Going off of memory but surprisingly good given that Valdicava’s tend to not come into their own until 15-20 years after vintage. Flash decant and thoroughly enjoyable although not yet at peak. Drink with air or (preferably) hold.
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At the eleventh hour, I opted to uncork the Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino 2012 instead of my initial choice. Regrettably, this proved to be a misjudgment. After a mere 2.5 hours of decanting prior to the main course, the wine was still not at its peak. Only after a full four hours had elapsed did the wine begin to unfold. In my opinion, it could have benefited from at least an additional hour of decanting, but by now it was too late! Nevertheless, the wine's multi-layered profile was immensely gratifying, featuring notes of dark cherry, plum, dark chocolate, coffee, licorice, and berries. The wine exhibited firm tannins, a long finish, and a full body. Regrettably, I only have one bottle on hand and look forward to seeking out another vintage, (perhaps from a cooler year), to savor in the future. Give plenty of air, overall, excellent!
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Needs a very long (4 hour minimum, 8 would be better) decant at present. Kudos to the spry, midweight feel and 14% in the hot year; tart plum, petrichor, very tannic. Excellent paired with a late summer tomato and eggplant pasta, doesn't really stand on its own at this phase. Glad I have more of this; in hindsight I wouldn't touch this until at least 2025.
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This wine is years away from being accessible I think. Opened it, poured some and immediately the scents were insanely musky. A taste and the tannin was unrelenting, the acidity sky high and only after a solid 20 seconds did I start to notice some black cherry and cranberry show up. 7+ hours of decanting and it didn’t budge. We begrudgingly drank half of because at this point it was near bed time. The following morning, I tried another sip just to see what was going on- nothing. We get home from work and try it again, still not budging. By dinner time, it had *somewhat* started softening showcasing a cleaner scent of herbs and cranberries with some notes of rosemary, black cherry and a juiciness I would equate to a slightly under-ripened blackberry. It’s been stored at 55° since release so maybe it’s just developing a lot slower than most. At this rate, I’ll try again in ten years.
Reliable Brunello! Needs some air time, but than it delivers: cherry, fig, leather, prune, tobacco, cedar, mushrooms, medium body, nice Sangiovese finish.
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Supps with the girls (E & M's in the rocks, Sydney): Lazy pop and pour when it should really have been decanted. pretty much dense thick chewy black and red fruits, cherry, tight tannins. goodish and improved with time but pretty much vinfanticide
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IWS Tuscany, Campania, Basilicata, Marche, Umbria; 1/29/2022-1/30/2022 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas initially shows bacon fat, with agitation it starts to come out of its shell to reveal concentrated polished cherries, lots of sweet spiced oak, concentrated savoury meaty elements, almost a touch of juniper, very slight tomato leaf completes the picture on the nose. Medium plus intensity acidity, tannins and flavours; all in balance, alcohol warmth on the finish. the flavours are equally concentrated on the palate but without being overdone. Very good.
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Drank over two days and it was at its best (really good!) after about 16 hours. So this definitely has a long life ahead of it, but it will be fantastic now if you throw it in a decanter the morning of the night you plan to drink it. If you pop and pour, the tannins will be overwhelming.
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Rating is for how it tastes now (2021). I opened a 2010 Valdicava this year and it was remarkable. The 2012 is closed and in a dumb phase at the moment. If you have some, give it 5yrs minimum. I’m sure at that time it’s a 95+ point wine. Everything is there… massive dry tannins, earth galore, acid and dark raisin fruit…it’s just angular and austere at the moment. Glad I have 5 more to ignore for a while
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Nose is fairly quiet. Tart red fruit, rose petal, and a touch of tobacco. On the palate, it’s also not super expressive. Tannins build through the mid palate and combine with medium acidity to create an astringent experience. This wine is likely just too young at the moment. It will likely be a better wine when the tannin relents, but who knows when that will be.
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Opened in 2021 (9 yr). Slow legs, strong graphite, cigar, medium tart raspberry fragrance. Dry, medium body, Smokey raspberry taste, medium frontal tannins, high acidity. Structured Smokey finish.
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Disappointing and just not enjoyable. Even after a 2-hour decant, the wine is tannic to the point of astringency and flat. Maybe fruit will emerge but will take considerably more age. Perhaps this was an off-bottle as others have tasted a seemingly different wine.
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Classic Brunello notes. Nose of barnyard and Brett and cherry cough drops. Balanced but young with notes of oak, cigar, wet earth, anise, leather, red berries, vanilla and pine sap. Long chalky drying tannic pine tar, pine sap mouth puckering 60 second finish. Incredible, young, Rustic wild dry highly acidic and tannic but so good and lots of potential... riveting wine.
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Disappointing immediately after opening, the next day this was a revelation. Sharp black cherries and a zesty minerality balanced by some coconut, oregano and some balsamic coming through. Tart acidity, well integrated and tight tannins, fairly full body and a long finish.
Not much of a nose, which would have taken the score higher.
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Popped this and let breathe for n hour. Wow. Wasn’t expecting it to be so ready. Tannins were well integrated. Beautiful mouth feel and light red/cherry color. Dry but not acidic nor a fruit bomb. Glad I have a few more.
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I really enjoyed this wine. Some really nice dark red fruit but with plenty of substance & acidity. Rich and rustic. Stewed berries, leather and forest floor. A powerful wine. Still may be better in a few more years, but it was super good today.
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Very earthy and truffle expression on the nose, extreme tannins on the palate. Could use another three years in the cellar. The fruit is nominal with dark cherries and fig, but an extremely well made wine. I like the funkiness of this when paired with Italian food like grilled veal!
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Very tight even after a 4 hour decant. This really needs 10+ years before hitting its window. You could see that it had everything to be fantastic then, just not ready yet.
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Very tight out of the bottle but softened after about 30 minutes. Muscular and lean at this point. Will definitely improve with time. Try again in a year.
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Had this during our Tuscany trip with friends 9/28 to 10/5 to Villa Montepulciano. We tasted this at the Enoteca La Fortezza Di Montalcino. Line-up included Brunello's from 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 2010. The 2015 was tasted but will not be released to us till next year.
An earthy nose with asphalt like aromatics. on the palette there is blueberry, raspberry, cherry, and all present with a spice driven finish. powerful on the palate
Given the line-up this was the most earthy nose. Modestly large mouthfeel but closed. Probably needs more time.
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Blueberry, blackcurrant, balsamic, charred meat, rosemary, clove. Powerful, viscous, dense, full bodied, layered soupy texture, not the highest acidity but sufficient. I don’t think this will be the longest lived. Could hold for another decade but is actually drinking well already.
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Jean Louis Chave Hermitage Tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): Shared by an attendee at the Chave tasting. Bright ruby color. Very powerful, but tight and needs more seasoning. Raspberry, red cherry, truffle, brown spices, and earth on the nose. Very powerful on the palate. Needs a little time to balance out, but should evolve into a really nice Brunello.
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Coravin - Readiness to drink (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Slightly gamey, charcuterie funk, more dense than the Costanti on the nose; aromas of cherry and sweet spice. Perhaps a little more oak here? With time a smidge of dried flowers and cherry ripe chocolate. Far more savoury on the palate with juicy acidity and massive, grippy though talc textured tannins. The fruit is rather lost in this structural onslaught but it travels ridiculously long. Undeniably young and demands serious charred meat.
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Brunello di Montalcino (Kindred restaurant): Rich, red cherry and berries, sweet spice, a little white pepper, slightly oxidative and meaty notes, a little bacon fat, baked earth. Juicy, red cherry, savoury with tightly tannic that is flour textured. Young but very nice.
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90 minute decant through a powered aerator. Garnet orange translucent color. Nose and taste of smoke, strawberry leaves, ash and blackberries. Fruit is somewhat muted. Medium bodied. Probably drinking this one too young at this point. Was expecting more. Good not great and questionable QPR. About 90-91.
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Darker brick-red color>ruby. Notes of balsamic, truffle, darker, almost roasted berries. Good acidity, but mostly muddled fruit in that it fell short of exciting; i.e. modest freshness. Not so sure I'd have been in Toscana (or even Sangiovese) if served double-blind. Good for what it is, but nothing too interesting today. Drink now with a few hours of air in decanter, or hold and hope for more complexity to develop. i suppose I like it for what it is. Drink 2018-2027. NR
Tasted at Valdicava Tried a couple of different plots to see the difference between the vines. Very interesting but hard to tell without a trained palate to mask out the tannins.
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9/14/2023 - EM_MB Likes this wine: 93 Points
Going off of memory but surprisingly good given that Valdicava’s tend to not come into their own until 15-20 years after vintage. Flash decant and thoroughly enjoyable although not yet at peak. Drink with air or (preferably) hold.
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8/13/2023 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a delicious 11 year old Brunello. Drinking wonderfully with great complexity and structure.
Medium bodied with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate and nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.
Showing red and black fruits with wood, earth, tobacco, wet leaves, herbs, black pepper and light vegetables.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.
Robert Parker 94 points. Wine Enthusiasts 92 points.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.
14% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$150.
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4/29/2023 - crumblemore Likes this wine: 93 Points
At the eleventh hour, I opted to uncork the Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino 2012 instead of my initial choice. Regrettably, this proved to be a misjudgment. After a mere 2.5 hours of decanting prior to the main course, the wine was still not at its peak. Only after a full four hours had elapsed did the wine begin to unfold. In my opinion, it could have benefited from at least an additional hour of decanting, but by now it was too late! Nevertheless, the wine's multi-layered profile was immensely gratifying, featuring notes of dark cherry, plum, dark chocolate, coffee, licorice, and berries. The wine exhibited firm tannins, a long finish, and a full body. Regrettably, I only have one bottle on hand and look forward to seeking out another vintage, (perhaps from a cooler year), to savor in the future. Give plenty of air, overall, excellent!
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9/17/2022 - finlero wrote: 90 Points
Needs a very long (4 hour minimum, 8 would be better) decant at present. Kudos to the spry, midweight feel and 14% in the hot year; tart plum, petrichor, very tannic. Excellent paired with a late summer tomato and eggplant pasta, doesn't really stand on its own at this phase. Glad I have more of this; in hindsight I wouldn't touch this until at least 2025.
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8/12/2022 - Order66 wrote:
This wine is years away from being accessible I think. Opened it, poured some and immediately the scents were insanely musky. A taste and the tannin was unrelenting, the acidity sky high and only after a solid 20 seconds did I start to notice some black cherry and cranberry show up. 7+ hours of decanting and it didn’t budge. We begrudgingly drank half of because at this point it was near bed time. The following morning, I tried another sip just to see what was going on- nothing. We get home from work and try it again, still not budging. By dinner time, it had *somewhat* started softening showcasing a cleaner scent of herbs and cranberries with some notes of rosemary, black cherry and a juiciness I would equate to a slightly under-ripened blackberry. It’s been stored at 55° since release so maybe it’s just developing a lot slower than most. At this rate, I’ll try again in ten years.
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7/26/2022 - Mark van Delft Likes this wine: 93 Points
Reliable Brunello! Needs some air time, but than it delivers: cherry, fig, leather, prune, tobacco, cedar, mushrooms, medium body, nice Sangiovese finish.
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2/7/2022 - chatters wrote:
Supps with the girls (E & M's in the rocks, Sydney): Lazy pop and pour when it should really have been decanted. pretty much dense thick chewy black and red fruits, cherry, tight tannins. goodish and improved with time but pretty much vinfanticide
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1/29/2022 - chatters wrote:
IWS Tuscany, Campania, Basilicata, Marche, Umbria; 1/29/2022-1/30/2022 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Medium minus intensity aromas initially shows bacon fat, with agitation it starts to come out of its shell to reveal concentrated polished cherries, lots of sweet spiced oak, concentrated savoury meaty elements, almost a touch of juniper, very slight tomato leaf completes the picture on the nose. Medium plus intensity acidity, tannins and flavours; all in balance, alcohol warmth on the finish. the flavours are equally concentrated on the palate but without being overdone. Very good.
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12/27/2021 - shza Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank over two days and it was at its best (really good!) after about 16 hours. So this definitely has a long life ahead of it, but it will be fantastic now if you throw it in a decanter the morning of the night you plan to drink it. If you pop and pour, the tannins will be overwhelming.
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12/13/2021 - Fink75 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rating is for how it tastes now (2021). I opened a 2010 Valdicava this year and it was remarkable. The 2012 is closed and in a dumb phase at the moment. If you have some, give it 5yrs minimum. I’m sure at that time it’s a 95+ point wine. Everything is there… massive dry tannins, earth galore, acid and dark raisin fruit…it’s just angular and austere at the moment. Glad I have 5 more to ignore for a while
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8/5/2021 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Nose is fairly quiet. Tart red fruit, rose petal, and a touch of tobacco.
On the palate, it’s also not super expressive. Tannins build through the mid palate and combine with medium acidity to create an astringent experience. This wine is likely just too young at the moment. It will likely be a better wine when the tannin relents, but who knows when that will be.
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6/21/2021 - bucktooth22 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened in 2021 (9 yr). Slow legs, strong graphite, cigar, medium tart raspberry fragrance. Dry, medium body, Smokey raspberry taste, medium frontal tannins, high acidity. Structured Smokey finish.
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4/20/2021 - travelculture Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Disappointing and just not enjoyable. Even after a 2-hour decant, the wine is tannic to the point of astringency and flat. Maybe fruit will emerge but will take considerably more age. Perhaps this was an off-bottle as others have tasted a seemingly different wine.
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3/14/2021 - winecadence Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent Brunello style. Medium body. Slightly grippy tannins. Nice acidity. Dried fruit on the palate. I really enjoyed this bottle.
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3/4/2021 - Joelene wrote: 94 Points
Classic Brunello notes. Nose of barnyard and Brett and cherry cough drops. Balanced but young with notes of oak, cigar, wet earth, anise, leather, red berries, vanilla and pine sap. Long chalky drying tannic pine tar, pine sap mouth puckering 60 second finish. Incredible, young,
Rustic wild dry highly acidic and tannic but so good and lots of potential... riveting wine.
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1/24/2021 - Volleyball Likes this wine: 93 Points
Disappointing immediately after opening, the next day this was a revelation. Sharp black cherries and a zesty minerality balanced by some coconut, oregano and some balsamic coming through. Tart acidity, well integrated and tight tannins, fairly full body and a long finish.
Not much of a nose, which would have taken the score higher.
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11/26/2020 - dankgummy wrote: 94 Points
Now THIS is a Brunello. Nice, balanced, tasty Brunello. Needs at least 1 hour decant. Love love love
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8/8/2020 - thh18731 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent Brunello - full bodied and well balanced.
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8/7/2020 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium body, very astringent, dry and balanced. Good terroir representation.
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8/2/2020 - WojoWineCave Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped this and let breathe for n hour. Wow. Wasn’t expecting it to be so ready. Tannins were well integrated. Beautiful mouth feel and light red/cherry color. Dry but not acidic nor a fruit bomb. Glad I have a few more.
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5/24/2020 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
I really enjoyed this wine. Some really nice dark red fruit but with plenty of substance & acidity. Rich and rustic. Stewed berries, leather and forest floor. A powerful wine. Still may be better in a few more years, but it was super good today.
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4/7/2020 - jimyeni Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Not terrible. Just wanted so much more from this producer that I’m used to great things. Not a great vintage.
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3/28/2020 - chatters wrote:
From Coravin. Cherry, sweet spice, a little charcuterie. Juicy with lashings of tannins on the palate. needs meat. and time.
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3/23/2020 - Scottlmatthews wrote: 92 Points
Very earthy and truffle expression on the nose, extreme tannins on the palate. Could use another three years in the cellar. The fruit is nominal with dark cherries and fig, but an extremely well made wine. I like the funkiness of this when paired with Italian food like grilled veal!
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3/15/2020 - psiweaver Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very tight even after a 4 hour decant. This really needs 10+ years before hitting its window. You could see that it had everything to be fantastic then, just not ready yet.
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1/16/2020 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very tight out of the bottle but softened after about 30 minutes. Muscular and lean at this point. Will definitely improve with time. Try again in a year.
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12/21/2019 - jimyeni wrote: 90 Points
Little bit of funk, not terribly aromatic, just ok
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9/30/2019 - tomoem Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this during our Tuscany trip with friends 9/28 to 10/5 to Villa Montepulciano. We tasted this at the Enoteca La Fortezza Di Montalcino. Line-up included Brunello's from 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 2010. The 2015 was tasted but will not be released to us till next year.
An earthy nose with asphalt like aromatics. on the palette there is blueberry, raspberry, cherry, and all present with a spice driven finish. powerful on the palate
Given the line-up this was the most earthy nose. Modestly large mouthfeel but closed. Probably needs more time.
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8/17/2019 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 91 Points
Blueberry, blackcurrant, balsamic, charred meat, rosemary, clove. Powerful, viscous, dense, full bodied, layered soupy texture, not the highest acidity but sufficient. I don’t think this will be the longest lived. Could hold for another decade but is actually drinking well already.
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6/20/2019 - Markus IWC wrote: 90 Points
Top Brunello provning med Sergio på La Fortezza, vin 4:
Blå/röd frukt, läder. Lite het och koncentrerad, sträva tanniner.phe
Lugnar ner sig med tid i glaset. 14% alkohol.
90p
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5/7/2019 - mkk wrote: 93 Points
Crazy good but very young. Still waiting for the fruit to peak. I’d wait another year before I open another bottle.
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1/25/2019 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 92 Points
Jean Louis Chave Hermitage Tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): Shared by an attendee at the Chave tasting. Bright ruby color. Very powerful, but tight and needs more seasoning. Raspberry, red cherry, truffle, brown spices, and earth on the nose. Very powerful on the palate. Needs a little time to balance out, but should evolve into a really nice Brunello.
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11/23/2018 - chatters wrote:
Coravin - Readiness to drink (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Slightly gamey, charcuterie funk, more dense than the Costanti on the nose; aromas of cherry and sweet spice. Perhaps a little more oak here? With time a smidge of dried flowers and cherry ripe chocolate. Far more savoury on the palate with juicy acidity and massive, grippy though talc textured tannins. The fruit is rather lost in this structural onslaught but it travels ridiculously long. Undeniably young and demands serious charred meat.
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10/3/2018 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious mid weight sangiovese, with attractive aroma and lovely mouth feel.
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6/20/2018 - chatters wrote:
Brunello di Montalcino (Kindred restaurant): Rich, red cherry and berries, sweet spice, a little white pepper, slightly oxidative and meaty notes, a little bacon fat, baked earth. Juicy, red cherry, savoury with tightly tannic that is flour textured. Young but very nice.
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6/4/2018 - rockthomii@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
90 minute decant through a powered aerator. Garnet orange translucent color. Nose and taste of smoke, strawberry leaves, ash and blackberries. Fruit is somewhat muted. Medium bodied. Probably drinking this one too young at this point. Was expecting more. Good not great and questionable QPR. About 90-91.
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8/17/2017 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Darker brick-red color>ruby. Notes of balsamic, truffle, darker, almost roasted berries. Good acidity, but mostly muddled fruit in that it fell short of exciting; i.e. modest freshness. Not so sure I'd have been in Toscana (or even Sangiovese) if served double-blind. Good for what it is, but nothing too interesting today. Drink now with a few hours of air in decanter, or hold and hope for more complexity to develop. i suppose I like it for what it is. Drink 2018-2027. NR
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
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8/6/2014 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine:
Tasted at Valdicava from barrel. Would agree with RayOB.
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6/21/2013 - RayOB wrote:
Tasted at Valdicava
Tried a couple of different plots to see the difference between the vines. Very interesting but hard to tell without a trained palate to mask out the tannins.
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