4/20/2024 - Jcwl Likes this wine:

Very young with high acid and modest aromas, but beautiful balance and length. Best ever vintage and great qpr at 20 USD in Denmark.
The remaining bottles will now rest 3-5 years.

11/12/2023 - Jcwl wrote:

Corked

11/3/2023 - Jcwl wrote:

Medium ruby colour. Classical Nebbiolo flavors of cherry, mint but also some mahogany and smoke. The fruit is fairly lean with high level of acid and tannins. This is a wine that demands food and time! I drank the last glas 3 days after opening (the bottle was vacuumed), and it was still fresh although the acid had subdued and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I will hold the remaining bottles at least 3-5 years.

9/28/2023 - Jcwl wrote:

Slight brown edge revealing the 10 years on this wine. Cherry, pine needles and herbs in an intense nose. Fruit is medium intensity and acidity is high. Long aftertaste and I thoroughly enjoyed this old school brunello. Will drink well the next 5-7 years, but I have a slight worry if the fruit will be able to balance the acid over time.

12/30/2021 - Jcwl wrote:

What a Wine! Elegant yet powerful and with tannins to guarantee a long life ahead of it. And this in spite of the vintage. Impressive.
Nebbiolo classic scents of cherry, roses and mint. Towering structure and length with a strong taste of English liquorice. Unfortunately my last Ovello from 2007.

10/2/2021 - Jcwl wrote:

Classic nebbiolo colour with some browning on the edges revealing it’s age. To me telltale smells of tar, mahogany, roses, mint and light berries. However, a really feminine and elegant wine with an impressive structure and tannin bite. Burgundy in Piedmont. Completely fresh and with plenty of mileage ahead.

9/20/2021 - Jcwl wrote:

Great and completely fresh bottle. No sign of oxidation. Quite Dark for sangiovese and full bodied with Amazing scent.

3/7/2020 - Jcwl wrote:

Expressive mose of cherries and a lot of minut and smoke. Medium to full bodied with no sign of oak. Better Than I expected and enjoyable All Ready at this point in time.

12/26/2018 - Jcwl wrote:

To my surprise a fairly advanced nose with some oxidative signs. However, the barrique treatment is fully integrated. In the mouth a massive wine with huge fruit and structure, and a promise of many many years of development left.
The question is whether the oxidative notes on the nose will worsen or not, but to me that is the question marks. In short I clearly prefer the traditional riservas from this great estate.

8/11/2016 - Jcwl wrote:

What a difference two years have made. Beautiful nose of cherry, spices and some well integrated wood. Medium mouthfeel with dark fruit and long aftertaste. The balance is perfect and a stunning Rancia which to me is ready, however, it will certainly develop further and stay fresh for at least a decade.

7/12/2015 - Jcwl wrote:

Quite developed already with a classic intoxicating nose of cherries, barnyard and flowers. Medium mouthfell with great balance and some sweetness. Better than many brunellos and I have enjoyed 4 bottles of this wine within a few weeks...

3/12/2015 - Jcwl wrote:

corked

2/1/2015 - Jcwl wrote:

Elegant yet with an abundance of cherry fruit. What a delight drinking now but it can easily hold another 3-4 years.better than many BDM.

12/19/2014 - Jcwl Likes this wine:

pop and pour. nose of dark berries, mint and roses - not the most expressive smell. medium mouthtfeel some minerality, and long aftertaste. just terrific, al though modern with some oak.

9/19/2014 - Jcwl wrote:

Intense nose filled with dark cherry, flowers and pipetobacco. Quite potent sangiovese here and heavy mouthfeel with lots of ripe fruit and well balanced acid. Still young and will benefit with a couple of years mire in the cellar but clearly very very nice now.

7/7/2014 - Jcwl wrote:

Sensational qpr. Cherry, flowers and earth in the nose with a fruity yet mineral mouthfeel. Long aftertaste. Like the great 2006, only better.

6/22/2014 - Jcwl wrote:

Great wine. Delicious chianti with intoxicating nose of cherry, nailpolish and flowers . Medium weight fruit and lots of acid and tannins. Will last another decade but has entered drinking window. Long aftertaste.

5/16/2014 - Jcwl wrote:

Slightly oxidized nose with cherries, flloral and nailpoilsh. Massive structure, medium fruit and quite long aftertaste. Undoubtedly a wellmade wine but not as good as il poggione in other vintages. The oxidized nose bothers me and slow-ox did not help.

5/10/2014 - Jcwl wrote:

Quite dark for 100% sangiovese. Cherry, pine needles, band aid, cedar and earthy tones in the nose. full bodied, medium acidity and ending. Maybe just too young at this point, but it did not live up to my expectations.

5/2/2014 - Jcwl wrote:

Amazing wine. Nose packed with bright red fruit, cherry, leather and floral tones. Lots of fruit and minerality and an incredible ending. This wine is young but can easily be enjoyed now and probably 20 years from now. Best brunello ever.

3/18/2014 - Jcwl wrote:

Incredibly young wine 12 years after harvest. Light ruby colour. Cherry, leather, flowers and discreet touch of wood (vanilla). Medium mouthfeel some minerality not much acid and just great taste of sangiovese at its best. Long aftertaste and a wonderful wine, wish I had more.

2/28/2014 - Jcwl wrote:

Ruby colour, nose beautifully dominated by flowers, tar and mint. lightweight fruitwise and quite astringent but nevertheless delicious. A very feminine wine and in my opinion ready but it Will surely last 5-7 years more.

2/20/2014 - Jcwl wrote:

oozing of leather, tar and liquorice like an islay whisky! also some cherry and mint though. medium mouthfeel with some acidity, nice balance. Long aftertaste. A really fresh wine without significant signs of aging - should last another 10+ years but delicious all ready now.

2/15/2014 - Jcwl wrote:

Deep colour with a slight sign of aging on the rim. Expressive nose of cherry, cedar wood, earth and flowers. Lots of muscle and fruit and long finish. Impeccable balance, beautiful wine with +10 years left. Great qpr at ca. 40$.

12/11/2013 - Jcwl wrote:

in various forums this wine is always mentioned as the one for the long haul, buth this one was mature! and exquisite with impeccable balance and long aftertaste. classic nebbiolo scents and taste.

11/27/2013 - Jcwl wrote:

Very perfumed nose of roses, leather and asphalt. Medium mouthfell with exquisite balance and long aftertaste. A hugely postive surprise and a wine at the top of its game.

6/5/2013 - Jcwl wrote:

Pop and pour impression: Very dark color with a light bricking at rim. The nose is dominated by dark berries, nailpolish and wood with a rhum-raisiny touch to it. IN mouth massive not overly sweet fruit, great structure and drying tannins - long aftertaste. It's clearly enjoyable at this stage, but I guess it will be more complex in 2-3 years time, and I find the wood too dominating at this point in time. I prefer the 2005-vintage which I find more elegant.

6/8/2012 - Jcwl wrote:

Leather, marzipan, roses and mentol in the lovely nose. Elegant yet solid cool fruit with plenty of both acid and tannin. long aftertaste. Far too young but nevertheless a nice experience. Hold 3-5 years.

6/6/2012 - Jcwl wrote:

A very young and impressive Rdm. Cherries, chocolate and nice oak with well balanced acidity and tannins. I wouldn't be surprised if this will improve with 2-3 years more in the cellar and drink well untill 2018-2020.

6/3/2012 - Jcwl wrote:

This is a hugely promising brunello. At first somewhat muted but after 4 hours slow-ox it opened up revealing cherries, berries, flowers and nailpolish. Lots of fruit but ending a bit short at this point. I will not taste again before 2015 but I expect this to be among the very best Bdm. in 2006 vintage.

5/11/2012 - Jcwl wrote:

Santa Maria has been my favourite under the radar producer in Montalcino since I first tried the 2000-vintage. Marino has developed as a winemaker since then, and the 2007 Bdm is just wonderful. Cherries, flowers and some nail polish in the nose and multiple layers of fruit showing the 2007 typicity and sexiness in the fruit, however, with plenty of years to go I'm sure. Extremely long and a great wine that easily can be enjoyed already now. No barnyard smell btw.!

5/5/2012 - Jcwl wrote:

Far more fleshy than the previous and delicious. However, I missed some definition and acid, and in my opinion this will not hold the same class as the 2006-vintage.

4/15/2012 - Jcwl wrote:

I have a love-hate relationship with Flaccianello, and my conclusion so far is that I should drink them young before they get that sherry-like tone. Today classic sangiovese with layers of fruit and some oak, but not too intrusive oak. Great balance and aftertaste - overall very very nice.

4/13/2012 - Jcwl wrote:

Incredibly young for its age. Plenty of everything left for another 13 years, but nevertheless a nice experience already now.

2/17/2012 - Jcwl wrote:

Surprisingly easy drinking young barolo. Nice nose with clear smell of wood-treatment but also classical nebbiolo character. IN the mouth wonderful balance and just open for business from first sip. Womderful modern young nebbiolo.

1/7/2012 - Jcwl wrote:

Textbook barbaresco and again I'm amazed by the qpr. This wine has developed some terirary aromas and posesses a great balance between minerality and fruit and fairly long aftertaste. Will benefit of longer cellaring but nevertheless delightful now.

11/5/2011 - Jcwl wrote:

Nice nose with bitter cherry, mint, marcipan, leather and some alcohol. In mouth a powerful nebbiolo with a strong mineral backbone ending medium-long. Day 2 same experience. A well-made wine but never the less not what I'm looking for in nebbiolo.

7/9/2011 - Jcwl wrote:

- It's balanced with a medium finish - Totally in line with Kampster. Delicious and open for business as opposed to many other Bdm 2004. Great value.

5/20/2011 - Jcwl wrote:

What a treat. Typical petit arvine nose with tropical fruits and citrus. Medium mouthweight, crisp and nice mineral backbone. Long aftertaste and just a great wine and QPR at ca. 20 USD.

5/15/2011 - Jcwl wrote:

Burgundy in Tuscany! Strawberry and sous-bois together with sangiovese cherry and a beautiful wine in lovely balance. Elegant yet expressive rosso.

2/18/2011 - Jcwl wrote:

Modern sangiovese with a lot of backbone and impeccable balance. Long aftertaste.

2/12/2011 - Jcwl wrote:

Light colour with some aging showing on the edges. A Burgundian-style wine, however, with some gamey and smoked characteristics. Rather light fruit and not very long with a mineral backbone which kind of put me off.

2/5/2011 - Jcwl wrote:

Nose some what muted even after approx. 3 hours slow-o. But after a while there's vanilla, leather and cherries to be found. The mouthfell and taste is excellent, and the aftertaste long. A well-balanced wine and a modern expression of sangiovese. In my opinion this wine is mature but surely in no way declining for some years.

1/8/2011 - Jcwl wrote:

In my opinion showing signs of Closing down which is un usual for a normal chianti classico, but one might add that this is not a normal CC. I will revisit in 2 years time. If nothing else more tight than when tasted a few months ago.

11/26/2010 - Jcwl wrote:

Great wine. Ruby color lighter on the edges. Nail polish, tobacco, liquorice, tar, cherry and roses = Classic barolo-nose. Medium body with an astringent long finish. Plenty of acid and tannin give promise of a long life. Cappellano just confirms again and again that he's in my personal top 5 in Piemonte.

11/19/2010 - Jcwl wrote:

Great wine now and for sure even greater in 5 years time. Cherry, leather some wood and layers and layers of intoxicating fruit. Nose seems slightly muted and the tannins are dominant, but the mouthfeel and taste is amazing. Very long aftertaste.

11/13/2010 - Jcwl wrote:

Textbook old-school barolo style. Although very young - incredibly deliciuos. 6 hours in the decanter and ready to go with tobacco, leather, tar and roses en masse. An elegant (not thin!) barolo with a lingering aftertaste lasting forever. The sweet tanins reveals a long life but I guess this will remain open for a years time and then shut down.If you're into infant murder like me try it before it's too late.

9/10/2010 - Jcwl wrote:

dark berries, some wood, florest floor and medicine chest in the nose. High acidity and and raisiny weighty fruit with a long aftertaste. It's too young at this point in time but nevertheless a very nice experience. The 2 remaining btlls. will stay in the cellar for another 2-3 years at least. 90 points now with a lot of potential.

9/8/2010 - Jcwl wrote:

Very nice wine al though not my typical choice. Lots of dark fruit and christmas sprices in the nose. Fairly warm and massive fruit but impeccable balance over all, and ok lenght. Still tanins left and I think this wine will easily live another 5 years time. Great QPR.

8/28/2010 - Jcwl wrote:

Dark berries and menthol notes en masse. Massive fruit, sweet well-integrated oak and an extremely long finish. Way too young and I intend to wait 4-5 years in order to get some tertiary development. Nevertheless a great - young - wine in the making.