the slightest amount of earth and spices. (Sounds like a Napa Cab to me??) Despite that this doesn't necessarily represent Toscana, it was a very nice bottle and I would recommend trying.

Have yet to be impressed with a Merlot from Veneto. This one held its own, however still not impressive. Will probably appeal to a general crowd though. Very high alcohol on the nose, later to find out it is 14.5%. Definitely different on the palate than expected. An almost pruney, raisiny characteristic, black cherry liqueur, viscous texture, with medium tannins and very soft acidity, finishing hot, again from alcohol. I later find out that half of the Merlot grapes used are dried and used in an Amarone-like style to make this wine, explaining raisiny characteristics as well as high alcohol content. For its style alone it is worth trying.

Very confused at first, thought I was drinking Spanish Garnacha, but soon realized this was from the Roussillon. Black cherries, cedar and vanilla on the nose. Black plums and cherries on palate, nice tannin structure as well as acidity. Straightforward, simple, fruity, refreshing. Would buy this as an every day wine. 82+

Not into Aussie wines, but this one was fine. Also doesn't fit into tonight's tasting but it was interesting to have a lot of old world wines before a huge Aussie red. Sweet black fruits, caramel, toasted vanilla, all on the nose. The palate is huge and extracted with loads of oak and black fruits. Alcohol doesn't show through, which one would expect after tasting a dozen old world wines. Not bad.

WOW. Not too sure where this one fits in the tasting, and/or why its being tasted in the order that it is, but I am 100% okay with tasting this wine! Huge, inky, black, extracted fruits. Loads and loads of tannin and oak on the palate. I'll set this one aside for a while.
After opening up, leather, coffee, tobacco leaves, dried bing cherries, damp earth all come forward allowing for one of the most complex wines of the night. The tannins are subdued and become dusty and fine grained. This allowing for an amazing texture. This wine is super young and will continue to evolve for 10 years at least.

Had a previous vintage of the regular label Greco 3 weeks ago and hated, however this was very pleasant. Decent amount of grassy herbalness on the nose as well as the palate, with honey, peaches, and mandarin oranges on the back palate. The acidity was very soft and this was overall very ripe.

Have had previous vintages. Liked the Greco better. This one was more floral and it followed through on the palate, which I don't care for the taste of flowers!! Minerality adds for complexity, and the palate is a bit richer, but with too soft acidity making it flabby. This one falls short from some of the other whites tasted tonight. Needs to be consumed as soon as it is released I think. Oxidizes very quickly.

One of the better whites tonight, if not the best. Very peachy, floral, honeydew, fresh cut melon, and orange blossoms, almost viognier-like. Nice and balanced too with some acidity on the finish providing a refreshing touch. Went well with the deep fried squid with fresh lemon.

Ripe red fruits, plums, black raspberries on the nose. Bright red fruits on palate too with an addition of dried cranberries, cloves, spices, moderately high acidity and gripping tannins. This is a different experience for me. First Aglianico tried, and I enjoy this a lot. Holds a good value too.

Takes the #3 spot in tonight's tasting. Deeper and denser nose of black currants, more oak and earthy minerality, and still has the spices of clove and coriander. The mouthfeel is richer too with softer acidity, higher tannins, and better balance between fruit, acidity, and tannins. All of this being compared to the Rubrato. I believe this will continue to age gracefully, bringing on more secondary characteristics and the tannins settling down a bit.

Not a huge fan of Primitivo, and in this tasting this didn't show as well as I'd hoped. Probably due to the fact that it was thrown in between some heavy hitting Aglianico. Fairly jammy red plums, strawberries, and some underripe raspberries. The tannins were a touch bitter and didn't add to the mouthfeel. Nothing too special, however given the circumstances of this tasting, I will give it another chance.

This is delicious. Rich, extracted, well balanced red. Loads of toasted oak, vanilla, ripe black cherry, currants, and a spicy finish. The tannins held this one back, especially when compared to the '99 Piano. This will be absolutely gorgeous in 5 years or more.

Wine of the night no questions asked. Paired perfectly with Bisteca Fiorentina. Very big, intensely extracted black fruits, fair amount of toast and vanilla, better integration of the tannins and oak than the Serpico. Some secondary tar and rubber came through towards finish with some volcanic ash, minerals, and earth. This is a complex, very well made wine that offered a huge educational experience for me; I like Aglianico.