Guys night - a bottle with a story (Jason's house): Drank a good-sized glass over 2 hours. This wine has chest hair. Its big and brawny, and also has amazing complexity. Dark rich fruit, licorice, black cherry, herbs, violets.
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Let me start by saying I was looking forward to drinking this! Also, let me state you can throw out the CT drinking window based on this bottle! This was my WOTN!
Nose was remarkable with lots of different things going on...one of the scents someone mentioned was KC BBQ sauce, which I found pretty appropriate! It had the spiciness and sweetness of BBQ on the nose, along with notes of spice, red fruit, leather and mushroom. The palate leaned slightly toward the tertiary side of the spectrum, but still showed plenty of red fruit (mostly sweet and tart cherry) with enough acidity still present to keep it lively, but not overwhelming in the least. Tertiary character was led by earth, old leather, bramble and notes of tobacco leaf, anise and mild baking spices. Toasty oak also loomed in the background. Each sip begged you to take another. A real pleasure to drink! Easy 96+ for me (and that. may very well be conservative...even with my top score for a red at 98 points.
Groups score had this tied for #2; my WOTN! Thanks Steve!
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Almost 2yrs since I tried this wine. Medium to dark ruby in color. Intense nose, thyme and olives at forefront,meaty, then some blackberries. Medium to full body, still some tannic bite, similar flavours to the nose, thymes, herbs, olives, black fruit, balsamic. Very good intensity, balance and length. Less fruit than few years ago, so will not get any better, excellent now.
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Over dinner - no formal notes. Tasted next to the 1993. Olive tapenade, balsamic notes, roses, spices, dark fruit on the nose - very expressive and pretty. A lot more concentrated on the palate, almost a bit jammy, much warmer, quite spice with good acidity. Good length. An excellent bottle. Drink or keep. 94-96?
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Drank at a restaurant paired with Australian wagyu M5 prepared Italian style with herbs. Slow ox. Wine performed magically. Drank like a young California cab, which I see other reviewers have mentioned as well. Vibrant, fresh, high acidity. Perhaps the only marker that it was not young was that tannins have softened and integrate into the wine (there was a fair amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle). Frankly this was the softened most inviting and approachable Solaia I’ve ever tried. Nose dark cherry, plum, blackberry, balsamic, slight oak fragrance. Palate red fruit driven.
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Red cherry medicinal and palate coating. Yes it’s ripe and modern in all of those ways that Parker would have approved. It’s good and modern but hardly exciting
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Wow, 5th of 6 bottles purchased/consumed Although I very much appreciated the prior bottles this one really punched above the rest. If blind I would say Grand Cru Left Bank. Maybe even Haut Brian which for me is one of my all time favourites. Wish it was the first drank and not one of the last I have.
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Absolutely rocking. Opened and decanted and this was just in a super spot. Friends brought it to a dinner at the Grey in Savannah. This is still drinking very young but it’s in drinking window. It’s just fresh and bright and lots of fruit and very vibrant and the kindof wine you want to keep going back to. Excellent.
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decanted 45 minutes after opening, and started drinking 20 minutes after decanting. Smoky, still got tannins here. A little more fragrant and open. One hour after we started drinking this was sooo nice and elegant. Drinking very well.
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This is a serious good wine. Decanted for 4hrs. Deep to medium ruby in color. Very expressive nose. Licorice, tar, dark cherries, old cabinet. More reminiscent of an old Chianti classico than aged Cabernet Sauvignon. Full body, very soft tannins, savoury, great balance with good acidity. Coats the mouth with herbs, licorice, spices, dark cherries. Forever length. Excellent, excellent wine…
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There are no cracks in this seamless beauty. Still big fruits and balance in this gem from Antinori. Great vintage from winemaker that has produced Beautiful wine with greater challenges. Silky, floral, leathery magic
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NYWE rich aromas of sweet roasted expresso bean, black smoky fruits, and toast. Tense, firm black fruits with woodsy dark spices and leather touches. Still vibrant with signs savory maturing fruits. In great shape, still shows good freshness and drinking very well. Notable for amazing balance.
2978 first year, had excess of Cabernet so made it, huge success so kept it going. A more international style. Great and simple.
Wine spectator woty 2000.
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Nose on the cigar box, truffles and black fruits. Mouth as dense as it is sweet. Ample material, on tobacco, which lines the palate. We have a nice acidity which propels the wine on an excellent balance. It's juicy, deep and very silky at the same time. We have undergrowth, black fruits and spices. The tannins are melted with a magnificent truffle finish over which a majestic length stretches.
It’s very elegant and young at the same time. Grand Solaia who has life ahead of him.
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Best bottle (Restaurant Brunnenstube, Beinstein): Tasted blind. Clear, deep ruby color. Clean, pronounced and developing nose. Lots of speck, beautiful, clean fruit, some cigarbox. Deep and beautiful. On the palate great density and pressure. Beautiful balance of silky tannin and high acidity. Great, clear fruit, lots of black currant. Very precise and elegant. Long and lingering finish. Still very young and potential for at least another decade. 94-95+
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Blind tasting suggested this was a Bordeaux rather than Italian. Stood up against an 04 Masseto and frankly you couldn't tell either by color and pallete that the Solaia was more than 20 years older. Stunning balance, sophistication and elegance. Whereas the Masseto reflected the dark chocolate and cherries with truffles (probably influenced by truffled egg amuse bouche). Incredible wine. So thankful I have more. Sorry nothing more but at birthday dinner with friends at Tosca in DC. See my note on the Masseto.
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Opened last night in celebration for the 75th anniversary of the end of war in Europe. My experience slightly different to the last review. Ready to drink immediately after opening. A slightly gamey nose plus everything you would expect from the top Bordeaux Marques. It was heavenly just to breathe that in alone. The taste revealed that some tannin and grip was still there in a very pleasant way and still some fruit which just added to the multi dimensional balance. I think the drinking window is about right, I don’t believe it will improve but in fairness it does not need to. It just depends how long it can now stay where it is. Not sure that decline would be a word I would use. The wine remained delicious without any food for the remainder of the evening and just a little more leather and cigar box appeared, but just so smooth, I had no close down period at all. How to score, for me it has got to be a 98.
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overall it was very good and almost excellent. slightly muted as may be past peak. drink now if you have and it will be a lovely night. Any more time in cellar will be unrewarded.
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Pnp at home. Another wine that evolves a fair bit in the open bottle. Comes across as incredibly young after pulling the cork, rich and fruit forward with still noticeable oak, if not particularly complex, just to shut down only 45 min later, tannins appear, the fruit almost entirely goes. However another barely 30 min later, the wine starts to open up again. Now the profile seems much more evolved, more leathery notes from the Cab ang well balanced Sangiovese providing freshness. Good length here. A very good SuperTuscan but I doubt there is much upside from here. Would drink it just like this again, slowly but without decant in order not to miss the rich fruit upon opening.
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Very smooth, soft tannings and amazing aroma. This wine is just stunning from the time you open the bottle to the very last drop. We had it to celebrate my wife's birthday and an amazing enjoyable choice for the very special celebration. Very well balanced and just a pure joy.
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Vinetasters: 1997 Super Tuscans (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Definitely a bit of the green cabernet on the nose here. Sweet fruit but fairly low acid. Heaps on tannin that just hasn’t resolved at the same pace as the rest of the material in this wine. A big bruiser; not my style but overall decent. My 1st, group's 1st.
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Just stunning. 80% CabSauv, 20% Sang... one of the finest SuperTuscans from one of the 20th century finest vintages. Lightly decanted, took 10+ minute to open even with vigorous aeration (i.e. swishing around the glasses). Integrated, backbone but with generous fruit. Paired wonderfully w/Rigatoni primavera in heavy spicy red sauce, plus Osso Buco, plus grilled peppers.
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I agree with recent impressions of the wine. PnP. The bottle was acquired from an individual who had it since release. It was in pristine condition. Nose had a pretty mix of crushed cherries, tobacco, wet earth, cloves. As others have said, it is soft, round, silky on the palate with a pleasing finish that makes you want to take another sip. It is one of those bottles that one can easily finish in an evening. Paired deliciously with a bolognese.
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Popped and poured into decanter. Nice but subdued nose and palate, definitely tired. Peaked after about 30 min and then slowly declined over the following hour or so.
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The holy -97 vintage leaves me wondering, the wine possesses attractive and subtle velvety dark berry flavors but feels to me that fruit is fading, a notion that is consistent with my impression of some other Italian reds of this praised vintage, this is good but I find it difficult to justify paying the hefty -97 premium. Yes, this is a good wine but.
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Grüner Veltliner & Super Tuscan Tasting (Restaurant Vineum, Rotterdam, NL): Tasted blind. Mature appearance, broad brown rim; warm and glowing nose, with complex nuances, vinous and mature, spiced red berries; gentle and flowing palate, stylish and concentrated, rounded and well balanced, just the right level of grip from ripe but firm tannins, hint of honey; mature finish, very good persistence.
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Grüner Veltliner & Super-Tuscans @ VINEUM (Vineum, Rotterdam): Tasted blind @ VINEUM. Very intriguing nose, completely mature taste. Drink now, probably no upside after this anymore...Was slightly less good then the 1999 Solaia served in the same flight!
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Still going strong at 21! Decanted ~20 mins (not enough but we were at a restaurant). As is typical, a bit of bottle "earth/dirt" which dissipated and left behind a delightful balance of fruit and muscular tannin. Stood up quite well to stewed tomatoes, brussel sprouts, mushrooms. I'm not concerned about this wine lasting another 5+ years. But it's delicious so I'll look for more excuses to open it.
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(Note: purchased this bottle in Rome in 2000 and has been sitting in a climate controlled cellar since. 2 hour decant) Dark opaque purple with no signs of bricking at all. Reflected light is dark magenta. Menthol, sweet cassis and black fruits, iodine, charcoal embers and pine needles on the intoxicating nose. Creme de cassis, bright acid balanced with tongue-coating powdery tannins (still), rich cocoa on the mid-palate and finish with the characteristically italian orange-rind on the finish also. Wow, what a wine! Balance and energy - having both power and finesse in the same sip. Sublime.
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Two bottles purchased on release but shipped in the summer so I was not surprised when the first bottle (sampled 2009) tasted odd and cooked. Family dinner led to “why not” moment and we opened the second bottle. Surprisingly dark opaque garnet color. Nice nose of cassis, earth, currant, and floral notes. Rich dark berry and black currant on the palate with hints of dried red fruit from the Sangiovese as well as tobacco and leather. Tannin still present but mostly filed off, balanced by moderate acidity. Longer finish of red and black plum fruit cut with earth and grip. Lovely wine in the midst of its drinking window. It turned out well after all.
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Beautiful ripe blackberry with soft tannins. The Wine melts in your mouth with wet crushed stone. Hint of eucalyptus throughout the mouth. Light, vibrant nose. Young, sexy mouthfeel. Really enjoying this wine.
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Tasted blind. Dark dense red, with slight bricking. Showed a ton of sour cherry, and red berries. Finish was a bit short, and overall slightly out of balance. Not bad but wasn't what i expected and definitely shocked it was a solaia when revealed.
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Having with bone-in tomahawk ribeyes. Red currant, plum, pomegranate, ash, wet stone. Beautiful fruit, balanced, silky. Nice chalkiness on the back end. Soft tannins, long finish, leathery notes. Subtly earthiness. Really drinking great!
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Tasted blind, this wine had a red/purple center light red rims. The medium+ intensity nose put forth blackberry, tan spices, plums, and a hint of caramel.
At first this was light and dusty. After an hour or so, the Cabernet really blossomed and came to the fore. It was ripe but extremely balanced with a nice smooth finish. The finish was a bit short at first but developed with time. It seemed very Bordeaux like until the fruit started to dominate.
I believe this wine is just coming into its drinking zone and more nuance and length may develop. I tasted this the next day and it didn’t seem to change much. This is a nice wine and will certainly hold at this level for 10+ years. Will it get better?
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Stored in my cellar for the last 15 years. I stopped buying Solaia after the 2001 as I think they got their pricing wrong after that (I cant comment on quality). I was truly ready for disappointment, but actually this was a top class wine, no doubt in my mind. Still young but on a steady ageing path and I felt the black fruit was showing real elegance. I have one bottle left and I plan to leave it somewhere between 5 and 10 years, waiting for more tertiary development. 96 pts and potentially the best Solaia I have ever had. This took me back to the old days when people would have thought Solaia was at the level of Ornellaia and Sassicaia.
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I do agree that this wine could be overrated. Double decanted and served 3 hrs after. Nose has some fruit and cedar wood. Palate is restrained but it still does not convince me this is a strong vintage given the lack of depth and subdued fruit. Im a non believer that this wine will be amazing when its fully mature.
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Sat in the decanter about 30 min. Started off quite nice but restrained, peaking about 30 min later perhaps at a 95, and then over 2 hours declined to a 93. Drink up.
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Beautiful mature wine, impeccable balance, long finish, musty earth, drinking as beautifully now as I imagine it will years from now. Day after Christmas wine with my dad. Drank with filet mignon, at Boca in Cinti.
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Luis Tilia WTDS plus Happy Birthday to Gary and Me (Tilia): Slow o'd an hour. This wine met my expectation - something like Bordeaux made in Italy. You get the Italian acidity and sour cherry, mixed with musty books, leather, earth, etc.... I'm not sure this is worth the price, but I'm happy to have tried it, and it was well received by our group.
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Antinori's flagship wine in a great vintage - muscular Solaia.
Shocking concentration and balance. Incredibly young, this 1997's maturity is almost comparable to a 2006 red Bordeaux. Powerful and masculine, first growth richness. Full of fresh cassis, tar, violet, black plums. Lovely complexity and thickness. Silky smooth tannins and elegance. Very promising.
Paired with beef bourguignon made with 1980 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru.
94-96/100
At £200, Tignanello is better value, but Solaia is unique!!
Impressive in that "high-quality-but-pseudo-international-generic" style. Drank alongside the 1999 which was much more open at first, but over time the 97 firmed up and became more perfumed, which benefited it greatly. Good wine, no doubt, but it lacks a real identity and sense of place. The Cab Franc provides a bit of lift here, but really I was just wanting more Sangiovese-tang.
Side by side with the 1999. This needed a bit of air to get going, and started off with a decent nose but not anything special but after a good 30mins in the glass this opened up to show a lovely elegant wine, I'm not sure I'd guess the origin but it's clearly a very well made wine from a good vintage.
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belle couleur dense avec une très léger pourtour orangé Nez puissant sur le cuir, la réglisse, les fleur coupé, le tabac et le cèdre En bouche, tabac blond, fruits noirs, cuir. La texture est soyeuse, balance parfaite, beaucoup de matière! finale soyeuse et de belle longeur, tannins fondu, beaucoup de fruits, et une mini touche oxydative de caramel brulé qui viens en tout dernier. Grand vin à point, fidèle à son syle moderne !
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Wow, this is sublime. The 1997 Solaia is an incredibly expressive Tuscan blend (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, and 5% Cabernet Franc) endowed with a tantalizing dense crimson colour and an explosive aromatic bouquet of dried figs, eucalyptus, fresh lavender and crushed rocks. This unctuous, full bodied beauty indulges the palate with a silky texture and laser like precision as it unleashes deliciously layered flavours of blackberries, burnt caramel, tobacco leaf and sun dried tomatoes. The end notes are marked by well polished, velvety tannins that linger on for over 45 seconds. This marvel is sitting at the height of its prime now but shows no signs of falling apart anytime soon. It should continue to peak for another decade. A winemaking tour de force by any standard, this is Antinori at its best!
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Decanted for half an hour and drank over the following hour. Consistent with previous notes. Captivating nose of blackberries and truffles. Still very fresh with finely grained tannins. Long finish. My gripe about this wine is that it still feels a little angular. Leaning towards giving my remaining bottles a bit more cellaring time to round out.
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At Pcats Tasting: A deep vibrant red. Rich black fruits on the nose. Wonderful entry on the palate with quality texture. Some expected dryness lurking on the long savoury finish. A fine wine.
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Solaia ! (Milano c/o Pandolfini): One of the epic vintages. Vivid garnet red. Intense and complex and fine nose: centered on "wild" notes: Leather, game, and then ripe fruit. At the end spices (cloves) and balsamic. Nice structure of fruit, elegant tannins and good acidity. Overall balanced still to smooth. More "rustic" than elegant and decaying fast once opened.
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Saturated reddish color, but clear to the edge. Somewhat closed on the nose at first despite using the Vinturi aerator. Took about 20 minutes to open up and then displayed a beautiful nose of cedar, spice and blackcurrants. Stains the palate with rich flavors of blackberries, plums with just a touch of cassis. Great balance and no sense of the heat I found with some of the '97 Brunellos.
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Slow ox'ed for 3hrs and then drank over 2hrs. Arresting nose of truffles, earth and black currants. Medium bodied on the palate with the core of dark fruit still intact. Layers of complexity. Prominent acidic spine presumably from the Sangiovese. Tannins rather upfront although they have become more fine. Long, mouth coating finish. Good wine but was expecting this to be a bit more plush/fruity. Felt like this had lost a bit of its intensity. Not sure if this wine will improve from here.
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Phoenix Society Inaugural Dinner (Chez Moi): One of my personal favourites, and a perennial performer. Brilliant, deep colour, thick and unctuous in the glass. An intoxicating nose of black fruits, cedar, spice and smoke. On the palate, sweet fruit with great balance and complexity, and the finish seems to go on forever. Fantastic! Drink over the next 15 years.
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Drank this against another 100 point wine. Perfectly cellared. This is an example of Tuscany at its best. All the dry earthy tones that expresses its terroir with great balanced fruit and kick ass tannins for a wine of its age. Always a fan of drinking in its prime. Life is too short, if you can grab one drink it now
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2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): The '97 Solaia is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc. Although it is lighter in color than its '97 Tignanello counterpart, the wine is much more structured and backward. Dark chocolate, red plums, baking spices and dry earth are found on the nose and palate. The wine is full-bodied, freshly acidic and has nicely integrated alcohol. It also posses substantial grippy tannins which cling in the middle. Closing long but with some astringency, this may actually benefit from a couple more years in the cellar. Drink 2017-2030.
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Judgement of Sydney Blind Tasting: Inky coloured. Earth, graphite, cedar, black cherry and bramble. Really impressive the structure on this, the fruit takes a back seat and the acidity keeps it fresh. The balance for me was excellent and this was my favourite of the flight.
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Red, with bricking in the glass. Medium intense slightly sweet nose of red fruit and complex earthy aromas. Palate is medium to full bodied, super smooth with silky soft tannins. Notes of red and dark fruit and with lots of complex layers. Tertiary notes starting to be quite clear. This is ready now. It is not likely to improve. A very nice drink. 4 = outstanding
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From Piero Antinori's cellars. Very expressive nose: cedar/cigar box, tobacco, blackcurrant. Still very young and fresh. Firm rim. Tannic - actually still quite closed. So fresh. Delicious and very structured. 95+
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Decanted just before dinner, and it needed it. Took about an hour to really open. When it did, this offered a lot of complexity on the nose and palate. Drinking very well now with air. No need to rush, but if I had more of this in the cellar I'd plan to drink in the next 3-5 years, since my guess is that it is close to peak now. Very enjoyable wine.
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Soft, gentle, herbaceous and very approachable. Lovely round body. Delicious but I would have liked a little more character--more expression. Still very enjoyable.
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Soft, gentle, herbaceous and very approachable. Lovely round body. Delicious but I would have liked a little more character--more expression. Still very enjoyable.
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Decanted. Colour shows not in its first flush of youth, but not as much age as I would have expected. Tasted after 15 mins- incredible nose, cedar and mint, but still astringent on the palate. After 45mins, palate has settled down, showing a little age (certainly compared to the nose)- good fruit, still, but this needs drinking in the next couple of years.
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Super Bowl 2013 (Cumming, GA): Dark core with 1/2" of bricking; spicy, Bordeaux nose, dark fruit, tangy berry, rich and voluptuous nose; still very tannic, extracted, fleshy, sandy soil notes, juicy and young. Must have missed the subtle Italian nuances because I was pegging this for 2000 Figeac.
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Antinori Solaia Vertical with Luigi Fioretti (Handford Wines, London): Proper wine was our first reaction. Dark red in colour. Light fruit on the nose to start but develops with cedar notes , light floral and bigger fruit. On the palate if feels it can last another 20years. Intense, full wine vibrant. Good firm tannin and freshness and great balance. A great Solaia and along with the 99 our favourites of the vertical. 94-95 needs 5yrs more and will last another 20.
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Popped and poured. Lush black cherry aromas with anise, vanilla and espresso notes. Lush fruit on palate with lots of well balanced, well integrated structural elements. Absolutely beautiful now, this wine should stay at this great level for at least another decade. Thanks, Rob!
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The nose at first seems quite Bordeaux-like. And in some respects tht palate of the wine shows some of that profile too. The wine is undoubtedly young yet. This bottle shows as quite strong and not yet fully developed. Great power and fruit with a classic structure. After a period in the glass, the wine begins to show its origin...served with some classic Bordeaux, this wine has something a bit different - something that says Italy. Maybe it has to do with the nature of the acids? A very strong wine indeed.
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Opened and served 2 hours later. At first this was very Bordeaux-like but after being opened for two hours it became darker and seemingly more youthful, separating itself from the Bordeaux served before it. Cabernet-like nose with dark cherries, plums, herbs and hints of black olives. Youthful but enjoyable on the palate with forgiving yet structured tannins, solid acidity and a lengthy finish. On the younger side of its drinking window, I’d recommend trying another bottle in 2-3 years and should drink well for a decade after that. Excellent. 92+
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Soft tannin, great balance, moderate glycerine, thoroughly enjoyable right from pulling the cork. There is good complexity, but a little short and little too subtle.
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Intense jammy nose of raspberry and cassis dashed with balsamico and spice. Very concentrated, full, very tannic, inky palate, raisins, hot, rubber. Blackberry, prunes, coffee aftertaste. Very long, very hot. No trace of freshness, nor elegance. Huge keeping potential, but doubt it gets better.
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If you like modern style wines you will like this. Personally I find it much to oaky and very boring. I am flabbergasted that this wine commands a $400+ wine tag today.
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D.C. Dinner for Greg Golec (Toscana Cafe - DC): This was popped and poured. Had soft aromas of dark fruit, brown sugar, violets, and tobacco. This was drank alongside a 1976 Insignia so it seemed incredibly powerful in contrast, but it did have finesse and elegance. The palate still had a good deal of fine tannin on the finish, but they weren't rough. The red fruit on the palate was nice, but there were times that I thought the oak was creeping into the picture too much. Seems like this still has a ways to go before it fully integrates.
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Super Tuscan evening (Raab at Burgatta): Dark red color Elegant leathery secondary ripe aroma Rich dense full-body structured silky smooth tannic spicy long after taste
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A Great weekend in Athens; 2/12/2011-2/13/2011 (Athens, Greece): Decanted for approximately 1hour Smooth and supple, dense nose of red fruit. Very well made wine and well integrated. Feels that it has so much more to give for the future however very enjoyable at the moment. 93+ to 94 and we would suggest to drink in 5 years or so
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How this wine made it to #1 in WS top 100 for 2000, I'll never understand. I guess my expectations were raised too high. Most underwhelming Super Tuscan
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Waited for the funk on the nose to blow off, which it eventually did. I really wanted to like this more; I'm assuming the bottle was less than perfect, because I was underwhelmed. Monolithic Cabernet. After an hour in the glass it softened a bit...not so much fruit as leather. Soft but persistent tannins. A very big wine...definitely needs food.
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Truffle dinner at home. This bottle was ready to drink, but with a couple of hours decanting time it improved a lot. Purple colour, fruit quite primary, black cherry, cedar and spice, plenty of tannins to shed, full bodied. Wife loved it.
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Opened, decanted for 45 minutes. rich dark ruby to the edge; beautiful nose of cherry, currants, spice & smoke. The palate rich w cherry, plum, currants, chocolate, and spice. Big mouth coating fruit w long, long Long finish. This remains my (Tuscan) wine of the '97 vintage and has started to open beautifully from my last tasting in '07. If you love great tuscan wines this is one to search out.
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Pow! Power, malolatic light boild vegetable nose, but great, black fruits with pressure, leather, tabac, black chocolate, still lot of tanins and a lot of pressure, long, wait still twp or more years
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kinda disappointed in this wine from the blockbuster vintage. The nose was still closed, with some brett, smoke, limited amount of sweet fruit and a little apricot. There were still some chewy tannins. My last encounter with this wine was 8 years ago, and even back then it was relatively shut against a lineup of other 1997 Super Tuscans and required more than 3 hours to open up.
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This wonderful wine was finished at our family tasting menu dinner and was paired with a cheese raviolletto,a cedar planked grilled seabass,and osso buco with rissoto;we tasted it a few hours early being nervous about the cork but it was clear from the beginning that this powerful wine was ready to go;we did not decant it,a good decision as it evolved gradually through the evening;the earth and fruit balance was as interesting as I can remember ever tasting;there are more years of life left in this vintage,but it was the right bottle at the right time for us
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Deep ruby in the glass. Nose of earthy fruit, truffles, blackberries, and demi-glace. On the palate this was surprisingly bright with anise, plum, berry, and loam. Really outstanding
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Eye: deep ruby color with some maroon hints, long legs. Nose: vanilla, smoke, tobacco. Mouth: slight sweetness, strong tannins, round in the mouth, balanced.
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Came third after the 96 Masseto and the 1998 Ornellaia. Thick, rich, deep, with a strong backbone, good structure and rich fruit. Cellar for 2 more years; drink 10 years thereafter.
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Drinking well, but a tad disappointing. It had a lot of elegance, good black fruits, but no real punch or long lasting memory. Good drink, not outstanding.
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Rich and almost sweet cabernet fruit. Even with 20% sangiovese I wouldn't have guessed it. None of the dustiness I've come to expect. A bit too young still? Not sure. Certainly not a bad wine by any stretch, just a bit boring.....
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Directly after opening a promising nose and color. But soon after that it disappointed. Of course this still is a very good wine, but for its price and previous notes on CT I expected more. It lacks real depth and finesse.
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1997 Tuscans w/ Burgundy Bob & The Boys (I Nonni, St. Paul): Decent dark fruit on the nose. Texturally soft palate that is deficient in fruit. Herbal, green, acidic, and oaky from start to finish. Little or no secondary flavors in evidence. Seriously underwhelming.
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A lot of promise, a big powerful structured wine but just not supple enough to deliver what it will in years to come. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed it immensely but it's still a little tightly wound. You know what it can be and you want to like it more as it's good stuff; but the reailty is that it's a potentially great wine that we drank a little young. Still got 11 more to go though.
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Still has a very dark color for the age. I was expecting a bruiser based on reviews from release, but this is almost feminine, burgundian....maybe too polite for its pedigree. It is a nicely balanced effort, poised and without obvious flaw, but not a head turner.
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BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND CURRANTS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. NOT AS COMPLEX AS HAD BEEN HOPED FOR THOUGH STILL QUITE NICE WITH A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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Drank next to Caymus SS -- this wine while very well balnced and good -- clearly did not meet my expectations based on being WOY and the reviews in cellar tracker. As a matter of fact -- preferred the 95 Caymus SS over this wine.
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Medium ruby with beautiful cassis and violets. Wonderfully textured with anise, chocolate, graphite, and a purity to it that was impressive. A beautiful wine with a weightlessness to its depth and complexity. 95 pts
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Wine Spectator Wine Experience; 10/26/2007-10/27/2007 (New York): Lots of dark fruit everywhere with lots of powerful structure. Dense while elegant. Mid-90s point wine now with further upside from here. a few years away from the start of its peak drinking window.
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WS NYWE 1997 Italian tasting (Marriott Marquis): Full deep black/red color. Ful lnose of black currant, cherry, and some spice. Big tight sweetish red fruit with a long tight tannic finish. Good stuffing and structure - still young.
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WS Wine Experience - '97 Italian Seminar (NYC): Represented on the dais by Albiera Antinori, daughter of Piero Antinori. The grapes come from a plot that is adjoined to the Tignanello vineyard about 400 meters in altitude. A blend of Cab Sauvignon and Merlot. Tasted very much like a young 2nd growth Bordeaux. It certainly has a lot of tools to work with, but is not really ready to drink yet. As JS noted, “It has fresh, youthful power. Needs at least 5 years of additional bottle age.” I tasted this on release back in 2000 at the Hotel Splendido in Portofino (90 euros off the wine list – sigh). It was a decadent, velvety smooth, and a real jaw-dropper. I hope that it will someday re-emerge from its cocoon, as we have a couple bottles in the cellar waiting for that day. Marketing note: Albeira said that the 2007 could be better than the 1997. Let the hype begin!
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Best wine ever tasted from what I consider the best wine in tuscany. Just flawless. Smooth , fruity, had with fabulous pork tenderloin cooked by my wife for my 51st. When will I have an occassion to drink my last two?
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Everything one could want in a Super Tuscan. Cabernet and sangiovese elements strong, but roundness clearly added by cab franc. One of the best ST's I've tasted, ranking with the best Sassicaias. Consumed at retirement celebration.
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Opened at Maestro Marc's dinner at Nish. In a word, yum. Wine was not decanted due to time constraints. Would benefit from decanting. Dark inky-purple color, fairly uniform from center out to edges. Robust aggressive now, but nicely integrated. Table consensus was that this wine could also age well for several years. Best paired with food on the heavier side. Fantastic CabS/Sang blend.
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Solaia is the perfect definition of a Super Tuscan. Comprising of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, and the remainder Cabernet France this unique blend is full of punch and muscle. After 10 years of bottle ageing the wine is still young and powerful. Ink black to the eye with aromas of cassis, plum with a layer of spice and liquorice. The wine is thick like chocolate in the mouth with good acidity. The wine is made for the cellar. This is my last bottle of 6 which I purchased on release. It is a sad day for me.
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Renaissance dinner. There was complete silence for a minute as everyone smelled and tasted. Opened ~5h. Deep red, delicious fruit, distinctly Italian. Tannins present, not overwhelming but the wine could still stay cellared for a good while.
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Just wonderful classic red fruit and cabernet notes with a more-than-welcome green streak and subtle Italian wet-fur character. Generous and well-balanced mouthfeel with slightly grainy tannins throughout. Restrained and classically-styled. Exceptionally well made, but at the same time, not lacking in character. A really good wine that should benefit from more cellaring.
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color is dark garnet to the rim. Nose shows smoky cassis, dark cherry, a hint of mocha, and toasty oak. On the palate, chewy cassis and dark cherries mix with a brooding note of tar and smoke. Tannins are still noticable, but integrating. This is a major-league super Tuscan that could be mistaken for a top-notch Bordeaux. Thanks again to John Amend for this treasure.
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Dark ruby/purple with little sign of bottle age. At first the nose was somewhat unexpressive and dominated by moderate toast/spice, but after a little time rich notes of currants, just a touch too much vanilla, and cocoa/coffee emerged. Better in the mouth where there is still a lot of primary fruit which adds blackberries, dried cherries, and blueberries to the currants; there are also notes of chocolate, violets, and subtle, variegated spices. The finish is long with plenty of sweet fruit to carry it along.
Most impressive to me was the remarkable integration of fruit and wood. Four-five from a peak, I'd guess, but drinkable (to put it mildly) today with some time in the decanter.
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St. Emilionesque nose with red cherry, some nice green notes, mint, but a characteristic Italian fur streak. Medium-bodied, more elegantly styled than I remember. Quite round and well balanced. Dusty cherry sangiovese notes, along with some subtle vanilla, come out more with time. Ultra-fine tannins that initially seem quite integrated but pick up weight as the wine closes in a bit after an hour or two. Lighter than I remember, and I wonder if the wine hasn't seen some heat at some point. Still, very good, but needs some time to really work itself out. ****-/5
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Purple in the glass. Completely un-evolved. Notes of peppar and dark berries. In the mouth the wine was very alcoholic and monolithic. Where's the complexity? Where's the depth? There's so much power here - but not much else. I had this about two years ago, and found it to be a real disappointment in light of the good press. Tonights showing only serves to confirm that notion. The points are for colour, density and power. But the clap-o-meter remained idle.
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3/4/2024 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Tobacco, dark fruit, tannins very well integrated. Fully mature, drink up.
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9/14/2023 - galewskj wrote: 96 Points
Guys night - a bottle with a story (Jason's house): Drank a good-sized glass over 2 hours. This wine has chest hair. Its big and brawny, and also has amazing complexity. Dark rich fruit, licorice, black cherry, herbs, violets.
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9/14/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Guys Night - Wines with a story behind it! (Jason's House): Decanted at 6:00 and served at 9:30.
Let me start by saying I was looking forward to drinking this! Also, let me state you can throw out the CT drinking window based on this bottle! This was my WOTN!
Nose was remarkable with lots of different things going on...one of the scents someone mentioned was KC BBQ sauce, which I found pretty appropriate! It had the spiciness and sweetness of BBQ on the nose, along with notes of spice, red fruit, leather and mushroom. The palate leaned slightly toward the tertiary side of the spectrum, but still showed plenty of red fruit (mostly sweet and tart cherry) with enough acidity still present to keep it lively, but not overwhelming in the least. Tertiary character was led by earth, old leather, bramble and notes of tobacco leaf, anise and mild baking spices. Toasty oak also loomed in the background. Each sip begged you to take another. A real pleasure to drink! Easy 96+ for me (and that. may very well be conservative...even with my top score for a red at 98 points.
Groups score had this tied for #2; my WOTN! Thanks Steve!
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9/14/2023 - Chekib m. Likes this wine: 93 Points
Almost 2yrs since I tried this wine.
Medium to dark ruby in color.
Intense nose, thyme and olives at forefront,meaty, then some blackberries.
Medium to full body, still some tannic bite, similar flavours to the nose, thymes, herbs, olives, black fruit, balsamic.
Very good intensity, balance and length. Less fruit than few years ago, so will not get any better, excellent now.
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8/5/2023 - Ian_Rhie Likes this wine: 98 Points
lovely nose with fresh scent.
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4/24/2023 - rossi.wine wrote:
Over dinner - no formal notes. Tasted next to the 1993. Olive tapenade, balsamic notes, roses, spices, dark fruit on the nose - very expressive and pretty. A lot more concentrated on the palate, almost a bit jammy, much warmer, quite spice with good acidity. Good length. An excellent bottle. Drink or keep. 94-96?
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2/9/2023 - El_Dougo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at a restaurant paired with Australian wagyu M5 prepared Italian style with herbs. Slow ox. Wine performed magically. Drank like a young California cab, which I see other reviewers have mentioned as well. Vibrant, fresh, high acidity. Perhaps the only marker that it was not young was that tannins have softened and integrate into the wine (there was a fair amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle). Frankly this was the softened most inviting and approachable Solaia I’ve ever tried.
Nose dark cherry, plum, blackberry, balsamic, slight oak fragrance. Palate red fruit driven.
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1/7/2023 - vintage_whine wrote:
Red cherry medicinal and palate coating. Yes it’s ripe and modern in all of those ways that Parker would have approved. It’s good and modern but hardly exciting
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12/24/2022 - edge wrote: 97 Points
Wow, 5th of 6 bottles purchased/consumed Although I very much appreciated the prior bottles this one really punched above the rest. If blind I would say Grand Cru Left Bank. Maybe even Haut Brian which for me is one of my all time favourites. Wish it was the first drank and not one of the last I have.
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4/16/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Absolutely rocking. Opened and decanted and this was just in a super spot. Friends brought it to a dinner at the Grey in Savannah. This is still drinking very young but it’s in drinking window. It’s just fresh and bright and lots of fruit and very vibrant and the kindof wine you want to keep going back to. Excellent.
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2/27/2022 - Peech Likes this wine: 95 Points
decanted 45 minutes after opening, and started drinking 20 minutes after decanting. Smoky, still got tannins here. A little more fragrant and open. One hour after we started drinking this was sooo nice and elegant. Drinking very well.
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12/24/2021 - Chekib m. Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is a serious good wine.
Decanted for 4hrs.
Deep to medium ruby in color.
Very expressive nose. Licorice, tar, dark cherries, old cabinet. More reminiscent of an old Chianti classico than aged Cabernet Sauvignon.
Full body, very soft tannins, savoury, great balance with good acidity. Coats the mouth with herbs, licorice, spices, dark cherries. Forever length.
Excellent, excellent wine…
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11/21/2021 - GWEdwards Likes this wine: 98 Points
There are no cracks in this seamless beauty. Still big fruits and balance in this gem from Antinori. Great vintage from winemaker that has produced Beautiful wine with greater challenges. Silky, floral, leathery magic
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10/24/2021 - MWiking wrote: 95 Points
stort vin, från magnum, kanske därför det är så jäkla härligt fortfarande. precis så här ska en Super tuscany smaka
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10/22/2021 - KenK wrote: 94 Points
NYWE rich aromas of sweet roasted expresso bean, black smoky fruits, and toast. Tense, firm black fruits with woodsy dark spices and leather touches. Still vibrant with signs savory maturing fruits. In great shape, still shows good freshness and drinking very well. Notable for amazing balance.
2978 first year, had excess of Cabernet so made it, huge success so kept it going. A more international style. Great and simple.
Wine spectator woty 2000.
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3/14/2021 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Nose on the cigar box, truffles and black fruits.
Mouth as dense as it is sweet. Ample material, on tobacco, which lines the palate. We have a nice acidity which propels the wine on an excellent balance. It's juicy, deep and very silky at the same time. We have undergrowth, black fruits and spices. The tannins are melted with a magnificent truffle finish over which a majestic length stretches.
It’s very elegant and young at the same time. Grand Solaia who has life ahead of him.
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12/18/2020 - nittanyjack wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/23/2020 - pclin wrote: 94 Points
Big and rich wine but it’s ready now. Subtle on the nose, round and substantial on the palate, pretty good balance overall.
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10/30/2020 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best bottle (Restaurant Brunnenstube, Beinstein): Tasted blind. Clear, deep ruby color. Clean, pronounced and developing nose. Lots of speck, beautiful, clean fruit, some cigarbox. Deep and beautiful.
On the palate great density and pressure. Beautiful balance of silky tannin and high acidity. Great, clear fruit, lots of black currant. Very precise and elegant. Long and lingering finish. Still very young and potential for at least another decade. 94-95+
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9/13/2020 - BillyT wrote: 96 Points
Blind tasting suggested this was a Bordeaux rather than Italian. Stood up against an 04 Masseto and frankly you couldn't tell either by color and pallete that the Solaia was more than 20 years older. Stunning balance, sophistication and elegance. Whereas the Masseto reflected the dark chocolate and cherries with truffles (probably influenced by truffled egg amuse bouche). Incredible wine. So thankful I have more. Sorry nothing more but at birthday dinner with friends at Tosca in DC. See my note on the Masseto.
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8/31/2020 - convex Likes this wine: 95 Points
So youthful and dense. Big big wine. Full mouth feel of strawberries. Drank better the second day. Great with summer BBQ. Loved it.
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7/14/2020 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 96 Points
blind
I guessed Bordeaux. Still young but close to his peak. Great tannins and acidity, black currant, cigar box, balanced. 95-96
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5/10/2020 - GeorgeSW wrote: 94 Points
Ready to drink
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5/9/2020 - Brian the Snail Likes this wine:
Opened last night in celebration for the 75th anniversary of the end of war in Europe. My experience slightly different to the last review. Ready to drink immediately after opening. A slightly gamey nose plus everything you would expect from the top Bordeaux Marques. It was heavenly just to breathe that in alone. The taste revealed that some tannin and grip was still there in a very pleasant way and still some fruit which just added to the multi dimensional balance. I think the drinking window is about right, I don’t believe it will improve but in fairness it does not need to. It just depends how long it can now stay where it is. Not sure that decline would be a word I would use. The wine remained delicious without any food for the remainder of the evening and just a little more leather and cigar box appeared, but just so smooth, I had no close down period at all. How to score, for me it has got to be a 98.
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5/2/2020 - RayOB wrote: 95 Points
Drank at Home
Beautiful rich and young
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3/6/2020 - GrapeJuiceMemories Likes this wine: 94 Points
overall it was very good and almost excellent. slightly muted as may be past peak. drink now if you have and it will be a lovely night. Any more time in cellar will be unrewarded.
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1/15/2020 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pnp at home. Another wine that evolves a fair bit in the open bottle. Comes across as incredibly young after pulling the cork, rich and fruit forward with still noticeable oak, if not particularly complex, just to shut down only 45 min later, tannins appear, the fruit almost entirely goes. However another barely 30 min later, the wine starts to open up again. Now the profile seems much more evolved, more leathery notes from the Cab ang well balanced Sangiovese providing freshness. Good length here.
A very good SuperTuscan but I doubt there is much upside from here. Would drink it just like this again, slowly but without decant in order not to miss the rich fruit upon opening.
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12/14/2019 - ShadowIII wrote: 93 Points
complex nose, cherry, dark fruits, leather, moderate tannins, long finish, very nice
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11/24/2019 - greedy wrote: 88 Points
Fruit gone. So disappointed. Waste of $500
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11/3/2019 - GranadaPedroAlarcon Likes this wine: 99 Points
Very smooth, soft tannings and amazing aroma. This wine is just stunning from the time you open the bottle to the very last drop. We had it to celebrate my wife's birthday and an amazing enjoyable choice for the very special celebration. Very well balanced and just a pure joy.
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9/8/2019 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Vinetasters: 1997 Super Tuscans (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Definitely a bit of the green cabernet on the nose here. Sweet fruit but fairly low acid. Heaps on tannin that just hasn’t resolved at the same pace as the rest of the material in this wine. A big bruiser; not my style but overall decent. My 1st, group's 1st.
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9/8/2019 - YQUEM90 wrote: 99 Points
Just stunning. 80% CabSauv, 20% Sang... one of the finest SuperTuscans from one of the 20th century finest vintages.
Lightly decanted, took 10+ minute to open even with vigorous aeration (i.e. swishing around the glasses). Integrated, backbone but with generous fruit.
Paired wonderfully w/Rigatoni primavera in heavy spicy red sauce, plus Osso Buco, plus grilled peppers.
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4/20/2019 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still vibrant - herbal and distinctively Italian.
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4/11/2019 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 96 Points
I agree with recent impressions of the wine. PnP. The bottle was acquired from an individual who had it since release. It was in pristine condition. Nose had a pretty mix of crushed cherries, tobacco, wet earth, cloves. As others have said, it is soft, round, silky on the palate with a pleasing finish that makes you want to take another sip. It is one of those bottles that one can easily finish in an evening. Paired deliciously with a bolognese.
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3/25/2019 - saradavis Likes this wine: 94 Points
soft fruit notes, mellow tannins. Delicious nose. Slightly abbreviated finnish. Probably could have kept another 5 years.
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1/30/2019 - King Julien wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured into decanter. Nice but subdued nose and palate, definitely tired. Peaked after about 30 min and then slowly declined over the following hour or so.
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12/22/2018 - Lype Likes this wine: 91 Points
The holy -97 vintage leaves me wondering, the wine possesses attractive and subtle velvety dark berry flavors but feels to me that fruit is fading, a notion that is consistent with my impression of some other Italian reds of this praised vintage, this is good but I find it difficult to justify paying the hefty -97 premium. Yes, this is a good wine but.
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11/19/2018 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Grüner Veltliner & Super Tuscan Tasting (Restaurant Vineum, Rotterdam, NL): Tasted blind. Mature appearance, broad brown rim; warm and glowing nose, with complex nuances, vinous and mature, spiced red berries; gentle and flowing palate, stylish and concentrated, rounded and well balanced, just the right level of grip from ripe but firm tannins, hint of honey; mature finish, very good persistence.
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11/19/2018 - dvansteenderen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Grüner Veltliner & Super-Tuscans @ VINEUM (Vineum, Rotterdam): Tasted blind @ VINEUM. Very intriguing nose, completely mature taste. Drink now, probably no upside after this anymore...Was slightly less good then the 1999 Solaia served in the same flight!
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11/18/2018 - YQUEM90 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still going strong at 21!
Decanted ~20 mins (not enough but we were at a restaurant). As is typical, a bit of bottle "earth/dirt" which dissipated and left behind a delightful balance of fruit and muscular tannin. Stood up quite well to stewed tomatoes, brussel sprouts, mushrooms.
I'm not concerned about this wine lasting another 5+ years. But it's delicious so I'll look for more excuses to open it.
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10/27/2018 - bscott wrote:
Corked
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10/12/2018 - unionst Likes this wine: 99 Points
(Note: purchased this bottle in Rome in 2000 and has been sitting in a climate controlled cellar since. 2 hour decant)
Dark opaque purple with no signs of bricking at all. Reflected light is dark magenta.
Menthol, sweet cassis and black fruits, iodine, charcoal embers and pine needles on the intoxicating nose.
Creme de cassis, bright acid balanced with tongue-coating powdery tannins (still), rich cocoa on the mid-palate and finish with the characteristically italian orange-rind on the finish also.
Wow, what a wine! Balance and energy - having both power and finesse in the same sip. Sublime.
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10/8/2018 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Two bottles purchased on release but shipped in the summer so I was not surprised when the first bottle (sampled 2009) tasted odd and cooked. Family dinner led to “why not” moment and we opened the second bottle. Surprisingly dark opaque garnet color. Nice nose of cassis, earth, currant, and floral notes. Rich dark berry and black currant on the palate with hints of dried red fruit from the Sangiovese as well as tobacco and leather. Tannin still present but mostly filed off, balanced by moderate acidity. Longer finish of red and black plum fruit cut with earth and grip. Lovely wine in the midst of its drinking window. It turned out well after all.
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9/14/2018 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep dark color. Nose of plum, dark cherry and blackberry. Still some tannin but it’s damn good. Tons of dark berry fruit and long long finish.
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7/12/2018 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 97 Points
Beautiful ripe blackberry with soft tannins. The Wine melts in your mouth with wet crushed stone. Hint of eucalyptus throughout the mouth. Light, vibrant nose. Young, sexy mouthfeel. Really enjoying this wine.
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7/5/2018 - mye wrote: 89 Points
Tasted blind. Dark dense red, with slight bricking. Showed a ton of sour cherry, and red berries. Finish was a bit short, and overall slightly out of balance. Not bad but wasn't what i expected and definitely shocked it was a solaia when revealed.
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5/27/2018 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Having with bone-in tomahawk ribeyes. Red currant, plum, pomegranate, ash, wet stone. Beautiful fruit, balanced, silky. Nice chalkiness on the back end. Soft tannins, long finish, leathery notes. Subtly earthiness. Really drinking great!
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1/31/2018 - Peech Likes this wine: 93 Points
served 45 minutes after opening. Nice and fragrant nose. A little minty, pencil lead, a little earthy, and some elegant fruit.
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11/29/2017 - King Julien wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured into decanter. Very nice right from the start and stayed that way for a couple hours.
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11/8/2017 - Vindicator Likes this wine:
In a very nice spot right now. Decanted an hour or so, and delicious.
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11/6/2017 - fclarity wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind, this wine had a red/purple center light red rims. The medium+ intensity nose put forth blackberry, tan spices, plums, and a hint of caramel.
At first this was light and dusty. After an hour or so, the Cabernet really blossomed and came to the fore. It was ripe but extremely balanced with a nice smooth finish. The finish was a bit short at first but developed with time. It seemed very Bordeaux like until the fruit started to dominate.
I believe this wine is just coming into its drinking zone and more nuance and length may develop. I tasted this the next day and it didn’t seem to change much. This is a nice wine and will certainly hold at this level for 10+ years. Will it get better?
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8/10/2017 - UPL Likes this wine: 97 Points
a monster wine - in 10-15 years perfect - highly recommended
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8/4/2017 - il_diavolo wrote: 96 Points
Stored in my cellar for the last 15 years. I stopped buying Solaia after the 2001 as I think they got their pricing wrong after that (I cant comment on quality). I was truly ready for disappointment, but actually this was a top class wine, no doubt in my mind. Still young but on a steady ageing path and I felt the black fruit was showing real elegance. I have one bottle left and I plan to leave it somewhere between 5 and 10 years, waiting for more tertiary development. 96 pts and potentially the best Solaia I have ever had. This took me back to the old days when people would have thought Solaia was at the level of Ornellaia and Sassicaia.
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7/26/2017 - luxurycarmina Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mature, very enjoyable, but drink up, don't see this getting any better
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7/7/2017 - SonnyChiba wrote: 94 Points
Lovely super Tuscan aged just right. Came across like a grand cru Bordeaux. Will probably drink well for several years.
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5/5/2017 - Burgnick wrote: 91 Points
I do agree that this wine could be overrated. Double decanted and served 3 hrs after. Nose has some fruit and cedar wood. Palate is restrained but it still does not convince me this is a strong vintage given the lack of depth and subdued fruit. Im a non believer that this wine will be amazing when its fully mature.
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4/11/2017 - robferguson1 wrote: 92 Points
Mature, a little lacking in fruit , so should be drunk
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3/18/2017 - King Julien wrote: 94 Points
Sat in the decanter about 30 min. Started off quite nice but restrained, peaking about 30 min later perhaps at a 95, and then over 2 hours declined to a 93. Drink up.
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1/28/2017 - RKatzDO wrote: flawed
Corked.... :(
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12/28/2016 - stschutz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful mature wine, impeccable balance, long finish, musty earth, drinking as beautifully now as I imagine it will years from now. Day after Christmas wine with my dad. Drank with filet mignon, at Boca in Cinti.
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12/16/2016 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Luis Tilia WTDS plus Happy Birthday to Gary and Me (Tilia): Slow o'd an hour. This wine met my expectation - something like Bordeaux made in Italy. You get the Italian acidity and sour cherry, mixed with musty books, leather, earth, etc.... I'm not sure this is worth the price, but I'm happy to have tried it, and it was well received by our group.
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12/11/2016 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 93 Points
Herbaceous, savoury, gamey, ripe black and red fruits, minerals, eucalyptus, some dark chocolate. Medium body and tannic.
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12/9/2016 - RayOB wrote: 91 Points
Drank at the P&G
Incredibly young and rich. It tastes like it has only just been bottled. Come back in 5 years.
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8/18/2016 - Jammy Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Antinori's flagship wine in a great vintage - muscular Solaia.
Shocking concentration and balance. Incredibly young, this 1997's maturity is almost comparable to a 2006 red Bordeaux. Powerful and masculine, first growth richness. Full of fresh cassis, tar, violet, black plums. Lovely complexity and thickness. Silky smooth tannins and elegance. Very promising.
Paired with beef bourguignon made with 1980 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru.
94-96/100
At £200, Tignanello is better value, but Solaia is unique!!
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5/24/2016 - pjaines wrote:
Impressive in that "high-quality-but-pseudo-international-generic" style. Drank alongside the 1999 which was much more open at first, but over time the 97 firmed up and became more perfumed, which benefited it greatly. Good wine, no doubt, but it lacks a real identity and sense of place. The Cab Franc provides a bit of lift here, but really I was just wanting more Sangiovese-tang.
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5/23/2016 - kingkanu wrote: 90 Points
Side by side with the 1999. This needed a bit of air to get going, and started off with a decent nose but not anything special but after a good 30mins in the glass this opened up to show a lovely elegant wine, I'm not sure I'd guess the origin but it's clearly a very well made wine from a good vintage.
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4/15/2016 - King Julien wrote: flawed
Corked.
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4/2/2016 - Jonathanmustang Likes this wine: 93 Points
belle couleur dense avec une très léger pourtour orangé
Nez puissant sur le cuir, la réglisse, les fleur coupé, le tabac et le cèdre
En bouche, tabac blond, fruits noirs, cuir. La texture est soyeuse, balance parfaite, beaucoup de matière!
finale soyeuse et de belle longeur, tannins fondu, beaucoup de fruits, et une mini touche oxydative de caramel brulé qui viens en tout dernier. Grand vin à point, fidèle à son syle moderne !
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1/3/2016 - Wineguy76 wrote: 96 Points
Wow, this is sublime. The 1997 Solaia is an incredibly expressive Tuscan blend (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, and 5% Cabernet Franc) endowed with a tantalizing dense crimson colour and an explosive aromatic bouquet of dried figs, eucalyptus, fresh lavender and crushed rocks. This unctuous, full bodied beauty indulges the palate with a silky texture and laser like precision as it unleashes deliciously layered flavours of blackberries, burnt caramel, tobacco leaf and sun dried tomatoes. The end notes are marked by well polished, velvety tannins that linger on for over 45 seconds. This marvel is sitting at the height of its prime now but shows no signs of falling apart anytime soon. It should continue to peak for another decade. A winemaking tour de force by any standard, this is Antinori at its best!
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11/24/2015 - dchoo077 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for half an hour and drank over the following hour. Consistent with previous notes. Captivating nose of blackberries and truffles. Still very fresh with finely grained tannins. Long finish. My gripe about this wine is that it still feels a little angular. Leaning towards giving my remaining bottles a bit more cellaring time to round out.
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11/18/2015 - MRichman wrote:
Dinner in NYC (Gander): Very dark. Strong and muscular. Black olive, earth, tar. Could use a little more bottle age, but drinking ok. Very good.
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8/9/2015 - Enworb Likes this wine: 94 Points
At Pcats Tasting: A deep vibrant red. Rich black fruits on the nose. Wonderful entry on the palate with quality texture. Some expected dryness lurking on the long savoury finish. A fine wine.
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8/2/2015 - falp wrote: 94 Points
outstanding!
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7/11/2015 - Meneley wrote:
Showing great fruit and tannin. Very well balanced, impressive. Drinking beautiful now or age another 2 yrs. LO
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5/21/2015 - quaglia wrote: 86 Points
Solaia ! (Milano c/o Pandolfini): One of the epic vintages.
Vivid garnet red.
Intense and complex and fine nose: centered on "wild" notes: Leather, game, and then ripe fruit. At the end spices (cloves) and balsamic.
Nice structure of fruit, elegant tannins and good acidity. Overall balanced still to smooth. More "rustic" than elegant and decaying fast once opened.
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4/17/2015 - FreddieMoose Likes this wine: 94 Points
Saturated reddish color, but clear to the edge. Somewhat closed on the nose at first despite using the Vinturi aerator. Took about 20 minutes to open up and then displayed a beautiful nose of cedar, spice and blackcurrants. Stains the palate with rich flavors of blackberries, plums with just a touch of cassis. Great balance and no sense of the heat I found with some of the '97 Brunellos.
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12/26/2014 - dchoo077 wrote: 93 Points
Slow ox'ed for 3hrs and then drank over 2hrs. Arresting nose of truffles, earth and black currants. Medium bodied on the palate with the core of dark fruit still intact. Layers of complexity. Prominent acidic spine presumably from the Sangiovese. Tannins rather upfront although they have become more fine. Long, mouth coating finish. Good wine but was expecting this to be a bit more plush/fruity. Felt like this had lost a bit of its intensity. Not sure if this wine will improve from here.
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12/9/2014 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
Phoenix Society Inaugural Dinner (Chez Moi): One of my personal favourites, and a perennial performer. Brilliant, deep colour, thick and unctuous in the glass. An intoxicating nose of black fruits, cedar, spice and smoke. On the palate, sweet fruit with great balance and complexity, and the finish seems to go on forever. Fantastic! Drink over the next 15 years.
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11/7/2014 - lifeofpie wrote: 96 Points
Drank this against another 100 point wine. Perfectly cellared. This is an example of Tuscany at its best. All the dry earthy tones that expresses its terroir with great balanced fruit and kick ass tannins for a wine of its age. Always a fan of drinking in its prime. Life is too short, if you can grab one drink it now
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10/18/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): The '97 Solaia is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc. Although it is lighter in color than its '97 Tignanello counterpart, the wine is much more structured and backward. Dark chocolate, red plums, baking spices and dry earth are found on the nose and palate. The wine is full-bodied, freshly acidic and has nicely integrated alcohol. It also posses substantial grippy tannins which cling in the middle. Closing long but with some astringency, this may actually benefit from a couple more years in the cellar. Drink 2017-2030.
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8/23/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 93 Points
Judgement of Sydney Blind Tasting: Inky coloured. Earth, graphite, cedar, black cherry and bramble. Really impressive the structure on this, the fruit takes a back seat and the acidity keeps it fresh. The balance for me was excellent and this was my favourite of the flight.
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4/27/2014 - Sjontoft wrote: 95 Points
Red, with bricking in the glass.
Medium intense slightly sweet nose of red fruit and complex earthy aromas.
Palate is medium to full bodied, super smooth with silky soft tannins. Notes of red and dark fruit and with lots of complex layers. Tertiary notes starting to be quite clear.
This is ready now. It is not likely to improve. A very nice drink.
4 = outstanding
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4/4/2014 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Platinum Tasting - 1997 Brunellos and Super Tuscans (Tasted Blind) (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Gorgeous, smooth nose (A-). Smooth palate, little bit thinner than the other wines in this flight (B++/A-).
My #4, Group's #8 (74 pts). Tasted blind.
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2/10/2014 - dtrall wrote: 94 Points
- Garnet color - Drank on Billy Sanders' birthday!
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12/3/2013 - JSOL Likes this wine: 95 Points
From Piero Antinori's cellars. Very expressive nose: cedar/cigar box, tobacco, blackcurrant. Still very young and fresh. Firm rim. Tannic - actually still quite closed. So fresh. Delicious and very structured. 95+
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11/24/2013 - Ibetian Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted just before dinner, and it needed it. Took about an hour to really open. When it did, this offered a lot of complexity on the nose and palate. Drinking very well now with air. No need to rush, but if I had more of this in the cellar I'd plan to drink in the next 3-5 years, since my guess is that it is close to peak now. Very enjoyable wine.
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11/10/2013 - Degnerman wrote: flawed
I bought this at a school auction and immediately cellered it. When I opened it up seven years later it was watery with little taste.
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10/13/2013 - conadoc wrote: 94 Points
Soft, gentle, herbaceous and very approachable. Lovely round body. Delicious but I would have liked a little more character--more expression. Still very enjoyable.
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10/12/2013 - plitton wrote: 94 Points
Soft, gentle, herbaceous and very approachable. Lovely round body. Delicious but I would have liked a little more character--more expression. Still very enjoyable.
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9/7/2013 - mavericksane Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted. Colour shows not in its first flush of youth, but not as much age as I would have expected. Tasted after 15 mins- incredible nose, cedar and mint, but still astringent on the palate. After 45mins, palate has settled down, showing a little age (certainly compared to the nose)- good fruit, still, but this needs drinking in the next couple of years.
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2/3/2013 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Super Bowl 2013 (Cumming, GA): Dark core with 1/2" of bricking; spicy, Bordeaux nose, dark fruit, tangy berry, rich and voluptuous nose; still very tannic, extracted, fleshy, sandy soil notes, juicy and young. Must have missed the subtle Italian nuances because I was pegging this for 2000 Figeac.
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1/31/2013 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Antinori Solaia Vertical with Luigi Fioretti (Handford Wines, London): Proper wine was our first reaction. Dark red in colour. Light fruit on the nose to start but develops with cedar notes , light floral and bigger fruit. On the palate if feels it can last another 20years. Intense, full wine vibrant. Good firm tannin and freshness and great balance. A great Solaia and along with the 99 our favourites of the vertical. 94-95 needs 5yrs more and will last another 20.
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10/23/2012 - MauriceE wrote: 91 Points
Same note as before: very good, but not living up to the expectations.
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10/14/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Lush black cherry aromas with anise, vanilla and espresso notes. Lush fruit on palate with lots of well balanced, well integrated structural elements. Absolutely beautiful now, this wine should stay at this great level for at least another decade. Thanks, Rob!
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8/24/2012 - Blair Curtis wrote: 93 Points
The nose at first seems quite Bordeaux-like. And in some respects tht palate of the wine shows some of that profile too. The wine is undoubtedly young yet. This bottle shows as quite strong and not yet fully developed. Great power and fruit with a classic structure. After a period in the glass, the wine begins to show its origin...served with some classic Bordeaux, this wine has something a bit different - something that says Italy. Maybe it has to do with the nature of the acids? A very strong wine indeed.
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8/24/2012 - godx wrote: 92 Points
Opened and served 2 hours later. At first this was very Bordeaux-like but after being opened for two hours it became darker and seemingly more youthful, separating itself from the Bordeaux served before it. Cabernet-like nose with dark cherries, plums, herbs and hints of black olives. Youthful but enjoyable on the palate with forgiving yet structured tannins, solid acidity and a lengthy finish. On the younger side of its drinking window, I’d recommend trying another bottle in 2-3 years and should drink well for a decade after that. Excellent. 92+
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5/10/2012 - Milos Does not like this wine:
Little disappointing, likely still shut down; medicinal nose; bright acidic palate; ripe but chunky tannins; decent finish. NOT RATED
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3/9/2012 - rkjwong wrote: 93 Points
Soft tannin, great balance, moderate glycerine, thoroughly enjoyable right from pulling the cork. There is good complexity, but a little short and little too subtle.
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1/17/2012 - Edclr wrote: 88 Points
Dissapointed after all I had read about this wine. Very tannic, acidic, fruit very subdued. Too young???? Not sure.
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1/9/2012 - Steve Williams wrote:
Drank at my birthday with Briana Wagner. Some say this is
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11/22/2011 - igaf wrote:
Intense jammy nose of raspberry and cassis dashed with balsamico and spice. Very concentrated, full, very tannic, inky palate, raisins, hot, rubber. Blackberry, prunes, coffee aftertaste. Very long, very hot. No trace of freshness, nor elegance. Huge keeping potential, but doubt it gets better.
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11/13/2011 - cardsandwine Does not like this wine:
If you like modern style wines you will like this. Personally I find it much to oaky and very boring. I am flabbergasted that this wine commands a $400+ wine tag today.
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10/25/2011 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
D.C. Dinner for Greg Golec (Toscana Cafe - DC): This was popped and poured. Had soft aromas of dark fruit, brown sugar, violets, and tobacco. This was drank alongside a 1976 Insignia so it seemed incredibly powerful in contrast, but it did have finesse and elegance. The palate still had a good deal of fine tannin on the finish, but they weren't rough. The red fruit on the palate was nice, but there were times that I thought the oak was creeping into the picture too much. Seems like this still has a ways to go before it fully integrates.
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6/23/2011 - Aschwartzdc wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for an hour before serving. Very smooth tannins with a lot of plum, leather, and black fruit characteristics. Great super tuscan.
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6/16/2011 - Yagil wrote: 94 Points
Super Tuscan evening (Raab at Burgatta): Dark red color
Elegant leathery secondary ripe aroma
Rich dense full-body structured silky smooth tannic spicy long after taste
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5/30/2011 - otisabdul wrote: 93 Points
Tobacco, leather and plum notes. Smoky tannins and a silky mouthfeel. Tasty but not ethereal. Hold for 2 more years.
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2/12/2011 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
A Great weekend in Athens; 2/12/2011-2/13/2011 (Athens, Greece): Decanted for approximately 1hour
Smooth and supple, dense nose of red fruit. Very well made wine and well integrated. Feels that it has so much more to give for the future however very enjoyable at the moment. 93+ to 94 and we would suggest to drink in 5 years or so
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2/7/2011 - Rabelais wrote: 79 Points
How this wine made it to #1 in WS top 100 for 2000, I'll never understand. I guess my expectations were raised too high. Most underwhelming Super Tuscan
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12/29/2010 - Deb293 wrote: 91 Points
Waited for the funk on the nose to blow off, which it eventually did. I really wanted to like this more; I'm assuming the bottle was less than perfect, because I was underwhelmed. Monolithic Cabernet. After an hour in the glass it softened a bit...not so much fruit as leather. Soft but persistent tannins. A very big wine...definitely needs food.
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10/24/2010 - PatrikO wrote: 93 Points
Truffle dinner at home. This bottle was ready to drink, but with a couple of hours decanting time it improved a lot. Purple colour, fruit quite primary, black cherry, cedar and spice, plenty of tannins to shed, full bodied. Wife loved it.
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10/15/2010 - G_H wrote: 91 Points
Vegetal notes in the Nose, the powerful palate saved the Rating!
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8/16/2010 - CMz wrote: 97 Points
Opened, decanted for 45 minutes. rich dark ruby to the edge; beautiful nose of cherry, currants, spice & smoke. The palate rich w cherry, plum, currants, chocolate, and spice. Big mouth coating fruit w long, long Long finish. This remains my (Tuscan) wine of the '97 vintage and has started to open beautifully from my last tasting in '07. If you love great tuscan wines this is one to search out.
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6/24/2010 - meinweinkeller wrote: 95 Points
Pow! Power, malolatic light boild vegetable nose, but great, black fruits with pressure, leather, tabac, black chocolate, still lot of tanins and a lot of pressure, long, wait still twp or more years
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6/3/2010 - Peech wrote: 88 Points
kinda disappointed in this wine from the blockbuster vintage. The nose was still closed, with some brett, smoke, limited amount of sweet fruit and a little apricot. There were still some chewy tannins. My last encounter with this wine was 8 years ago, and even back then it was relatively shut against a lineup of other 1997 Super Tuscans and required more than 3 hours to open up.
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5/2/2010 - bugdoced wrote: 97 Points
This wonderful wine was finished at our family tasting menu dinner and was paired with a cheese raviolletto,a cedar planked grilled seabass,and osso buco with rissoto;we tasted it a few hours early being nervous about the cork but it was clear from the beginning that this powerful wine was ready to go;we did not decant it,a good decision as it evolved gradually through the evening;the earth and fruit balance was as interesting as I can remember ever tasting;there are more years of life left in this vintage,but it was the right bottle at the right time for us
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4/18/2010 - chapinde wrote: 92 Points
Deep ruby in the glass. Nose of earthy fruit, truffles, blackberries, and demi-glace. On the palate this was surprisingly bright with anise, plum, berry, and loam. Really outstanding
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4/9/2010 - socidelvino wrote: 91 Points
Solaia Tasting Event - Vinitaly 2010 (Vinitaly 2010, Verona Fiere, Italy): Tasted at Solaia Event at Vinitaly 2010
75% Cab Sauv, 20% Sangiovese, 5% Cab Franc
Eye: deep ruby color with some maroon hints, long legs. Nose: vanilla, smoke, tobacco. Mouth: slight sweetness, strong tannins, round in the mouth, balanced.
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2/5/2010 - Paul Lin wrote: flawed
Tanaro Wine Dinner (Palate Food + Wine - Glendale, CA): Sadly, this bottle was corked.
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1/18/2010 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
Came third after the 96 Masseto and the 1998 Ornellaia. Thick, rich, deep, with a strong backbone, good structure and rich fruit. Cellar for 2 more years; drink 10 years thereafter.
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11/30/2009 - Harve wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well, but a tad disappointing. It had a lot of elegance, good black fruits, but no real punch or long lasting memory. Good drink, not outstanding.
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10/23/2009 - DougLee wrote: 88 Points
heat-damaged, probably. Almost a sour taste. Red fruits aplenty.
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6/24/2009 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
Delicious, dark, rich, vibrant. Needed an hour of decanting. Gorgeous wine; drinking now.
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5/24/2009 - mappleton wrote:
Rich and almost sweet cabernet fruit. Even with 20% sangiovese I wouldn't have guessed it. None of the dustiness I've come to expect. A bit too young still? Not sure. Certainly not a bad wine by any stretch, just a bit boring.....
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4/9/2009 - MauriceE wrote: 91 Points
Directly after opening a promising nose and color. But soon after that it disappointed. Of course this still is a very good wine, but for its price and previous notes on CT I expected more. It lacks real depth and finesse.
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3/27/2009 - mimik wrote: 94 Points
Montreal Wine Guy Weekend a la Quebecoise; 3/27/2009-3/28/2009 (Wentworth North-Vinaigre's brother's cottage): One of the better Supertuscans I've ever had, next to the Ornellaia. Green bell peppers, coffee notes on the brooding nose. Cabernet Sauv is my guess for the predominent varietal. Beautiful palate with lots of blackberry, mocha and vanilla flavours and medium acidity. Long blackberry and vanilla finish. Excellent.
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12/15/2008 - Siggy wrote: 75 Points
1997 Tuscans w/ Burgundy Bob & The Boys (I Nonni, St. Paul): Decent dark fruit on the nose. Texturally soft palate that is deficient in fruit. Herbal, green, acidic, and oaky from start to finish. Little or no secondary flavors in evidence. Seriously underwhelming.
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11/2/2008 - Whistler wrote: 92 Points
A lot of promise, a big powerful structured wine but just not supple enough to deliver what it will in years to come. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed it immensely but it's still a little tightly wound. You know what it can be and you want to like it more as it's good stuff; but the reailty is that it's a potentially great wine that we drank a little young. Still got 11 more to go though.
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9/20/2008 - JScott wrote: 91 Points
Still has a very dark color for the age. I was expecting a bruiser based on reviews from release, but this is almost feminine, burgundian....maybe too polite for its pedigree. It is a nicely balanced effort, poised and without obvious flaw, but not a head turner.
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8/1/2008 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND CURRANTS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. NOT AS COMPLEX AS HAD BEEN HOPED FOR THOUGH STILL QUITE NICE WITH A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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5/4/2008 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 92 Points
Drank next to Caymus SS -- this wine while very well balnced and good -- clearly did not meet my expectations based on being WOY and the reviews in cellar tracker. As a matter of fact -- preferred the 95 Caymus SS over this wine.
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4/19/2008 - wmbar wrote: 99 Points
Just Wow!
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11/24/2007 - cct wrote: 95 Points
Medium ruby with beautiful cassis and violets. Wonderfully textured with anise, chocolate, graphite, and a purity to it that was impressive. A beautiful wine with a weightlessness to its depth and complexity. 95 pts
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10/27/2007 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Wine Spectator Wine Experience; 10/26/2007-10/27/2007 (New York): Lots of dark fruit everywhere with lots of powerful structure. Dense while elegant. Mid-90s point wine now with further upside from here. a few years away from the start of its peak drinking window.
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10/27/2007 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
WS NYWE 1997 Italian tasting (Marriott Marquis): Full deep black/red color. Ful lnose of black currant, cherry, and some spice. Big tight sweetish red fruit with a long tight tannic finish. Good stuffing and structure - still young.
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10/27/2007 - otisabdul wrote: 93 Points
WS Wine Experience - '97 Italian Seminar (NYC): Represented on the dais by Albiera Antinori, daughter of Piero Antinori. The grapes come from a plot that is adjoined to the Tignanello vineyard about 400 meters in altitude. A blend of Cab Sauvignon and Merlot. Tasted very much like a young 2nd growth Bordeaux. It certainly has a lot of tools to work with, but is not really ready to drink yet. As JS noted, “It has fresh, youthful power. Needs at least 5 years of additional bottle age.” I tasted this on release back in 2000 at the Hotel Splendido in Portofino (90 euros off the wine list – sigh). It was a decadent, velvety smooth, and a real jaw-dropper. I hope that it will someday re-emerge from its cocoon, as we have a couple bottles in the cellar waiting for that day. Marketing note: Albeira said that the 2007 could be better than the 1997. Let the hype begin!
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6/5/2007 - teton taster wrote: 100 Points
Best wine ever tasted from what I consider the best wine in tuscany. Just flawless. Smooth , fruity, had with fabulous pork tenderloin cooked by my wife for my 51st. When will I have an occassion to drink my last two?
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5/5/2007 - catleaper wrote: 95 Points
Everything one could want in a Super Tuscan. Cabernet and sangiovese elements strong, but roundness clearly added by cab franc. One of the best ST's I've tasted, ranking with the best Sassicaias. Consumed at retirement celebration.
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3/21/2007 - YQUEM90 wrote:
Opened at Maestro Marc's dinner at Nish. In a word, yum.
Wine was not decanted due to time constraints. Would benefit from decanting. Dark inky-purple color, fairly uniform from center out to edges.
Robust aggressive now, but nicely integrated. Table consensus was that this wine could also age well for several years. Best paired with food on the heavier side. Fantastic CabS/Sang blend.
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3/10/2007 - Happy Sommelier Likes this wine: 93 Points
Solaia is the perfect definition of a Super Tuscan. Comprising of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, and the remainder Cabernet France this unique blend is full of punch and muscle. After 10 years of bottle ageing the wine is still young and powerful. Ink black to the eye with aromas of cassis, plum with a layer of spice and liquorice. The wine is thick like chocolate in the mouth with good acidity. The wine is made for the cellar. This is my last bottle of 6 which I purchased on release. It is a sad day for me.
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1/14/2007 - siena wrote: 95 Points
Renaissance dinner. There was complete silence for a minute as everyone smelled and tasted. Opened ~5h. Deep red, delicious fruit, distinctly Italian. Tannins present, not overwhelming but the wine could still stay cellared for a good while.
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11/10/2006 - psmith wrote:
Just wonderful classic red fruit and cabernet notes with a more-than-welcome green streak and subtle Italian wet-fur character. Generous and well-balanced mouthfeel with slightly grainy tannins throughout. Restrained and classically-styled. Exceptionally well made, but at the same time, not lacking in character. A really good wine that should benefit from more cellaring.
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10/4/2006 - ctunes wrote: 99 Points
My favorite bold red. Introduced to this one by Leon Perakis.
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7/21/2006 - Thilo wrote: 95 Points
color is dark garnet to the rim. Nose shows smoky cassis, dark cherry, a hint of mocha, and toasty oak. On the palate, chewy cassis and dark cherries mix with a brooding note of tar and smoke. Tannins are still noticable, but integrating. This is a major-league super Tuscan that could be mistaken for a top-notch Bordeaux. Thanks again to John Amend for this treasure.
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2/25/2006 - vendange wrote: 94 Points
Dark ruby/purple with little sign of bottle age. At first the nose was somewhat unexpressive and dominated by moderate toast/spice, but after a little time rich notes of currants, just a touch too much vanilla, and cocoa/coffee emerged. Better in the mouth where there is still a lot of primary fruit which adds blackberries, dried cherries, and blueberries to the currants; there are also notes of chocolate, violets, and subtle, variegated spices. The finish is long with plenty of sweet fruit to carry it along.
Most impressive to me was the remarkable integration of fruit and wood. Four-five from a peak, I'd guess, but drinkable (to put it mildly) today with some time in the decanter.
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10/29/2005 - psmith wrote:
St. Emilionesque nose with red cherry, some nice green notes, mint, but a characteristic Italian fur streak. Medium-bodied, more elegantly styled than I remember. Quite round and well balanced. Dusty cherry sangiovese notes, along with some subtle vanilla, come out more with time. Ultra-fine tannins that initially seem quite integrated but pick up weight as the wine closes in a bit after an hour or two. Lighter than I remember, and I wonder if the wine hasn't seen some heat at some point. Still, very good, but needs some time to really work itself out. ****-/5
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10/21/2005 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
WS New York Wine Experience 'Wines of the Year' Tasting (New York Marriott Marquis): Opaque black/red. Big black fruit aroma with tight bright acidity and licorice. Very tight black fruit - quite rope, but a little tough. Some licorice on the finish.
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7/24/2004 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
Sopra, Delray Beach w Steve&Joyce. Decanted all day. Outstanding at end of meal. Wait ten years. $300???
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8/8/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 90 Points
Purple in the glass. Completely un-evolved. Notes of peppar and dark berries. In the mouth the wine was very alcoholic and monolithic. Where's the complexity? Where's the depth? There's so much power here - but not much else. I had this about two years ago, and found it to be a real disappointment in light of the good press. Tonights showing only serves to confirm that notion. The points are for colour, density and power. But the clap-o-meter remained idle.
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