11/25/2009 - goudy wrote:

This wine the best example of pure and "classic" Sangiovese I have tasted at anywhere near this price. The tannins are fairly austere and dusty at this point which is to be expected considering a large portion of the grapes were fermented with the stems. This wine is built to last and after a few hours the fruit really came alive. This is not likely to be mistaken for a top-knotch Brunello of course, but for $20 I couldn't ask for more of a Sangiovese or any other grape. What is so impressive about Il Poggione in general and this wine in particular is the beautifully balanced acidity. To me, this is a refreshing red and it doesn't rely on oak to prop it up in any way. The tannin and lack of opulent fruit at this point in the wine's evolution may not impress some. I also would not at this point in it's evolution describe this wine as all that complex (but that is what Il Poggione's Bruenllos are for!). But to me, this wine is outstanding and will be one I enjoy for at least a decade to come!

9/20/2009 - goudy wrote:

Great Wine! White minerals, green vegetal notes, white pepper, clean, precise, and layered. Gruner-like in many of it's flavors and aromas but much more delicate. Delicious!

7/28/2009 - goudy wrote:

Found a few bottles of this wine on a retailer's "clearance" shelf so I was skeptical about the condition of the bottles but the wine manager assured me they had just been moved there from the temperature-controlled wine room for more visibility. I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised at how well the bottle was faring! Simply delicious, with well-integrated tannins, still-fresh aromas of warm cherries, red plums, faintly and enjoyably meaty, touches of spearmint, resin, and cloves carry through to the seamless palate. The only downside to the bottle I could find was that it did not evolve much. But in all fairness to the wine, we drank it in under an hour which is why I bought another to properly "meditate" over. I found the wine to have both regional and varietal character and definitely worth the $35.00 I paid!

7/28/2009 - goudy wrote:

Such a delicious and refreshing cabernet! I had tasted this particular wine with the winemaker (Ales makes quite an impression!) at a private industry luncheon. The wine was very impressive then (October 08) and it certainly has gotten better in the subsequent 9 months. This wine will probably not appeal to those who are looking for a lot of rich and ripe fruit in their cabs. It does however show terrific balance with lean but focused fruit (NOT UNDERRIPE OR RUSTIC!), a judicious use of oak, vibrant acidity, firm but fine tannins, and a hands-off approach to winemaking that is sorely absent from many cabs in the market. The wine was decanted/consumed over 4 hours and still could have used more time. I can't wait to see where this wine is at in a few years. Definitely recommended if you enjoy the finer examples of Bordeaux varietal wines from northern Italy/ Slovenia!

2/3/2009 - goudy wrote:

Remarkably crisp and very youthfull! This wine was a tremendous white wine value in my opinion. Great structure with a subtly effervescent and white pepper laden palate. There was a hint of brine and green vegetable (green beens & wheatgrass) character that bounced off the very precise lime citrus quality and made the wine a terrific (but not perfect) companion to the snow crab my wine-gifted girlfriend and I enjoyed with the bottle. I will be buying a few more of these and let them develop for awhile (5+ years). A little oxidation seems to compliment a great gruner like this when the wine is so well made.