50% Cab Sauv, 40% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo
Anteprima tasting. Purple/ruby coloured; very young looking. On nose, very intense and persistent, fruit, roses, aromatic herbs, licorice and menthol. Palate: rich, concentrated, big wine (lots of sun: “grande sole”, said Chiara L.); high alcohol, high acidity, high level of smooth tannins. I like it. Will improve.

Ruby with narrow garnet rim. Some herbal/balsamic character on the nose, but not much else. Minerals and a bare touch of fruit on palate; fresh acidity; alcohol warmth, lowish/smooth tannins. Nothing special; not nearly as interesting as the 2000

Ruby with bricking at rim; dense. Not much of a nose; a little non-descript fruit. Thin, lacking in length and complexity.

Garnet; dense. On nose, started with some rough notes that mostly blew off, revealing nice fruit, earth, roasted nuts and a little wild animal muskiness. Compelling sweet and bitter sensations; high level of muscley tannins (but not astringent). Richly concentrated, full bodied, long, complex. Chiara L. said that this was the first vintage influenced by Denis Dubourdieu. Love it.

Garnet, fully mature in appearance. Brambles, mature fruit, very pleasingly intense. Just right in all its structural components; nicely balanced. Chiara L. said that 1988 was “annata bizzarra”. Couldn’t catch exactly why. Second favourite of the tasting.

Fully garnet, totally oxidized-looking. Very intense bouquet of cooked fruits, sherry/port/Madeira, old and balsamic. On palate, acidic and salty. Very weak in body. Way past its prime. Those with the “gout anglais” kinda liked it (well, didn’t hate it).

Mature garnet colour, darker and with greater depth than the 1982. Ickily feral on the nose; strong animal, barnyard, and balsamic character. On palate, much better than the nose; some sweet fruitiness, good tannic structure; nicely balanced in all the structural components. Would probably show much better if it were Audouzed. 81

Garnet and orange; fine sediment. Just smells old and oxidized; creepy. Interesting on palate – soft/smooth tannins and fresh/sharp acidity; very interesting, almost charming. Hard to get past that nose, though. Another candidate for Audouzing.

Garnet, approaching orange; fine sediment. A lot more refined than 1979. Intense, persistent, long, complex, sharp acidity but soft tannins.