5/3/2023 - kwl wrote:

Cellartracker says that I drank a bottle of this in 2018, which I had no recollection of. But what a difference 6 years makes. Popped and slow-oxed 8 hours before dinner. Pale brown/garnet in the glass. The nose delivers an elegant/graceful but complex bouquet of red cherries/mulberries, meatiness/leather and mocha. The palate was harmonious, though could do with a bit more structure to balance the acidity. Drinking very very well now at 28 years of age.

5/1/2023 - kwl wrote:

Clear, deep garnet. Prominent and complex aromas of red cherries, red/black plums, candied cherries, balsamic, tar, truffles, cedar. Tannins are high but rounded and enveloping on the palate, but balanced by robust acidity and a long drying finish. Still powerful and many years from its prime. Looking forward to drinking this in 10-20 years time.

5/1/2023 - kwl wrote:

Clear, medium ruby with brown edges. The nose was pronounced with haw, black tea, mushrooms, forest floor, but with some fresher sour red cherries and red plums. Bone dry, high acidity, prominent raspy tannins, fairly high alcohol. Pronounced intensity and long finish. This bottle seems to be slightly more developed than it's 11 years of age. If others are like this, probably good to drink up. Will need to open up another to try soon.

5/24/2021 - kwl wrote:

Super tight and closed on opening. But an hour in the decanter, the fruit was singing and the tannins subsided. Not the profound or complex of wines, but definitely enjoyable, esp compared to other 2006s. Judging from this bottle and a 06 bricco fiasco drank recently, Azelia turned out enjoyable wines in 2006. Their approach seemed to have tamed the insane tannins from the vintage enough that the fruits can show through, unlike other producers where the fruit may well dry up before the tannins mellow down.

12/1/2020 - kwl wrote:

The aromas of bright red fruits and roses jumps out of the glass at you and is followed by darker stewed red fruits, tar and black tea. On the palate, there were smooth and fine tannins balanced by good acidity. As the night progressed, the stewed fruits got slightly more pronounced and the tannins faded away. There is just enough fruit and tertiary flavours for it to sit on the edge of youth and maturity. All in all, this is perfectly balanced and drinking beautifully.

5/23/2020 - kwl wrote:

This does not show like a 24 year old wine. Bright red/garnet in the glass with just the slightest hint of orange/brown. On the nose, elegant and restrained aromas of sour cherries and plums are present together with overtones of black tea, mushrooms, leather, tar and savoury notes. On the palate, a hint of fruit sweetness with a hint of prunes and stewed plums. Long structured finish but the mouthfeel was slightly rough, leaning a bit towards the prevalance of acidity coupled with mouthcoating tannins, which surprisingly have not mellowed. Needs plenty of age or air, but overall an enjoyable and pleasurable bottle, but which would be more pleasant with food to calm it down a bit.

5/23/2020 - kwl wrote:

Some what closed and reticent. A combi of fresh and stewed red fruits on the nose with a touch of savoriness and hints of mocha and vanilla. Tannins are nicely resolved but with acidity present enough to give balance. Not the most outstanding bottle of Sperss unfortunately, seems to be lacking that touch of exuberance...

5/20/2020 - kwl wrote:

Bright garnet in the glass. Young and tight, even after being in the decanter for 3-4 hours. Structured and elegant nose with high-toned cherries and blue berries together with floral and savoury notes. Young and fruit forward, but balanced and made more interesting by the savoury/leather notes. Balanced and structured in the mouth, though with grippy and slightly rough tannins and a hint of wood. Medium long finish, but seems slightly hollow on the middle palate. Long long life ahead of it, and looks like I’ll have to wait 2-3 years before the next bottle.

5/20/2020 - kwl wrote:

Quite tight and unyielding. Bright and deep black fruits, overtones of mushrooms, leather and earth. Smooth silky tannins and good balance. Very enjoyable now, but will need many years of bottle age to open up and develop more interesting secondary characteristics.

5/20/2020 - kwl wrote:

Tight and unyielding. Bright, black and blue fruits with a dose of leather. Mouthcoating but elegant tannins. Very enjoyable now, but will need many years of bottle age to open up and develop more interesting secondary characteristics.

5/18/2020 - kwl wrote:

Not terribly complex, but open and enjoyable. The nose has a good mix of cherries, leather and earth. Grippy finish that probably means this will last a few years. Don't feel that it will deliver the same level of pleasure in the future as it does now when the fruits and secondary aromas feel to be in balance.

5/16/2020 - kwl wrote:

Dark ruby with a brown brick edge. Not much fruit on the nose, mostly prunes, black tea, earth and leather. Tannins largely resolved but still with a backbone of acidity. Looks like the start of a decline, but not bad for a 20 year old wine from a warmer vintage.

5/16/2020 - kwl wrote:

Cherries and leather/mushrooms on the nose. There are still grippy and rough tannins.

5/13/2020 - kwl wrote:

Still very young and very tight, even after being slow-ex for several hours. Brilliant orange and garnet in the glass. Vigorous swirling brought out cherries, violets, leather, tar and black tea. Grippy but smooth tannins supported by a backbone of acidity. Long presence and finish. Think i'll have to let my remaining bottles sleep for quite a few more years....

5/12/2020 - kwl wrote:

This is a nice Dolcetto... Warm and restrained, showing quite elegant blue and black fruit. Good presence on the palate

5/11/2020 - kwl wrote:

Blue/black fruits on the nose with some notes of leather and tar and a hint of green on the finish. This was more slightly more syrupy on the palate but still with rough, grippy tannins.

5/11/2020 - kwl wrote:

Fresh and stewed cherries, leather. tar, mushrooms and white pepper on the nose. This was velvety smooth but still had mouthcoating tannins with a hint of the pungent herby finish right at the back of the mouth. Long finish, but could feel a bit of heat on both the nose and palate. Very enjoyable and hopefully the remaining 1/2 bottle will show better tomorrow!

5/10/2020 - kwl wrote:

Delightful and easy to drink. This bottle vanished in no time!

4/30/2020 - kwl wrote:

Slightly mature and very much less fruit forward then the previous bottle I had 2 years go. With a bit of air, the nose opened up nicely with lemons, honey, hazelnuts, lanolin and a touch of reductive and grassy/gooseberries notes. Good, round mouthfeel though it did feel slightly green with a long but faintly hollow and bitter finish.

4/27/2020 - kwl wrote:

Popped and poured. Garnet with brownish tinge in the glass. The deep but ethereal nose gives fresh and stewed red fruits with only a hint of tar, black tea and leather. Great presence on the well-balanced palate with fine, resolved but present tannins, sour mellow acidity and a pleasant amount of fruit sweetness with just a touch of alcohol on the back of the long finish. There are only great bottles, not great wines, and this was definitely one of the great ones. Very sadly, this was my last bottle......

4/26/2020 - kwl wrote:

Cork was soaked through but still had good integrity. Popped and slow oxed about 3 hours. Garnet with a brown edge in the glass. On the nose, cherries and tar and coffee, as well as interestingly, a very bordeaux-like graphite on the nose. Slightly syrupy and a bit hollow in the mid palate but with a long finish. Tannins have mellowed but are still grippy and prickly. Nowhere near as glorious as other vintages of this wine, could be the challenging vintage or some bad storage at some point, but definitely feels younger than its 27 years. Drinking well now, not quite mature yet and probably has years of life ahead of it.

4/25/2020 - kwl wrote:

Bright but light gold in the glass. The nose delivers lemons, lanolin, honey and hints of hawthorn, vanilla and salinity. There's still fresh, grippy acidity and the finish lasts and lasts. Drinking very well and I keep going back for another glass.

4/22/2020 - kwl wrote:

Still somewhat fruit forward, with high toned black fruits and noticable spiciness. Quite smooth tannins on the palate but with some rough edged acidity. Definitely a touch of elegance but not exactly what one would call complex.

4/19/2020 - kwl wrote:

Still fresh with no signs of oxidation. Predominately lemons on the nose with a hints of honey, minerality and higher toned spiciness. Mellow but present acidity and well balanced on the palate. Relatively serious wine which is very enjoyable now.

4/18/2020 - kwl wrote:

Interesting blend of Merlot, Pinot noir, Petit verdot, Chardonnay and Riesling. Slightly cloudy plum colour, bright red and black fruits on the nose. Very slightly off balance to my palate with the acidity sticking out a bit too much.

4/17/2020 - kwl wrote:

Unfortunately, this bottle seems to have aged badly, somewhat like a cantankerous, sour old man and was a far cry from the gorgeous bottle I had at a Cappellano dinner a few months ago. Sharp and sour fruits on the nose blended with leather and old tea. Was somewhat unbalanced on the palate with minimal tannins and sharp acidity.

4/16/2020 - kwl wrote:

Lovely wine, lemon, melon, spices on the nose. Medium length finish. Interestingly, DIAM 10 closure, so i've gotta drink all of this now?

4/15/2020 - kwl wrote:

Still quite fruit forward but the dense concentrated fruit very evident when young has softened and there's a bit of mushroomy, gamey notes starting to come through. Excellent balance, alcohol dosen't stick out, tannins are much calmer and acidity is mellow but present. This is at peak drinking and is thoroughly enjoyable now.

4/12/2020 - kwl wrote:

Big aussie shiraz nose, concentrated and fruit forward but not over the top. Still quite balanced on the palate, tannins and acidity resolved very nicely. Probably already at it's peak with a good 3-5 years of drinking ahead of it.

4/10/2020 - kwl wrote:

Pop and poured. A bit barnyardy at the start which resolved with air into bright red and dark fruits, a hint of gaminess and noticeable greenness on the nose. Grippy tannins and a good dose of green acidity that spreads across the tongue.

4/9/2020 - kwl wrote:

Fruit forward and concentrated, but still elegant and lightfooted. Stewed plums, cherries stand out on the nose. Mellow tannins with just enough acidity to be in balance. Definitely calmed down a lot from my previous bottles 2 year ago and drinking well today. Stylistically, this sits in between the Conterno and Cappellano barberas.

4/9/2020 - kwl wrote:

Very enjoyable bottle of champagne. Dry and crisp, lemons and pears with a touch of bread.

4/8/2020 - kwl wrote:

A very pleasant and easy drinking wine. Typical NZ sauvignon blanc, with the sharp edge of acidity slightly mellowed with bottle age.

4/7/2020 - kwl wrote:

Blackberries, plums with a hint of tobacco, spices and leather on the nose. Tannins slightly resolved but still grippy and well balanced by acidity and alcohol. Drinking very well now and will be enjoyable over the 5 years.

4/6/2020 - kwl wrote:

Last bottle from a case of 6 bought nearly 10 years ago. Did not look or taste like a 20 year old wine. Nose predominately red and black fruits with a hint of peppper, warm spices and leather. Silky smooth tannins though acidity seems to have faded a bit. Will probably drink very well for the next 3-5 years.

3/31/2020 - kwl wrote:

Sadly this bottle probably saw some bad storage or had a defective cork. The wine was very mature, starting to turn brown and was very cloudy despite having been stood up in the fridge for over a week. On the nose, it was all tea, tar and a hint of cherries. On the palate, the tannins were largely gone and only a touch of acidity remaining. Drank like it was 20 years older than its age and much older than the 1991 drank on the same night.

3/28/2020 - kwl wrote:

On the nose, lemon, lanolin and a hint of honey and matchstick. Bright and vibrant but quite well balanced on the palate. Still delicious on the 2nd day.

7/1/2019 - kwl wrote:

Bottle was opened in the morning and left to breathe on my desk for most of the day before drinking over the course of a long dinner. Tongue numbing tannins with a nose of bright fruit in the morning, not at all enjoyable. Did not present at all like a 13 year old Barolo. Opened up beautifully by dinner showing off a fragrant nose of cherries, roses, spices and a hint of tar/soil/undergrowth. I am kicking myself for only buying 2 bottles...

7/1/2019 - kwl wrote:

This continues to be one of my go to Champagne houses (together with RL Legras). Did not disappoint this night. Ample citrusy fruit backed up by supple acidity with moderate length.

7/6/2019 - kwl wrote:

16 years after vintage has calmed this fruit bomb down. Still dark red in the glass, abate with significant sediment. Typical Barossa Shiraz nose of dark black and blue fruits. Still lively in the mouth and with the alcohol taking a backseat. This bottle was much more enjoyable then the one I had 4 years back.

7/6/2019 - kwl wrote:

Gave me a bit of a scare when I saw staining on the cork after cutting the capsule. Thankfully the wine was great! Started out with a hint of bitterness on the palate but that faded with more air. Bright citrus and mineral notes with good balance.

10/12/2018 - kwl wrote:

(disgorged November 2013) Very nice. 5 years have calmed down the acidity a bit leaving good balance on the palate. Still showing more primary citrus and a hint of red berry fruit. Last of 18 bottles....

10/12/2018 - kwl wrote:

Decanted at the restaurant, drank an hour later. Lovely citrus nose with a hint of butter, nuts and minerals. Seems a bit short on acidity, but still quite balanced, full flavored and enjoyable. Probably better in maybe 4-5 years?

8/10/2018 - kwl wrote:

Double decanted 2 hours before dinner and drank over 2+ hours. Relatively young nose of cherries and roses mixed with some tertiary aromas of iron and puer tea. Slightly unbalanced with acid and alcohol distracting from the fine but powerful tannins and gorgeous fruit. Many more years ahead for this wine and look forward to opening another bottle in a decade or two.

8/10/2018 - kwl wrote:

Interesting nose of citrus and flowers. Palate had a nice balance of fruit and acid with nice persistence. One of the more interesting Pinot Grigios that I remember having.

9/29/2015 - kwl wrote:

Popped and poured. Had a glass with dinner and another the next day. A cloudy brownish red in the glass. Very nice fruit, leather and earth aromas. However, finish was a bit short and also felt a bit hollow. Probably won't be as long lived as the other examples tasted recently.

9/19/2015 - kwl wrote:

Red-brown in the glass. Still fairly young, but starting to show some aged leather and Nice balance of acidity and tannins on the palate. More forward and not as complex as the Collemantonni.

9/14/2015 - kwl wrote:

Popped and poured, drank over 2 nights. Dark ruby in colour. First night was more fruit forward with heavier dark fruits and a prominent herbal/earthy note. Much nicer on 2nd night, with more black tea and leather, sweet cherries and prunes. Tannins have resolved nicely with lingering acidity. Drinking well now with a bit of air and can probably last a few more years.

7/3/2015 - kwl wrote:

Ruby red in the glass. Medium body, cherries, tar and black tea on the nose. Great mouthfeel, well balanced. Still very young, and will likely improve with age.

2/15/2015 - kwl wrote:

Light yellow, with slightly larger bubbles. Yeast, honey and lemon curd on the nose and a bit more weight in the mouth with a nice long finish.