Very pretty and polished nose of dried roses, poached cherries, orange peel, cinnamon and roasted mushrooms. There is ever so slightly a pleasant lift of VA that drives the aromatics out of the glass. It blooms in the glass to reveal notes of black tea and hibiscus. Beautiful stuff.
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Superb nose of iodine red berries, salinity, sandalwood, balsamic and cepes de Bordeaux…. Ultra saline and sappy strawberries, roasted meat, sappy tannins… plenty of potential ahead, great traditional Tuscan!!!
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Wine was still firing on most cylinders even though its at end of life. I expected the fruit to turn halfway through but it held its own throughout the bottle. Obviously any tannic structure is long gone, but the underlying red fruit with a note of raisin(older wine) was very prominent and potent. Enjoyed it immensely as it drank very smoothly. Was prob like a 95 pt wine in the day.
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Deep ruby color. Distinctive hot cocoa aromas along with red fruit. Medium body, medium acid, medium grippy tannins. Still very primary on the palate with juicy raspberries, ripe blackberries, and a hint of black currant. With time the fruit became redder. Delicious and perfect with veal parm.
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Perfect Sangiovese at peak now. Gorgeous dark cherry, plum, and soft leather with a juicy acidity and long pleasant finish as the cherry softens and fades. Definitely leads to salivary gland activation that continues for a full minute after each sip. A fair bit of tannin remains, but certainly in harmony with the other elements. Anyone not enjoying this should simply avoid Sangiovese….or seek out denser, darker versions in a more modern style.
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Difficult to enjoy, tannic and unbalanced, acidic, any fruit that may have been there was dried out. Sort had a broad base but nothing built on that base.
Another really generous nose. Classic sour cherry but also sun dried tomato, black tea, some leather
Really luscious - wave after wave of sour cherry, almost a cherry cough syrup aspect (in a good way!) with some medicinal and cedar notes. Very silky mouthfeel with the acidity and tannin present but settled and in balance.
The 1999 just pips this for me but both really delicious
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PNP. Soulmate The Sangiovese cherry pops, some cinnamon with background secondary flavors of vanilla from the oak. In hour two the cherry turns into cranberry. The vanilla subsides and earthy flavors come out. Overall great
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Peaking and soulful. This made the other great bottles at dinner seem two-dimensional, with its warm, enveloping layers of sour cherries, coffee, brown spices, dried flowers, and anise, all cushioned by deliciously ripe tannic structure. The vibrancy from the just perfectly ripe fruit is juxtaposed by pinpoint density and the comfortable seemlessness of age.
Two-hour decant. Best now -2026 but should hold for another five after that.
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Lovely wine with a French nose and Tuscan palate. Lovely strawberries and cherries, only slightly faded, with some licorice, leather, smoke, and iron. Hardly over the hill, really enjoyable today and at its apogee.
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In short: delicious and complex. Sour cherries up front, cigar box and some leather underneath. I didn't note as much dark fruit or spice as others. However, many have commented on the unusually bright acidity for a wine of this age, and I definitely found that as well. It paired beautifully with sauteed duck breast. I decanted 90 minutes before pouring. An extra 30-45 minutes would have been ideal. This bottle was one of two purchased from the LCBO in Toronto back in the early 2000s. It was worth the wait.
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In my temperature and humidity controlled cellar since release but the cork broke and required patience to remove fully in several crumbly pieces. It almost seemed like it had fused tight to the bottle at the bottom with little seepage up the cork base. (Perhaps slowing the aging, since there was not oxidation?) Decanted at about 4:30pm with very heavy sediment in the bottle and tasted after 3 hours for another 2 hours. Nicely balanced wine, slightly translucent medium to dark garnet color with no appreciable bricking. Noticeable elements of both Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium (+) bodied with good acidity even at this age and fully integrated tannins. Nose is lightly floral with lots of licorice and red fruit. Palate is a bit more earthy, then plum, dark cherry, chocolate and the licorice. Good complexity but I think it will still evolve further probably warranting a higher score...94 now, possibly 95+ with some additional cellar age assuming the cork was fairly unusual. Quite nice with sous vide and grill finished top sirloin cap roast.
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Sunday Football with Walter (49'ers vs Saimts). 2.5 hour decant. Bright red in color. Floral (lavender?) aromatics. Dark cherries, black currents and raspberries on the palate (Surprisingly fruity for this age). Tingling spices and herbs in the background. A touch of mocha. Tannin essentially subsided. Still a bit of acidity. Lengthy finish. A beautiful wine!
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Wonderful wine. opened and filtered 3 hrs before dinner. Only let breathe for 1/2 hour then back into bottle and corked. Tasted great upon opening, lots of weight and finish. Nose of cherry compote, leather and spice, similar on palate and 30+ second finish of lingering black cherry. Drinking excellent now and will keep for some years, but not going to get better.
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Full body. Smoke, cedar and a touch of cassis on the nose. The smokiness carries over to the palate combining with dark fruits, tobacco and Christmas spice. The tannins have mostly resolved, but there is a a slightly astringent acidity that makes the wine unbalanced, plus that smokiness a bit too much for my taste. Interestingly, I had the entry level 1999 Fontodi Chianti Classico last night and find it to be nearly as good for a far smaller price. Drink now.
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Sadly, bottle was flawed. Initial thought was that it was badly corked, but ultimately thought to be TBA. As a testament to the strength and quality of the wine, there was still a nice showing of fruit trying to break through on the nose, and evident on the palate.
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P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which only somewhat resolves by the LONG finish with a bitter/swtness to the still pronounced, DUSTY tannins. NEEDS another 3 yrs (guessing), then at least making its 25th? 14% ABV; My EXC, but that could WELL be a downrate. 94 pts Decanter (Morris, 10/16/18), 17 & 18/20 Jancis Robinson, add'tl reviews on the "Pro Reviews" part of this pg, and several other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
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Aperto circa tre ore prima di servirlo. Il più timido della batteria ad aprirsi (bevuto assieme a Brancaia 05 e Sassicaia 02) Inizialmente piu terziario: cuoio, tabacco, spezie ed echi di tostato. Poi rosa essiccata, ciliegia selvatica, prugna, sottobosco, liquirizia e affumicato. Al palato vibrante e rinfrescante, tannini arrotondati e calibrati su una struttura che l'armonia fa sembrare non enorme, ma che in realtà c'è, eccome. Finale che si allunga davvero persistente. Non denuncia a mio parere minimamente i suoi 18 anni (anche se su questo non tutti al tavolo eravamo d'accordo)
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good red color with some bricking, attractive cherry nose, hints of rose petal, on the palate a very pretty array of blueberries and red raspberries, firm earthy bramble across the mid-palate, dark red fruits, good length, a savory wine, quite nice and a harmonious accompaniment to the meal. ***+, now to 2030.
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Continuous evolution over the first 90 minutes. Earthy with tobacco but still so much bright fruit. Then grapey in a way you would not believe for a 17-year-old wine. Ridiculous amounts of fruit. I'd hold off for some years. 2022-2030
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From magnum. Tasted after 1998 Castello dei Rampolla d’Alceo. More complex and subtle on the nose and palate - fresh, red fruited, herbs, spices, earthy notes. Nice grip, soft tannins, very long. Drink or keep. 93-95
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Surprisingly light garnet color, with noticeably bricking on the rim. Decanted this for around 30 minutes in a very wide decanter.
Black fruit nose (surprisingly) with eucalyptus, bonfires and a pleasing tobacco character which just avoids veering towards raisin and plum. Lots of complexity here as well- hints of forest floor and tar, amongst others.
Silky smooth texture on the palate, with sweet red fruit balanced by a bracing acidity. Not a trace of a sharp edge on this wine, but also not an ounce of fat. A great trick to pull off. Lovely long finish.
It's so rare to find a wine made in this style which I like. It's big and bold, and you can taste the heat of the Tuscan climate, but it has lost none of its verve. In a perfect place right now, but no rush.
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Really delightful acidity, the tannins are still alive but so beautifully integrated. Plums, dark berries, ripe fruit and meaty notes - this monster is just so giving at the moment!
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At Park Hotel, Voss. 25 years anniversary for Vitis Bergensis. Dark red. Etheral aromas with black olives, medicine, dark red fruits, tobacco etc. Punchy and expressive Sangiovese in the mouth. Concentrated and generous with high acidity. Not extremely elegant, but maybe it will be in 5 to 10 years?
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Medium garnet color turning rust at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose is ethereal with lots of dark and red fruits, coupled with floral scents of violets, lavender, potpourri, and eucalyptus. The palate is full-bodied with a silky texture. Flavors of red cherry, raspberry, black currant, dark chocolate, tobacco, espresso, cowhide leather and dried spices and herbs. Finishes long and effervescent with hints of eucalyptus and menthol. This is a beauty and worthy of all the accolades. Drink now until 2021. 97+
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Purchased at auction to understand how one of our favorite wine ages. When we open this for friends, I say "this tastes like Tuscan sunshine" and they agree. Fifteen years past vintage date, the fullness of this wine that is so seductive at six to ten years has past. It's pleasant on the nose and palate, but this wine would have been more charming and less cerebral in 2010.
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Two hour decant of tons of sediment, close dark and tannic at first but several hours later this opened up to reveal dark cherry, smoke, herbs and a wonderful full and complex, slightly tannic wine. Ready now but loads of upside time/potential. The firmness goes well with the depth of fruit and overall sense of the wine. Wonderful with steak
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Decanted for 2 hours before dinner. At first blush, this wine is way too young. However, it got much better with food (like most Italian wines) Nevertheless, this wine underwhelmed me vs all of the hype. Some of this has to do with the fact that it still needs 3-5 more years in the bottle. However, I don't think it will ever be all that the ratings say it will be. Dried red fruit with licorice, brine, burnt embers, menthol, and a lingering finish that has enough tannin to clog a drain. It lacks a central core of fruit to suggest it will get much better with age other than soften and become more elegant.
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Rumor this is a super Tuscan hence the designation, not sure what they tossed in here, cab maybe? A spectacular Sangiovese. Plenty of red fruit and spice.
gave this a full day in the decanter and then back in the bottle- I now have in mind putting the genie back again and again, only to grant our wishes later, and this did. Lived up to its rep- this is big, virile wine. Just beginning to be drinkable, really should be patient with this one, unless you were as I was down to last really good bottle at our winter home because the blizzard had prevented shipping this week. But we had no regrets last night- this is a superb wine and when it's ready should be a 96 pointer
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SANGIOVESE 2001 (RISTORANTE SAN GIORS TORINO): Degustato alla cieca. Caldo, balsamico e terziarizzato, ma molto pulito, per nulla rustico. Bocca croccante, ma il frutto è ammaestrato dalla forza acido-minerale e dal tannino sapido... il tutto regala una freschezza di beva da vino parzialmente diraspato. Molto buono e godibile
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Yet another wonderful bottle. Served from decanter after 90mins. Perfect, but would have benefited from a cool-down. Lovely chocolate, truffle and blackberry richness with that strawberry twist. 3hrs later the last glass was a bit tart, definitely best to double decant. Can't wait for the 2010 to mature!
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Beautiful fruit and soft tannins. Wonderful food wine. While it benefited with an hour of decanting, it should be great for many years. Complex but still has a ways to go. Great now, maybe better later.
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Second bottle of 2001 Flaccianello within a week. Very much like the previous bottle, perhaps little more fruit up front. Opened up nicely in decanter over couple of hours.
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The colour looks like the wine was bottled yesterday. Deep and bright. Dark red and black fruit with black olives and herbs adding complexity. There is a high note of pine needles, very refreshing. The palate is balanced and very intense with long finish. Drinks well now but no need to rush. Very different wine than the Flaccianello of the mid 90s but still great.
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On the whole a disappointing bottle - yes it was smooth and had flavour but for me it was dominated by oak and hadn't developed into something truly memorable. I wouldn't buy Flaccianello again on the evidence of this.
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This wine has really come around beautifully. Very smooth bit still a little graininess to the tannins which goes perfectly with the earthy elements (mushroom, dried herbs, forest floor). Really well balanced wine with overripe but not candied red fruits with some black fruits underneath. I could have given this wine 93 just as easily, but something about this bottle just captivated me and moved it up a notch.
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After 4 hours of decanting still not showing its potential. Left overnight and at 24 hours had opened up so you could taste the potential BUT had cheek puckering tannins. Wish I would have left it for another year or two.
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There is considerably more sediment than when I last tried this three years ago. The wine has softened and although it can last longer, I believe this has entered a very good period right now. Time to consume.
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really good point of increasing integration with solid (but I hope more in the future) secondary flavors, lively fruit and good size and structure. I hope the next few years add some further complexity but this is a fun wine right now
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From Magnum opened 2+ hours. Great balance of fruit acidity and silky tannins. Layers of flavors end in a long finish that lasts for 30+ seconds. My first WOW experience with Flaccianello. Thank you Jean L.
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HK Children's Skin Foundation 2nd Annual Charity Dinner & Auction (Chez Patrick Restaurant, 2/F, Garden East, 222 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): No detailed notes because of the cameraderie, conversation and hectic bidding on our table......... this wine rather passed me by, partly because I was luxuriating still with the Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste 1996 which was a much better match for the Goat's Cheese and Roasted Hazelnut Brioche served with this wine. That said, I remember enjoying it a lot and this was WOTN for some of our table guests and one of them went and collared the remaining bottles to take home (with a generous contribution to the charity). Must re-visit....
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OMG! Right out of the gate this was singing. This wine is in it's sweet spot and will be for the next few years. Beautifully textured with harmonious fruit and tannins. The finish is extraordinary.
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Used my preferred 2hr double decant. Tannins have a wonderful velvet and chocolate texture that I associate with much more expensive wines (same quality I find in Romanee and Petrus). Ruby coloured, lighter than I remembered, though darkens with cool-down after decant. Very highly recommended.
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Dinner at Chez Panisse with this and a Silex. Really enjoyed this wine, in a perfect place. Big nose with a little smoke, earth, cherry. Mature w some tannins left. Good acid. Great with the lamb.
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Double decanted 4 hours, then enjoyed over next 2 with spicy black cardamon pulled pork, parmesan and vanuatu chocolate. Initial nose of cranberry, later with pine notes. Strange rich taste of brie de meaux rind, with cherry and bitter chocolate following. Lovely and long raspberry finish. More elegant with extra time - but, for me, most decadent and pleasurable with only 2 hour decant.
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Drank side by side with 2001 Campora by Falchini for lunch at Bodega. Beautiful wines, quite distinct. The Flaccianello show moderate red, quite intense still. Classic sangiovese with raspberry, wild cherry, mushrooms, forest floor, pine notes; quite complex. Very approachable on the palate though it kept improving over the three hours it took to consume the bottle. Balance and elegance! The Campora was not far behind.
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Complex and concentrated wine that hit all my pleasure buttons. More detailed notes to follow with next bottles, but this represents great value and the balance here really makes the difference. 2hr decant.
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Really wonderful wine. Up there with the 2001, just slightly lower quality. Absolutely loved it. Still very tight upon opening and took a couple of hours to really open up. Some cherry, earthy, medium to full-bodied, good length. Get a bottle.
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Decanted for three hours. Enjoyed over the next two.
Ruby core with bricking orange rim and a moderate amount of fine sediment. The nose brings intense aromas of baked strawberry, raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, and nutmeg. The palate has a seamless texture that leads with rich sour red cherry, blackberry, strawberry syrup, and smooth oak tannins. Forty-five second finish.
Phenomenal wine in a great place. I feel like this is at a wonderful point of its life where the acidity is balanced with depth of flavour and terrific concentration and length.
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100 points on nose alone. cherry, all spice, tobacco, wet earth...just stunning. from a 3L i am decanting half of it and leaving the rest open in the bottle. it is 2 pm christmas eve and we will not be drinking until 7-730. i can tell you that at first taste i am already blown away. cherry juice, smoke, tobacco, acid for days and a finish to match. can wait to show up at dinner with this bottle!!!
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Part of a wine flight at Campanile. Smoother and more polished than the casa Emma next to it, but to me a little confected which hides some of the meaty Sangiovese characteristics I like. The 04 is a lot better IMO
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Incredible. Smooth, perfectly balanced, amazing fruit profile, soft profile, great cherry fruit with hints of chocolate, anise, cedar and coffee. Just simply all world
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First tried the '01 Flaccianello at the 2005 Wine Spectator Grand Tour tasting and judged it as my "Best in Show". Remarkable nose, elegant, balanced and a long finish. Brought to Vail to share with Dad, Carl, Angus and Katrina.
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Daniel's Birthday (Osvaldops): Preserved spiced plums, dried plum powder, black pepper. Some reductive soy notes but still sweet with lifted engaging cool nose. Powdery finish. Keeps sense of balance well .
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2001 Italians for Daniel's Birthday (Osvaldo Ristorante Italiano, Maxwell Chambers): An excellent wine, perhaps the most ready of those we had today. Neverthles, it had been decanted for about 4 hours by the time we got to it, and a good thing too. Lovely, lovely nose. Very alluring, with sweet, ripe cherries, almost kirsch-like, some cassis, deep earth tones, dried plums and a smoky undertow. Very well-integrated, and promising lots of goodness on the palate, which the wine delivered with aplomb. Great balance, clean, integrated aciidty and grippy, powdered tannins formed a juicy, well-structured backdrop for lovely pure cherry tones and more smoky ash, moving into a long finish full of lingering fruit - dried cherries, plums, orange peel - and a dry woody tail. Very, very good indeed, certainly better than the 2001 Brunello we had alongside - this will be a great wine in another 5-6 years' time and will continue developing for far longer than that.
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This has been opened for about an hour and really needs it. It's just now beginning to be more accessible and drinkable. Dark fruit with burnt notes, also showing black tea and dried black cherry. A little watery with some alcohol showing, but not with a drying heat. Ends with mouth puckering tannins with fig and plum notes. Good right now. Should improve with more air.
Much better at the 3 1/2 hour mark.
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Amazing wine filled with an intense core of fruit expressive on the nose and mouth-coating of chocolate, dark cherry, coffee, black current and anise. Leads to a long finish that seems to never end. One glass of this can last for an hour. Drinks well now, opened bottle to breathe for 1 1/2 hours. Did not decant, but that might even make its character come through more.
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Flaccianello Frenzy @ Paul B. (Netherlands): Blood red, black core. Antique library atmosphere! Leather, dusty paper, polished furniture. Dried herbs and spice box, autumn leaf, undergrowth. A soft and sexy sweetness is still hiding in the background. Priorat-like nuttiness: chestnut, hazelnut, pine kernels. Young and boisterous tannines. This wine is bursting with promise and ambition, but is a tad locked at the moment. Wait 5 years. For now, 18/20
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Superb wine - opened up vey well when decanted - typical italian earth on the nose but strikingly balanaced on the tanins and fruit (cassis, black currents).
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Opened not decanted. Some clarity at the edge of the glass. On the nose: raisin, burnt earth, dried fruit, summer berry bushes. On the palate: charcoal, fig, black fruit notes that really want to emerge. There is a richness and opulence that is being withheld; this is at the 2 hour mark. Ends with a dry and somewhat sour finish. Good
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Wonderful nose of burnt cherries. Full of aromas and exceptional colour. The flavour and consistency were out of this world. Surprisingly soft in texture. Excellent.
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Very much in Falcciainello style, but showing less complexity than most other vintages. Tasting note from a blurry memory. This was decanted 4 hours and consumed over 8 hrs during a Flaccianello veritcal that included 95, 98, 99, 01, 03, 04 and 05. My rank of the vintages: 99, 95, 03, 05, 98, 01 and 04.
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Inky dark, brooding, rich nose of tobacco, minerals, cassis, blackberry. Palate- Black fruit, rich textured with firm tannins, hearty acidic structure-built for aging but enjoyable now. (much better showing than last taste on 7/06) 93+
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Upon initial taste, it was still tight and still rated 95pts. After 8 hours in decanter, drank 3/4 of the bottle and it had improved. Next day finished the last 1/4 and was the best wine I have ever tasted - 100 points!
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Wow! The finest Super Tuscan I’ve ever tasted, even considering its youth. Breathed for about an hour. Dark garnet color. Plum and spice on the nose. Ripe blackberry and cherry flavors. Smoke lingers in the background. An elegant, well-balanced, full-bodied palate. Silky smooth finish that fades slowly just seems to go on and on. Our Independence Day wine, paired nicely with barbequed ribeyes. For me, this simply blows Tignanello – the Super Tuscan I’m most familiar with – out of the water. The 2001 Flaccianello is still a young wine with plenty of potential left, but it’s also already a beautiful wine. Absolutely superb.
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Clear, with some brown reflexions, looks very promising. Really elegant cask aromas of bayleaf, cedar, leather, and horse sweat - reminescent of bordeaux. Italian herbs, bitter almond, coke, corinths and dried fruit pins it to tuscany. Super-italian taste with great acids, chewy tannins, nice intensity and a remarkably long aftertaste. Really good wine, absolutely needs food. Only in the beginning of maturity, will develop further in a couple of years. Horse stable and baking spice mingle in the finished glass.
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Needed a couple of hours to open up. Still quite chewy. Very concentrated and complex (earth, minerals, wood, pencil lead). Black cherries and berries. Great length.
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Tight out of the bottle. Opened after an hour or so. Soft dark fruit with a mineral streak. Saved the rest for tomorrow night. Night two (celebrating the 'boys over the 'skins). Absolutely wonderful. Soft, floral nose. Plum and cherry with tannins softened but still coating the mouth. Long finish. I have more - and that is a good thing. Other reviewers have advised patience - totally agree. Needs several hours if not a day to get to its full potential.
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Excellent. Drank at the Kushners along with the 1999 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Vigna San Giuseppe Bricco Boschis and the 2000 Villa di Capezzana Ghiaie della Furba and it was just behind the Barolo in my opinion. Adrianne did not love it.
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The opaque garnet red promises great concentration. A slight bit of orange tint shows that there's some age here and that's the reason this wine is now a pleasure to drink although it still needs to breathe plenty to develop throughout the evening. There are meaty, smoky perfumes mixed with plums, cherries and vanilla and floral scents. The tastes of blueberry, pomegranate and acai berry juices with ample but soft and round tannins and a hint of cacao present a riot of interest to the palate. This is a wonderful wine that develops complexity throughout the evening that you let it breathe and drink it. This may be the best Chianti I've ever had. It's a real beauty. I'm off hunting for some now and see that it's the 2003 that is available around here and it's supposed to be even better!
50+5+12+17+8=92
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I bought a case of this wine upon release. I tried a bottle when delivered about 2 years ago. It was very young and tight. Tannins ruled, and the substantial fruit and balance was a bit masked. I had another bottle last night. I decanted for 2 hours, poured back into the bottle and drank the wine at one of our favorite Italian restaurnats. What a differnce time makes!....The nose was incredible, dusty,with black and red fruit, cigar box, and truffles. The wine contiuned to evolve with a softening and sweetning of the tannis, revealing the soft, almost velvet mid palate and long complex, 45 second finish. This wine needs considerable breathing time, 2 hours minimum. Your patience will be rewarded with a wine that is as beautiful as the Tuscan landscape.
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After some delicate wines this was something else. a powerhouse from nose to finish. all the classic Sangiovese ingeredients are there and Fontodi managed to build a structure around this fruit that stands as a house. It will blow away many wines. Once in a while such power is so ver very seductive and so much fun. But, he beautiful thing is that it is also a very precise wine. When you concentrate there is so much to discover and the balance in fruit, acidity and tannins is so nice.
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This was a gift from a friend, purchased at Gulf Liquors and Fine Wine in Miami Beach. It was tasted with my boyfriend and neighbor at Casa Tua, for my neighbor's 76th birthday. The wine was decanted for about 20 minutes, it's still quite young so it didn't need too much time. The color was vibrant, a lighter shade of a color called "vamp" by Chanel. "Vamp" is like a deep black purple with a hint of ruby. The nose was full of dark berries, coffee, and bing cherries. On the palate it was full bodied with a great overall balance between ripe juicy fruit and a mouth watering tannic feel. The finish was well rounded and lingering with great depth. It's good drinking now through 2013.
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A ripe and glossy hue with an exotic spicey ripe aroma of fruits. Very elegant struture with earthy, minerals on the palate. Complex and depth. Excellent silky smooth and long finish. Will need to find some to try again.
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Still so wonderful, but settling down. Cherry fruit is a bit more subtle now. Tannins, while still big are loosening their grip, making for a slightly more pleasant mouth feel. Still that vibrant acidity that pairs it so well with meat (grilled ribeyes this year). Long, long finish. Continues to be one of my favorites.
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lots of dark fruit, very nice tannins and a nice freshness and therefore an inspiring wine!! Has a future ahead. Not yet at its peak, but a joy now. nice acidity, nice power but not a blockbuster kind of wine. just great. pure Sangiovese.
WS gave 97 points, that's a bit too high for me right now but in time it may well break the 95 barrier.
for now: 94.
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Limpid ruby... elegant nose shows mullberry fruits, cherries, notes of tobacco and vanilla. Medium bodied with a long finish; firm tannins and acids. Good richness and depth on the mid-palate, but seems a bit dilute on the front and end of the finish. Basically, not a huge success for my palate. I like sanguiovese, but not in this style -- I tend to prefer wines that are a bit more robust; elegance is fine, but the stuffing matters too....
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Absolutely gorgous wine. Dark cherries, chocolate, pepper, and enough backing to make it sing. Surprisingly drinkable at this stage - although there's a fair amount of tannins the wine is well integrated. Going for more.
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huge wine, big fruit nose, wiht chocalate and black pepper on the nose. Tannins still showing tons of grip,which bears down on the finish. Definitely needs cellar time. QPR C+
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Saturday night at Raj's (Raj's house): Nose of dark fruits, oak, clove, and black cherry. Wonderful sweet fruit with some tannins, some acids. Still round and approachable. A bit of chocolate. Probably has 3-10 years to run.
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Wine #6 / tasted blind: The color was noticeably different from the previous wines in the tasting and was a dark purple. This wine struck me as very complex yet not typical as the color threw me off. In past vintages this wine is more of a garnet color. I had no guess on the varietal or region but thought it might be Italian. It had spicy, lforal aromatics and lots of fruit but a certain leaness and acidity that didn't lean toward New World. This wine has loads of potential with further aging and would have merited a higher score but the finish was entirely clipped and somewhat metallic to my palate. Good wine and distinctly different from the other wines in the tasting.
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Wine Tasting with Rick Joyer (including a 100 pointer and other gems) (Asti Trattoria - Austin, TX): Wine #6 / tasted blind: Color seemed almost impenetrably black. Berry flavors of balckberry, verging on blueberry. Some distinct tar and tobacco flavors. This is a tannic, dense beast of a wine that I suspect should not be consumed for at least 5 years. Certainly a wine in the modern style. Seemed to be loved by some at the table and less liked by others...a crowd splitter.
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Youthful purple in color with a sweet, dark plum and spice nose. Young and tannic palate, but still offering good amounts of dark fruit, some meat and spice. Very tasty. I was guessing central coast syrah all the way.
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Typical Chianti nose with a hint of coffee and pipe tobacco. Dried cherries, black currant and full bodied with strong tannins and a fairly abrupt finish. Did not seem to change much over the course of the evening, however I did have a glass the following day and it showed much better than day 1, having openend up a bit. 89 for now.
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Youthful but still a terrific wine. Terrific balance and a great expression of sangiovese. I won't touch my next one for probably another 2 years to see how it is progressing.
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What a beautiful baby!!! Red cherry nose. Tight on the palate but really nice acidity and hints of bursting fruit. Wonderful with my rabbit and proscuitto course, but was also friendly with my black truffle ravioli. This could be a 100 pointer in 5 years. Magnificent.
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Oakey aroma with a hint of green pepper. Subtle fruit on the nose as well. Good fruit on the palate, incredible balance. Still tannic enough that it will improve (tasting note from journal).
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WS "Top 10 2004" Tasting (New York Marriott Marquis): Thick, purple wine. Beatiful big fruit on the nose, with blueberries and sweet cream shining through. Yum. Dark blueberries and dark fruits, cherries, violets. A touch acidic, with big, rounded tannins. Probably the best wine of the flight but still much too young. Give it time.
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This is a very good wine that wants to be an excellent one. A wonderful aroma on the nose and light to medium bodied. It is on the verge of being really outstanding. On the second day after I opened the bottle, the flavor really came alive. I really enjoyed this wine, but want to find it for a more reasonable price than I paid. Definitely a repurchase.
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Solid crimson color. Rich texture. More body than all of the previous vintages I'v had except for the 1997. Supple character with notes of plum, berry and black pepper. Will improve with time. 91-92 points.
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4/13/2024 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark cherry, currants, spice, pencil lead, cedar, long finish, drinking very nicely
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2/2/2024 - Evanbdavis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very pretty and polished nose of dried roses, poached cherries, orange peel, cinnamon and roasted mushrooms. There is ever so slightly a pleasant lift of VA that drives the aromatics out of the glass. It blooms in the glass to reveal notes of black tea and hibiscus. Beautiful stuff.
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1/13/2024 - Philippe_C wrote: 96 Points
Superb nose of iodine red berries, salinity, sandalwood, balsamic and cepes de Bordeaux…. Ultra saline and sappy strawberries, roasted meat, sappy tannins… plenty of potential ahead, great traditional Tuscan!!!
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12/31/2023 - gschneider Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine was still firing on most cylinders even though its at end of life. I expected the fruit to turn halfway through but it held its own throughout the bottle. Obviously any tannic structure is long gone, but the underlying red fruit with a note of raisin(older wine) was very prominent and potent. Enjoyed it immensely as it drank very smoothly. Was prob like a 95 pt wine in the day.
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11/16/2023 - timothynbond Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep ruby color. Distinctive hot cocoa aromas along with red fruit. Medium body, medium acid, medium grippy tannins. Still very primary on the palate with juicy raspberries, ripe blackberries, and a hint of black currant. With time the fruit became redder. Delicious and perfect with veal parm.
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2/18/2023 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
Perfect Sangiovese at peak now. Gorgeous dark cherry, plum, and soft leather with a juicy acidity and long pleasant finish as the cherry softens and fades. Definitely leads to salivary gland activation that continues for a full minute after each sip. A fair bit of tannin remains, but certainly in harmony with the other elements. Anyone not enjoying this should simply avoid Sangiovese….or seek out denser, darker versions in a more modern style.
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5/14/2022 - ekirby Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Difficult to enjoy, tannic and unbalanced, acidic, any fruit that may have been there was dried out. Sort had a broad base but nothing built on that base.
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1/28/2022 - Wineshington Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing wine. Ready to go.
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11/30/2021 - carl.cornaglia@gmai.com wrote: 80 Points
sadly over the hill!
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8/8/2021 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 94 Points
Got through all my bottles, it was hard to keep my hands off of them!
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7/7/2021 - hargy wrote:
a lot of green on the nose - this has seen much better days - not rated
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7/4/2021 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 94 Points
Could drink this every night, what a beauty
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6/10/2021 - Radders12345 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine Pages Dinner at 67 Pall Mall (67 Pall Mall): Vertical pairing with the 1999
Another really generous nose. Classic sour cherry but also sun dried tomato, black tea, some leather
Really luscious - wave after wave of sour cherry, almost a cherry cough syrup aspect (in a good way!) with some medicinal and cedar notes. Very silky mouthfeel with the acidity and tannin present but settled and in balance.
The 1999 just pips this for me but both really delicious
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6/7/2021 - Kevnzworld wrote: 95 Points
PNP. Soulmate
The Sangiovese cherry pops, some cinnamon with background secondary flavors of vanilla from the oak.
In hour two the cherry turns into cranberry. The vanilla subsides and earthy flavors come out.
Overall great
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4/24/2021 - Rollerball wrote:
Peaking and soulful. This made the other great bottles at dinner seem two-dimensional, with its warm, enveloping layers of sour cherries, coffee, brown spices, dried flowers, and anise, all cushioned by deliciously ripe tannic structure. The vibrancy from the just perfectly ripe fruit is juxtaposed by pinpoint density and the comfortable seemlessness of age.
Two-hour decant. Best now -2026 but should hold for another five after that.
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3/20/2021 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 94 Points
Lovely wine with a French nose and Tuscan palate. Lovely strawberries and cherries, only slightly faded, with some licorice, leather, smoke, and iron. Hardly over the hill, really enjoyable today and at its apogee.
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3/7/2021 - Uncle Pops Likes this wine: 94 Points
In short: delicious and complex. Sour cherries up front, cigar box and some leather underneath. I didn't note as much dark fruit or spice as others. However, many have commented on the unusually bright acidity for a wine of this age, and I definitely found that as well. It paired beautifully with sauteed duck breast. I decanted 90 minutes before pouring. An extra 30-45 minutes would have been ideal.
This bottle was one of two purchased from the LCBO in Toronto back in the early 2000s. It was worth the wait.
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3/5/2021 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
this was lovely - certainly mature, complex and long
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1/17/2021 - oldwines Likes this wine: 94 Points
In my temperature and humidity controlled cellar since release but the cork broke and required patience to remove fully in several crumbly pieces. It almost seemed like it had fused tight to the bottle at the bottom with little seepage up the cork base. (Perhaps slowing the aging, since there was not oxidation?) Decanted at about 4:30pm with very heavy sediment in the bottle and tasted after 3 hours for another 2 hours. Nicely balanced wine, slightly translucent medium to dark garnet color with no appreciable bricking. Noticeable elements of both Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium (+) bodied with good acidity even at this age and fully integrated tannins. Nose is lightly floral with lots of licorice and red fruit. Palate is a bit more earthy, then plum, dark cherry, chocolate and the licorice. Good complexity but I think it will still evolve further probably warranting a higher score...94 now, possibly 95+ with some additional cellar age assuming the cork was fairly unusual. Quite nice with sous vide and grill finished top sirloin cap roast.
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11/15/2020 - mhudes Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sunday Football with Walter (49'ers vs Saimts). 2.5 hour decant. Bright red in color. Floral (lavender?) aromatics. Dark cherries, black currents and raspberries on the palate (Surprisingly fruity for this age). Tingling spices and herbs in the background. A touch of mocha. Tannin essentially subsided. Still a bit of acidity. Lengthy finish. A beautiful wine!
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7/6/2020 - floating_cellar wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful wine. opened and filtered 3 hrs before dinner. Only let breathe for 1/2 hour then back into bottle and corked. Tasted great upon opening, lots of weight and finish. Nose of cherry compote, leather and spice, similar on palate and 30+ second finish of lingering black cherry. Drinking excellent now and will keep for some years, but not going to get better.
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8/25/2019 - djarcara wrote: 90 Points
Full body. Smoke, cedar and a touch of cassis on the nose. The smokiness carries over to the palate combining with dark fruits, tobacco and Christmas spice. The tannins have mostly resolved, but there is a a slightly astringent acidity that makes the wine unbalanced, plus that smokiness a bit too much for my taste. Interestingly, I had the entry level 1999 Fontodi Chianti Classico last night and find it to be nearly as good for a far smaller price. Drink now.
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8/15/2019 - Fugu Me wrote: flawed
Sadly, bottle was flawed. Initial thought was that it was badly corked, but ultimately thought to be TBA. As a testament to the strength and quality of the wine, there was still a nice showing of fruit trying to break through on the nose, and evident on the palate.
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4/26/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: Farewell to One of the Group's Stalwarts (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Generally, a selection of 100% Sangiovese from the Colli Toscana Centrale IGT; Fermented in temperature controlled s/s tanks with indigenous yeasts for at least 3 wks, then malolactic & aged in Troncais & Allier barrels for 24 mos;
N: CLOSED, but SEEMS ripe; Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which only somewhat resolves by the LONG finish with a bitter/swtness to the still pronounced, DUSTY tannins. NEEDS another 3 yrs (guessing), then at least making its 25th? 14% ABV; My EXC, but that could WELL be a downrate. 94 pts Decanter (Morris, 10/16/18), 17 & 18/20 Jancis Robinson, add'tl reviews on the "Pro Reviews" part of this pg, and several other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
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4/12/2019 - Bluespolo wrote: 95 Points
Aperto circa tre ore prima di servirlo. Il più timido della batteria ad aprirsi (bevuto assieme a Brancaia 05 e Sassicaia 02) Inizialmente piu terziario: cuoio, tabacco, spezie ed echi di tostato. Poi rosa essiccata, ciliegia selvatica, prugna, sottobosco, liquirizia e affumicato. Al palato vibrante e rinfrescante, tannini arrotondati e calibrati su una struttura che l'armonia fa sembrare non enorme, ma che in realtà c'è, eccome. Finale che si allunga davvero persistente. Non denuncia a mio parere minimamente i suoi 18 anni (anche se su questo non tutti al tavolo eravamo d'accordo)
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12/22/2018 - InVinjeVeritas wrote: 90 Points
Vey decent and developed chianti, but not great.
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11/4/2018 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
opened 2 hours prior to tasting
good red color with some bricking, attractive cherry nose, hints of rose petal, on the palate a very pretty array of blueberries and red raspberries, firm earthy bramble across the mid-palate, dark red fruits, good length, a savory wine, quite nice and a harmonious accompaniment to the meal. ***+, now to 2030.
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10/12/2018 - Rollerball wrote:
Continuous evolution over the first 90 minutes. Earthy with tobacco but still so much bright fruit. Then grapey in a way you would not believe for a 17-year-old wine. Ridiculous amounts of fruit. I'd hold off for some years. 2022-2030
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9/27/2018 - redknife Likes this wine: 94 Points
took to mesa mar with the group
brief decant
No TNs but everybody liked this wine
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9/27/2018 - AB16 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great example of ageworthiness of non Brunello Sangiovese. Still young. Great balance. Classic wine
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6/19/2018 - BPidgeon Likes this wine: 96 Points
Ready! Drinking beautifully! I believe it will be at the tip top of its prime in a year.
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3/19/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
From magnum. Tasted after 1998 Castello dei Rampolla d’Alceo. More complex and subtle on the nose and palate - fresh, red fruited, herbs, spices, earthy notes. Nice grip, soft tannins, very long. Drink or keep. 93-95
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3/17/2018 - NewFrenchClaret Likes this wine: 95 Points
Surprisingly light garnet color, with noticeably bricking on the rim. Decanted this for around 30 minutes in a very wide decanter.
Black fruit nose (surprisingly) with eucalyptus, bonfires and a pleasing tobacco character which just avoids veering towards raisin and plum. Lots of complexity here as well- hints of forest floor and tar, amongst others.
Silky smooth texture on the palate, with sweet red fruit balanced by a bracing acidity. Not a trace of a sharp edge on this wine, but also not an ounce of fat. A great trick to pull off. Lovely long finish.
It's so rare to find a wine made in this style which I like. It's big and bold, and you can taste the heat of the Tuscan climate, but it has lost none of its verve. In a perfect place right now, but no rush.
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2/20/2018 - Roentgen Ray wrote: 91 Points
I liked it more young. Gone was the rich juicy fruit and in it's place a more austere acidic wine with edgy red fruit and leather.
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12/9/2017 - LB88 wrote: 91 Points
Sat for 2 hours and decanted for one more
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5/21/2017 - Mjtopper Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent
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4/2/2017 - Fred_Bo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted in magnum. THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!
Really delightful acidity, the tannins are still alive but so beautifully integrated.
Plums, dark berries, ripe fruit and meaty notes - this monster is just so giving at the moment!
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2/11/2017 - AudunG wrote: 92 Points
At Park Hotel, Voss. 25 years anniversary for Vitis Bergensis. Dark red. Etheral aromas with black olives, medicine, dark red fruits, tobacco etc. Punchy and expressive Sangiovese in the mouth. Concentrated and generous with high acidity. Not extremely elegant, but maybe it will be in 5 to 10 years?
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12/25/2016 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 97 Points
Medium garnet color turning rust at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose is ethereal with lots of dark and red fruits, coupled with floral scents of violets, lavender, potpourri, and eucalyptus. The palate is full-bodied with a silky texture. Flavors of red cherry, raspberry, black currant, dark chocolate, tobacco, espresso, cowhide leather and dried spices and herbs. Finishes long and effervescent with hints of eucalyptus and menthol. This is a beauty and worthy of all the accolades. Drink now until 2021. 97+
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10/1/2016 - Phitz Likes this wine:
Purchased at auction to understand how one of our favorite wine ages. When we open this for friends, I say "this tastes like Tuscan sunshine" and they agree. Fifteen years past vintage date, the fullness of this wine that is so seductive at six to ten years has past. It's pleasant on the nose and palate, but this wine would have been more charming and less cerebral in 2010.
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7/24/2016 - SteelerFan wrote: 93 Points
Excellent showing. Still youthful, with lively fruit and some back-bone. Smooth and tasty. Drinking very well, but no rush.
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2/29/2016 - Louvin Likes this wine: 94 Points
two hour decant the drunk over several hours, this is just singing now, complex and resolved, sweet fruit and yet a nice grip. Perfect time to open.
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1/30/2016 - redknife Likes this wine: 94 Points
With the group at Le Provencale
Decanted for 1 hr and ready to go
Drinking very well now
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12/11/2015 - Louvin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Two hour decant of tons of sediment, close dark and tannic at first but several hours later this opened up to reveal dark cherry, smoke, herbs and a wonderful full and complex, slightly tannic wine. Ready now but loads of upside time/potential. The firmness goes well with the depth of fruit and overall sense of the wine. Wonderful with steak
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9/13/2015 - Filippo wrote: 94 Points
Perfect shape. Drinking beautifully well. Modern rich Sangiovese. Without forgetting about the heritage.
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8/29/2015 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hours before dinner. At first blush, this wine is way too young. However, it got much better with food (like most Italian wines) Nevertheless, this wine underwhelmed me vs all of the hype. Some of this has to do with the fact that it still needs 3-5 more years in the bottle. However, I don't think it will ever be all that the ratings say it will be. Dried red fruit with licorice, brine, burnt embers, menthol, and a lingering finish that has enough tannin to clog a drain. It lacks a central core of fruit to suggest it will get much better with age other than soften and become more elegant.
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3/30/2015 - brigcampbell wrote:
Rumor this is a super Tuscan hence the designation, not sure what they tossed in here, cab maybe? A spectacular Sangiovese. Plenty of red fruit and spice.
[edit] correction 100% Sangiovese.
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1/28/2015 - capacious Likes this wine: 93 Points
gave this a full day in the decanter and then back in the bottle- I now have in mind putting the genie back again and again, only to grant our wishes later, and this did. Lived up to its rep- this is big, virile wine. Just beginning to be drinkable, really should be patient with this one, unless you were as I was down to last really good bottle at our winter home because the blizzard had prevented shipping this week. But we had no regrets last night- this is a superb wine and when it's ready should be a 96 pointer
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1/1/2015 - ubercuvee wrote:
from Magnum: still young. Lots of fresh red fruits. I'd drink 750s now, mags - let 'em sleep
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12/8/2014 - galenico Likes this wine: 92 Points
SANGIOVESE 2001 (RISTORANTE SAN GIORS TORINO): Degustato alla cieca. Caldo, balsamico e terziarizzato, ma molto pulito, per nulla rustico.
Bocca croccante, ma il frutto è ammaestrato dalla forza acido-minerale e dal tannino sapido... il tutto regala una freschezza di beva da vino parzialmente diraspato.
Molto buono e godibile
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9/25/2014 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 94 Points
Yet another wonderful bottle. Served from decanter after 90mins. Perfect, but would have benefited from a cool-down. Lovely chocolate, truffle and blackberry richness with that strawberry twist. 3hrs later the last glass was a bit tart, definitely best to double decant. Can't wait for the 2010 to mature!
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9/5/2014 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful fruit and soft tannins. Wonderful food wine. While it benefited with an hour of decanting, it should be great for many years. Complex but still has a ways to go. Great now, maybe better later.
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5/9/2014 - Milos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Second bottle of 2001 Flaccianello within a week. Very much like the previous bottle, perhaps little more fruit up front. Opened up nicely in decanter over couple of hours.
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5/3/2014 - Milos Likes this wine: 93 Points
The colour looks like the wine was bottled yesterday. Deep and bright. Dark red and black fruit with black olives and herbs adding complexity. There is a high note of pine needles, very refreshing. The palate is balanced and very intense with long finish. Drinks well now but no need to rush. Very different wine than the Flaccianello of the mid 90s but still great.
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4/12/2014 - Brnshj22 wrote: 94 Points
It is a big and bold wine but it is oh so seductive. No need to hurry but it is not a shame to drink this one now.
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12/25/2013 - vespasian Does not like this wine: 89 Points
On the whole a disappointing bottle - yes it was smooth and had flavour but for me it was dominated by oak and hadn't developed into something truly memorable. I wouldn't buy Flaccianello again on the evidence of this.
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12/11/2013 - Rezy13 wrote:
Dinner at Ristorante Firenze (Norcross, GA): Cloudy, looks aged and unfiltered; fennel, anise, vegetal, red fruit, sandalwood, smoky; soft texture, sharp red fruit, incense, cherry pit, dried fruit, leather, cherry, ash, drying but no noticeable tannin; interesting.
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11/24/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine has really come around beautifully. Very smooth bit still a little graininess to the tannins which goes perfectly with the earthy elements (mushroom, dried herbs, forest floor). Really well balanced wine with overripe but not candied red fruits with some black fruits underneath. I could have given this wine 93 just as easily, but something about this bottle just captivated me and moved it up a notch.
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11/13/2013 - brunellolover Likes this wine: 92 Points
After 4 hours of decanting still not showing its potential. Left overnight and at 24 hours had opened up so you could taste the potential BUT had cheek puckering tannins. Wish I would have left it for another year or two.
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9/28/2013 - KSWinegeek wrote: 97 Points
There is considerably more sediment than when I last tried this three years ago. The wine has softened and although it can last longer, I believe this has entered a very good period right now. Time to consume.
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8/1/2013 - JBVino Likes this wine:
really good point of increasing integration with solid (but I hope more in the future) secondary flavors, lively fruit and good size and structure. I hope the next few years add some further complexity but this is a fun wine right now
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7/21/2013 - Uncle John wrote: 95 Points
From Magnum opened 2+ hours. Great balance of fruit acidity and silky tannins. Layers of flavors end in a long finish that lasts for 30+ seconds. My first WOW experience with Flaccianello. Thank you Jean L.
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6/14/2013 - RJ&JJ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic Super Tuscan - drinking so very well right now - beautiful balance of fruit, soft tannins and acidity.
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6/6/2013 - Goldstone Likes this wine:
HK Children's Skin Foundation 2nd Annual Charity Dinner & Auction (Chez Patrick Restaurant, 2/F, Garden East, 222 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): No detailed notes because of the cameraderie, conversation and hectic bidding on our table......... this wine rather passed me by, partly because I was luxuriating still with the Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste 1996 which was a much better match for the Goat's Cheese and Roasted Hazelnut Brioche served with this wine. That said, I remember enjoying it a lot and this was WOTN for some of our table guests and one of them went and collared the remaining bottles to take home (with a generous contribution to the charity). Must re-visit....
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4/7/2013 - DoktaP wrote: 96 Points
OMG! Right out of the gate this was singing. This wine is in it's sweet spot and will be for the next few years. Beautifully textured with harmonious fruit and tannins. The finish is extraordinary.
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3/15/2013 - LWI wrote: flawed
Tuscany Tasting: premox
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2/17/2013 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Notes of red fuit, leather, tobacco, florals and sandalwood. Well-balanced, with lovely red fruit, tobacco and spice flavors. Long finish.
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1/19/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smooth and sophisticated with ripe but understated red fruits, mushrooms, and cedar. Took over an hour to fully open.
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12/23/2012 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 95 Points
Used my preferred 2hr double decant. Tannins have a wonderful velvet and chocolate texture that I associate with much more expensive wines (same quality I find in Romanee and Petrus). Ruby coloured, lighter than I remembered, though darkens with cool-down after decant. Very highly recommended.
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11/30/2012 - qhdeputy wrote: 92 Points
Decanted an hour. Drank over two hours. Very nice balance. Nice acidity.
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9/26/2012 - envirovino wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Chez Panisse with this and a Silex. Really enjoyed this wine, in a perfect place. Big nose with a little smoke, earth, cherry. Mature w some tannins left. Good acid. Great with the lamb.
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5/22/2012 - amateurwino wrote: flawed
Unfortunately, oxidized.
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5/9/2012 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted 4 hours, then enjoyed over next 2 with spicy black cardamon pulled pork, parmesan and vanuatu chocolate. Initial nose of cranberry, later with pine notes. Strange rich taste of brie de meaux rind, with cherry and bitter chocolate following. Lovely and long raspberry finish. More elegant with extra time - but, for me, most decadent and pleasurable with only 2 hour decant.
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3/29/2012 - Milos wrote: 94 Points
Drank side by side with 2001 Campora by Falchini for lunch at Bodega. Beautiful wines, quite distinct. The Flaccianello show moderate red, quite intense still. Classic sangiovese with raspberry, wild cherry, mushrooms, forest floor, pine notes; quite complex. Very approachable on the palate though it kept improving over the three hours it took to consume the bottle. Balance and elegance! The Campora was not far behind.
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3/10/2012 - dionysis wrote: 93 Points
Big, jammy wine with lots of fruit and oak. A tad too much acidity? Thought it needed to mellow a bit.
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2/25/2012 - mxpbuy wrote: 93 Points
Sampled 2/24/12. Loads of red fruits, some Oak, and distinct earthiness element. Well balanced, smooth but not silky and 20 second finish.
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2/14/2012 - Brnshj22 wrote: 94 Points
Seemed developed but luckily in a perfect place. Complex and modernistic nose but lots of Panzano character. Flaccianello still rocks.
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2/5/2012 - JulianSkeels wrote: 95 Points
Complex and concentrated wine that hit all my pleasure buttons. More detailed notes to follow with next bottles, but this represents great value and the balance here really makes the difference. 2hr decant.
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11/26/2011 - AudunG wrote: 90 Points
Few notes on this. Concentrated, long lasting, very impressive. Remember it was difficult to spot. Some volatile acids, but not distracting.
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11/10/2011 - benny wrote: 95 Points
This is just splendid wine. Opened for 1 hour and drank at 72 dg. The wine developed more in the big wine glass.
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9/1/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 94 Points
Really wonderful wine. Up there with the 2001, just slightly lower quality. Absolutely loved it. Still very tight upon opening and took a couple of hours to really open up. Some cherry, earthy, medium to full-bodied, good length. Get a bottle.
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5/5/2011 - cooberp wrote: 91 Points
Very similar to the '99, but a little cleaner. Medium-bodied, mushroomy nose, sour cherry, tart and acidic, notably tannic. Excellent.
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4/30/2011 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
RUSSK Pablo's WW at PrVera. Top tier. 92+
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4/10/2011 - don_quichotte wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Still a tannic beast. You do get some cherries, earth and tar underneath the tannins but the wine needs more time.
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2/25/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 94 Points
Sampled 2/7/11. A rich Tuscan with plenty of red fruits up front and black fruits and tar and earth on the back end. Smooth.
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1/31/2011 - SevenDayMile wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for three hours. Enjoyed over the next two.
Ruby core with bricking orange rim and a moderate amount of fine sediment. The nose brings intense aromas of baked strawberry, raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, and nutmeg. The palate has a seamless texture that leads with rich sour red cherry, blackberry, strawberry syrup, and smooth oak tannins. Forty-five second finish.
Phenomenal wine in a great place. I feel like this is at a wonderful point of its life where the acidity is balanced with depth of flavour and terrific concentration and length.
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12/24/2010 - mattjohnson_78 wrote: 98 Points
100 points on nose alone. cherry, all spice, tobacco, wet earth...just stunning. from a 3L i am decanting half of it and leaving the rest open in the bottle. it is 2 pm christmas eve and we will not be drinking until 7-730. i can tell you that at first taste i am already blown away. cherry juice, smoke, tobacco, acid for days and a finish to match. can wait to show up at dinner with this bottle!!!
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11/15/2010 - SteelerFan wrote: 92 Points
Big rich wine with balanced tannins and solid core. Still a little closed and will benefit from more bottle age.
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8/20/2010 - Hazeo wrote: 92 Points
Part of a wine flight at Campanile. Smoother and more polished than the casa Emma next to it, but to me a little confected which hides some of the meaty Sangiovese characteristics I like. The 04 is a lot better IMO
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8/11/2010 - camben wrote: 95 Points
This tokk a full day to open up, but when it did it was fantastic. Smooth and supple but with surprising weight.
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8/5/2010 - gschneider wrote: 95 Points
Incredible. Smooth, perfectly balanced, amazing fruit profile, soft profile, great cherry fruit with hints of chocolate, anise, cedar and coffee. Just simply all world
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3/20/2010 - KSWinegeek wrote: 96 Points
First tried the '01 Flaccianello at the 2005 Wine Spectator Grand Tour tasting and judged it as my "Best in Show". Remarkable nose, elegant, balanced and a long finish. Brought to Vail to share with Dad, Carl, Angus and Katrina.
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3/18/2010 - Alex H wrote: 86 Points
Daniel's Birthday (Osvaldops): Preserved spiced plums, dried plum powder, black pepper. Some reductive soy notes but still sweet with lifted engaging cool nose. Powdery finish. Keeps sense of balance well .
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3/15/2010 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
2001 Italians for Daniel's Birthday (Osvaldo Ristorante Italiano, Maxwell Chambers): An excellent wine, perhaps the most ready of those we had today. Neverthles, it had been decanted for about 4 hours by the time we got to it, and a good thing too. Lovely, lovely nose. Very alluring, with sweet, ripe cherries, almost kirsch-like, some cassis, deep earth tones, dried plums and a smoky undertow. Very well-integrated, and promising lots of goodness on the palate, which the wine delivered with aplomb. Great balance, clean, integrated aciidty and grippy, powdered tannins formed a juicy, well-structured backdrop for lovely pure cherry tones and more smoky ash, moving into a long finish full of lingering fruit - dried cherries, plums, orange peel - and a dry woody tail. Very, very good indeed, certainly better than the 2001 Brunello we had alongside - this will be a great wine in another 5-6 years' time and will continue developing for far longer than that.
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3/9/2010 - tanglenet wrote:
This has been opened for about an hour and really needs it. It's just now beginning to be more accessible and drinkable. Dark fruit with burnt notes, also showing black tea and dried black cherry. A little watery with some alcohol showing, but not with a drying heat. Ends with mouth puckering tannins with fig and plum notes. Good right now. Should improve with more air.
Much better at the 3 1/2 hour mark.
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2/18/2010 - idrinkvino wrote: 93 Points
Not quite the blockbuster my previous tastings of this have been, but wtill excellent. Could have been a slightly off bottle...
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10/18/2009 - monkeylug wrote: 97 Points
Amazing wine filled with an intense core of fruit expressive on the nose and mouth-coating of chocolate, dark cherry, coffee, black current and anise. Leads to a long finish that seems to never end. One glass of this can last for an hour. Drinks well now, opened bottle to breathe for 1 1/2 hours. Did not decant, but that might even make its character come through more.
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10/3/2009 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
Flaccianello Frenzy @ Paul B. (Netherlands): Blood red, black core. Antique library atmosphere! Leather, dusty paper, polished furniture. Dried herbs and spice box, autumn leaf, undergrowth. A soft and sexy sweetness is still hiding in the background. Priorat-like nuttiness: chestnut, hazelnut, pine kernels. Young and boisterous tannines. This wine is bursting with promise and ambition, but is a tad locked at the moment. Wait 5 years. For now, 18/20
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9/2/2009 - RJ&JJ wrote: 93 Points
Superb wine - opened up vey well when decanted - typical italian earth on the nose but strikingly balanaced on the tanins and fruit (cassis, black currents).
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8/18/2009 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Some clarity at the edge of the glass. On the nose: raisin, burnt earth, dried fruit, summer berry bushes. On the palate: charcoal, fig, black fruit notes that really want to emerge. There is a richness and opulence that is being withheld; this is at the 2 hour mark. Ends with a dry and somewhat sour finish. Good
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8/11/2009 - idrinkvino wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful nose of burnt cherries. Full of aromas and exceptional colour. The flavour and consistency were out of this world. Surprisingly soft in texture. Excellent.
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7/21/2009 - RJonesUSC wrote: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully. Tons of sediment.
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6/28/2009 - bubbachumps wrote: 90 Points
Very much in Falcciainello style, but showing less complexity than most other vintages. Tasting note from a blurry memory. This was decanted 4 hours and consumed over 8 hrs during a Flaccianello veritcal that included 95, 98, 99, 01, 03, 04 and 05. My rank of the vintages: 99, 95, 03, 05, 98, 01 and 04.
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5/12/2009 - TannicBeast wrote: 93 Points
Retailing for $80-$125 in US. $111 at spec's
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4/11/2009 - sdsull wrote: 96 Points
Spectacular bottle of Flacc
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2/21/2009 - Arcturus wrote: 93 Points
Inky dark, brooding, rich nose of tobacco, minerals, cassis, blackberry. Palate- Black fruit, rich textured with firm tannins, hearty acidic structure-built for aging but enjoyable now. (much better showing than last taste on 7/06) 93+
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11/16/2008 - sirlampsalot wrote: 100 Points
Upon initial taste, it was still tight and still rated 95pts. After 8 hours in decanter, drank 3/4 of the bottle and it had improved. Next day finished the last 1/4 and was the best wine I have ever tasted - 100 points!
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7/4/2008 - BrandrB wrote: 93 Points
Wow! The finest Super Tuscan I’ve ever tasted, even considering its youth. Breathed for about an hour. Dark garnet color. Plum and spice on the nose. Ripe blackberry and cherry flavors. Smoke lingers in the background. An elegant, well-balanced, full-bodied palate. Silky smooth finish that fades slowly just seems to go on and on. Our Independence Day wine, paired nicely with barbequed ribeyes. For me, this simply blows Tignanello – the Super Tuscan I’m most familiar with – out of the water. The 2001 Flaccianello is still a young wine with plenty of potential left, but it’s also already a beautiful wine. Absolutely superb.
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5/11/2008 - Finare Vinare wrote: 93 Points
Clear, with some brown reflexions, looks very promising. Really elegant cask aromas of bayleaf, cedar, leather, and horse sweat - reminescent of bordeaux. Italian herbs, bitter almond, coke, corinths and dried fruit pins it to tuscany. Super-italian taste with great acids, chewy tannins, nice intensity and a remarkably long aftertaste. Really good wine, absolutely needs food. Only in the beginning of maturity, will develop further in a couple of years. Horse stable and baking spice mingle in the finished glass.
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3/29/2008 - 100pp wrote: 94 Points
Needed a couple of hours to open up. Still quite chewy. Very concentrated and complex (earth, minerals, wood, pencil lead). Black cherries and berries. Great length.
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3/18/2008 - LoireFan wrote: 91 Points
With more time...
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12/20/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 94 Points
Deep fragrances of minerals, dark flowers and plumbs. Roasted meats, smoke, dark fruit and back end spice combine to make a beautiful wine.
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12/7/2007 - il_diavolo wrote: 93 Points
certainly the best flaccianello I have ever tasted. the group loved it too. lost my notes but not that it was memorable. must buy more.
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11/17/2007 - Zingrrl wrote: 95 Points
Tight out of the bottle. Opened after an hour or so. Soft dark fruit with a mineral streak. Saved the rest for tomorrow night. Night two (celebrating the 'boys over the 'skins). Absolutely wonderful. Soft, floral nose. Plum and cherry with tannins softened but still coating the mouth. Long finish. I have more - and that is a good thing. Other reviewers have advised patience - totally agree. Needs several hours if not a day to get to its full potential.
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10/27/2007 - nschmidt wrote: 94 Points
Excellent. Drank at the Kushners along with the 1999 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Vigna San Giuseppe Bricco Boschis and the 2000 Villa di Capezzana Ghiaie della Furba and it was just behind the Barolo in my opinion. Adrianne did not love it.
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9/30/2007 - Tad GW wrote: 92 Points
The opaque garnet red promises great concentration. A slight bit of orange tint shows that there's some age here and that's the reason this wine is now a pleasure to drink although it still needs to breathe plenty to develop throughout the evening. There are meaty, smoky perfumes mixed with plums, cherries and vanilla and floral scents. The tastes of blueberry, pomegranate and acai berry juices with ample but soft and round tannins and a hint of cacao present a riot of interest to the palate. This is a wonderful wine that develops complexity throughout the evening that you let it breathe and drink it. This may be the best Chianti I've ever had. It's a real beauty. I'm off hunting for some now and see that it's the 2003 that is available around here and it's supposed to be even better!
50+5+12+17+8=92
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9/11/2007 - Bacchusboy wrote: 95 Points
I bought a case of this wine upon release. I tried a bottle when delivered about 2 years ago. It was very young and tight. Tannins ruled, and the substantial fruit and balance was a bit masked. I had another bottle last night. I decanted for 2 hours, poured back into the bottle and drank the wine at one of our favorite Italian restaurnats. What a differnce time makes!....The nose was incredible, dusty,with black and red fruit, cigar box, and truffles. The wine contiuned to evolve with a softening and sweetning of the tannis, revealing the soft, almost velvet mid palate and long complex, 45 second finish. This wine needs considerable breathing time, 2 hours minimum. Your patience will be rewarded with a wine that is as beautiful as the Tuscan landscape.
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9/9/2007 - Scheper wrote: 95 Points
After some delicate wines this was something else. a powerhouse from nose to finish.
all the classic Sangiovese ingeredients are there and Fontodi managed to build a structure around this fruit that stands as a house.
It will blow away many wines. Once in a while such power is so ver very seductive and so much fun.
But, he beautiful thing is that it is also a very precise wine. When you concentrate there is so much to discover and the balance in fruit, acidity and tannins is so nice.
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7/27/2007 - MiamiViniFera wrote: 97 Points
This was a gift from a friend, purchased at Gulf Liquors and Fine Wine in Miami Beach. It was tasted with my boyfriend and neighbor at Casa Tua, for my neighbor's 76th birthday. The wine was decanted for about 20 minutes, it's still quite young so it didn't need too much time. The color was vibrant, a lighter shade of a color called "vamp" by Chanel. "Vamp" is like a deep black purple with a hint of ruby. The nose was full of dark berries, coffee, and bing cherries. On the palate it was full bodied with a great overall balance between ripe juicy fruit and a mouth watering tannic feel. The finish was well rounded and lingering with great depth. It's good drinking now through 2013.
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5/15/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 93 Points
Huge wine of burnt cherries with a mellowed tannic finish. Massive fragrance of fruit and florals. Exceptional.
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4/29/2007 - Thralow wrote: 90 Points
Had hoped it better, given the price.
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3/24/2007 - dezzy wrote: 96 Points
A ripe and glossy hue with an exotic spicey ripe aroma of fruits. Very elegant struture with earthy, minerals on the palate. Complex and depth. Excellent silky smooth and long finish. Will need to find some to try again.
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3/4/2007 - mattowan wrote: 95 Points
Still so wonderful, but settling down. Cherry fruit is a bit more subtle now. Tannins, while still big are loosening their grip, making for a slightly more pleasant mouth feel. Still that vibrant acidity that pairs it so well with meat (grilled ribeyes this year). Long, long finish. Continues to be one of my favorites.
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2/14/2007 - Scheper wrote: 94 Points
This is a very impressive wine!!
lots of dark fruit, very nice tannins and a nice freshness and therefore an inspiring wine!!
Has a future ahead. Not yet at its peak, but a joy now. nice acidity, nice power but not a blockbuster kind of wine.
just great. pure Sangiovese.
WS gave 97 points, that's a bit too high for me right now but in time it may well break the 95 barrier.
for now: 94.
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1/1/2007 - KPB wrote: 88 Points
Limpid ruby... elegant nose shows mullberry fruits, cherries, notes of tobacco and vanilla. Medium bodied with a long finish; firm tannins and acids. Good richness and depth on the mid-palate, but seems a bit dilute on the front and end of the finish. Basically, not a huge success for my palate. I like sanguiovese, but not in this style -- I tend to prefer wines that are a bit more robust; elegance is fine, but the stuffing matters too....
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11/22/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely gorgous wine. Dark cherries, chocolate, pepper, and enough backing to make it sing. Surprisingly drinkable at this stage - although there's a fair amount of tannins the wine is well integrated. Going for more.
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11/15/2006 - pepeelvis wrote:
huge wine, big fruit nose, wiht chocalate and black pepper on the nose. Tannins still showing tons of grip,which bears down on the finish. Definitely needs cellar time. QPR C+
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10/14/2006 - trankin wrote: 92 Points
Saturday night at Raj's (Raj's house): Nose of dark fruits, oak, clove, and black cherry. Wonderful sweet fruit with some tannins, some acids. Still round and approachable. A bit of chocolate. Probably has 3-10 years to run.
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9/18/2006 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
Wine #6 / tasted blind: The color was noticeably different from the previous wines in the tasting and was a dark purple. This wine struck me as very complex yet not typical as the color threw me off. In past vintages this wine is more of a garnet color. I had no guess on the varietal or region but thought it might be Italian. It had spicy, lforal aromatics and lots of fruit but a certain leaness and acidity that didn't lean toward New World. This wine has loads of potential with further aging and would have merited a higher score but the finish was entirely clipped and somewhat metallic to my palate. Good wine and distinctly different from the other wines in the tasting.
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9/18/2006 - steffenpelz wrote: 91 Points
Wine Tasting with Rick Joyer (including a 100 pointer and other gems) (Asti Trattoria - Austin, TX): Wine #6 / tasted blind: Color seemed almost impenetrably black. Berry flavors of balckberry, verging on blueberry. Some distinct tar and tobacco flavors. This is a tannic, dense beast of a wine that I suspect should not be consumed for at least 5 years. Certainly a wine in the modern style. Seemed to be loved by some at the table and less liked by others...a crowd splitter.
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8/22/2006 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Dinner and Fine, Aged Wine at Le Francais (Wheeling, IL): Served double blind as a mystery wine.
Youthful purple in color with a sweet, dark plum and spice nose. Young and tannic palate, but still offering good amounts of dark fruit, some meat and spice. Very tasty. I was guessing central coast syrah all the way.
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7/30/2006 - Arcturus wrote: 89 Points
Typical Chianti nose with a hint of coffee and pipe tobacco. Dried cherries, black currant and full bodied with strong tannins and a fairly abrupt finish. Did not seem to change much over the course of the evening, however I did have a glass the following day and it showed much better than day 1, having openend up a bit. 89 for now.
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4/29/2006 - TheGreenFrog wrote: 88 Points
Youthful and tannic. Pretty difficult to assess at this stage, other than plenty of nice fruit, plenty of tannins.
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3/29/2006 - johnnywebs wrote: flawed
Corked.
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3/28/2006 - Geir wrote: 95 Points
Fantastisk med en enorm gjentagende lengde
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3/17/2006 - shacke wrote:
Youthful but still a terrific wine. Terrific balance and a great expression of sangiovese. I won't touch my next one for probably another 2 years to see how it is progressing.
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3/7/2006 - mattowan wrote: 97 Points
What a beautiful baby!!! Red cherry nose. Tight on the palate but really nice acidity and hints of bursting fruit. Wonderful with my rabbit and proscuitto course, but was also friendly with my black truffle ravioli. This could be a 100 pointer in 5 years. Magnificent.
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2/7/2006 - LoireFan wrote: 93 Points
An excellent wine but it did not improve a day later, indicating to me it's not a long ager.
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1/28/2006 - Gulelin wrote: 96 Points
Oakey aroma with a hint of green pepper. Subtle fruit on the nose as well. Good fruit on the palate, incredible balance. Still tannic enough that it will improve (tasting note from journal).
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11/20/2005 - rosey wrote:
had over two night
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10/22/2005 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
WS New York Wine Experience 'Top Ten' Tasting (New York Marriott Marquis): Full opaque red/purple. Nice rich full aroma of round red current fruit with a hint of sweetness. Mmmmn. Nice big black cherry fruit with present but round tannins and good acidity. Surpisingly good.
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10/22/2005 - trankin wrote: 96 Points
WS "Top 10 2004" Tasting (New York Marriott Marquis): Thick, purple wine. Beatiful big fruit on the nose, with blueberries and sweet cream shining through. Yum. Dark blueberries and dark fruits, cherries, violets. A touch acidic, with big, rounded tannins. Probably the best wine of the flight but still much too young. Give it time.
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9/27/2005 - JJA wrote: 94 Points
This is a very good wine that wants to be an excellent one. A wonderful aroma on the nose and light to medium bodied. It is on the verge of being really outstanding. On the second day after I opened the bottle, the flavor really came alive. I really enjoyed this wine, but want to find it for a more reasonable price than I paid. Definitely a repurchase.
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7/12/2005 - RJonesUSC wrote: 94 Points
Still a bit young but drinks well. Should improve greatly in a few years (96+)
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5/24/2005 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Solid crimson color. Rich texture. More body than all of the previous vintages I'v had except for the 1997. Supple character with notes of plum, berry and black pepper. Will improve with time. 91-92 points.
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