12/19/2020 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine:

Give this an hour or more to open up. No rush in bottle either.

2/3/2019 - Sugarb Likes this wine:

Continues to be one of my favorites from the ‘10 Brunellos. Used it to introduce Brunellos to someone for the for the first time, worked like a charm.

10/13/2017 - Erik R. wrote:

Usually hate personnel background tidbits in tasting notes, but... This is right in the middle of the Sonoma/Napa fires. Have a friend at the bottom of Moon Mountain, so I've been obsessing over the maps watching the fires advance and the wind forecasts for the past 4 days. Turns out, Monte Rosso is right over her house. It basically acted as a fire break for her property, blocking it from any harm. Looks like the vineyard will pull through as well. Anyway, saw this in the store today, and thought it might be appropriate. End of dumb story.

Stormy zinberry, brambly rich aromas. boysenberry pie, baking spices, great flavor amplitude. Young and primary, obviously. lots of power in the best sense with pleasing juicy acidity, spicy cool finish.

Glad these grapes existed for more than a couple of reasons.

3/12/2017 - dhp. Likes this wine:

This was a bottle that was stored in likely poor condition, in a store known to be warm in the summers, and the label was in horrid condition but the price was too good to ignore. Plus, it's sweet riesling, so it's got as good a chance as any non-fortified wine of holding up, right?

Well, the cork fell apart. Apparently 2005 Prums might have some pretty crappy corks.

I write this note over a year later because it's still one of my benchmark wines, and now with some more perspective, I can safely say that it continues to impress in my memory. One of the best rieslings I've ever had. What stands out in my memory the most is the incredible finish. I could still taste slight orange peel on my tongue even hours later. This might be more advanced than a well-cellared bottle, but honestly, it might've almost been for the better.

3/24/2018 - franinnyc Likes this wine:

Good. Was expecting more from such a great vintage. Not sure if more time will help.

3/17/2018 - DCHawkeye Likes this wine:

The '04 Uccelliera continues to amaze. 3 bottles left from my case, and then on to the '06. I can only hope the '06 is as unbelievable as the '04s have been

6/8/2017 - tomherer Likes this wine:

Halfway through the first glass and already just bought (well, auctioned on WineBid, technically) more bottles. It's that compelling. As expected, enormous raspberry, cherry, and blueberry fruit. Really ripe, polished, and pure SB profile. But it's also got mocha, dried thyme, tea, tobacco, vanilla, and chalky tannins that give a great balancing grip. Delicious, yet serious, AND a great value; i.e. the Sans Liege calling card.

1/1/2018 - grapist Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully. 2005 St Emilions fit MY flavor profile. Great depth and complexity with fruit that doesn't slap you in the face.

11/9/2017 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine:

This is not a bad wine per se but it is so light I have a hard time believing the 70% Cabernet is right. More like 100% Sangiovese. Yes, it is overpriced by $12 (2X) for what it is, it drinks like a really good everyday Chianti. Light red color, sour cherry nose, good acid balance, mild structure, and a lingering acid finish with 12.5% alcohol. Judged as that it is very nice but at $23 move on. BTW I bought this at a wine shop that touted it, no more shopping there.

1/20/2017 - Outplaying wrote:

Popped and poured. Some oak spice, cinnamon (Ann said coconut) and earth on the nose. Ripe and fruity, black in tone, with slight caramel and charred tones. Medium plus acidity balances out the fruit and slight sweetness. This is fine, but after buying this every vintage for a decade now, I won't continue. This is too big and modern for where our tastes are now. I think I saw where the 2012 is 15.5%! Ann liked it more than me but it knocked her out.

Day 3: I was too hard on this wine a couple of days ago. Today the wine is better balanced as the fruit has toned down and even gained some shades of red cherry. Less sweet and ripe. I like it today and will let the others rest for a while.

3/24/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote:

Some great wines with the boy Scouts - Year 2 (BSA Fundraiser): So, it was a free for all on the Sauternes. A bit of a talk about Sauternes in general and then come on up and try one. There were four. There was a 375ml of this and I was first in line. A wow wine to be sure. i let it sit in my glass and warm up while I finished my meal and other wines and then got to this. Copper/gold in color. The nose is amazing with apricots and honey and slight orange peel. On the palate, this is viscous, sweet, not cloying with excellent acidity. Long finish that is very persistent. Complex. Delicious. Wow.

3/25/2017 - danseng wrote:

Clio has a special place in my heart as it was the first "expensive" wine I ever bought. I found the 2002 vintage on closeout for $32 in 2007 and fell in love with it. I've purchased at least 6 bottles of every vintage since then (except 2003 which was so hard to find I could only track down 1 bottle). Now, my tastes have certainly changed (like most people the more I learn the more I like balanced wines) but I just didn't enjoy this much at all last night. No acid to speak of and it just felt like I was drinking an average Petite Syrah from CA. For the sake of the 25 other bottles of Clio I have I hope maybe the vintage has something to do with it or it maybe was just a bad bottle.

3/26/2017 - gsquireh Likes this wine:

Has turned into an old soul Bordeaux at the ripe young age of seventeen. Possesses all the characteristics of classically structured Bordeaux of 80's and 90's but benefits from the modern winemaking style and capabilities (and the vintage) of the 2000. Textured and rich with revealing plenty of blackberry, black currant, cassis, licorice, forest floor and spring garden, sweet barnyard and sweet tobacco. The silk tree blossom aromas, and silky smooth, balanced finish linger in mouth and memory.

2/18/2017 - bonedoc wrote:

2010 Brunello Tasting – 12.2016

Very limited notes (apologies) – all wines were good, one corked Tenuta Nuova, Giodo and Nuova were group fav’s, Gaja’s were darker/bigger in style, Renieri and Siro Pacente least favorite of group.

Mastrojanni – lighter fruit profile, good acid, less tannin, brighter style
Giodo – wow, really good, right up there w/ the Tenuta Nuova
Casanovi Tenuta Nuova - group’s favorite. Rich, tannic at first but then opened up.
Siro Pacente Vecchie Vigne – tannic, early, unimpressive compared to others.

Also tasted: Gaja Sugarille – tannic, short finish; Gaja Rennina bigger wine opened up later; Casanova Neri Cerratalto ripe and rich, Renieri softer, rounder in style

12/13/2015 - SoorajB wrote:

Hesitantly, I am going to have to be a contrarian on this one. For a bottle retailing for $38 and from a supposedly spectacular vintage, I was expecting much more. It lacked complexity and depth. Glad I only bought one bottle to try before buying more!

9/11/2013 - WineAggregate Likes this wine:

Why are people rating this so low? It's a lovely wine and will improve. Good structure, acid balance, tannins, dark fruit, very enjoyable.

2/20/2015 - bevetroppo Likes this wine:

On first impression (after decanting and waiting for a half hour), this is not necessarily a sock-knocker-offer. Don't get me wrong, it's an exciting glass of claret, but I don't understand for a second why Lord Voldemort would have described it as "enormous, even monstrous in the mouth..with tremendous extraction, broodingly backward, dense flavors, and copious tannins."

Hey, unlike Lord Voldemort, I'm not the greatest wine critic who ever lived, so what do I know, but this mid-weight wine seems much more about balance and a supple, catlike femininity as opposed to being a minion of the Dark Lord, which come to think of it, when has Leoville Barton ever crossed that line? After tasting 200 2000's that day, did "he who must not be named" get his sample confused with Chateau Montrose? Can a wine labeled as 12.5% even achieve oral monstrosity, or Montrosity? Inquiring minds want to know.

My instincts to decant appear to have been sound, because even at an hour plus it's still somewhat closed. Pretty deep red color, mostly still opaque, lightening to attractive paler pinkish red at the rim with no signs whatsoever of advancing age. Nose a freshening mix of cassis, graphite, cedar with some black pepper on the perimeter. Balanced, round, medium-bodied, plenty of tannin but in proportion. A bit drying on the finish, though.

Two hours later: No more open than before, actually seems a bit shut now. Maybe a little coffee creeping in. I can't tell if it needs more time to unfurl, but I wish there was more fruit-that would help.

1/31/2015 - caeleric Likes this wine:

the best < $15 i've ever had. just fantastic stuff. deeply fruited, nicely spiced, holds your attention well and remains in balance. lightning in a bottle. will probably get even better in another year or two. 90-92.

4/6/2014 - BadOyster wrote:

I'm not sure I can get a better full-bodied red for $7.50 ...