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Gambero Rosso - top Italian wines road Show Amsterdam
Amsterdam - The Netherlands
Tasted February 11, 2008 by Jochems with 1,748 views
Introduction
An impressive line-up in a crowded room.
This was a tough job with lots of tannine-packed, too young Italian wines. But what a great event!
Flight 1 (28 notes)
Red
2003 Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
89 points
Nice aromas of ripe fruit and some floral and spicy hints. Medium bodied with chewy tannines. Medium-long finish with raisin character. Drink after 2010
Red
2003 Castello Banfi Summus
91 points
Deep ruby coour. Full aromas of black fruit and cherry. Full bodied with some nice fruit and chunky tannins. Medium-long finish. Drink now - 2015
Red
2003 Poggio San Polo Brunello di Montalcino
88 points
Black fruit aromas with hints of leather and some funky notes. Medium to slightly lean bodied with nice acidity balance. Long finish. Drink now - 2012.
Red
2003 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
90 points
Aromas of black fruit with hints of cedar. Full bodied with chewy tannins, but needs to integrate more. Medium-long, drying finish. Give it a bit more time. Drink after 2010.
Red
2004 Arnaldo-Caprai Montefalco Sagrantino Collepiano
93 points
Deep ruby colour. Full tones of black fruit, berries and toast. Full bodied with lots of fruit, fresh acidity and chewy, mouthpucking tannins. Long finish that keeps on lingering. This is a big one and has the structure to last, but needs some time to harmonise. Drink 2010 - 2018. My 3rd WOTN.
Red
2005 Arnaldo-Caprai Montefalco Rosso
86 points
Nice cherry and blackcurrant tones. Medium bodied and smooth. Short finish. Nice and clean, but lacking complexity. Drink now.
Red
2004 Colle Massari Montecucco Rosso Riserva
89 points
Deep ruby colour. Aromas of cherry with some earthy and spicy tones. Full bodied and fresh on the palate with well integrated tannins. Medium finish. Drink now
Red
2005 Cusumano Nero d'Avola Sicilia Sàgana
90 points
Deep ruby colour, almost black at the core. Full black fruit aromas with some floral hints and spicy tones. Full bodied and smooth with refined tannins. Medium finish.
Drink now-2012.
Drink now-2012.
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Red
2005 Cusumano Sicilia Noa
91 points
Deep red/ruby colour. Full black currant, cherry and plum aromas with some earthy hints. Full bodied with chewy tannins and nice acidity balance. Medium-long finish. Could use some time to integrate. Drink 2010 - 2015.
Red
2003 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga d'Alba
93 points
Light ruby colour. Full aromas of blackberry and cherry with floral and chocolat hints. Full bodied on the palate with nice acidity balance and refined tannins. Quite balanced already, but structure to last. Classic Barolo refinement and complexity. Drink now - 2018.
Red
2003 Tenuta Friggiali Brunello di Montalcino
90 points
Aromas of blackberry and blackcurrant with some funky tones and hints of tobacco. Full bodied with chewy tannins and fresh acidity. Medium finish. Quite well structured for '03. Give it some, but not too long... drink 2009 - 2014.
Red
2003 Pietranera Brunello di Montalcino
88 points
Dark ruby colour. Aromas of ripe black fruit with a slight hint of candy. Medium bodied with nice fruit and refined tannins. Medium finish. Drink now.
Red
2003 Tenuta Friggiali Brunello di Montalcino Donna Olga
89 points
Dark ruby colour. Full blackberry aromas with hints of cedar. Medium-full bodied with chewy tannins. Medium-long finish with some sweetness. Drink now-2014.
Red
2004 Luce della Vite Lucé
93 points
Deep ruby colour. Full tones of ripe black fruit and some plum character with hints of toast and cedar. Following trough full bodied with lots of fruit and chewy tannins. Long finish. This one has the structure to age quite well. Drink now - 2018.
Red
2001 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo Riserva
91 points
light ruby colour. Initially quite closed and almost strawberry-candy like. After some airation it showed beautifull blackcurrant and chocolate tones with hints of orange rind an leather. Full bodied with fresh acidity and refined tannins. Refined and subtle, but needs some time. Drink 2010 - 2020.
Red
2004 Marchesi Mazzei Maremma Toscana Tenuta Belguardo
85 points
Full aromas of blackberry with some hints of vanilla. Medium bodied with some edgy tannins, lacking fruit. Medium finish. Drink now.
Red
2003 Pio Cesare Barolo
92 points
Ruby colour, some bricking at the rim. Full blackberry aromas and hints of coffee, vanilla and toast. Full bodied, almost creamy in texture, with chewy tannins that could integrate a bit more. Big wine, impressive now, but give it some time. Drink 2010-2020.
Red
2004 Marchesi Mazzei Chianti Classico Castello di Fonterutoli
87 points
Nice aromas of black fruit, hints of toast/vanilla. Medium bodied and smooth. Medium finish. Nice, clean and well build but nothing to exciting. Drink now.
Red
2004 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Costasera
91 points
Deep ruby colour. Fresh fruit tones of berries and cherry, some hints raisin and herbs. Full bodied with refined tannins and fruit. Long finish, soft and lingering. Drink now - 2015.
Red
2004 Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vigna Asinone
90 points
Dark red colour. Full cherry and tobacco flavours with some herbal hints. Medium-full bodied with a good acidity balance and refined tannins. Long finish. Drink now - 2012
Red
2004 Azienda Agricola Lohsa Maremma Toscana Mandrone di Lohsa
85 points
Dark ruby colour. Aromas of blackberry and raspberry with hints of vanilla. Medium bodied and smooth, slightly one-dimensional. Medium finish. Drink now.
Red
2006 Ruffino Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Lodola Nuova
86 points
Red colour. Aromas of crushed berries and cherry. Medium bodied with chewy tannins and some candy hints. Medium-short finish. Drink now.
White
2006 Ruffino Chardonnay La Solatia Toscana IGT
90 points
Full aromas of citrus fruit, bread and some hazelnut hints. Full bodied and smooth on the palate. Has the structure to age, I expect it will gain some complexity. Delicious now. Drink now - 2012.
This was the only white I had during this tasting. The relief of freshness and (finally!) other aromas than black fruit and wood might have blurred my objectiveness on this wine!
This was the only white I had during this tasting. The relief of freshness and (finally!) other aromas than black fruit and wood might have blurred my objectiveness on this wine!
Red
2003 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino
87 points
Deep ruby colour. Aromas of black fruit with hints of leather. Medium bodied, slightly lean for a brunello. Refined tannins and acidity. Medium finish. Drink now - 2012
Red
2004 Còlpetrone Montefalco Sagrantino
88 points
Deep ruby/red colour. Aromas of cherry and blackcurrant with spicy hints. Medium bodied and round with fresh acidity and ripe tannins. Medium finish. Drink now. A bit dissapointing after my previous encounter with the '01 Colpetrone, and the '04 Sagrantino from Caprai on the same day.
Red
2005 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT
95 points
Deep ruby colour. Loads of black fruit and cherry aromas with hints of tobacco, toast and black peper. Following trough full bodied with layers of tannins and loads of fruit. WOW this is a big one. Super attractive now and build to last. Drink now (decant!) - 2024.
My WOTN.
My WOTN.
Red
2005 Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo Toscana IGT
91 points
Deep ruby color, purple at the rim. Full aromas of cassis and leather. Full bodied with fresh acidity and chewy tannins. Needs some time to ease down. Drink 2012 - 2020.
Red
2001 Pieve Santa Restituta (Gaja) Brunello di Montalcino Rennina
93 points
Ruby colour. Full aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant with hints of leather and a light floral touch. Folllowing trough full bodied with refined tannins, fresh acidity and a velvety texture. Classic Brunello. Could still use some time. Drink 2010 - 2025
Closing
Some final observations:
My top-3 WOTN where:
1 - Sette Ponti Oreno 2005 (95+ pts)
2 - Luce della Vite Luce 2004 (94 pts)
3 - Fontanafredda Barolo Seralunga d'Alba 2003 (93 pts)
The '03 Brunelli I have tasted during this event where slightly dissapointing. Perhaps thats why Gaja decided to show up with their '01 Rennina (BTW not officially on the list).