10/22/2019 - cortoncharlie wrote:

The bottle and level looked like it was in good shape. But inevitably it was another crappy bottle of tired old Italian. We tried hard to find some merit to this but it was like convincing yourself some good comes out of a broken leg. Note to myself: please don't get suckered into buying these things any more....

9/7/2018 - pablopilot wrote:

If I’d wanted a Shiraz I’d have asked for one... if I’d wanted to get smacked across the side of the head with a two by four I’d have asked for that too... I mean, this is low yield, cool climate wine that tastes like crushed grape jolly ranchers mixed with NyQuil, and hits with the punch of a boilermaker.

Do I hate it? No. It’s a bit like a too-friendly, over eager, high energy puppy that just won’t leave you alone. It’s not exactly leg humping, but you end up with hair all over your clothes and saliva on your face. And... it’s a St. Bernard. Or maybe a Rhodesian ridgeback. Big. I don’t know, I’m new at this wine-dog comparison game. It’s not a bad thing. If you could reign it in, train it up, get a leash on it, it’s got some good, deep, layered flavors in it: you got your blackberry syrup, your grape candy, your brandied cherries, your dark, dark chocolate... the label says thyme... sure, why not. But any aromatic quality is overwhelmed by overwhelming extraction, massive concentration, general bigness.

Maybe 48 hours of decant would gentle this out a bit. Maybe ten more years in the cellar. Right now it is basically dessert. Not a bad thing, just a little too modern and too Aussie for me to really love it.

9/6/2019 - m.lupus Likes this wine:

Here it says "Red Blend" but on the bottle says "Sangiovese in Purezza", which would indicate 100% Sangiovese, so not sure. At any rate, the bottle doesn't look much and doesn't cost that much but it contains a minor treasure. It feels like a combination of `classical' Tuscan Sangiovese and Nerello Mascalese from Mount Etna, that is, a bit more mineral than a `classical' Sangiovese. Aromas of strawberries and raspberries, total harmony, just a touch of sweetness. I am willing to say "Sangiovese in Grandezza".