5/4/2014 - wineslide wrote:

I am a little relieved after the last couple of bottles I drank that this one did not turn my stomach. I was really surprised when I took in the nose and noted red fruit, some oak and all of the savory elements I had seen in the past.
All in all, the wine was pretty tasty, but I cannot for the life of me believe the bottle variation that I have experienced with this one.
Will follow up with a Day 2 tasting tweet soon.

5/9/2014 - HowardNZ Likes this wine:

Some Spanish wines with dinner: Opened four hours before service (the minimum you need). Slow-oed. Colour impenetrable black red, the deepest of the three. At first a bouquet of bitumen, tar, rusty metal and wet soil. Then the aromas change to creme de cassis, smoke, liquorice, sour black cherry and roasted meats. Next it moves to crushed rock, minerals and dark plums, showing some spicy oak. An intriguing nose, not quite so interesting on palate. Initially the flavour profile is black berry fruit, tar, earthiness, black tea and sour cherry cola (not Pepsi, but with some sweetness). Later, in the glass, the palate fills out to some dark plums and red berry fruit, with savoury notes. Rich and opulent with a silky texture, quite modern in style, with ripe tannins. Good, deep mid palate, with good length. In the drinking window now (with good decanting) but will go 10 years more, easily. 100% Tempranillo.

7/11/2012 - bevetroppo wrote:

This set itself up as a "what's not to like" special. 100% organic and biodynamic estate in the Maremma, 100% sangiovese, no oak, under $20. A pleasing translucent mid-cherry red color, nose with bright notes of wild cherry and a distinct meaty, animale overbite that gives it an appealingly rustic character. My son, who appears to have some aptitude, has been learning about wine while home this summer, and blind he thought it was a Cote de Nuits village wine. Not a crazy guess at all.

However, this is one of the few wines I can remember that appeared to regress as it remained open. I don't mean it started to shut down, which can happen in a young wine meant for aging. I mean a bitter, somewhat stalky note crept in after about 30 minutes that made it less enjoyable for me, and the receding fruit brought on some alcoholic heat. I don't know why this had to be 14.5% unless it's an inescapable consequence of the warm Maremma clime. Xantippe (Santippe) was the wife of Socrates and reputedly the Mother of All Shrews. Can't quite figure out what they were getting at unless it means the wine will turn on you at a moment's notice. Interesting property to watch, but this fell just short of real drinking pleasure for me. Would give it/them another shot though.