7/16/2024 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

Drinking extremely well. Beautifully mid-weight with a perfect balance of medium/dark cherry fruit and earthy savoriness. Long finish. What a beauty.

5/4/2024 - ERU wrote:

4 hour decant. Had with meats and cheeses. (Meats and cheeses said together always makes me laugh. I don’t know why, but I’ve learned to take my mirth as it comes.)

Great nose of red fruit, leather, and bright cedar-y stuff. It is decidedly medium bodied with a palate of red fruit, some sort of subtle spice, and a leather jacket that’s been kept in a cedar closet. It’s elegant in a way that makes me a believer—maybe sometimes I don’t want Scarface, I want the Age of Innocence.

I enjoyed and appreciated this far more than my previous experience in December 2022. Look at what time can do! Heals a lot wounds, obliterates the testaments of once-great civilizations, bequeaths us jowls, and lets this fascinating juice evolve.

One more bottle I have. Tagging it for 2029.

4/8/2024 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

My WOTN. You cannot believe this is a 2003. Not a hint of over-ripeness--just pure elegance. Earthy nose that screams Bordeaux. On the palate, I loved the interplay of florals and red fruits. So silky. What a joy.

In prime drinking window.

2/16/2024 - Tim Heaton wrote:

tappo, cazzo

1/22/2024 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

Expectations were low given AG's 89 point rating and overall bearish note. The nose was very Pauillac-like--albeit one from a ripe year. The palate gave a similar impression, but there was an underlying (over)ripeness of fruit that I think would nudge most tasters to guess New World. The bright acid makes you debate it, though. Maybe it's the passage of time or maybe some bottle variability, but I am a bit higher on this wine than AG was. I think it is in the prime window for drinking. Just be prepared for something richer than you'd expect from the A-R label.

1/12/2024 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

Very deep dark red; opaque. Nose of blackberry and spice. On the palate, the wine has so much extraction of dark fruit that it pushed the limit of my senses. This is all surrounded by moderate new oak, and concludes with a medium finish with resolved tannins. As has been the case for me with the Durantou wines, acidity keeps things from turning into candy.

This wine is over the top for me, but I cannot deny that there is very good quality here and extraordinary value. For someone who likes big, rich new world wines, I just don't understand why this would not (at ~$20!!) render obsolete the fruit bombs coming out of CA.

1/9/2024 - nschmidt Likes this wine:

Served to ladies visiting my wife and they loved it. To be honest I drank most of it after they left. Delicious and ready to go.

12/18/2023 - fussyeater wrote:

North & Central Italy offline (Terra Rossa, London N1): An open nose showing red fruit and rose petals with some coffee grounds lingering. Pure and with gorgeous layers of concentrated delicious red fruit. Good freshness and proper length. One of the best wines of the night - in fact, group WOTN.

12/10/2023 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

From magnum. Really pretty, translucent Nebbiolo fruit. Silky mouthfeel. Not the best example of this wine in that it comes across as rather simple. But that said, it is easy to enjoy. It just drinks more like a Langhe Nebbiolo than a Barbaresco, IMHO. I went too deep on this.

11/27/2023 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

Super luscious, but enough acidity to keep it respectable, the 2009 Les Cruzelles toes the line between New and Old World. Loads of Merlot fruit, earthy notes, a super-smooth mouthfeel, and fairly long finish make this a total winner for the ~$40 price.

4/20/2023 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine:

My first bottle of this vintage from Calabretta, I agree with @Sleepyhaus. This (LVV14A) is very young and needs a few more years in cellar. To drink now it needs a lot of air. Enjoyed over three nights, it was best on nights two and three. It is a typical 14.5% ABV, so that's a change from the previous release, the 20012, which came in at 16.5% and was the biggest Calabretta I've ever had since my first vintage, the 2001. Calabretta is famous for holding his wines for many yerars prior to release (thank you !!) but it is also typical that they still need more time after release before hitting their ideal drinking window. I've had quite a few 2014 Etnas, it was an excellent year, and many of them are not yet ready. Each producer made different choices in 2014, like in all vintages, and this time it seems that Calabretta has chosen to make a wine that is less rustic and more austere than usual. I'm not sure what to expect in the future from this wine, but I have blind faith in Calabretta. There are two styles in Etna that I love, the rustic, complex, hedonistic one where Calabretta leads, and the lighter, aromatc and complex ones where Terre Nere leads. I'm not sure where this is headed but it certainly has the structure for longevity.

10/19/2023 - Robmcl920 wrote:

The '10 Costanti was an enjoyable wine, but if this bottle is an accurate depiction, it appears to be a bit past peak and likely to fade going forward.

The nose showed more savory aromas than fruit, with leather, a bit of animal musk, anise, dark brown spices, and dark red fruit. On the palate, the wine was quite delicate and finessed, medium to light in body, with sour red cherry, leather, savory spices, and red floral tones. The texture of the wine is resolved and in a good spot for drinking right now, while the flavor profile suggests there is unlikely anything to be gained from more time in the cellar.

Tasted at the Vinous 2010 Brunello event.

8/3/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:

Enjoyed with lasagne from the freezer after the Hillingdon time trials (I came 7th out of 8 due to a puncture) - Lovely nose, earthy but no funk, some dark fruits? On the palate - fine tannins, sour cherry and ripe cherry, lovely mouthfeel. Just the ticket.

And to be clear - I came 7th because 8th got a puncture.

7/29/2023 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Very good. Audozed 1 hr, and it was ready to go. Trace sign of age at the rim, with a ruby core. Voluminous nose, and broad, deep palate - pretty much what Percarlo is known for, right? It's early days, sure, but in the sense that it's also in its preferred window, too. This should drink at a high level for another decade, maybe two. Med>full bodied, long finish, developing complexity. By the final glass, some two hours in, it's a linebacker in a bespoke Brioni, at the Met. As this was served at cellar temp, the 15,0% abv was never an issue.
highly recommended.

https://www.ItalianWine.blog

7/26/2023 - Tim Heaton wrote:

Quite good. This was allowed to breathe, in bottle, for approximately an hour, and then followed for the ensuing two hours; it continually improved with each successive glass. There's a touch, equally divided between the core and the fringe of a solar nature here, but the wine is in balance at all times. I found the overall nature to be compelling as I'm a lover of purity and finesse. Muddyboots' note pretty much describes my experience, too. From the cellar of, and with, pigdaddy, the real star of the show that night. This can last at a high level for several more years, but, with some proper aeration, I'd be inclined to drink sooner than later, preferring the remnants of its primary nature to that of exclusively tertiary. Considering the release price, this is easily highly recommended.

A huge shout out to Pizzeria Mercato, in Chapel Hill area, for providing the level of food and service that were on par with the quality of wines we enjoyed; a must visit for those that are able.

https://www.ItalianWine.blog

7/4/2023 - Triforwine wrote:

Opened with mom and sister with duck breast dinner. I had brought this from my cellar to my dad some time ago. Of course we are all sad and I just couldn't bring myself to open any of my dad's wines yet after he passed away the day before. Besides my mom and sister wanted something younger. Decanted for 5 hours which was enough to begin to appreciate the character but this wine is starting to hibernate. I had tried it on release and it was better then. I still think this will be one of the best Clinet vintages of all that I have tasted (and I have tasted quite a few as I love this wine). 94 for now, potential much higher. HOLD.

7/4/2023 - honest bob wrote:

From 75cl, good cork, decanted 1 hour. Delicious light-medium bodied, dusty-crunchy-cherry Chianti, typical, unpretentious and exactly what it should be. Alas a CT member, Hanskvale, writing on 15.03.2023, rated this 79 points without bothering to write an explanatory TN. Draw your own conclusions. 89P

6/19/2023 - eoinhharkins Likes this wine:

Really enjoyed this tonight with some tandoori shrimp lots of mango, red apple skin, golden delicious, minerals , bright fresh herbs, subtle spring florals on the nose, similar plate with bright acidity and just the right amount of RS, lots of focus and a long finish

6/17/2023 - mikemboutiquewines wrote:

Had such high hopes for this. Absolutely terrible with Bret.

4/24/2023 - fussyeater Likes this wine:

Cassis and spice on the nose. Full bodied with quite firm yet regal tannins, tons of midpalate fruit and a little spice. Good freshness despite its youth. Leave well alone, for my palate it needs at least 15 years+. From a bottle decanted and followed over dinner in a domestic setting.

3/25/2023 - IQL wrote:

Interesting sangiovese, and honestly not my favorite stylistically. The quality of the wine is clear, but I'm left wondering why so much oak was used. To me this is very different from the Castell'in Villa, Montevertine, and San Giusto a Rentannano style. Comparatively, this is bigger and rounder with a lot of warming spices and vanilla / dark chocolate aromas. For those that like that style, this is a great wine.

12/24/2021 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

Incredibly youthful, you can't believe the label says 1955. And the dark color confuses you even more. Bright fruit on the red/dark red side of things, tons of soil character, floral notes, bright acidity, and an epically long finish. I don't usually go for wines this old, but this was truly an enjoyable bottle and worth the tariff if you can find it.

2/4/2023 - Intellectual Sasquatch Does not like this wine:

Decanted over a 5 hour period, tasting every hour. This wine has devolved further since my last bottle. I'm not sure how the other reviewers gave this such good marks, but for me, this wine is lifeless. It's been stored in a Eurocave at 58 degrees since 2007, so I'm not sure how it could be user error. This is drinkable, but the fruit is gone and the finish is off. My last bottle, but good luck to those who still have some from this vintage.

1/24/2023 - NickA Likes this wine:

Robert Rolls Burgundy lunch 2023 (St John): Magnum. Outstandingly fresh, bright and exciting Pinot, with delicacy and depth of flavour, and some sensuous, floral aspects. Despite the large bottle, we drank this very quickly. I'd say this is the best non-Cote d'Or red Burg I've tried.

1/23/2023 - Oliverl1 wrote:

Tried from the bottle, then decanted 2 hours, 4 hours and 6 hours and hardly noticed any improvement. This is another complete disappointment from this producer!

Over the past couple of years, I have had the ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘08 and ‘09 and EVERY bottle has been a disappointment for the money! Oh and I am not the PnP type of person. I am always happy to give wines some air for a few hours to 24 hours. I have been drinking Rioja (of which some has been very good and expensive Rioja) for almost 20 years and I just do not get this producer. I understand these wines are meant for aging, but, come on, this wine is 17 years and had 6 hours of air! Comparing it to Bordeaux, there are many, many wines from Bordeaux that can be had while they are still young and primary and they are actually enjoyable and worth the money. Just read my tasting notes. Lopez Heredia, I just don’t get you! You have wasted my money yet again!

For the price ($75) I can buy some thing like “El Puntido Gran Reserva 2007” or “Chateau Desmirail 2009” and they are not at their peak but knock the socks of Tondonia!

1/15/2023 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine:

I normally hold my Ultramarine a few years after release, but wanted to see how this new vineyard offering showed alongside the same vintage Charles Heintz BdB. Our group also opened a 2012 Ultramarine Charles Heintz BdN late disgorged.

Traditionally, I’ve found the Charles Heintz to show the classical vineyard expression of pure and ripe fruit, a small amount of oxidation of the fruit, and a distinct cream soda note. With that being said, the Michael Mara was quite different. Aromatically, it comes across like ripe Chablis. Much more lean and bright on the palate. Little bit of flint, lots of ripe lemon, Granny Smith apple, and a mineral/stony quality. Zippy acidity but the finish does pack a punch. Just like the other Ultramarine wines, this absolutely sports a great grower champagne vibe.

12/21/2022 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine:

Another excellent bottle, it required less air - around a 45 minute decant - than I expected. Consumed over two nights, it was equally good on both nights, equally complex in terms of aromatics and flavor. Lots of Nebbiolo character here, with a bit of roundness provided by the Uva Rara and Vespolina. It is highly aromatic, succulent, and has a nice mid-palate sweetness characteristic of more famous and expensive wines. I think that Antonio may have sold this short with his drinking window, it seems to me likely to be delicious through 2028. This is a remarkably complex and satisfying wine for the price, and it's a perfect 13% ABV. Outstanding QPR.

10/6/2022 - napasoutherner Likes this wine:

Had this champagne to celebrate the birth of my daughter. Been saving this one for a while. Beautiful toasty crisp notes. Light honey and almond. Medium finish

10/10/2022 - Michael T. Zoppo wrote:

(Consumed next to a 2006 Rayas) This is a second wine?! Good grief, this could pass for Rayas. What more do you need to know?

8/12/2022 - the godfather wrote:

WOW last bottle of this legendary wine

8/16/2022 - honest bob wrote:

From 75cl, perfect cork. Opened but not decanted 1 hour. Stewed plum scent, the unusually hefty (for a CC) 14,5% alc. pokes out of the glass in a threatening kind of way. Smooth, mid-bodied entry, with more overripe, stewed plummy fruit but hardly any tannins (yet...). Pleasant enough, but the mid-palate dries up and is just hot (alcohol) and inexpressively tannic. Mouth-puckering, coarse tannins set in on the finish, enhanced by alcoholic burn, iron filings, raw leather and more stewed fruit.
So what's going on here? I got panned for posting a critical review of this wine back on 09.03.2021, so I recognise that some people love this style. Lionshield, thanks for your CT TN and personal roasting dated 13.03.2021! I put off opening my last bottle until I felt fully fit, sober and ready to enjoy. But no, this pretentious, muscled-up, sledgehammer has niente to do with the youthful cherry joys of good ol' plain Chianti Classico (its designation); none of the herbal depth, concentration and purity of fruit, not to mention the supple tannic grip I'd expect from CC Riserva; and nothing at all to do with elite super-Chianti with Brunello pretentions (100€ Castello di Ama, anyone?) Hope you enjoy yours more than I did mine... 87P

8/9/2022 - Ryanzmckay Does not like this wine:

Flat
Was really surprised that this wine is sought after it drinks like a 20$ gas station rose.

8/9/2022 - Michael T. Zoppo wrote:

This is a bottle that I misplaced years ago and recently found in my cellar. I had hoped that serendipity would portend a transcendental drinking experience. Alas, it was not to be. Extraordinarily tight and tannic, this tasted like a sample from tank. I don't know if it is in a "dumb" phase or if there is some sort of fault at play (I detected no TCA), but this was really disappointing. I absolutely adored this bottle when it was young.

6/11/2022 - fcxj wrote:

Is the neon labeled version sold to clubs different, this was awful?

4/11/2022 - Michael T. Zoppo wrote:

Initially very shut down in the glass, my first reaction was one of disappointment. With air, some of the pretty Giacosa nose came out, but this didn't seem to show quite correct to me. There was some of the "fruitcake" that I look for in these wines, but overall the impression was a little dark, a little somber. I don't criticize a red label without some reluctance.

4/11/2022 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

WOTN (tie) in a tasting of 2001 Barolo & Barbaresco. Everything that makes Giacosa red labels great is in this bottle. Fruitcake for days, elegance, long finish....when you dream about Giacosa, this is is what you're dreaming about. Killer bottle.

3/19/2022 - MuddyBear Likes this wine:

Color beginning to show some age. Light bodied Chianti. Still fairly strong mostly red fruit, but tannins are starting to overwhelm. Strong backbone but think fruit is fading. Decent length for a Chianti. I have one more Time to drink up! A pleasant Sangiovese love the tobacco and wood notes. Think I paid $30 on release. Good QPR.

3/8/2022 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine:

The '18 Nervi is an incredibly beautiful young wine. Today, it shows a lot of promise and is fun to drink, but the best days seem to be well in the future. There is plenty of structure and concentration here for this to age for decades.

On the nose, I found very cool-toned aromatics with sweet, dark red raspberry fruit, fresh roses, orange peel, mint / cool herbs, and a bit of licorice. On the palate, the wine was very finessed in terms of tannins, elegant, yet also concentrated, in the way great Nebbiolo can be. I found a very sweet, somewhat exotic expression with very sweet pure red fruit, roses, and plenty of citrus peel and spices. The sweetness of the fruit and textural depth really stood out.

2/19/2022 - Deb293 wrote:

Ok...so this wine is beautiful. On day one the nose is dark and mysterious...forest floor, tapenade...well, you've heard all these descriptors before. But it's that last hint of acidity that intrigues me...like that squirt of balsamic you add at the last minute. Just a profound expression of Syrah...what can I say?

2/18/2022 - Michael T. Zoppo wrote:

First experience with this wine, and I wonder if it was off. The nose was very pretty with dark red fruits and a kiss of oak. But the palate had some slightly cooked / Port-like notes that don't seem to align with what others have experienced. I have a bunch more and hope for a different experience in the remaining bottles.

2/16/2022 - awilliamson4 wrote:

F'ing delicious

1/10/2022 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

Beautiful cherry, raspberry, and touches of plum. Snappy acidity, medium bodied, and complex finish. This shows no sign of decline, but is drinking so well right now that you shouldn't miss it.

1/31/2022 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

This screamed Grenache and had a sandy-soil lightness and red-fruitedness that recalled Pignan (I won't say Rayas!) or des Tours. Raspberry notes for days. Really nicely balanced at 13% ABV. Total winner and worth every penny of the release price (~$115). Drinking great right now, and probably another 5 - 7 years of prime time.

11/8/2021 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

From magnum, this showed wonderfully. Beautiful and pure cherry fruit--just so much pinot character. Not the slightest bit overdone--perfect balance of fruit and acid. What a wonderful wine to follow through a meal. Drinking great right now, and easily 7 - 10 years of drinking ahead, especially in mag. This cost $65?! Insane!

1/12/2022 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine:

Much better than my first bottle, this wine was very pleasing to my dinner guests, with a big aromatic and flavor profile, sappy acidity, gentle tannins and wonderful balance.

1/8/2022 - Marius123 wrote:

Great stuff. Rich and smooth, not as acidic as Barberas normally are. Seven years in the cellar helped.

12/10/2021 - lozatron Likes this wine:

Christmas Wimps 2021 - It's a Wonderful Life (La Trompette): Clearly of a type with the 97 it was sat beside, but probably readier to go. In burgundy terms, this might be a 2006 or possibly a 2002, when sat beside the 1999 of the 1997...again, a just really well put together wine, no rough edges, and it's easy to see why it has the following it has.

12/1/2021 - fussyeater wrote:

This was decanted at 3pm and drunk from 7pm and suffice it to say is an absolutely huge wine. Hard to really pick out the fruit - although dense red fruit it is - think succulent cherries. The tannins were very silky and polished although not overly oaky. In short everything seems to be there, but at present there is no subtlety. Scored as tasted today yet I harbour high hopes in 10 years+++.

3/21/2020 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

Wow. What an elegant, red fruited Nebbiolo. Tar and roses on the nose, along with red fruits. Bright red cherry on the palate with great acidity. Long, round finish.

This wine is a ridiculous steal.

3/19/2021 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:

100% Sangiovese grown in a mixture of sandy and clay soils. It sees no oak, only steel and cement. Minimal sulphur.

Translucent red. Nose has lots of red cherry, spice and earth. The palate comes through similarly, with crackling acidity and a laciness or weightlessness that speaks to the sandy soil--but there's still an underlying savory depth that keeps you in Sangiovese (another taster called it "meatiness" and that's a good way to put it).

There is an element of Montevertine meets Rayas here. The winemaker is young and I think this is an estate to watch. At ~ $25US, an easy buy for Sangiovese enthusiasts.