11/8/2018 - esb wrote:

This is very tight and needs lots of air. After is opens, it has medium body, some richness, good fruit, but alway elegant in all respects. I expected a bit more power considering the vintage but it is nice in a more restrained style.

11/3/2018 - esb wrote:

Wonderful. Still some complex fruit. Round, rich, long, even beginning to end. This blend is from two specific vineyards. Quality.

2/2/2018 - esb wrote:

Ripe, delicious Barbera and Dolcetto blend. This is always good but this vintage is really nice.

12/30/2017 - esb wrote:

Wonderful. Beautiful powerful fruit. Rich and long in the mouth. Very nice wine. Drink now.

12/19/2017 - esb wrote:

This needs to be consumed. Unfortunately, the fruit shows the beginning signs of old age, with subtle celery and cooked vegetables in addition to the nice and still dominant classic sangiovese character. It might be starting to thin out a bit but 2005 wasn't ever big and rich. Nice wine. Drink.

11/28/2017 - esb wrote:

Very nice complete Sangiovese. My last bottle was off, and I assumed too old, so I was pleasantly surprised to find this in such good shape. Drink now.

11/28/2017 - esb wrote:

Ripe, sweet, powerful fruit. Rich, long, some tannin but gentle and starting to round out with air. I like this a lot and think it's fine for drinking now as the fruit is beautiful and the tannins soft and fine but it will certainly improve with time.

11/28/2017 - esb wrote:

Unfortunately this is dead. Nutty, caramelized, over the hill but still some Nebbiolo. A great wine in its prime but it had a very short period of perfection. I assume this was due to the wine's chemical balance. 2000 was warm.

11/10/2017 - esb Likes this wine:

Excellent now. Beautiful multifaceted fruit true to the grape. Rich and smooth, medium weight, nice bright food friendly finish. Great wine. Now or wait short term. Fantastic year for Cafaggio.

11/3/2017 - esb Likes this wine:

This is fantastic, complex merlot. The fruit is the highlight but it is a complete wine with good richness and middle weight in the mouth. Drink now or wait a bit.

11/3/2017 - esb Likes this wine:

Big, rich, ripe sangiovese that is starting to round out nicely for drinking. Great bold fruit at this stage in its life. Lovely wine with some air.

9/14/2017 - esb wrote:

Excellent. It's reduced so you have to deal with that. Once in clears great fruit, balanced, rich and ready to drink but no rush. Wonderful inexpensive, estate bottled Rufina. This is not an anomaly as they make good, authentic, age worthy sangiovese worth trying every vintage. Vintage quality doesn't alway track with Classico so keep an open mind.

9/9/2017 - esb wrote:

I was disappointed with this. The nose is subtle with some elegant sangiovese but it's not complex or interesting. I think the fruit would be better with less winery time as it seems muted and too generalized for its age. It's good in the mouth with reasonable weight, length and balance. Overall, good basic Chianti but not up to the quality of a single vineyard Classico riserva. I like this winery and have a bit of their wine but this isn't one of my favorites.

10/25/2014 - esb wrote:

Subtle but complex fruit of cherries/kirsch, herbs and background earth. It's even and smooth with some richness and just enough weight to keep it flowing across the palate. Really nice wine now. Requires attention but very rewarding. Not a wine for a big dinner party or rambunctious social gathering. Amazing nose.

10/2/2014 - esb wrote:

This is dry and bright with great fruit. I am impressed.

9/28/2014 - esb wrote:

This needs a 15/30 minute decant to blow off some funk and relax the overall feel. The fruit isn't as intense as some estates but it is a wonderful expression of classy Sangiovese. It's together/complete at this stage in its life and ready to drink. If you like older wine it has the structure to easily last a few more years. Very enjoyable.

9/22/2014 - esb wrote:

Dark color. This has both deep blackberry/blueberry and beautiful high toned floral aromatics. It is very dense in the mouth has minor, soft tannins and a rich long finish. Obviously this was produced from unique, great grapes. I think it's fine now but will be better in a couple of years and last quite a long time.

9/14/2014 - esb wrote:

This is still good but it's showing some older fruit characteristics indicating it's time to drink up. The fruit is typical Rhone in character, no doubt, but it's getting fairly generalized from age with the exception of the soil element which is strong and persistent. It needs time to settle down in the mouth but finally develops a smooth, rich feel. Nice wine. Good not great.

9/6/2014 - esb wrote:

As always, this wine is difficult to get right. It's reduced which must be cleared to reveal the fruit. It's tight and unsettled initially leaving a so-so impression in the mouth. There is still some light tannin and it's bright so temperature matters. It starts to drink after about 45min/1 hour. Before that, don't bother. I like the way it feels after it settles down. It's fine now, will probably improve, but perhaps at the expense of the fruit which seems a little less interesting with each bottle. It has lots of smoke and some complexity but the smoke dominates the fruit. Good with food but open it early.

9/6/2014 - esb wrote:

It's still ready, gentle, rich with good fruit. It works with food but there is no doubt it was a product of a warm/too warm vintage. As I indicated in earlier notes, I didn't realize the fruit would stay at its best for such a short period of time so now I'm drinking post peak. Nice wine. Drink up.

9/4/2014 - esb wrote:

Initially, this is shy and a bit tight with obvious acid and tannin. The tannin fades somewhat with time but the fruit never really develops much character. Not distinctive in any way but shows some overall charm at the end of the bottle. Wait. Fair, but not expensive.

9/4/2014 - esb wrote:

Still a lovely balanced wine with good acid, generous feel and interesting typical fruit. Drink now or wait.

9/2/2014 - esb wrote:

This had a primary, but complex, aroma and flavor. Based on the fruit I expected backward/youthfulness in the mouth but it was just the opposite, soft, smooth, rich and ready. I like the combination of grapy Petite on a ready, soft frame so I'm drinking and enjoying very much. Very nice.

8/29/2014 - esb wrote:

This needs to be consumed but it's a wonderful wine. It had pure complex Zinfandel fruit, a soft, low acid/high ph feel in the mouth and a rich, long flat finish. The fruit is moving past prime already showing some pruney, overripe characteristics and it doesn't have much structure to keep the fruit bright but it should be good for the next year or so. Great, high quality grapes in a low acid style.

3/10/2014 - esb wrote:

This isn't ready. Initially the texture seemed too rough but with time it mellowed - about an hour if you drink this today - and the next day it was silky. The fruit is not powerful but very classy. This was good but could be great in 5 years or so. Wait.

2/26/2014 - esb wrote:

The pleasant fruit is authentic but understated. It's quite bitter in the mouth, improves slightly with food, air, and as it warms but it remains rough to the end. Overall, it's not a good '06. I see I didn't mention the bitterness 5 years ago so this may be an anomaly.

2/23/2014 - esb wrote:

Very nice fruit. Still some tannin and not completely harmonious in the mouth. It's good now but it needs a few years and maybe more to show its best.

2/21/2014 - esb wrote:

The fruit is a bit understated but it's interesting and authentic. It's very gentle in the mouth, almost under extracted but even with enough richness. Nice table wine and a great value.

2/16/2014 - esb wrote:

The fruit isn't pure. Initially I thought it was dominated by oak but now, after tasting it again, the fruit seems modified by something else and not expressive.

1/31/2014 - esb wrote:

This has been available in my market for a long time but I haven't paid attention to it until I tried it, and liked it, at a store tasting. It's inexpensive but it tastes like real wine. Grapes, barrel, bottle - that's it, although probably not much barrel. It's dark, interesting enough, clean, even with some richness, and bright on the finish. I wasn't going to write a note but realized it is worth saying something since I enjoy it very much and look forward to drinking it.

1/29/2014 - esb wrote:

This is excellent now with intense fruit and perfect feel/texture in the mouth. It's very ripe showing slightly roasted/smoky characteristics in addition to typical Sangiovese fruit, very similar to the '03 Riserva from this estate. Compared to the Riserva, less time in wood keeps this closer to the grape/vineyard which is good in this vintage. One of my current favorites.

1/25/2014 - esb wrote:

Subtle, vague Sauvignon Blanc fruit expression with very light grass and some light melon. Decent balance when it's very cold but a bit fat and flat as it warms. Okay but much more exciting Sauvignon Blanc available.

1/25/2014 - esb wrote:

Serious reduction. Very fruity almost grapy after it's cleared but not a lot of complexity. Light and fresh on the palate with decent length. Could use some time but fine now. Basic wine without much excitement.

1/17/2014 - esb wrote:

Driven. This is showing signs of reaching 10 years old particularly in the color and aroma. The fruit is strong, enjoyable, not complex, pretty well integrated but shows prune, dr. pepper, and subtle wood. It's rich in the mouth, soft with no tannin and lingers. The alcohol does not show through. I like it now and see no reason to wait but it will be fine for a long time. Enjoyable.

1/6/2014 - esb wrote:

The very attractive primary fruit has faded away. At release this was bursting with complex fresh grapes right off the vine. It's integrated now but shows earth, smoke and very subtle summer green leaf aroma. The flavor is similar but ends with attractive soil. It's great in the mouth - silky and even but with good structure. Drink now. Keep cool to contain the alcohol. Still needs 30 minutes in a decanter.

1/4/2014 - esb wrote:

Initially the aroma has a very nice, high toned medicinal/spearmint quality. It fades after about an hour to toast, mushrooms and earth. It's okay in the mouth, not tannic at all, leaves a slightly uneven impression with no silk but it's certainly not bad. I don't expect great feel from 2008 so this is no surprise. Overall I like it now and will pop, pour and enjoy within the first hour or so.

1/4/2014 - esb wrote:

30 minute decant. This had good, strong, dark nebbiolo fruit with mostly tar and some subtle high toned cedar/flowers. It's not old but it's not youthful either. In the mouth it was medium, rich and even with no/very light tannin. Ready now or wait. Very enjoyable.

1/4/2014 - esb wrote:

The fruit wasn't right until a slight reduction was cleared. I raised the temperature a few degrees to fill the middle. This had dark fruit with road tar, good balance and was even across the palate. Needed some work to show its best. Nice wine. Good now, but this should make a good old wine if that's your preference.

12/26/2013 - esb wrote:

Still very nice. Perhaps a bit more advanced compared to last bottle but still good, maturing fruit and good balance in the mouth. Delicious at the table. Drink now.

12/26/2013 - esb wrote:

Big improvement since my last note in 2008. Very intense tar. Medium weight in the mouth, even, with a nice finish. Ready now.

12/25/2013 - esb wrote:

This has come together since my last note two years ago. Intense aroma and flavor and perfect in the mouth. Now. Serious, rich Nebbiolo.

12/25/2013 - esb wrote:

Authentic pinot at opening fades fast as it's dominated by oak/toast. The fruit is fighting unsuccessfully to get through. Not very harmonious on the palate. No silk, step down in the middle and a fair finish. Decent wine for the style. I would wait to see what happens.

11/5/2013 - esb wrote:

Although still good, the fruit has faded from its peak 4 or 5 years ago. Nice in the mouth and ready. Drink up.

10/28/2013 - esb wrote:

Attractive sangiovese aroma and good flavor. Very light, almost thin, in the mouth. Standard table wine. Now or wait short term.

1/22/2013 - esb wrote:

Consistent garnet to the rim. Beautiful mature aroma and flavor, no tannin, rich and full, now or wait short term. Nice wine.

1/11/2013 - esb wrote:

Ready now, intense mature fruit of orange, tar, leather. Ripe, light/medium, some richness and even in the mouth with very slight finishing bitterness.

12/29/2012 - esb wrote:

Going back many years the wines from this estate always had gorgeous pure Italian Sangiovese fruit but this vintage appears to be an exception. It's blended and has been for some time now, but the blending grapes seem to have dominated the Sangiovese. It lacks the intensity and purity of previous vintages. The mouth was light, lacked richness and finished short. It's young, obviously, and may come together with maturity, or perhaps it was slightly off, but I was disappointed with this vintage.

12/29/2012 - esb wrote:

My note from February is fine but this doesn't ever get full in the mouth. High acid keeps it bright, medium weight with some richness but it always feels like a good, cleansing food wine. Give it air. Enjoyable.

12/28/2012 - esb wrote:

Interesting nose, slightly baked, porty, spicy with similar ripe favors. Thick, ripe, sweet from residual sugar and low acid. Not a great food accompaniment but I enjoyed drinking it nonetheless. Overall, different, ripe, not really a table wine. Not sure how to score this but I would rate it much higher than the current community average indicates.

12/26/2012 - esb wrote:

Way too much oak and it's not well integrated with the other aroma/flavor components. Not flawed but we couldn't drink through it and finally opened something else. I like the wines from this winery and really enjoyed the '07.