Had this wine with homemade dried pasta in a light basil tomato sauce. The wine held well and is drinking great. Drink now. Decant this wine one to two hours. Robust age worthy wine with rich and Lush fruit with soft tannins.
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This bottle was much fresher than my last one with no trace of the "off" aromas from which that one suffered. It was quite full bodied with fresh red and dark fruit, less fruit cake and complexity than the '01 but with more invigorating lively acidity and good backbone. It was difficult to taste the high alcohol (14.5%) but I certainly felt it. Very good.
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Inchiostro. Al naso prugna e mora sotto spirito, cacao, radice di liquirizia, lieve goudron, incenso, chiodo di garofano, sbuffi balsamici. Imponente. Bocca massiccia, molto sapida; lungo e, nella sua muscolarità, intrigante
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This one showed signs of decline particularly on the nose where cabbage notes were perceptible. On the quite full palate these notes receded behind some still vigorous and rich fruit, decent acidity and resolved tannins. The overall effect was enjoyable, if not particularly distinguished. I'm a fan of Montepulciano in Abruzzo and Marche for everyday wines but have in most cases been unconvinced by more ambitious cuvées and the effects of ageing.
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Deep youthfully colored still. On the nose, dark fruits, exotic asian spices, cardamom and some chocolate. Much more on the plush fruit side than savory. Well wooded and polished but it pulls it off and is still pleasurable in a hedonistic sense. This doesn't scream MdA, and while it lacks in individual nature, it still succeeds in being and interesting very supple, round, giving and fun wine to drink. I do not remember earlier vintages being this plush, but maybe it is me. Still at peak. A guilty, maybe less intellectually stimulating, but very pleasure wine.
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Medium intensity cherry red with ruby rim. Medium intensity nose, mint, undergrowth, moss, somewhat spicy, black pepper. Powerful attack, wide and long, fills the mouth, outstanding structure, medium-high body, still a bit astringent, it needs some more time in bottle. Endless aftertaste of high intensity with cherry memories. Very elegant.
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Back for another shot. I don't want to give up on it, but I'm running out of bullets. From what I remember, this is less overtly harsh than last time, so however many months it's been, there's improvement. But geez, this just has never quite come together. It's too big, too blowzy, too alcoholic for its own good, at least for my taste. Unaccountably it doesn't "knit," so you get a kind of bumpy ride with a burst of deep plum fruit, overtones of weedy varnish, and a hot unbalanced finish. All in all, after the silky, feminine '01 that I loved, this wine is just flat out disappointing, like they sold themselves out, but to what end, I can't tell.
ALERT! I kept thinking I had been unduly negative with my first impression, so I put half the bottle away for two days in the refrigerator and came back. It definitely helped, so for some reason this wine needs a lot of breath. With all the aeration it's still nothing like a knockout, but neither is it quite so mean or dis-integrated. I don't want to describe the flavors cause who knows what it's supposed to taste like two days later, but it still suffers from a somewhat bruising and unfulfilling finish.
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100% Montepulciano. 1 year in stainless steel, followed by 14 months in oak. 6-7 months bottle age. Decanted for 1.5 hour, however it had only open after 4 hours. so long decanting is highly recommended. It's gorgeous on the nose with coffee, chocolate, oak and screaming pipe tobacco (those with vanilla). Actually, it's very complex on the nose and unveiled other aromas that I couldn't identify. On the palate, this is full bodied with long aftertaste, but the tannins are still a bit rough. In fact, it is much better on the nose than it's on the palate. This is a very good wine that's worthy the investment, however it's too young at this point. I would wait at least 4 more years to open it. Totally recommended!!
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Dark cherry red --- Nose sour cherry, some moccha, lilac, licorice, cigar box --- Mouthfeel watery while astringent, seems to be a bit over extracted --- Palate sour cherry over and over, nice acidity, cherry stones --- Finishes on acidity and good tannins accompanied by cherries again. Not sure if this wine still needs more cellar time or will always remain young beacuse of over extraction.
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Nice overall body, finish, but a little lacking on depth. Still a bit early to drink I believe....need more cellar time. Nice little bite with hints of cherry, but wish it had a bit more oak. Would try again in a few years.
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A nice surprise! Full bodied and concentrated wine. Soft all over, but offering a pleasant bite as well. Black fruits in good harmony with well dosed oak usage. Beautiful now, but this can last for several years.
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It starts out very tight and takes 3 hours of decanting to REALLY open up. Straight out of the bottle it is about an 84, but if you give it time it moves to an 88/89. It is still a little tannic after 4+ hours, but that is either what you get with an old world Italian or you let it cellar for another 2 years. A Marina Cvetic is what got me into wine, so when I first popped it I was a little let down, however I knew if I let it breathe long enough it would open up nicely....and it did. The key with many Italians is patience...or planning...decant, decant, decant.
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I was going to cheat a little and refresh my memory on the '01 Cvetic, which all I remember is how much I loved it. I expected no less here, but in fact, it was more than I expected, though not exactly in the sense that term is usually used. Allow me to explain. I remember the '01 being svelte and slinky, very feminine, but with a lot of style and grace. The '04 last night was all va-va-voom, shoving itself in my face with perfume and a buxom quality that wouldn't be denied. It was almost too much, and I initially worried that the winemaker had gone to the alcohol/extraction dark side. Even after being open for a few hours the waves of dark red fruits and intense aromas kept on coming. Then I decided to study it a little more and I decided, right or wrong, that it was a little young and headstrong and needs a good two years to settle into itself. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Today, by accident I learned that Gianni Masciarelli passed away several months ago, and that the '04 Cvetic was the last made by him. So I will drink my remaining six-pack with care and reverence and assume I've got some real good lovin' coming in a couple of years.
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Italy (Wine Exchange (Orange, CA)): Very dark red, leaning to purple. Spice box and fruit compote against a background of minerals and weediness. Coffeeish flavors, with some oak sticking oat. A little less than lively, this comes across as less integrated than the seamless 2003.
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Mambo Italiano (wine Exchange): 14.5% alcohol. port-like aromas of ripe plum, prune, cocoa, tar, molasses. nice balance of rich dark fruit and big bone dry tannins with a dusty finish.
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9/14/2017 - JimmyBubbles Likes this wine: 91 Points
Una delicia para terminar las vacaciones.
Explosión de fruta, ciruelas, moras, arándanos. Polvoriento, ebano, cuero sado. Terroso, con un toque de hierbas medicinales para equilibrar.
La boca es muy suave, totalmente hecha, se desliza y acaricia.
Una espectáculo de aromas, texturas, no hay que darle un segundo más de guarda.
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3/5/2017 - Rcolella Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this wine with homemade dried pasta in a light basil tomato sauce. The wine held well and is drinking great. Drink now. Decant this wine one to two hours. Robust age worthy wine with rich and Lush fruit with soft tannins.
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12/21/2015 - eboracum Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle was much fresher than my last one with no trace of the "off" aromas from which that one suffered. It was quite full bodied with fresh red and dark fruit, less fruit cake and complexity than the '01 but with more invigorating lively acidity and good backbone. It was difficult to taste the high alcohol (14.5%) but I certainly felt it. Very good.
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3/23/2015 - Ludi Likes this wine: 91 Points
Inchiostro. Al naso prugna e mora sotto spirito, cacao, radice di liquirizia, lieve goudron, incenso, chiodo di garofano, sbuffi balsamici. Imponente. Bocca massiccia, molto sapida; lungo e, nella sua muscolarità, intrigante
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8/1/2014 - eboracum wrote: 85 Points
This one showed signs of decline particularly on the nose where cabbage notes were perceptible. On the quite full palate these notes receded behind some still vigorous and rich fruit, decent acidity and resolved tannins. The overall effect was enjoyable, if not particularly distinguished. I'm a fan of Montepulciano in Abruzzo and Marche for everyday wines but have in most cases been unconvinced by more ambitious cuvées and the effects of ageing.
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8/8/2012 - cct wrote: 90 Points
Deep youthfully colored still. On the nose, dark fruits, exotic asian spices, cardamom and some chocolate. Much more on the plush fruit side than savory. Well wooded and polished but it pulls it off and is still pleasurable in a hedonistic sense. This doesn't scream MdA, and while it lacks in individual nature, it still succeeds in being and interesting very supple, round, giving and fun wine to drink. I do not remember earlier vintages being this plush, but maybe it is me. Still at peak. A guilty, maybe less intellectually stimulating, but very pleasure wine.
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6/4/2012 - Man in Black wrote:
Medium intensity cherry red with ruby rim. Medium intensity nose, mint, undergrowth, moss, somewhat spicy, black pepper. Powerful attack, wide and long, fills the mouth, outstanding structure, medium-high body, still a bit astringent, it needs some more time in bottle. Endless aftertaste of high intensity with cherry memories. Very elegant.
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5/28/2012 - Ludi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice Montepulciano d'Abruzzo; classic fruity and earthy notes, tannins are very silky. I really enjoyed it.
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6/25/2011 - ekenneth wrote: 88 Points
Dark, beast of a wine with black cherry flavor almost obscured by tannin and alcohol, but still an interesting wine.
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3/3/2011 - bevetroppo wrote: 87 Points
Back for another shot. I don't want to give up on it, but I'm running out of bullets. From what I remember, this is less overtly harsh than last time, so however many months it's been, there's improvement. But geez, this just has never quite come together. It's too big, too blowzy, too alcoholic for its own good, at least for my taste. Unaccountably it doesn't "knit," so you get a kind of bumpy ride with a burst of deep plum fruit, overtones of weedy varnish, and a hot unbalanced finish. All in all, after the silky, feminine '01 that I loved, this wine is just flat out disappointing, like they sold themselves out, but to what end, I can't tell.
ALERT! I kept thinking I had been unduly negative with my first impression, so I put half the bottle away for two days in the refrigerator and came back. It definitely helped, so for some reason this wine needs a lot of breath. With all the aeration it's still nothing like a knockout, but neither is it quite so mean or dis-integrated. I don't want to describe the flavors cause who knows what it's supposed to taste like two days later, but it still suffers from a somewhat bruising and unfulfilling finish.
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8/28/2010 - vsbastosx wrote: 90 Points
100% Montepulciano. 1 year in stainless steel, followed by 14 months in oak. 6-7 months bottle age. Decanted for 1.5 hour, however it had only open after 4 hours. so long decanting is highly recommended.
It's gorgeous on the nose with coffee, chocolate, oak and screaming pipe tobacco (those with vanilla). Actually, it's very complex on the nose and unveiled other aromas that I couldn't identify.
On the palate, this is full bodied with long aftertaste, but the tannins are still a bit rough. In fact, it is much better on the nose than it's on the palate.
This is a very good wine that's worthy the investment, however it's too young at this point. I would wait at least 4 more years to open it. Totally recommended!!
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7/24/2010 - mhensel wrote: 88 Points
Dark cherry red --- Nose sour cherry, some moccha, lilac, licorice, cigar box --- Mouthfeel watery while astringent, seems to be a bit over extracted --- Palate sour cherry over and over, nice acidity, cherry stones --- Finishes on acidity and good tannins accompanied by cherries again. Not sure if this wine still needs more cellar time or will always remain young beacuse of over extraction.
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3/10/2010 - Shelbi & Kirk wrote: 90 Points
Nice overall body, finish, but a little lacking on depth. Still a bit early to drink I believe....need more cellar time. Nice little bite with hints of cherry, but wish it had a bit more oak. Would try again in a few years.
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2/26/2010 - charlyboy wrote: 90 Points
nez légèrement poivré,le fruité éclate en bouche sur des tannins très souples,rafraichissant et de très belle longueur.
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4/16/2009 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
A nice surprise! Full bodied and concentrated wine. Soft all over, but offering a pleasant bite as well. Black fruits in good harmony with well dosed oak usage. Beautiful now, but this can last for several years.
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3/5/2009 - Quantum32 wrote: 89 Points
It starts out very tight and takes 3 hours of decanting to REALLY open up. Straight out of the bottle it is about an 84, but if you give it time it moves to an 88/89. It is still a little tannic after 4+ hours, but that is either what you get with an old world Italian or you let it cellar for another 2 years. A Marina Cvetic is what got me into wine, so when I first popped it I was a little let down, however I knew if I let it breathe long enough it would open up nicely....and it did. The key with many Italians is patience...or planning...decant, decant, decant.
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1/17/2009 - bevetroppo wrote: 89 Points
I was going to cheat a little and refresh my memory on the '01 Cvetic, which all I remember is how much I loved it. I expected no less here, but in fact, it was more than I expected, though not exactly in the sense that term is usually used. Allow me to explain. I remember the '01 being svelte and slinky, very feminine, but with a lot of style and grace. The '04 last night was all va-va-voom, shoving itself in my face with perfume and a buxom quality that wouldn't be denied. It was almost too much, and I initially worried that the winemaker had gone to the alcohol/extraction dark side. Even after being open for a few hours the waves of dark red fruits and intense aromas kept on coming. Then I decided to study it a little more and I decided, right or wrong, that it was a little young and headstrong and needs a good two years to settle into itself. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Today, by accident I learned that Gianni Masciarelli passed away several months ago, and that the '04 Cvetic was the last made by him. So I will drink my remaining six-pack with care and reverence and assume I've got some real good lovin' coming in a couple of years.
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11/20/2008 - mikee123 wrote: 84 Points
On the higher end of good. A bit one dimensional but has a character of its own.
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11/16/2008 - Shamana wrote:
Nice to drink.
$29.99 from Liquor Pantry
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11/4/2008 - ChickadeeSharon wrote: 90 Points
Dark cherries and blackberries, pretty jammy, some strong charred oak, extracted, inky, smooth
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10/29/2008 - hutch wrote:
Nice bottle, but I don't see the quality that would merit pricing this at $20.
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4/17/2008 - frankds wrote: 90 Points
Combineert fijn hout met kracht en finesste, A+/AA (19.72€)
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4/5/2008 - tcfishler wrote: 89 Points
Italy (Wine Exchange (Orange, CA)): Very dark red, leaning to purple. Spice box and fruit compote against a background of minerals and weediness. Coffeeish flavors, with some oak sticking oat. A little less than lively, this comes across as less integrated than the seamless 2003.
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4/5/2008 - EMichels wrote: 86 Points
Wine Exchange - Mambo Italiano: Big strong fruit; One note; Fruity
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4/5/2008 - wcacern wrote: 89 Points
Mambo Italiano (wine Exchange): 14.5% alcohol. port-like aromas of ripe plum, prune, cocoa, tar, molasses. nice balance of rich dark fruit and big bone dry tannins with a dusty finish.
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