November 5, 2023 - The wine was corked. Just a slight hint in the nose at the beginning that became very present over 4 hours in the decanter. However, on the palate it was not that bad, just slightly. The potential of the wine is still great and would be again on a 95 pts level, if the there would not have been the cork.
September 29, 2023 - not unlike a left bank Bordeaux of similar age. Colour showing some age, orange rim, nose , very complex, leather, mocha, rich, complex, and tannins still gripping. Balance is great, even tannins are still assertive . Lovely wine
August 23, 2023 - Napa 2023 - The Sequel; 8/23/2023-8/28/2023: PnP with early moldy funk that took 15 min to blow off. Mushrooms, oysters, saddle leather, dried tobacco, dried red cherry. Good for what it was, glad I had a chance to try. Not familiar with the aging curve on these but seems past peak for my palate.
May 2, 2023 - Return to Italy: Pio Cesare, Gaja, Oddero, Tignanello and more (Flour Shop, Charlotte, NC) (Charlotte, NC): Slow-ox for 3 hours before serving. Complex nose of young dried cherries, leather, and tobacco. A wine displaying high quality tones and brimming with confidence. Notes of dried cherries and lightly smoked meat on the pallet. A wine with both power and finesse. Richly flavored and demonstrating great depth resolving into a long finish to red and black fruits. My wine of the flight. 3rd place for Wine of the Night.
March 3, 2023 - Joel's Tuscan Lunch (The wilds of Kent): Just a hint of browning in the glass
The nose has a surprising fresh herbal note with lifted dried cherry and plum. Surprising intensity in the glass - really sapid and delicious. The bright red cherry element speaks of Tuscany. Lovely stuff
March 3, 2023 - Tuscan Lunch chez Joel (Kent countryside, UK): Forest floor and sweet red fruits on the nose with some musty library books. There are bright acids, freshness and very good balance with succulent red fruits and persistence. Loved the style and was a treat to drink a Tig with bottle age.
March 1, 2023 - Medium reddish garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries & plums with overtones of floral notes of roses & earthy/dusty notes, cocoa/coffee, spices, tobacco, leather, iron, herbs, minerals & a hint of cedar in the background. Medium bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, developed, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, cranberries & plums with earthy notes, mushrooms, chocolate, coffee, spices & minerals. Lingering smooth & supple finish. Drinks quite well at present & at 24 years of age it is close to or at its peak of development. I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging. Fill was at lower neck; cork stained 1/4 but intact.
July 14, 2022 - This was a part of 1997 and 1999 Tuscan tasting including 3 Brunellos and 2 Super Tuscans, same producers from each year. Leather, dried cherries, tobacco, forest floor. Well structures palate with very fine tannins, well integrated. Good acidity to provide structure. Also time to drink up, but no rush.
June 17, 2022 - Utterly stellar. Purchased on release from a local retailer and stored for 20 years. Cork was perfect. Explosive nose with incredible secondary notes of balsa and sandalwood, textbook Sangiovese, but some tobacco and stern iron as well. Mmm, what a palate, deep currant, iron, blood, yet a lifted cranberry and red fruit note from the Sangiovese.
June 5, 2022 - Really nice, but beginning to fade a bit - drink now.