Deep purple brick color. Nose of dark fruit and licorice. Flavors of cassis, dark cherry, cedar, smoke, and fennel. Complex. Mid level tannins. A bit rustic with pronounced fruit. This may have anther 10 years left. Decant for sediment. Lovely.
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Maybe a tad past peak but drinking well. Palate has blueberry licorice, dust and cedar. Good structure, tannins are tamed, acidity on the low side. Blackcurrant is the predominant note on the palate, restrained finish.
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Well integrated and plenty of interest. Lacks that green pepper note that I experienced in the previous bottle, this one is altogether more harmonious and enjoyable.
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Dusty nose, bit of olive, green pepper, and grilled meat. Mostly resolved tannins render the structure of this wine a bit flimsy, though the palate is velvety, soft, and round and there is plenty of flavor. The fruit is slightly dry, so I fear it is time to drink this one up if you've got any. A very enjoyable wine to drink, but not much future.
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A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%) and Aglianico (10%) Fermented and macerated for three weeks in stainless steel. Aged for 8-12 months in new French barriques. Alcohol 13%, acidity 5 g/l, pH 3,55.
Somewhat translucent developed cherry red color with a mature figgy hue. The black berry-driven fruit department in the nose seems developed, but not yet dried / wizened in style, along with lighter aromas of licorice, some leather and hints of well-integrated sweet oak spice. The wine feels dry, silky and sophisticated on the palate with savory flavors of blackcurrants, crowberries, peppery spice, some sweet oak spice and a hint of rich red fruits. Overall the wine feels noticeably less expressive and more restrained than the surrounding vintages and although the acidity is high enough to keep the wine in balance, the tannins feel very light, gentle and mellow, lacking the typical grip of Montevetrano. The finish is pretty restrained and a bit short with nicely developed, subtle flavors of ripe dark berries, some nutmeg-driven spice, a hint of chocolate oak and a touch of licorice.
A very sophisticated, silky and harmonious vintage of Montevetrano, but also one that feels very light, inexpressive and somewhat unassuming in style. On its own this wine is very enjoyable and lovely, but in a vertical tasting of Montevetranos from 2004 until 1994, this wine really suffers from its company - once you can see what Montevetranos are capable of, this wine is a bit of a let-down. It is lovely in its own right, but not really up to the par of Montevetrano style. However, still fully alive and will keep for years to come. Might even develop a little, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
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I recently did a vertical tasting of 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008 & 2009 from my favourite producer in Italy.
I came to the conclusion that wines from this producer are at their peak in the 8-10 year bracket. The 2000 was just a little over the hill and lacked the finesse and the length that a 2008 or 2009 did. But still good value for money and for most people this would be an excellent wine.
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Excellent. Close to its peak, probably, but it will hold for many more years. Competent wine-making in a very good (and unknown to me) terroir. Although one can easily guess this wine is not adopting a traditional paradigm, it displays a own peculiar character - nothing "international" and yet accessible to any oenophile in the world. Chewy, powerful and very well balanced, it's long and harmonious. Probably not the most racy wine money can buy, but not so distant from that.
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Whether the Aglianico or the dirt, the Italian personality comes through. Unfortunately, that aspect seems to detract from an otherwise pleasant and well aged claret <style> blend.
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Purchased in Rome upon release and hand carried to the US. Stored impeccably since then in temperature controlled cellar. Opened two hours before serving -- no decant. Wine was in perfect condition and singing. Tannins well resolved, but wine still has a long life ahead.
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Dark ruby; very little on the nose, though started to yield a bit after a day's air. Primarily dark, brooding ripe fruits, with a bit of spice and sage; bit of funk mostly goes away with air. Surprisingly, it is fairly thin. What fruit is there is dense and ripe, but the wine lacks concentration. Medium finish. Medium-low but very drying tannin. Sadly, it is merely good.
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Friday Night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Decanted for 30 minutes. Good wine, very cabernet sauvignon wine. Light oaky feel, round, firm wine. Silky tannin. A bit on the easy side and low on complexity. Good wine but no magic here. 90
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Needs time to open up and First notes are muted and shut. 30-40minutes in a decanter helped it open up and develop and nice elegant nose. Mild medium body, well round but with some rough dry tannin (probably wood driven) on the end. Dark fruits, light spicy. 90-91. well made but lacks complexity.
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Opened two hours before consumption. This wine was reserved and not giving up much at first. As the wine was exposed to more air, it started to blossom and turn into a nice wine. A noticeable but pleasant funk immediately hits the nose leading on to smells of red fruits with some earthiness and herbs. Red fruits and smooth tannins on the palate. Drinking nicely now.
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I have tasted the 1999 side by side with a 2000 , unfortunatly the 1999 had a not perfect corck , so the match was unpaired. The 2000 have a ruby color , dark fruit , earth , medium to full bodied, silky tannins. I'm happy that I have another 1999 in my cellar, I will try it again soon.
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Very nice wine, good but balanced fruit, tannin and acidity. Agree that is showing some secondary flavors but wouldn't describe them as bountiful. Got better on the second day after being opened, leading me to believe it will be better with more age and/or a meaningful decanting prior to drinking.
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What is not to love about this wine and its producer? Like the Il Carbonaione, there does not seem to ever be a bad vintage. Of the two Montevetrano we drank this night, the 2000 presented itself as clearly the better wine, if only for the additional bottle age. This wine is finally getting more secondary nuance but still gives loads of dense primary ripe fruit counterbalancing the copious tannin and acidity.
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Had never had this before but knew its reputation. Wine was seamless ,light, elegant with the different parts (cab, merlot, aglianico) well integrated. Very good wine, pleasant, but i expected more. I would drink this now. Showed little on the nose
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Classy dark cherry color. On the nose, an initial blast of soiled diaper is softened by mineral, green tobacco, and a touch of dark berry. Similar palate, with some food-friendly acidity and mild but bitter tannins. An amazing decline since release, now quite thin and average at best.
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Decanted for a while and really opened up. Should continue to improve over time (5-7 years). Long fruity finish, medium body. Great balance of tannins and aciditry.
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Loads of fruit with tremendous viscosity. Touches of mint and roasted herbs. Frankly, seems a bit one dimensional in the fruit department. Nevertheless, it's tasty juice.
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4/13/2021 - WinoRick wrote: flawed
Corked! I waited 20 years for this? Underlying components are there, but the TCA kills the enjoyment.
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2/23/2021 - KrisK01 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent. Bordeaux varietals but with an Italian heart. Refreshing acidity balances rich and complex fruit.
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6/27/2020 - djarcara Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep purple brick color. Nose of dark fruit and licorice. Flavors of cassis, dark cherry, cedar, smoke, and fennel. Complex. Mid level tannins. A bit rustic with pronounced fruit. This may have anther 10 years left. Decant for sediment. Lovely.
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9/27/2018 - JJKinch wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruit (cherry, blueberry), cedar/ some tannins, spice, tobacco, leather, minerality/ dust. Good acidity. Lingering finish. Really enjoyable.
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6/17/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious! Gorgeous! This is so good! Dark. Intense. Cab influence, but so Italian. Love this.
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5/31/2018 - mgjr83 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Maybe a tad past peak but drinking well. Palate has blueberry licorice, dust and cedar. Good structure, tannins are tamed, acidity on the low side. Blackcurrant is the predominant note on the palate, restrained finish.
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12/25/2017 - robmatic wrote: 90 Points
Well integrated and plenty of interest. Lacks that green pepper note that I experienced in the previous bottle, this one is altogether more harmonious and enjoyable.
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11/10/2017 - Cmainardi wrote: 91 Points
Delicious and ready to drink
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10/6/2017 - MarcelloW wrote: 88 Points
On the ripe side. Still in good shape, but needs to be drunken.
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9/24/2017 - robmatic wrote: 88 Points
Dusty nose, bit of olive, green pepper, and grilled meat. Mostly resolved tannins render the structure of this wine a bit flimsy, though the palate is velvety, soft, and round and there is plenty of flavor. The fruit is slightly dry, so I fear it is time to drink this one up if you've got any. A very enjoyable wine to drink, but not much future.
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2/27/2017 - forceberry wrote: 87 Points
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%) and Aglianico (10%) Fermented and macerated for three weeks in stainless steel. Aged for 8-12 months in new French barriques. Alcohol 13%, acidity 5 g/l, pH 3,55.
Somewhat translucent developed cherry red color with a mature figgy hue. The black berry-driven fruit department in the nose seems developed, but not yet dried / wizened in style, along with lighter aromas of licorice, some leather and hints of well-integrated sweet oak spice. The wine feels dry, silky and sophisticated on the palate with savory flavors of blackcurrants, crowberries, peppery spice, some sweet oak spice and a hint of rich red fruits. Overall the wine feels noticeably less expressive and more restrained than the surrounding vintages and although the acidity is high enough to keep the wine in balance, the tannins feel very light, gentle and mellow, lacking the typical grip of Montevetrano. The finish is pretty restrained and a bit short with nicely developed, subtle flavors of ripe dark berries, some nutmeg-driven spice, a hint of chocolate oak and a touch of licorice.
A very sophisticated, silky and harmonious vintage of Montevetrano, but also one that feels very light, inexpressive and somewhat unassuming in style. On its own this wine is very enjoyable and lovely, but in a vertical tasting of Montevetranos from 2004 until 1994, this wine really suffers from its company - once you can see what Montevetranos are capable of, this wine is a bit of a let-down. It is lovely in its own right, but not really up to the par of Montevetrano style. However, still fully alive and will keep for years to come. Might even develop a little, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
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2/14/2017 - bugles wrote: 88 Points
I recently did a vertical tasting of 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008 & 2009 from my favourite producer in Italy.
I came to the conclusion that wines from this producer are at their peak in the 8-10 year bracket. The 2000 was just a little over the hill and lacked the finesse and the length that a 2008 or 2009 did. But still good value for money and for most people this would be an excellent wine.
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2/8/2017 - Lype wrote: 89 Points
Restrained nose, fairly modest taste, less attractive than the stronger vintages such as 2004 and 2001.
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11/5/2016 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fully mature, but IMO will hold at this level for quite a few years. Wonderful black fruit and nice length.
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10/23/2016 - rotsec Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent. Close to its peak, probably, but it will hold for many more years. Competent wine-making in a very good (and unknown to me) terroir. Although one can easily guess this wine is not adopting a traditional paradigm, it displays a own peculiar character - nothing "international" and yet accessible to any oenophile in the world. Chewy, powerful and very well balanced, it's long and harmonious.
Probably not the most racy wine money can buy, but not so distant from that.
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8/28/2016 - Boatdrinker wrote:
I want to love this, but when I drinik it it feels like I"m drinking 2 separate wines, 1 cab and 1 aglianico.
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8/27/2016 - blanquito wrote:
Mildly corked.
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8/2/2016 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
RED BROWN ON THE EDGE. BLACK CHERRIES, LICORICE, AND SOME EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE. DRIED PLUMS AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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3/16/2016 - Boatdrinker Likes this wine:
Whether the Aglianico or the dirt, the Italian personality comes through. Unfortunately, that aspect seems to detract from an otherwise pleasant and well aged claret <style> blend.
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10/24/2015 - mclanew wrote: 92 Points
Fleshy, well made montevetrano. Blue and red fruits, tobacco, flowers and mineral. A bit muted on the nose but nice full body and long finish.
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7/24/2015 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purchased in Rome upon release and hand carried to the US. Stored impeccably since then in temperature controlled cellar. Opened two hours before serving -- no decant. Wine was in perfect condition and singing. Tannins well resolved, but wine still has a long life ahead.
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1/17/2014 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 86 Points
Dark ruby; very little on the nose, though started to yield a bit after a day's air. Primarily dark, brooding ripe fruits, with a bit of spice and sage; bit of funk mostly goes away with air. Surprisingly, it is fairly thin. What fruit is there is dense and ripe, but the wine lacks concentration. Medium finish. Medium-low but very drying tannin. Sadly, it is merely good.
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6/6/2013 - Gian wrote: 91 Points
Dark red color , nose of earth , cigar box , good bordeaux style , on the palate round with silky tannins , good acidity and quite long finish
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4/19/2013 - Papies wrote: 90 Points
Friday Night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Decanted for 30 minutes. Good wine, very cabernet sauvignon wine. Light oaky feel, round, firm wine. Silky tannin. A bit on the easy side and low on complexity. Good wine but no magic here. 90
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11/24/2012 - andtheodor wrote: 91 Points
A decade of Montevetrano: Attractive carob, mineral, racy red fruit, verve. A touch of mint chocolate builds in the glass. Very good.
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7/13/2012 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Needs time to open up and First notes are muted and shut. 30-40minutes in a decanter helped it open up and develop and nice elegant nose. Mild medium body, well round but with some rough dry tannin (probably wood driven) on the end. Dark fruits, light spicy. 90-91. well made but lacks complexity.
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6/2/2012 - S2 wrote: 91 Points
Opened two hours before consumption. This wine was reserved and not giving up much at first. As the wine was exposed to more air, it started to blossom and turn into a nice wine. A noticeable but pleasant funk immediately hits the nose leading on to smells of red fruits with some earthiness and herbs. Red fruits and smooth tannins on the palate. Drinking nicely now.
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6/9/2011 - Gian wrote: 90 Points
I have tasted the 1999 side by side with a 2000 , unfortunatly the 1999 had a not perfect corck , so the match was unpaired. The 2000 have a ruby color , dark fruit , earth , medium to full bodied, silky tannins. I'm happy that I have another 1999 in my cellar, I will try it again soon.
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1/1/2011 - Majestic wrote:
Very nice wine, good but balanced fruit, tannin and acidity. Agree that is showing some secondary flavors but wouldn't describe them as bountiful. Got better on the second day after being opened, leading me to believe it will be better with more age and/or a meaningful decanting prior to drinking.
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10/7/2010 - asgerG wrote: 92 Points
Fine mature stuff.. Ripe red fruits mixed with spicy elements. Well balanced on the palate, some tannin to match the ripe fruit.
Drink now - 2015
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1/16/2010 - KellyW wrote: 94 Points
What is not to love about this wine and its producer? Like the Il Carbonaione, there does not seem to ever be a bad vintage. Of the two Montevetrano we drank this night, the 2000 presented itself as clearly the better wine, if only for the additional bottle age. This wine is finally getting more secondary nuance but still gives loads of dense primary ripe fruit counterbalancing the copious tannin and acidity.
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6/9/2009 - petitblanc wrote: 85 Points
Almost identical to the previous bottle, but a bit smoother after an hour in the glass.
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12/26/2008 - rwatkin wrote: 88 Points
Had never had this before but knew its reputation. Wine was seamless ,light, elegant with the different parts (cab, merlot, aglianico) well integrated. Very good wine, pleasant, but i expected more. I would drink this now. Showed little on the nose
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6/18/2008 - petitblanc wrote: 82 Points
Classy dark cherry color. On the nose, an initial blast of soiled diaper is softened by mineral, green tobacco, and a touch of dark berry. Similar palate, with some food-friendly acidity and mild but bitter tannins. An amazing decline since release, now quite thin and average at best.
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3/17/2007 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
Almost no nose save for hints of mineral/chalk. But impeccably balanced in the mouth and ready to drink up.
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8/5/2006 - espia wrote:
Very nice, deep color, intense red with right fruit, right oak.
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5/14/2006 - deanda wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for a while and really opened up. Should continue to improve over time (5-7 years). Long fruity finish, medium body. Great balance of tannins and aciditry.
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11/19/2005 - ctwino wrote: 90 Points
Nice Aglianico, would drink now as it doesn't seem to me to have the depth that others of the area, orother Montevetrano's have had.
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2/23/2004 - R2-D2 wrote: 92 Points
Loads of fruit with tremendous viscosity. Touches of mint and roasted herbs. Frankly, seems a bit one dimensional in the fruit department. Nevertheless, it's tasty juice.
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5/14/2003 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
STILL YOUNG, BLACK CHERRIES, RASPBERRIES, AND LICORICE IN THE NOSE WITH CHERRIES, LICORICE AND CURRANTS IN THE FLAVOR. MEDIUM LENGTH FINISH.
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