9/2/2023 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

So weird/ disappointing. 2 bottles, both pristine, great corks. One tasted like great brunello (though with a touch of raisin I probably wouldn’t otherwise note/comment on) the other tasted like raisiny desert wine. Wish i could say the latter had gone bad-but it didn’t seem like a corked bottle. Just bad wine. Take the notes of bottle variation from others here very seriously.

Ive been laying a lot of CdN TN down and this makes me very nervous… hopefully just confined to 07.

One was a 93, one a 70

9/2/2023 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Needs some air- hour 3 was by far the best. Very good , but a hint of sour, and not as much secondary flavor as I would like to see. Does it need more time??

9/2/2023 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Hard to believe this 24 years old. Still some youth to it… but getting some nice scondary noutes. Comes alive with a bit of air- give 2 hrs in decanter.

Fuller / rounder than an 87 dunn HM we drank with

4/24/2023 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This is really great- and phenomenal for the price.

Dark fruit and relatively smooth for a chianti, but still clearly sangiovese. Yummy mentholated notes on the end add something unique.

Very approachable / drinkable now— does not require too much air, will open in the glass

2/28/2023 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

This is really quite yummy. Darker, with some mentholated notes. Really enjoyable right out of the bottle / with 10/15 mins of air in the glass

2/24/2023 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

Meaty ochre. Love CC, but this is a just a bit flat relative to their bormal offering. A bit sour Drank after 3-4 hrs of air

12/27/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Tasted along side a ‘12 paolo bea Pagliaro. Fascinatingly different. Simmilar tannic structure and dark fruit backbone, but the Cerrette has a really distinct warm peppery flavor on the end. Very yummy.

Quite tannic, definitely drink with 3-4 (or even way more, like overnight) hours of air. could be amazing if tannins soften a bit with time.

12/27/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This was so great - 3-4 hours of air in decanter before drinking. Tannins still a bit intense, so pair with something fatty. Amazingly dark in color, on the verge or black from red, but without getting the purple color some cabs get.

Flavor is dark fruit, with a distinct savory bent and a mentholy/green herby flavor at the end.

Will be fascinating to see if tannins soften significantly with time. If so, this could become truly special.

12/25/2022 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

Mixed feelings on this- close to being really good, but just too heavy handed on the oak. In fairness i will note that personally i dont love oakier cab- so could see how someone else could like this. But to me this is just out of balance- the oak / vanilla is too front and center making it hard to explore everything else thats in there. Big black fruit profile, some menthol maybe on the end, luscious mouthfeel. Maybe oak will dim over time?

12/24/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Oh my goodness.

I cant think of a wine ive had that I’ve enjoyed more. This manages to have both explosive flavor while being restrained- everything in balance. Beautiful mix of dark reddish fruit, warm spicy, earthy undertones, and a hint of savory.

Drank pretty well right away after a decant and at ~90 mins really hit its stride. Was only getting better at hour 3.5 when it met its demise.

This has so much life ahead of it if you can resist the siren song

12/15/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This seems like its going to be great. A bit young now , and will probably drink way beeter in a few years and better still in 2030.

Great mix of savory flavors with a classicaly styled, reserved fruit profile and a flavor i cant quite put my finger on. I saw someone say black walnut on a prior vintage and that may just be it. Excited to work through the bottles i have over next 10-15 years

No idea why togni isn’t higher profile

11/24/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

From 3L. Muted at first but really started to come alive after hour 4 in decanters and was drinking great when last glass was poured at hour 7

Smooth and round (in typical banfi style) with most of the tannin resolved, but starting to show some of the classic aged brunello tertiary notes. Agree with some others that the first notes are a bit ambiguously brunello, but the tertiary flavors are unmistakable.

Wouldn’t really hold onto these any longer

11/19/2022 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

Needs 4+ hours of air to really hit it stride right now… Preferably more. As others have noted, lighter than your typical runs rancia, but absolutely lovely, and otherwise very in line with the flavor profile, we’ve come to expect of this fabulous wine

11/21/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Drank after ~ 3 hours open/aerated, side by side wit 18 Rancia.

Lovely darker fruit expression of sangiovese, very smooth and certainly thicker/fuller in flavor and mouthfeel than Rancia. Noone could decide one was better than the other, just different. Plenty of structure to age- think this will be beautiful in 7-10 years with some secondary notes coming through.

10/28/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Had this opened / decanted ahead of time by restaurant - cant be sure of exactly how long it was open.

Initial tastes were a bit thinner than i normally expect from monte bello. Really came to life with food toward end of meal. Wondering if this is in an awkward phase?

11/4/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This is really good- its a very straight down the middle brunello in an excellent way, and drinking beautifully right now with some of the fabulous savory / earthy notes and lingering dark red notes aged brunello can deliver. Fabulous.

Really benefits from aeration and about 2 hours in decanter.

10/4/2022 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

Tight and reserved at first. Really needs 4-5+ hours to open and then is spectacular.

9/17/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Does not like this wine:

Over extracted and over-oaked. Tastes like a really smooth yellowtail. No thank you

9/14/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This is excellent. Really started drinking well after 5 hours decant.

Super smooth, beautiful fruit oriented expression off blackberry, without being jammy. No hard edges anywhere.

A bit modern California for my personal taste, but if thats your jam… this is an amazing example within the style / category. If it had just a touch of savory and acidity it would be perfect. And amazing QPR.

*EDIT: hour 8 post decant-Now I’m detecting a few savory/olive notes. Now this is getting to be incredible!

8/17/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

From Magnum - Excellent lytton springs, really showing the benefits of a little age. Flavors have really come together. Oak has integrated really nicelyand fruit has mellowed out keeping this a little fruit forward — but not jammy— with some great secondary/earthy/savory notes coming through as well. Quite approachable right out of the bottle.

7/31/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Shame on the CT community! If this were a $100+ bottle this would average 2-3 points higher.

This is phenomenal ( at this or any price!)

Starting to hit maturity with beautiful mix of tertiary flavors, but could go quite a bit longer.

Nose of balsamic and chocolate. Palate of Big, bold, dark red fruit, with savory balsamic and herbal notes.

7/28/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

On an absolute level, this is very nice to drink. I really like it. I want a lot more of it.

But it’s worth noting, this is a bit hard to recognize as a Chianti, or Sangiovese for that matter. I would swear it has something darker and smoother blended into it. If you’re looking for a ‘really great Chianti’ , this might not be your jam. If you’re looking for a really nice super Tuscan, get a case. You’ll be thrilled

All dark fruit, full and smooth. Some chocolatey notes? Incredibly drinkable as a PnP. Enough structure that it could be interesting to see what some age brings?

7/4/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Decanted 2-3x with aerator. Let sit for 2 hours. Could certainly open more (or stand a few more years of age) but drinking really wonderfully.

Stilly tannic, Filled with Darcy fruit and savory notes like grilled meat. Definitely one to drink with food, esp something fatty like ribs.

6/25/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Started opening after 2.5 hour decant, really came alive around 4+ hours. Certainly fully mature, but has good grip and could live on at least few more years!

Yummy old brunello flavors, some salinity / oyster shells, savory notes and dark red fruit. Very good!

6/12/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Wow. First reaction was ‘I need a lot more of this’.

This opens up after just 2 hours. Amazing. Right on the border of red and a dark fruit. Just a touch too dark to be an elite brunello. But elite wine fore sure. What an amazing bottle.

Drinking great now- will only get better.

5/8/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Moment of panic as the top third of the cork cleared the bottle and then everything below it crumbled. But one whiff and i knew it was still good! Great, really!

Quite muted for the first 1.5-2 hours in the decanter. then it really came alive over the next two hours, getting much fuller. But never huge and burley - always refined and truly elegant (an overused word for wine) All savory, tangy sangiovese flavors with remnants of its original red fruit.

I expected this to be much longer in the tooth but it was really singing. no need to wait, but also no need to rush to drink what you have. Savor it!

4/24/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This was excellent - nicely balanced, great mouthfeel. Blackberry on the palate and spicy notes of pepper. Nicely integrated tannins, drinking great now!

4/24/2022 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

This is … fine. Smooth, a few savory notes, but in my opinion over-oaked. The experience is not about the fruit but about the oak.

4/22/2022 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

Still young- drinks much better after 3-5 hours in decanter. Nose ofRed fruit, same on the pallet with a few hints of savory flavors. I think this will be beautiful when its had 7 to 10 years to develop some tertiary flavors as well

4/15/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Wow. This is beautiful. Drinking incredibly well right now. Started to hit its stride after about 2 hours in the decanter, and kept evolving and improving over the next 3-4 hours.

This is the reason to age wine, and everything classic , refined California cab can be.

Incredible nose. Palate of red fruit and savory tertiary flavors, olives on the entry.

Still seems to have a good life in front of it, but feels like it’s pretty close to peak at this point

4/10/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This is just plain good Chianti! For only $20 it’s fantastic.

Nice balance of flavors, bright, red fruit oriented but still has some heft, and very approachable with 30 mins open getting air in the glass.

Nicely structured. I think if you put this down for 5-7 years you’d fool a lot of people into thinking it’s a much fancier bottle.

4/9/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Really too tight to enjoy at first, but well served by decanting. Started to be enjoyable about 2.5 hours and several aeration’s in. Really pleasant now at 4+ hours.

Red r fruit, but with some underlying savory sweet flavors like herbs and balsamic. Seems like it will be fantastic in 7-8+ years. But good enough now it will be hard to wait that long…

3/30/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Another great estate cab. Quite drinkable right now. Little tight right out of the bottle but opens up pretty quickly. Deep purple with ruby rim. Nose of black fruit and spice. Blackberry and earth on the palate.

3/26/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This is a very enjoyable vino nobile of the darker / fuller style. Still has a pretty tannic kick and some sharp acidity. Give it a little time in the glass or decanter if you can , but doesnt need to be opened very far in advance to be enjoyable. Waiting for a few of these to mellow out a bit more but a great wine now for a very reasonable price, and feels like it has the structure to go 5+ more years

3/26/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Still tight after 2.5 hrs in decanter. Either needs more air or more age. Much better on hour 3.5 and hour 4+. Don’t rush it!

Surprisingly inky purple when poured, but then changes to dark ruby in the glass. Nose and flavors are Really in the sweet spot of Tig. Dark fruit nose, some red still on the palate. The brightness of Sangiovese with some of the smoothness of cab.

Yum yum, drinking so well but still lacking any of the tertiary flavors…will give my remaining bottles 5 more years or more.

3/20/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This wine is often very tight, but the 17 is very approachable night now with just a short time to breath in the glass. Darker side of Sangiovese - plummy flavors with some hints of cherry too and a little spice to tie it together. Will be really interesting to try in 5-8 years and see what it’s like with some tertiary flavors in there. But so drinkable now will be hard to wait. Really, really enjoyable

2/22/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Just fantastic. So good now and so much potential.

Started to open up at 2 hr mark in decanter, really began drinking well at 4 hours.

Blue fruit first with a warm toasty woody center. Very reminiscent of 2011 monte bello I had recently

Only knock on this was alcohol content- may be higher than it’s labeled 14.5. Hit us hard

2/13/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This is drinking quite nicely. Big, darker/fuller style brunello. But not over the top.

Still has nice tannic structure tannins despite its 15 years suggesting it could go 3-5 more years easily. Opening nicely after 2+hours in decanter.

Still has some nice Dark fruit and hits of cherries up front, but also the secondary mature Sangiovese notes coming through: leather, cedar, earthy tones. Nice balance. Yum.

2/10/2022 - WhineEnthusiast Does not like this wine:

Not good. Bottle doesn’t seem to be defective, just an unpleasant wine. bitter/astringent. Just not what I’m used to from Turley’s Howell mountain offerings.. Zins usually have some of these flavors balanced by fruit… but no balance here. I’ll probably not finish the bottle. Glad I didn’t serve to a guest. Wife take: ‘it’s not that it’s gone bad, it was just never good’

Update: originally gave an 85. tried a bit the next day while getting ready to pour out. Much of the defective flavor had disappeared. Got all the way to drinkable. But still not that good

12/26/2021 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Drank after 7-8 hour decant. a lot of structure and was still opening up with the last glass. Wonderful expression of classic style (not fruit/alcohol bomb) California cab. Translucent ruby/jewel like appearance. Beautiful nose and lovely red fruit driven flavor. Still relatively youthful, with only hints of secondary flavors emerging. A joy to drink, but if I had more, I think I would hold ~5 more years to let this really mature. Feel like this might be in a bit of an in-between phase…no longer fully primary, but lacking some of the nuance and character of old age. Compared to an 11 monte bello we had at same time, this was Somewhat lacking on the mid palate, but I could see it really coming around with a few more years.

12/25/2021 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Drinking quite wonderfully after/throughout long decant (7-8 hours- I would say best window was in 5-6 hour range). Amazing. Tannins are still present but starting to mellow. Amazing nose. Mostly still primary flavors, has yet to really tip into secondary. Still lots of dark and a little red fruit up front. Extraordinary monte bello mid-palate, complex warming/toasty wood and spice flavors. Drank alongside an 05 montelena estate (also excellent) and that complexity really shines through and makes the difference between merely very good and excellent.

I’m sure there are marginally better wines out there, and this will improve with more time, but this monte bello is about as good as it gets. If you have patience to wait, this will get even better, but not a waste to drink it now.

12/25/2021 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Quite Yummy. More tannic than some of the other years of estate cab I’ve had, and feels like it will really reward some time in bottle. Pretty tight on opening, but gets very drinkable with a aerate/decant and an hours contemplation. Yummy black fruits with a little peppery hint and some savory herbal undertones.

Tough decision - so enjoyable to drink now, but feels like it will be great to find in the cellar 7-10 years from now

12/24/2021 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

Opened around 1p. Undrinabky tight. Decanted and aerated. Re- decanted and aerated 2 more times at5p. started to get a bit more enjoyable. Really hit its stride around 8pm. Beautiful red and black fruit with mineral and oyster shell. Still very tannic at 7 hour mark. I would decant minimum of 7.. maybe 8+ hours to really enjoy this, or let it sit for another 5 years

9/14/2021 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

This is such a fabulous wine-Would be very happy if I had paid twice as much for it.

Young, certainly, but pretty approachable right out of the bottle, and after Aerating and a two hour discount, it was great. Don’t think you need to give it a lot more time than that, And I would’ve been very happy to drink it after an hour… Or 10 minutes…

Great nose, some dark red fruit and then on balance tilted to all of the wonderful earthy, Woody, savory flavors that Sangiovese can deliver

Probably has at least a decade of improving with age… The problem is it’s so good now it’s hard to imagine many lasting that long

9/11/2021 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Outstanding. Very reminiscent of Flaccianello.

Dark ruby, almost verging on purpleish. Still very tight, right out of the bottle lots of notes of cherry, herbs, and a little dark fruit. After about 5 -6 hours in the decanter the red fruit came down just a notch and it added wonderful minerals and herbs, with the distinct slightly saline note on the finish.

Great now, would recommend significant decanting, and should be fabulous in another 5-7 years.

7/16/2021 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

Second bottle of 2018 I have tried.Was unimpressed with first bottle. Decided to give it another try with more time to open.

When first opened (after~1hr in decanter)It was very heavy on the oak. Decanted and aerated it a couple more times and let it sit. Five hours in, The excessive oak had disappeared, but it was too tight and Tanic to be enjoyable.Nebbiolo style tannins at that point Put it back in the bottle and drank something else for dinner. The next day at dinner time it was MUCH better. (So 30 hours, 3-4 times through the decanter / vinturi). Good mixture of dark and red fruit, some nice spice in the background. Last glass the next day was even better.

So- Has some good promise, but I wouldn’t touch this for another five years, probably ideally 10+. If you do want to open one anytime soon, open it the day before.

6/25/2021 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

This is very good. But now does not seem to be the time to drink it. Compared to a few bottles I tried about a year ago, this is much more subdued. It May be entering a bit of a dull phase…Lacking the vibrancy of youth, but not yet developing the secondary flavors that come with age. Feels relatable as someone in my late 30s. I probably won’t open another one of these until 2025 or 2028.

6/25/2021 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

Wow. At a great drinking window, but could certainly stand to age a few more years. tight at first but an amazing expression of Sangiovese after ~90-120mins in decanter.Was still opening at that time, and Drank great all night after that. Dark Red fruit followed by savory flavors and some aged emerging Sangiovese funk. I love how distinct flacianello is.

6/25/2021 - WhineEnthusiast wrote:

Honestly, I don’t love this vintage. And I normally love Tignanello. It’s absolutely a very good wine, but it’s not what I think of when I reach for a bottle of Tignanello. Of all the Tig I’ve had this was the first where it came off as more new world Cab driven than Sangiovese-with-a-touch-of-cab. Maybe it’s still too young and will resolve over time, but this is very heavy on the oak and dark fruit and vanilla relative to other years. Will try another bottle soon to see if this was an odd duck, or just tough in comparison to the pure Sangiovese 09 flaccianello and 15 C.d.N. Tenuta Nuova we were drinking at the same time.

4/5/2021 - WhineEnthusiast Likes this wine:

From 375. Openened /aerated/ decanted at 1p. Very closed, tight. Very tannic. Was worried still stuck in awkward phase. Started opening up around 6/7 and by the time we drank at 8 was spectacular. Dark berry flavors first bunt not sweet, followed by spicy/smoky flavors. I would wait a few more years if you can, but sometimes the bottles are in the cellar and they’re just looking at you...