Italian Wine Scholar Class at the Texas Wine School. Complex & intense, made with 100% passito Chiavennasca from higher altitude vineyards in the Inferno, Grumello and Valgella subzones. Med+ to deep ruby w/ a garnet hue. Pronounced ripe black cherry, black plum, dried figs, candied flowers, medicinal, aromatic herbs, earth, mocha, & sweet baking spices (from 18-24 mos in French oak). Dry, but fruit forward, w/ a rich and rounded mouthfeel. The tannins are still med+ after 12 yrs. High alcohol (16%) but well integrated and unobtrusive. The med+ acidity counterbalances the richness of the fruit, alcohol and extract. Full-bodied, intensely-flavored, w/ a remarkably long balsam and licorice finish, yet manages to be quite balanced and elegant. Has at least least another 2-3 years of aging potential.
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Received as a gift. Interesting and different. Not sure I'd buy this, but it certainly was unique, and had a sneaky appeal. Paired well with lunchtime pasta.
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Deep, rich nose of caramelised violet petals, rose petal jam, cherry compote, red fruit liqueur, and balsam: classic Nebbiolo that has been dried and candied. Imposing palate, hefty at 16 per cent, but supported by a very disciplined acidity and well-knit tannins, which are already well-resolved. Concentrated flavours of good, oak-aged kirsch, sweet spice, menthol, and a lingering bittersweet note of licorice sweets. Very long, very elegant. A fine expression of Valtellina Nebbiolo, that shows tremendous character and a long ageing potential. This is good as a meditation wine, to be sipped to observe the prismatic evolution of a palate which is at once traditional and old-fashioned, with dried-fruit and compote notes suggesting a dry port. Idiosyncratic, but a good choice for lovers of Amarone.
This is made from the best 30% of the grapes that would otherwise go to Sfursat Carlo Negri. The grapes are dried for 120 days before pressing. The obtained, concentrated must is aged in new Allier and Nevers oak barriques. 16% alcohol.
Quite translucent black cherry color with reddish brick-orange rim. Very rich, sweet-toned and powerful nose with aromas of cherry marmalade and kirschwasser, brooding dark-toned and slightly wizened dark fruits, some boozy alcohol, a little bit of sweet, toasty oak spice and a lifted hint of balsamic VA. The wine is rich, robust and quite hot on the palate with quite full body and concentrated yet not excessively weighty flavors of rough, peppery oak spice, very sweet black cherries, some cocoa oak, a little bit of cherry marmalade, a hint of sweet toasty oak, light plummy fruits and a touch of raisiny character. The wine is impressively structured with its quite high acidity and very tightly-knit blanket of firm and grippy tannins. The finish is rich, hot and tannic with long, powerful and quite robust flavors of ripe black cherries and cherry marmalade, some plummy fruit, a little bit of sweet, toasty oak spice, light volatile tones of balsamico, a hint of vanilla and a touch of mocha.
A very powerful, muscular and spicy Sfursat that shows a lot more intensity and sense of structure than the Nino Negri Sfursat Carlo Negri 2011 that was tasted alongside, but this wine also shows a lot more toasty new oak character and boozy alcohol. Sure, this is a big and impressive effort for a Nebbiolo by all accounts, but I must admit that I prefer the sense of finesse Carlo Negri exhibits. Although far from being overdone or unbalanced, this feels just too hot and too oaky for my palate - at least for now. Most likely the heat will never integrate, but I can imagine that after +20 years the oak has integrated well enough with the fruit and this wine is on a whole new level. All in all, this is a fine super-Nebbiolo, but if you are not planning to keep it for another 20 years or so, I think that Carlo Negri Sfursat is the better purchase out of these two.
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1/24/2024 - Grandemats Likes this wine: 94 Points
Well balanced, silky and developed still some grippy tanins. Red fruits and all mountain-herbs and spices you can wish for!
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5/21/2023 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 95 Points
Italian Wine Scholar Class at the Texas Wine School. Complex & intense, made with 100% passito Chiavennasca from higher altitude vineyards in the Inferno, Grumello and Valgella subzones. Med+ to deep ruby w/ a garnet hue. Pronounced ripe black cherry, black plum, dried figs, candied flowers, medicinal, aromatic herbs, earth, mocha, & sweet baking spices (from 18-24 mos in French oak). Dry, but fruit forward, w/ a rich and rounded mouthfeel. The tannins are still med+ after 12 yrs. High alcohol (16%) but well integrated and unobtrusive. The med+ acidity counterbalances the richness of the fruit, alcohol and extract. Full-bodied, intensely-flavored, w/ a remarkably long balsam and licorice finish, yet manages to be quite balanced and elegant. Has at least least another 2-3 years of aging potential.
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11/26/2021 - walterb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Earthy smell, black currant, tobacco. Nicely balanced, highly concentrated intens wine. Very nice!
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6/13/2020 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Flavors of dried cherry, raisins, cloves, plum, and tar.
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4/11/2017 - BradE wrote:
Received as a gift. Interesting and different. Not sure I'd buy this, but it certainly was unique, and had a sneaky appeal. Paired well with lunchtime pasta.
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11/20/2016 - TheNeuroticDobermann Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, rich nose of caramelised violet petals, rose petal jam, cherry compote, red fruit liqueur, and balsam: classic Nebbiolo that has been dried and candied. Imposing palate, hefty at 16 per cent, but supported by a very disciplined acidity and well-knit tannins, which are already well-resolved. Concentrated flavours of good, oak-aged kirsch, sweet spice, menthol, and a lingering bittersweet note of licorice sweets. Very long, very elegant. A fine expression of Valtellina Nebbiolo, that shows tremendous character and a long ageing potential. This is good as a meditation wine, to be sipped to observe the prismatic evolution of a palate which is at once traditional and old-fashioned, with dried-fruit and compote notes suggesting a dry port. Idiosyncratic, but a good choice for lovers of Amarone.
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10/13/2016 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points
This is made from the best 30% of the grapes that would otherwise go to Sfursat Carlo Negri. The grapes are dried for 120 days before pressing. The obtained, concentrated must is aged in new Allier and Nevers oak barriques. 16% alcohol.
Quite translucent black cherry color with reddish brick-orange rim. Very rich, sweet-toned and powerful nose with aromas of cherry marmalade and kirschwasser, brooding dark-toned and slightly wizened dark fruits, some boozy alcohol, a little bit of sweet, toasty oak spice and a lifted hint of balsamic VA. The wine is rich, robust and quite hot on the palate with quite full body and concentrated yet not excessively weighty flavors of rough, peppery oak spice, very sweet black cherries, some cocoa oak, a little bit of cherry marmalade, a hint of sweet toasty oak, light plummy fruits and a touch of raisiny character. The wine is impressively structured with its quite high acidity and very tightly-knit blanket of firm and grippy tannins. The finish is rich, hot and tannic with long, powerful and quite robust flavors of ripe black cherries and cherry marmalade, some plummy fruit, a little bit of sweet, toasty oak spice, light volatile tones of balsamico, a hint of vanilla and a touch of mocha.
A very powerful, muscular and spicy Sfursat that shows a lot more intensity and sense of structure than the Nino Negri Sfursat Carlo Negri 2011 that was tasted alongside, but this wine also shows a lot more toasty new oak character and boozy alcohol. Sure, this is a big and impressive effort for a Nebbiolo by all accounts, but I must admit that I prefer the sense of finesse Carlo Negri exhibits. Although far from being overdone or unbalanced, this feels just too hot and too oaky for my palate - at least for now. Most likely the heat will never integrate, but I can imagine that after +20 years the oak has integrated well enough with the fruit and this wine is on a whole new level. All in all, this is a fine super-Nebbiolo, but if you are not planning to keep it for another 20 years or so, I think that Carlo Negri Sfursat is the better purchase out of these two.
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9/4/2016 - Dopas Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruit bomb. Light color but deep fruit and vanilla oak palate
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8/14/2015 - Stadshagen Conoisseur Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep cherry taste with dried raisins. Unbelievable that this is 100% nebbiolo, yet complex and well balanced aftertaste with a touch of sweetness.
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