RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  5/30/2011 (link) 89 points

  (Azienda Agricola Forestale Rigoloccio Il Sorvegliante) Very dark red violet color; charcoal, herbal, smoky nose; tart smoky black plum, charcoal, tar, herbal palate with firm tannins; medium-plus finish (33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, 33% Alicante Bouschet)

• By Richard Jennings
  9/11/2010 (link) 88 points

  (Azienda Agricola Forestale Rigoloccio Il Sorvegliante) Iodine, tart black fruit, herbs, pepper nose; iodine, tart black fruit, herbs, pepper palate; medium-plus finish 88+ pts.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  12/10/2007 (link)

  (SORVEGLIANTE Rigoloccio) Sorvegliante Dear Friends, Once a year, I do an experiment. This project is usually at or near the end of the year and I like to involve as many top palates as I can (mostly friends of mine, critics and collectors alike who have no problem spending a Sunday afternoon imbibing on a few “next big things”). I round up as many samples as can be secured (of the wines I already know I’d like to offer in the next calendar year - in this case, for the first few months of 2008) brown bag all of them and put them on a table. I like to have at least 30-50 wines so the competition is pretty stiff as all are at the top of the heap. Yesterday was the day and I decanted all of the wines properly and give them the requisite amount of oxygen to show as they should (my fingers are still purple). The wines were all brown-bagged (or, in this case wrapped with foil) and all were at 59-61 degrees, a temperature I believe to be perfect for tasting (even the whites). After the guests arrived, I had a few helpers carry the wines out to a big table and then I sat back and watched the melee that ensued. The only catch? The crowd knows I will never reveal the names of the wines even after the tasting is over (they try to get my drunk enough that they can peel back the foil without me noticing but I spit the whole time so it never happens). They all know this in advance and it can be frustrating but intriguing at the same time. I do this for a distinct reason - I don’t want any chatter about the wines in advance of my writings (they are some of my most passionate finds) and (in the case of the critics who attend) they can remain impartial as they don’t know what the wines are and they won’t feel bad about trashing the wine (or vice versa) when it comes up for review - a detail that helps keep friendships intact. So why do I go through this exercise (besides the fact that it’s a fun afternoon)? Simple. I do this for feedback. Invariable, the first few bottles drained will end up as some of the most popular items we will offer and it’s been this way for years. I trust my own palate the most but I’m also a realist and I like to see what a peer group does with the same wines I think are the best of the best. We have a big discussion afterward and the opinions get more than a little heated. The only fact I reveal after the tasting is the respective prices which causes its own screaming match. I’ve been doing this long enough that I can almost predict the results in advance but it’s a fun party so I continue to do it. This year I accurately predicted all but one in the top five (the wine that ended up #2). Ok, enough already - I think you know where I’m going with this? Which wine ended up #1? This one - the only wine out of the 42 present that failed to receive a single negative comment from any of the 18 tasters present. Instead of waiting until the end of January to offer this, I decided why not get the ball rolling now as the wine is selling too briskly in Italy and it’s making me a little nervous about holding off for another 4-6 weeks (this 2005 is already almost impossible to find in Italy). In addition, by bringing it in now, I was able to benefit from pre-dollar slide pricing against the Euro as they are using the same pricing sheet as in January of 2007. If you’ve never heard of Rigoloccio, you will - in a very big way. Without boring you even further, this wine reminds me of the first time I tasted Le Pupille Saffredi in barrel (the 1990), a wine that changed everything for a region (the Maremma) and was instrumental in the economic wine upturn of coastal Tuscany in general. Without Le Pupille’s Saffredi, I can safely say that the Maremma would still be viewed as a vinous backwater region without a rudder. The power of one wine can be so immense that it was the impetuous for a legion of copycat winemakers and would-be 49ers to find their gold in the vines near Grosseto. Rigoloccio is a relatively new winery but they are a small family entity that sees their place in the modern world - one where you need to stand out and not copy another. This they have done with a singular blend of three varietals - the Il Sorvegliante. This wine is not the next Saffredi, it is not the next Harlan, it is not the next anything - it just is (it’s certainly not the next SQN - insert laugh track). It’s a unique blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante that will be like opening a DVD library of I Dream of Jeanie - your wish is its command. I can’t really say anything negative about this wine as much as I try to find a fault. It’s not traditional but it’s not wholly modern either (in the same way that something like Solaia isn’t really traditional but it’s certainly not a simple oak-bomb). This wine is slathered with flavor, extract, balance, minerality, varietal tone, tannins, length, depth, expensive cooperage, color and smile-inducing textural layers on the palate. It is so low-priced for the category it is playing in that I thought they were referring to a split when I saw the pricing (it’s indeed a 750ml). For a wine trying to compete with Giusto di Notri, Saffredi and even the Ornellaia’s of the world, I think the tarrif speaks for itself. If you are a fan of the 2001 Sor Ugo, this will be a revelation for you as the sneaky addition of Alicante (one of Sean Thackrey’s secrets with the older classic vintages of Orion) gives this wine an exotic twist that is really memorable. The Il Sorvegliante is a wine you can open on any occasion and it will play dumb to a crowd that could care less or it will play to the highest notes with the most astute collectors - as it did with the 18 tasters at my party (one of whom thought it was the best Italian wine at that price he had ever tried and he has a 10,000 bottle cellar). For that fact alone, it is a wine most of us wish we had in our possession as it can be counted on to deliver with a variety of party-goers and the cost is such that there is little anguish in a bottle sacrificed to the gullet. One of the most alluring finds of the year (ok, it was supposed to be in 2008 but it’s the same in 2007) VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for crazy price/value and amazing level of detail and quality ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at this pre-dollar slide price - only 100 cases for the entire US: 2005 Rigoloccio “Il Sorvegliante” (Maremma) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy9859