Opened at noon and let it slow-ox for about three hours before pouring a glass. In the glass, the wine is a medium garnet with some bricking at the rim. I let the wine stand for a couple of days before popping the cork but my bottle had very little sediment inside. On the nose, there is initially a good amount of lush dried raspberries, this feels very fresh, some moss (walking in a forest on a damp day), cooked mushrooms, stewed tomatoes, minerals/stones, old leather, and maybe some cranberry fruit as well. Basically, older/dryer red fruits still quite present on the nose with some tertiary development. On the palate, amazing freshness here, medium plus acidity, soft tannins, and medium body. Raspberries, stones, mushrooms, cranberries, stewed tomatoes, savory herbaceousness, and some leather. The finish is very long. Last time I had this bottle was about four years ago and it is in a much better place now. I have one bottle of this left that I will revisit in a couple of years. To me, this is drinking really well right now and I feel like it might be at peak. That being said, I think that this has a few years of life left before declining.
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Another fine showing. Surprised all with its fruit and generosity. Dark leathery fruit, bloody, sweet and sharp clove. Integrated brett, lingering tannin. Served us well to filter due to some fine sediment.
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Excellent showing! The wine has held up very nicely and though not vibrant shows pretty floral fruit along with complex dried spices. Yes, there's brett, but it's in no way overwhelming and plays nicely with food. (Italian lamb rack). It's definitely time to drink up!
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This was okay, considering the price. Decently made, I think perhaps a bit on the over the hill side of things. Good red fruit, decent acidity, just lacking much complexity.
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Decanted for an hour+. This wine, like many others from Il Marroneto, has aged quite gracefully. Dark red cherry, plum and tobacco all finessed a velvety mouth feel.
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Either my first bottle was a little tired or these are waking up again after a long slumber. Much brighter and more vibrant that I recall, almost seemed to need another 2-3 years.
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1 out of 3 that is nicely alive. After the disappointment from last night, I decided to try again. I figured this last one likely sucked too so I may as well open it and dump it if it stunk. This is bottle #8708. The bottle last night was #3756. This bottle is not pruney brown or stewed nor does it taste like soy sauce. Rather this one is a nice dark red with vibrant acidity and lively cherry flavors.
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I love the label and bottle for this wine. I wish I liked the contents as much as the package! When first poured this wine looks like prune juice. It is quite brown. Smells a bit pruney and overripe as well. After an hour decant the wine becomes dark red with browning on the rim. The aromas here then shift from pruney to soy sauce. What fruit that is left is a combination of prunes and soy sauce. This not what I am looking for in a 16 year old brunello. Where are the cherries and earth? Drinkable, but why bother when better wines are waiting. Another disappointing Garagiste selection. Oh well, at $20 per I had to try it. Drink up or pour down the sink!
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Dinner with Ousi and friends (Portrero Hill, SF): Medium ruby with a garnet rim. Stinky - bretty nose, with lots of developed bruised apple. Extremely developed sweet tertiary blackcurrant. Slightly stinky manure and a bit metallic.
Full bodied. Elevated alcohol - 14%? (13.5%) High acid - really bright. High tannins - rounded but still really really grippy and chewy. Long finish. There's a weight a richness to this that's more viscous than you'd expect from Barolo/Barbaresco. Really long finish, with hints of black cherry and sandalwood.
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Oh what a treat. A surprisingly lively wine considering its age. Cherry, leather and a lovely hint of coffee on the nose. Red fruit and spices on the palate, with good acidity and fine tannins showing itself. Enjoyed on its own and with food.
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Mystery wine from Garagiste... this bottle was in a good mood last night. A large wine but in a velvet glove of sorts. Deep purple color, solid noise, really good mouthfeel and big tannins remaining but really fine (hence velvet glove). Enjoyed
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Showing its age a little more than last bottle, but enjoyable nonetheless. Dried red fruits, savory cooked veggies, italian spices, white truffle, balsamic.
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Lovely delicate nose of raspberries, leather, sweet spice. Penetrating pure fruit core on the palate, integrated tannins, light acids. A beautifully balanced wine. 50 + 16 + 16 + 9.
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Faded garnet with orange around the rim. Aromas of Fig, vegan brownies, and water over rocks. Very clean. Mouth filling, refreshing, almost tangy, with a saline aspect. Married with an earthy, warming, faded fruit character. Decent finish. More going on than previous bottles.
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Previous TN holds and especially agree with Roots_13. This is alive and well and in a really great spot. Deep structure with a short-moderate finish. Melty tannins with rich red fruit and spice. Bravo garagiste!
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Fully matured and beautifully developed. Directly in the sweet spot for my palette (probably a little tired if you are into strong oak and fruit forwardness). Outstanding after 12+ hours of air. Cherry, chocolate, tar, and soy sauce. Elegant, and clean. The tannins have melted and resolved, yet the texture has velvety grip. Bitter chocolate and cherry lead the way into a somewhat lengthy finish.
9-18-8-8
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This makes all four bottles shipped to me in Apr. 2015 being too old to drink....ALL have been rusty brick in color, and exceedingly oxidized...these bottles were obviously bad when I got them.....I am extremely disturbed by this wine and my supplier; supposedly this lot had "impeccable" provenance.
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It seems this wine is all over the place from flawed to great. Probably a reflection of the price point. I decanted for an hour. This wine has a great nose, fruit, earth, its just fantastic. However, on the pallet sour cherries rule the day. There are some nice dark fruit notes and some tannins in the background. The cherries subsided some the second day. Based on other reviews, i wont wait long to try my other bottles
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Opaque and brick red in the glass. I get aromas of dried flowers, cordial cherries mushrooms, moss and believe it or not, cannibis. This wine is dry with a good balance of tannin and acidity. Alcohol is low with a clean finish.
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Dark garnet. Nose of mushrooms, earth, strawberries, a hint of flowers. Light clear broad layer fruit on the palate with floating acids and an undercoat of tannins rising towards the back. Stately and elegant. 50 + 16 + 17 + 8. [The saga of my variable ratings on this wine continues.]
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Very expressive nose that unfolds over time. Notes of sweet pipe tobacco, cherry and mushroom are a few that I can place. Loads of character on the inky and concentrated palette. Fine tannins are still providing grip, the acidity is still fresh and the balance lends to a weightless characteristic. Cherry and coffee lead the way on the layered mid and give way to a lingering finish. Really fantastic bottle.
Even better on the second day. More depth and power to go along with finess. Outstanding
9-18-8-9
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Clear ruby garnet. Enticing nose of tobacco, cherries and raspberries, with a lovely trailing note of oak. Satisfying pure sweet fruit on the palate, clear as a bell with an undertow of tannin, aromatic echoing finish with a bitter cherry bite. A deep elegant aged wine. 50 + 18 + 18 + 9. [Fun to see such a big disparity between this note and my last ... I don't know which one is true, or what truth is, but this is how we learn the language for describing wine.]
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I'm glad I followed the advice of many "Community Notes" comments re: letting the wine breathe for a considerable time prior to drinking. After 2+ hrs in a decanter, this was a lush, fruity, complex delight. Wish I had bought many more. It's drinking perfectly right now - as long as it's decanted for a few hours.
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I can not emphasise enough the importance that air time plays on the quality of this wine. Day two was much better than day one. Upon opening, it was disjointed if not seemingly over the hill. After a few houirs it begar to come together. On day two, it was a VERY good BdM. Notes below... 91.5 average, so I rounded up.
Day 1: Good bottle, but needs time to open up before drinking. Upon opening, it was quite sour and ultra dry. After an hour or so it fell into focus. Tart red cherry, dry leaves and chocolate. A light and bracing texture leads to a dry lingering finish escorted with coffee and cherry notes.
Day 2: The nose is muck more expressive and complex than day 1. The palette is fuller and more evolved. Dark cherry, earth, chocolate and coffee notes are present across the board. The tannins are present and just gripping. The texture has gained much in the way of creaminess. The finish is a bit fuller and a little longer than day 1.
Day 1: 8-17-7-8 Day 2: 9-18-8-8
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decanted through Vinturi for 4 hours. Started to open after an hour, but really changed at about the 4th hour and even better as we consumed with our northern Italian food meal within the 5th and 6th hour. I think aerating it and giving it time was critical as it really evolved nicely. Perhaps I was lucky as this wasn't a corked or 'vinegar' sample from JR. But for the price, it was a great value Brunelllo. I wouldn't hold this much more than another year or so.
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decanted for five hours....muddy ruby color ..almost slightly separated ...descent nose, but after a glass or two it got better... might be peaking but no need to worry it will all be gone....nice wine for the money. no one should criticize john r for this one
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It does have an old-style feel to the wine, and on opening it is quite vegetal and tight. As others have noted, decanting for an hour helps enormously and brings the wine to a more integrated place. At that point it works very well; still an old-style Brunello but one that pairs very well with the usual foods. I don't think it's over the hill, but I wouldn't expect it to get a lot better from here. Great QPR....
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Slow o about an hour or so. It is interesting, the comments that this wine is past its peak, on the downhill, etc. My experience with this bottle is that it was on the tight side, still with quite a bit of tannic grip. Fruit may be fading to some extent, but it is there. Poured about half bttl into a glass jar and stored in fridge overnight. On day two It was actually better, more integrated and earthy, suggesting this has plenty of life left.
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Very nice bottle that is falling in line with the last two. Slow ox for a couple hours - I beleive this to be the key to avoid some of the tired and faded charactaristics that have been reported. Bright red cherry, pipe tobacco and earth on the palette with a background of pine tar on the nose. The palette is generous and refined, but has an interesting combination of aged and youthful qualities. Plenty of acidity with a compliment of savoury fruit that refelect the nose. This bottle has plenty of grip and the finish longers with drying earthy tones and a hint of bitter chocolate. 8-18-8-8
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Showing its age, but not a bad thing. Needed to be open for about 90 minutes to show its self well. Dried fruit, slight black cherry compote, dried floral
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Some fig and leather on the nose, not much on the palate. Not corked or vinegar, but this has one foot in the grave and the other on a greasy banana peel.
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This bottle is a little more tired then the one I tasted a couple of months ago. Again, This displays its warm vintage with dark round..porty fruit with a hint of cherry, and a bit of flowers. There is not much verve on the palate.
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Dusky garnet. Roses, red berries, leather on the powerful nose; has a slightly hot alcoholic bight (although only 13.5% according to the label). Deeply charged fruit on the palate that cuts a broad path from front to back, bright edging of acid, crunchy tannins paving the way,leading to a very long aromatic finish. A wine that expresses everything I like about Sangiovese: bright, cocky and deep all at the same time. 50 + 15 + 16 + 8.
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PnP. Looked kind of brown when poured. Initially the aromas were kind of pruney. With air, the pruney bits fade replaced with some soy sauce. The red fruits here are mellow, but the wine has plenty of grip with some nice underlying earth.
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I'd say this is fairly priced for the Garagiste tariff of $20, so probably over-hyped as a mystery wine, but I'm not terribly disappointed that I grabbed a few. It's a decent but not great aged Brunello - tobacco, fading cherry fruit, ok complexity.
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Very disappointed that Garagiste would even sell this crap. Of six bottles I bought, four were vinegar. I know that they don't guarantee wine older than 10 years, so buyer beware, but this stuff makes me question buying anything further from them.
Classic brunello with resiny dark fruit, leather, medium finish and moderate tannin. A bit thin for a brunello but the flavors opened up more after hour 3 or so. Very good overall and an excellent bargain from garagiste at about $20.
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Slow ox for over 2 hours. I think this step is essential as the sampling upon opening was far less exciting that the glass poured two hours later. A little different from the last bottle, but excellent none the less. The profile included orange zest, sweet herbs and earthy umami notes along side a healthy dose of quintessential BdM cherry. The nose was a little more complex (not quite as expressive). The palette was smooth yet with weight balanced by food worthy acidity. The tannins are still present and pleasantly drying leading into a lingering finish. An outstanding bottle from a fairly good vintage. 9-18-8-8
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This is why I buy mystery wines, what a lovely surprise! Is this a "great" bottle of wine? No. Could I drink this every night of the week? Yes, with relish! Drink now.
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$20 for a Brunello? I was very pessimistic about how good this wine would taste. It tastes wonderful. Opened the bottle a few years before consumption. Great mix of red fruit mixed with some earth and herbs. The wine is very smooth. No rough edges. I should have purchased more.
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PnP it's got a lot of leafy aroma and palate. Some currant and earth on the palate as well. The tannins are still there, but nicely velvety while the structure is still rather nice and firm and acidic.
A bit of air and it both firms up and opens up. Flavours are toward the plum end of the spectrum, and the nose is distinctly chocolate. There's also a distinct cherry flavour with a touch of bitterness on the finish. Significant herbs on both the most and palate also. Very nice, especially for the Garagiste price.
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I found this distinctly lacking in tannins. Smooth and pleasant with pretty standard cherry fruit, maybe a bit of moss and ash. This bottle seemed to really show the weak vintage, but based on some comments here maybe it was a less than perfect bottle.
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Probably tasting too soon as just opened 15 mins ago; will finish these notes at the end of the meal. Pepper and earth nose, tobacco and Red Delicious apple on the front palate. Good tannin structure - provides astringency without blocking any flavors. Smooth finish maybe 10 secs. 15 secs later on, very nice
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Surprisingly good. Mature, soft and rounded and comfortable. A nice cut and definition and, at the same time, nice integration of flavors and acidity. The tannins are soft and fading but the wine holds together well. Had it with a tomatoey dish and by itself. It stood up to the food and was lovely to sip after dinner. A pleasant surprise.
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This is a very good example of an aged BdM. It's not mind blowing, but it is very good. Very expressive textbook nose of dark cherry with earthy leafy notes, anise and tobacco. The palette follows suit with nice texture and very nice food-worthy acidity. It has a nice finish with a compliment of chocolate and a pleasant grip of fine tannins. 9-18-8-8
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Lovely bottle of wine. Soft almost creamy in texture, but with nice definition and a long juicy, softly tannic aftertaste. Ripe black and red cherry fruit, notes of currant and tobacco, lovely long finish. Delicious.
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This wine was brought over by a friend and opened 3 days ago. We consumed 3/4 of the bottle. The remaining wine is what I am basing today's note on. Tart red cherry fruit, comes across with depth, perfume, with a bit of wet rocks, old leather, and tobacco leaf. The palate shows off a medium bodied wine, with med alcohol (listed at 13.5%), with light tannins and med/med+ acidity. The flavors echo from the palate, showing beautiful tart cherry fruit, some rocks/minerals, and tobacco/spice box. The finish is med in length, and the wine comes across quite elegant and mature at this point in it's evolution. Drinking just beautifully right now, and will probably continue to do so through 2017 or so. I would drink up sooner than later, as it is really nice right now. Enjoy!
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No bottle variation here. This is a brunello from a warm vintage with dark round..porty fruit with a hint of cherry. There is lift here on the palate from ample acidity. Worked well with food at the dinner table. I will drink this producers 2000 while waiting for some more of their structured vintages to mature. This is a good producer
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Awful. Brown, a bit oxidized, a touch bretted, volatile, prunes, sour cherry, dull, muddled. A vestige of Brunello underneath the mess. Strangely, the cork is unstained...was this just bottled?
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opened at a restaurant with no time to decant. smelled like port and sherry. hot alcohol to start and then fruity. will give another bottle a shot will more time toopen
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Double-decanted and consumed about 2.5 hours after opening. Still some tart cherry on the mid-palate and a very grippy finish, this wasn't the most complex wine at the table but was certainly enjoyable. I'm not sure there's quite enough acidity left to make me want to hold on to the rest, but this is a perfectly serviceable example of an aged Sangiovese, and worth every penny at the mid-$20s price point.
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2/28/2021 - Sanfoan Likes this wine:
Opened at noon and let it slow-ox for about three hours before pouring a glass. In the glass, the wine is a medium garnet with some bricking at the rim. I let the wine stand for a couple of days before popping the cork but my bottle had very little sediment inside. On the nose, there is initially a good amount of lush dried raspberries, this feels very fresh, some moss (walking in a forest on a damp day), cooked mushrooms, stewed tomatoes, minerals/stones, old leather, and maybe some cranberry fruit as well. Basically, older/dryer red fruits still quite present on the nose with some tertiary development. On the palate, amazing freshness here, medium plus acidity, soft tannins, and medium body. Raspberries, stones, mushrooms, cranberries, stewed tomatoes, savory herbaceousness, and some leather. The finish is very long. Last time I had this bottle was about four years ago and it is in a much better place now. I have one bottle of this left that I will revisit in a couple of years. To me, this is drinking really well right now and I feel like it might be at peak. That being said, I think that this has a few years of life left before declining.
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5/9/2020 - wineoracle Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep garnet color, dark cherries, leather, and spice on the nose. Red fruits and slightly funky palate. Overall a very nice glass of wine.
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3/29/2020 - Richard123 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good, but fading. Drink up!
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7/6/2019 - brinko99 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Another fine showing. Surprised all with its fruit and generosity. Dark leathery fruit, bloody, sweet and sharp clove. Integrated brett, lingering tannin. Served us well to filter due to some fine sediment.
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1/25/2019 - klezman wrote:
Fantastic yet again
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11/13/2018 - brinko99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent showing! The wine has held up very nicely and though not vibrant shows pretty floral fruit along with complex dried spices. Yes, there's brett, but it's in no way overwhelming and plays nicely with food. (Italian lamb rack). It's definitely time to drink up!
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4/2/2017 - cadamson Likes this wine: 86 Points
This was okay, considering the price. Decently made, I think perhaps a bit on the over the hill side of things. Good red fruit, decent acidity, just lacking much complexity.
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1/7/2017 - QuidnuncWS Likes this wine: 89 Points
Maybe not as big as a year or two ago but still drinking well.
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12/15/2016 - Lemari wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour+. This wine, like many others from Il Marroneto, has aged quite gracefully. Dark red cherry, plum and tobacco all finessed a velvety mouth feel.
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11/20/2016 - mtaczak wrote: 90 Points
Either my first bottle was a little tired or these are waking up again after a long slumber. Much brighter and more vibrant that I recall, almost seemed to need another 2-3 years.
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11/12/2016 - dmitchell4 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Barry loved it, Must be good
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7/26/2016 - winemaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
1 out of 3 that is nicely alive. After the disappointment from last night, I decided to try again. I figured this last one likely sucked too so I may as well open it and dump it if it stunk. This is bottle #8708. The bottle last night was #3756. This bottle is not pruney brown or stewed nor does it taste like soy sauce. Rather this one is a nice dark red with vibrant acidity and lively cherry flavors.
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7/25/2016 - winemaker wrote:
I love the label and bottle for this wine. I wish I liked the contents as much as the package! When first poured this wine looks like prune juice. It is quite brown. Smells a bit pruney and overripe as well. After an hour decant the wine becomes dark red with browning on the rim. The aromas here then shift from pruney to soy sauce. What fruit that is left is a combination of prunes and soy sauce. This not what I am looking for in a 16 year old brunello. Where are the cherries and earth? Drinkable, but why bother when better wines are waiting. Another disappointing Garagiste selection. Oh well, at $20 per I had to try it. Drink up or pour down the sink!
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7/3/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with Ousi and friends (Portrero Hill, SF): Medium ruby with a garnet rim.
Stinky - bretty nose, with lots of developed bruised apple. Extremely developed sweet tertiary blackcurrant. Slightly stinky manure and a bit metallic.
Full bodied.
Elevated alcohol - 14%? (13.5%)
High acid - really bright.
High tannins - rounded but still really really grippy and chewy.
Long finish.
There's a weight a richness to this that's more viscous than you'd expect from Barolo/Barbaresco.
Really long finish, with hints of black cherry and sandalwood.
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6/17/2016 - dmitchell4 wrote: 90 Points
Ready to drink
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5/1/2016 - Zbear Likes this wine:
Oh what a treat. A surprisingly lively wine considering its age. Cherry, leather and a lovely hint of coffee on the nose. Red fruit and spices on the palate, with good acidity and fine tannins showing itself. Enjoyed on its own and with food.
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4/22/2016 - JBVino wrote:
Mystery wine from Garagiste... this bottle was in a good mood last night. A large wine but in a velvet glove of sorts. Deep purple color, solid noise, really good mouthfeel and big tannins remaining but really fine (hence velvet glove). Enjoyed
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4/18/2016 - grantsky wrote: 90 Points
Showing its age a little more than last bottle, but enjoyable nonetheless. Dried red fruits, savory cooked veggies, italian spices, white truffle, balsamic.
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3/24/2016 - redz wrote: 88 Points
tasting a little tired, better last year
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3/10/2016 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely delicate nose of raspberries, leather, sweet spice. Penetrating pure fruit core on the palate, integrated tannins, light acids. A beautifully balanced wine. 50 + 16 + 16 + 9.
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3/10/2016 - lelandinmichigan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Faded garnet with orange around the rim.
Aromas of Fig, vegan brownies, and water over rocks. Very clean.
Mouth filling, refreshing, almost tangy, with a saline aspect. Married with an earthy, warming, faded fruit character. Decent finish. More going on than previous bottles.
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3/7/2016 - rremiker wrote: 84 Points
Funky, even after a few hours of air
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3/6/2016 - klezman wrote:
Fantastic, especially for the price. Cherries, earth, leaves, hints of cassis. Wish I'd bought more of these!
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2/25/2016 - Aparritz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Previous TN holds and especially agree with Roots_13. This is alive and well and in a really great spot. Deep structure with a short-moderate finish. Melty tannins with rich red fruit and spice. Bravo garagiste!
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1/23/2016 - CO_Roots13 wrote: 93 Points
Fully matured and beautifully developed. Directly in the sweet spot for my palette (probably a little tired if you are into strong oak and fruit forwardness). Outstanding after 12+ hours of air. Cherry, chocolate, tar, and soy sauce. Elegant, and clean. The tannins have melted and resolved, yet the texture has velvety grip. Bitter chocolate and cherry lead the way into a somewhat lengthy finish.
9-18-8-8
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1/8/2016 - SeaWine wrote: 90 Points
No obvious flaws. Wished for a little more cherry...
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1/2/2016 - wtianseter wrote: flawed
This makes all four bottles shipped to me in Apr. 2015 being too old to drink....ALL have been rusty brick in color, and exceedingly oxidized...these bottles were obviously bad when I got them.....I am extremely disturbed by this wine and my supplier; supposedly this lot had "impeccable" provenance.
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12/28/2015 - JimEaton Likes this wine: 87 Points
It seems this wine is all over the place from flawed to great. Probably a reflection of the price point. I decanted for an hour. This wine has a great nose, fruit, earth, its just fantastic. However, on the pallet sour cherries rule the day. There are some nice dark fruit notes and some tannins in the background. The cherries subsided some the second day. Based on other reviews, i wont wait long to try my other bottles
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12/26/2015 - wtianseter wrote: flawed
3 out of 3 bottles are past their prime. 2 undrinkable Open now !!!!
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11/28/2015 - rocketmanpj wrote: flawed
I have tried a few bottles and they were all flawed. I had high hopes but now am afraid to see what the other 21 bottles I have will be like.
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11/26/2015 - lifeattable wrote: flawed
turpentine
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11/19/2015 - Kitebrian Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opaque and brick red in the glass. I get aromas of dried flowers, cordial cherries mushrooms, moss and believe it or not, cannibis. This wine is dry with a good balance of tannin and acidity. Alcohol is low with a clean finish.
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11/17/2015 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark garnet. Nose of mushrooms, earth, strawberries, a hint of flowers. Light clear broad layer fruit on the palate with floating acids and an undercoat of tannins rising towards the back. Stately and elegant. 50 + 16 + 17 + 8. [The saga of my variable ratings on this wine continues.]
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10/24/2015 - Adult Hippity-Hop Likes this wine:
Good with food
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10/21/2015 - boldaddy wrote: flawed
Turned. Vinegar
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10/13/2015 - patrialexser wrote: 93 Points
brilliant
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10/4/2015 - WillersC wrote: 92 Points
Lovely wild wine. Full of character, but a little porty on the finish. Very enjoyable drop
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9/23/2015 - CO_Roots13 wrote: 94 Points
Very expressive nose that unfolds over time. Notes of sweet pipe tobacco, cherry and mushroom are a few that I can place. Loads of character on the inky and concentrated palette. Fine tannins are still providing grip, the acidity is still fresh and the balance lends to a weightless characteristic. Cherry and coffee lead the way on the layered mid and give way to a lingering finish. Really fantastic bottle.
Even better on the second day. More depth and power to go along with finess. Outstanding
9-18-8-9
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8/20/2015 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 95 Points
Clear ruby garnet. Enticing nose of tobacco, cherries and raspberries, with a lovely trailing note of oak. Satisfying pure sweet fruit on the palate, clear as a bell with an undertow of tannin, aromatic echoing finish with a bitter cherry bite. A deep elegant aged wine. 50 + 18 + 18 + 9. [Fun to see such a big disparity between this note and my last ... I don't know which one is true, or what truth is, but this is how we learn the language for describing wine.]
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7/24/2015 - grantsky wrote: 92 Points
Similar to last notes. Showing really really well for the vintage. Just needs some time to open up.
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6/25/2015 - zut alors! Likes this wine: 92 Points
I'm glad I followed the advice of many "Community Notes" comments re: letting the wine breathe for a considerable time prior to drinking. After 2+ hrs in a decanter, this was a lush, fruity, complex delight. Wish I had bought many more. It's drinking perfectly right now - as long as it's decanted for a few hours.
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5/28/2015 - Votefordennis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good, the other reviewers are right about letting it air/decant, and can sit for more longer in the cellar.
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5/1/2015 - CO_Roots13 wrote: 92 Points
I can not emphasise enough the importance that air time plays on the quality of this wine. Day two was much better than day one. Upon opening, it was disjointed if not seemingly over the hill. After a few houirs it begar to come together. On day two, it was a VERY good BdM. Notes below... 91.5 average, so I rounded up.
Day 1: Good bottle, but needs time to open up before drinking. Upon opening, it was quite sour and ultra dry. After an hour or so it fell into focus. Tart red cherry, dry leaves and chocolate. A light and bracing texture leads to a dry lingering finish escorted with coffee and cherry notes.
Day 2: The nose is muck more expressive and complex than day 1. The palette is fuller and more evolved. Dark cherry, earth, chocolate and coffee notes are present across the board. The tannins are present and just gripping. The texture has gained much in the way of creaminess. The finish is a bit fuller and a little longer than day 1.
Day 1: 8-17-7-8
Day 2: 9-18-8-8
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4/22/2015 - nyerr Likes this wine: 92 Points
decanted through Vinturi for 4 hours. Started to open after an hour, but really changed at about the 4th hour and even better as we consumed with our northern Italian food meal within the 5th and 6th hour. I think aerating it and giving it time was critical as it really evolved nicely. Perhaps I was lucky as this wasn't a corked or 'vinegar' sample from JR. But for the price, it was a great value Brunelllo. I wouldn't hold this much more than another year or so.
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3/29/2015 - harrygonzo wrote: 91 Points
decanted for five hours....muddy ruby color ..almost slightly separated ...descent nose, but after a glass or two it got better... might be peaking but no need to worry it will all be gone....nice wine for the money. no one should criticize john r for this one
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3/27/2015 - Richard123 Likes this wine: 90 Points
It does have an old-style feel to the wine, and on opening it is quite vegetal and tight. As others have noted, decanting for an hour helps enormously and brings the wine to a more integrated place. At that point it works very well; still an old-style Brunello but one that pairs very well with the usual foods. I don't think it's over the hill, but I wouldn't expect it to get a lot better from here. Great QPR....
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3/19/2015 - dmitchell4 wrote: 89 Points
Needs air, may need another year.
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3/15/2015 - lifeattable Likes this wine: 89 Points
Slow o about an hour or so. It is interesting, the comments that this wine is past its peak, on the downhill, etc. My experience with this bottle is that it was on the tight side, still with quite a bit of tannic grip. Fruit may be fading to some extent, but it is there. Poured about half bttl into a glass jar and stored in fridge overnight. On day two It was actually better, more integrated and earthy, suggesting this has plenty of life left.
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3/10/2015 - ravbik wrote: 85 Points
questionable bottle. probably getting close to end of life
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3/10/2015 - stbraunt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes and it made a world of difference. Absolutely perfect pairing with Italian takeout meal.
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3/7/2015 - CO_Roots13 wrote: 92 Points
Very nice bottle that is falling in line with the last two. Slow ox for a couple hours - I beleive this to be the key to avoid some of the tired and faded charactaristics that have been reported. Bright red cherry, pipe tobacco and earth on the palette with a background of pine tar on the nose. The palette is generous and refined, but has an interesting combination of aged and youthful qualities. Plenty of acidity with a compliment of savoury fruit that refelect the nose. This bottle has plenty of grip and the finish longers with drying earthy tones and a hint of bitter chocolate.
8-18-8-8
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2/23/2015 - grantsky wrote: 91 Points
Showing its age, but not a bad thing. Needed to be open for about 90 minutes to show its self well. Dried fruit, slight black cherry compote, dried floral
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2/22/2015 - Enfant sauvage wrote:
Some fig and leather on the nose, not much on the palate. Not corked or vinegar, but this has one foot in the grave and the other on a greasy banana peel.
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2/21/2015 - ravbik wrote: flawed
Corked
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2/6/2015 - miadelt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mature fruit, almost sweet, but dry finish. Medium bodied. Leather, minerality. Better with food.
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2/1/2015 - Sheila62 wrote:
This bottle is a little more tired then the one I tasted a couple of months ago. Again, This displays its warm vintage with dark round..porty fruit with a hint of cherry, and a bit of flowers. There is not much verve on the palate.
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1/29/2015 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dusky garnet. Roses, red berries, leather on the powerful nose; has a slightly hot alcoholic bight (although only 13.5% according to the label). Deeply charged fruit on the palate that cuts a broad path from front to back, bright edging of acid, crunchy tannins paving the way,leading to a very long aromatic finish. A wine that expresses everything I like about Sangiovese: bright, cocky and deep all at the same time. 50 + 15 + 16 + 8.
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1/26/2015 - stbraunt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for an hour before drinking and it made a huge difference. Really smooth and had much better flavor. Opened up nicely.
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1/25/2015 - winemaker wrote: 90 Points
PnP. Looked kind of brown when poured. Initially the aromas were kind of pruney. With air, the pruney bits fade replaced with some soy sauce. The red fruits here are mellow, but the wine has plenty of grip with some nice underlying earth.
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1/20/2015 - Tintin wrote: 89 Points
A very gentle wine with faded fruit and soft tannins. Smooth-drinking.
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1/19/2015 - redz wrote: 91 Points
medium body, soft menthol tobacco nose, not a huge amount of fruit, slow lingering finish. nice
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1/18/2015 - lifeattable wrote: 90 Points
I'd say this is fairly priced for the Garagiste tariff of $20, so probably over-hyped as a mystery wine, but I'm not terribly disappointed that I grabbed a few. It's a decent but not great aged Brunello - tobacco, fading cherry fruit, ok complexity.
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1/16/2015 - topher18 wrote: flawed
Very disappointed that Garagiste would even sell this crap. Of six bottles I bought, four were vinegar. I know that they don't guarantee wine older than 10 years, so buyer beware, but this stuff makes me question buying anything further from them.
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1/15/2015 - LARich wrote: 89 Points
Great value for money but nothing special. Drink now
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1/14/2015 - rbaum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent QPR and very drinkable right now. Smooth and rounded with medium depth. Needs a bit of air at the outset.
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1/7/2015 - Aparritz wrote: 92 Points
Classic brunello with resiny dark fruit, leather, medium finish and moderate tannin. A bit thin for a brunello but the flavors opened up more after hour 3 or so. Very good overall and an excellent bargain from garagiste at about $20.
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1/4/2015 - CO_Roots13 wrote: 93 Points
Slow ox for over 2 hours. I think this step is essential as the sampling upon opening was far less exciting that the glass poured two hours later. A little different from the last bottle, but excellent none the less. The profile included orange zest, sweet herbs and earthy umami notes along side a healthy dose of quintessential BdM cherry. The nose was a little more complex (not quite as expressive). The palette was smooth yet with weight balanced by food worthy acidity. The tannins are still present and pleasantly drying leading into a lingering finish. An outstanding bottle from a fairly good vintage.
9-18-8-8
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1/2/2015 - TGLeroy Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is why I buy mystery wines, what a lovely surprise! Is this a "great" bottle of wine? No. Could I drink this every night of the week? Yes, with relish! Drink now.
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1/1/2015 - VinoServant wrote: 90 Points
$20 for a Brunello? I was very pessimistic about how good this wine would taste. It tastes wonderful. Opened the bottle a few years before consumption. Great mix of red fruit mixed with some earth and herbs. The wine is very smooth. No rough edges. I should have purchased more.
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12/31/2014 - klezman wrote:
PnP it's got a lot of leafy aroma and palate. Some currant and earth on the palate as well. The tannins are still there, but nicely velvety while the structure is still rather nice and firm and acidic.
A bit of air and it both firms up and opens up. Flavours are toward the plum end of the spectrum, and the nose is distinctly chocolate. There's also a distinct cherry flavour with a touch of bitterness on the finish. Significant herbs on both the most and palate also. Very nice, especially for the Garagiste price.
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12/24/2014 - Enfant sauvage wrote:
I found this distinctly lacking in tannins. Smooth and pleasant with pretty standard cherry fruit, maybe a bit of moss and ash. This bottle seemed to really show the weak vintage, but based on some comments here maybe it was a less than perfect bottle.
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12/15/2014 - Pugs wrote: 88 Points
Over the hill. Drink up.
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12/12/2014 - peterhimes Likes this wine: 90 Points
Probably tasting too soon as just opened 15 mins ago; will finish these notes at the end of the meal. Pepper and earth nose, tobacco and Red Delicious apple on the front palate. Good tannin structure - provides astringency without blocking any flavors. Smooth finish maybe 10 secs. 15 secs later on, very nice
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12/6/2014 - stbraunt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good and drinkable Barolo. Needed about 30 minutes to open up, but really nice and flavorful once it was ready to drink.
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12/5/2014 - mfkantor wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hr before drinking. Really opened up with strong cherry and tobacco. Tannins have mellowed but could go a few more years.
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11/29/2014 - boldaddy wrote: 88 Points
still too many tannins. nice wine but needs more time.
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11/29/2014 - randyjc wrote: 90 Points
Surprisingly good. Mature, soft and rounded and comfortable. A nice cut and definition and, at the same time, nice integration of flavors and acidity. The tannins are soft and fading but the wine holds together well. Had it with a tomatoey dish and by itself. It stood up to the food and was lovely to sip after dinner. A pleasant surprise.
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11/29/2014 - CO_Roots13 wrote: 93 Points
This is a very good example of an aged BdM. It's not mind blowing, but it is very good. Very expressive textbook nose of dark cherry with earthy leafy notes, anise and tobacco. The palette follows suit with nice texture and very nice food-worthy acidity. It has a nice finish with a compliment of chocolate and a pleasant grip of fine tannins.
9-18-8-8
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11/28/2014 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Lovely bottle of wine. Soft almost creamy in texture, but with nice definition and a long juicy, softly tannic aftertaste. Ripe black and red cherry fruit, notes of currant and tobacco, lovely long finish. Delicious.
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11/26/2014 - drrobvino wrote: 91 Points
This wine was brought over by a friend and opened 3 days ago. We consumed 3/4 of the bottle. The remaining wine is what I am basing today's note on.
Tart red cherry fruit, comes across with depth, perfume, with a bit of wet rocks, old leather, and tobacco leaf.
The palate shows off a medium bodied wine, with med alcohol (listed at 13.5%), with light tannins and med/med+ acidity. The flavors echo from the palate, showing beautiful tart cherry fruit, some rocks/minerals, and tobacco/spice box. The finish is med in length, and the wine comes across quite elegant and mature at this point in it's evolution.
Drinking just beautifully right now, and will probably continue to do so through 2017 or so. I would drink up sooner than later, as it is really nice right now. Enjoy!
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11/24/2014 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
Intense and dark - lovely mature sangiovese drinking very well - juicy cherry fruit with a tobacco laced finish.
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11/15/2014 - LLakritz wrote: 89 Points
Probably lost a little of punch but still a great pour.
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11/13/2014 - Sheila62 Likes this wine:
No bottle variation here. This is a brunello from a warm vintage with dark round..porty fruit with a hint of cherry. There is lift here on the palate from ample acidity. Worked well with food at the dinner table. I will drink this producers 2000 while waiting for some more of their structured vintages to mature. This is a good producer
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11/5/2014 - ryestraw wrote:
Seems like mixed reviews. Mine was tasty, with some life in it for sure.
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11/4/2014 - andtheodor wrote: flawed
Awful. Brown, a bit oxidized, a touch bretted, volatile, prunes, sour cherry, dull, muddled. A vestige of Brunello underneath the mess. Strangely, the cork is unstained...was this just bottled?
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11/2/2014 - skorn5 wrote: 87 Points
opened at a restaurant with no time to decant. smelled like port and sherry. hot alcohol to start and then fruity. will give another bottle a shot will more time toopen
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8/10/2014 - mtaczak wrote: 89 Points
Double-decanted and consumed about 2.5 hours after opening. Still some tart cherry on the mid-palate and a very grippy finish, this wasn't the most complex wine at the table but was certainly enjoyable. I'm not sure there's quite enough acidity left to make me want to hold on to the rest, but this is a perfectly serviceable example of an aged Sangiovese, and worth every penny at the mid-$20s price point.
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