A blend mainly composed of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio with a small addition of local cultivars Acitana, Calabrese (Nero d'Avola), Cappuccio Tignolino, Galatena and Nocera. Aged for a year in oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep and moderately translucent pomegranate color. Dusty, savory and perhaps very slightly unclean nose with aromas of blackcurrant jam, some musty tones and a little bit of pungent cheesy character. The wine is dense, full-bodied and somewhat restrained on the palate with relatively light flavors of wizened plums, some leathery tones, a little bit of dried black cherries, light raisiny tones, a lifted hint of balsamic VA and a touch of farmhouse funk. The wine is impressively high in acidity but the tannins feel very light and easy. The medium-long finish is developed, somewhat sweet-toned and slightly grippy with somewhat tertiary flavors of wizened dark plums, some blackberry jam, a little bit of leathery character, light lifted notes of balsamic VA and a touch of earthy and slightly peppery spice.
A tasty and balanced Faro, but I must point out that the nose felt rather restrained and unimpressive here. At first people thought the wine was corked, since there was a slightly musty character in the nose at first and the taste felt rather understated, but instead of any obviously corked notes emerging, the wine only performed better with some airing. I guess there was just some bottle funk or just a slightly off bottle. Overall a very pleasant and harmonious effort with its good acidity and balanced fruit, but due to its dull nose and understated overall character, the wine didn't manage to shine in comparison to the vintages 2006 and 2002 that were tasted at the same time.
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Opened and let it breath in bottle for 1 hr. Light in color like a Nebbiolo with some bricking. Aromas of red fruits, mature cranberries, red cherries.....it looks like a Nebbiolo but the aromas remind me of a Sangiovese. Velvety mouthfeel, definitely at peak now. Starts off with some fruit that leads into refreshing balsamic acidity. Really polished tannins that linger on the palate....very elegant finish. Long after taste 1+ minutes.
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Tre Galli (Tre Galli - Torino): The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. It smells like strawberry, raspberry and black pepper. The body is medium.
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I didn't have very high expectations for this based on previous reviews, but I thought it was surprisingly good. It's definitely a mature wine, not quite brick but moving in that direction. There is still a pleasant balance of red fruit and gentle tannins. I think it is in a good spot to drink now.
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Almost rendered undrinkable in the winery due to small barrels completely dominating the nose. The palate confirms the nose. Lacks the earthiness, elegance and lightness of many Etna rossos, this had much darker fruit and hides all the good properties of high quality Nerello blends behind oak.
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Ripe sour cherry red --- Nose flowery, marzipan, bitter almond, lilac, minerality, iodine, sweetness, candy shop --- Palate fresh, acidic, medium body, herbs, some sweetness, forest floor, herbal charachter, elegant tartness, orange peel, sour cherry --- Finishes on minerality, red fruit notes and earthy tones, black olives at the end. If you try a lot of vines you are tempted to put the vine in your pre-defined categories. This vine destroys every temptation, it is unique. Many floral and herbal aspects I cannot put in words. Drinking it I feel nativeness, wildness and beauty. It definitely needs aeration. Delicious and captivating.
Opened and let it breath in bottle for 1 hr. Very young looking wine that looks very much like a Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo. Very aromatic wine with aromas of red cherries and forest floor. Suave mouthfeel with cherries and raspberries flavors. Good acidity which makes it good on its own or with food. Tannins are well integrated and are now silky smooth, they remind me of a mature Barbaresco. Long finish and persistent aftertaste....at least 50-60 secods
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Good Friday Dinner with Hakka Food (Alex's place): I rather liked this Sicilian wine. Highly feted by Gambero Rosso, it is made from a blend of unusual local varities (from the more widely known Nerello to stranger stuff like Nocera, Acitana, Tignolino and others). It had a rather Pinot-like nose, with clear, high-toned scents of dark cherries and berries wed to slightly perfumed notes of herb and dried flowers and a toss of dried earth. Pretty nice, and somehow noticeably Italian in character even when served blind. The palate was a slight shift in tone though. A lot more structured than the nose would suggested, this had a solid core of iron-infused earth and mineral grippy, slightly powdery tannins running through its sweet notes of cherries amd berries. Still rather primary and not quite as interesting as the nose at this point I thought, but this is a wine with the bones to age, with lots of bright juicy acidity lending it a great sense of balance to go along with the fine structure. Good finish too, with a nice grip and heft wed to lovely clarity of fruit and a nice dose of spice. I enjoyed this on the night, but it does seem to need another decade or so to really show its mettle.
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Drank 2 bottles at christmas-dinner: lamb-gigot (recipe from Apulia with Italian parsle -pecorino crackling) First bottle decanted 4 hours and second 2 hours in advance. No significant difference in both bottles. Garnet red, complex nose. Earthy, spices, a hint vanilla / oak. medium-fullbodied, good mouth feeling, polished tannins, well balanced, again a bit oak, caramel,black berries. medium finish with a delicate bitterness.
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be patient with this one, as it has rather rough edges if you just P&P, assuming that a Southern Italian wine from 2005 must be ready to go now. it starts to be accessible after 1 hr under oxygen. eye: this is stil opaque in the middle with increasing fading towards the rim. ruby, no bricking. nose: cooked red fruit, lactic acid, hint of licorice and chocolate, rose water, oak. palate: mid body with mid grained tannins, good structure, weight and mouthfeel. not overly complex, 2-dimensional. 16 Caudalie, instable finish with a watery tendency in the end. given its price and accolades: overrated.
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Just to be fair in rating this vine, really improved with air, stick to my previous notes while realizing the vine becomes more and more delicious. This is special.
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Light cherry red --- Nose flowery, red berries, spicy, some plum, some tar, mint, cherry, olive, nuts --- Mouthfeel fesh, vivid, watery --- Palate a lot going on, a beauty behind a curtain, lilac, cherry, tar, herbs, curry ketchup, green olive --- Finishes on bark, earthy tones, minerality. This vine is asking full attention and patience and answers with a multi layered structure of fruit, soil and minerality. The class is 92, the delicious factor 90.
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Not as impressive as I hoped. Medium bodied, light colored. I've had much better expressions of these grapes, especially from Cos. Not worth the price. Not much complexity and a short finish. Can't recommend at this price point.
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Day 1: Decanted for approx 45-60 minutes. Earthy, leather notes in its nose, slowly opening up over time. Lots of power, almost fiery and feisty. Palate of wild roses, burned wood and dark, ripened plums. The tannins indicate it will definately last for 3-5 more years.
Day 2: Less fiery, although still some rough edges - no beginners wine. It's a true Sicilian Masterpiece. Nose developed more floral notes and the palate is now less smokey, giving the dark fruits more space.
Drink now, but decant and drink at 18-19 degrees. But if you manage to be patient - leave it just a little longer.
InVinoMomentum.nl
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This bottle drank very well. Nice earthy bouquet with little oak coming through. Soft and balanced on the palate. Finish, while not lengthy is delightful. I have had the 2001, 2002 and 2004 vintages over the past few years. This is comparable to the 2004 and 2002. The 2001 lacked balance.
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3/2/2021 - Cipivts Likes this wine: 92 Points
Outstanding, mature resembles to a bordeaux, leather, farmyard. Superb
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2/5/2021 - CarpeDiem! Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Is and has never been up to expectation nor price tag. A rip-off.
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5/12/2020 - Grand Cru Fr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep cherry flavors. Delish.
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5/13/2019 - forceberry wrote: 88 Points
A blend mainly composed of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio with a small addition of local cultivars Acitana, Calabrese (Nero d'Avola), Cappuccio Tignolino, Galatena and Nocera. Aged for a year in oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep and moderately translucent pomegranate color. Dusty, savory and perhaps very slightly unclean nose with aromas of blackcurrant jam, some musty tones and a little bit of pungent cheesy character. The wine is dense, full-bodied and somewhat restrained on the palate with relatively light flavors of wizened plums, some leathery tones, a little bit of dried black cherries, light raisiny tones, a lifted hint of balsamic VA and a touch of farmhouse funk. The wine is impressively high in acidity but the tannins feel very light and easy. The medium-long finish is developed, somewhat sweet-toned and slightly grippy with somewhat tertiary flavors of wizened dark plums, some blackberry jam, a little bit of leathery character, light lifted notes of balsamic VA and a touch of earthy and slightly peppery spice.
A tasty and balanced Faro, but I must point out that the nose felt rather restrained and unimpressive here. At first people thought the wine was corked, since there was a slightly musty character in the nose at first and the taste felt rather understated, but instead of any obviously corked notes emerging, the wine only performed better with some airing. I guess there was just some bottle funk or just a slightly off bottle. Overall a very pleasant and harmonious effort with its good acidity and balanced fruit, but due to its dull nose and understated overall character, the wine didn't manage to shine in comparison to the vintages 2006 and 2002 that were tasted at the same time.
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5/8/2019 - Mculfsson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine, arguably at its best right now. Very complex, with taste seemingly changing second by second in the palate.
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2/18/2018 - Matt_Vino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened and let it breath in bottle for 1 hr. Light in color like a Nebbiolo with some bricking. Aromas of red fruits, mature cranberries, red cherries.....it looks like a Nebbiolo but the aromas remind me of a Sangiovese. Velvety mouthfeel, definitely at peak now. Starts off with some fruit that leads into refreshing balsamic acidity. Really polished tannins that linger on the palate....very elegant finish. Long after taste 1+ minutes.
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1/29/2017 - AudunG wrote: 91 Points
A lot darker than a 100 % Mascalese. Lovely aromas of strawberries. Fat, velvety and opulent in the mouth, at least compared with a Mascalese.
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10/24/2016 - Angela Massa Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tre Galli (Tre Galli - Torino): The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. It smells like strawberry, raspberry and black pepper. The body is medium.
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6/27/2015 - Loudounwine Likes this wine:
I didn't have very high expectations for this based on previous reviews, but I thought it was surprisingly good. It's definitely a mature wine, not quite brick but moving in that direction. There is still a pleasant balance of red fruit and gentle tannins. I think it is in a good spot to drink now.
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2/3/2014 - ktrh Does not like this wine:
Almost rendered undrinkable in the winery due to small barrels completely dominating the nose. The palate confirms the nose. Lacks the earthiness, elegance and lightness of many Etna rossos, this had much darker fruit and hides all the good properties of high quality Nerello blends behind oak.
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9/19/2013 - mhensel wrote: 93 Points
Ripe sour cherry red --- Nose flowery, marzipan, bitter almond, lilac, minerality, iodine, sweetness, candy shop --- Palate fresh, acidic, medium body, herbs, some sweetness, forest floor, herbal charachter, elegant tartness, orange peel, sour cherry --- Finishes on minerality, red fruit notes and earthy tones, black olives at the end. If you try a lot of vines you are tempted to put the vine in your pre-defined categories. This vine destroys every temptation, it is unique. Many floral and herbal aspects I cannot put in words. Drinking it I feel nativeness, wildness and beauty. It definitely needs aeration. Delicious and captivating.
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8/4/2013 - Italiana wrote: 88 Points
The first of this wine that didn't excite. This bottle a bit thin and sour. Hopefully an off bottle. . .
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7/27/2013 - Matt_Vino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and let it breath in bottle for 1 hr. Very young looking wine that looks very much like a Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo. Very aromatic wine with aromas of red cherries and forest floor. Suave mouthfeel with cherries and raspberries flavors. Good acidity which makes it good on its own or with food. Tannins are well integrated and are now silky smooth, they remind me of a mature Barbaresco. Long finish and persistent aftertaste....at least 50-60 secods
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3/29/2013 - Paul S wrote: 90 Points
Good Friday Dinner with Hakka Food (Alex's place): I rather liked this Sicilian wine. Highly feted by Gambero Rosso, it is made from a blend of unusual local varities (from the more widely known Nerello to stranger stuff like Nocera, Acitana, Tignolino and others). It had a rather Pinot-like nose, with clear, high-toned scents of dark cherries and berries wed to slightly perfumed notes of herb and dried flowers and a toss of dried earth. Pretty nice, and somehow noticeably Italian in character even when served blind. The palate was a slight shift in tone though. A lot more structured than the nose would suggested, this had a solid core of iron-infused earth and mineral grippy, slightly powdery tannins running through its sweet notes of cherries amd berries. Still rather primary and not quite as interesting as the nose at this point I thought, but this is a wine with the bones to age, with lots of bright juicy acidity lending it a great sense of balance to go along with the fine structure. Good finish too, with a nice grip and heft wed to lovely clarity of fruit and a nice dose of spice. I enjoyed this on the night, but it does seem to need another decade or so to really show its mettle.
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12/24/2012 - tomasio-1 wrote: 91 Points
Drank 2 bottles at christmas-dinner: lamb-gigot (recipe from Apulia with Italian parsle -pecorino crackling)
First bottle decanted 4 hours and second 2 hours in advance.
No significant difference in both bottles. Garnet red, complex nose. Earthy, spices, a hint vanilla / oak. medium-fullbodied, good mouth feeling, polished tannins, well balanced, again a bit oak, caramel,black berries.
medium finish with a delicate bitterness.
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12/8/2012 - microbox wrote: 87 Points
be patient with this one, as it has rather rough edges if you just P&P, assuming that a Southern Italian wine from 2005 must be ready to go now. it starts to be accessible after 1 hr under oxygen. eye: this is stil opaque in the middle with increasing fading towards the rim. ruby, no bricking. nose: cooked red fruit, lactic acid, hint of licorice and chocolate, rose water, oak. palate: mid body with mid grained tannins, good structure, weight and mouthfeel. not overly complex, 2-dimensional. 16 Caudalie, instable finish with a watery tendency in the end. given its price and accolades: overrated.
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5/3/2012 - Strikermax wrote: 89 Points
Helder robijnrood. Kruidig, kaneel en honing in de neus. In de smaak cassis en framboos, vol en rond. Frisse zuren en zachte tannines.
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7/17/2011 - cryptochrome wrote: 88 Points
nice wine but it doesn't live up to it's hype.
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4/24/2011 - mhensel wrote: 93 Points
Just to be fair in rating this vine, really improved with air, stick to my previous notes while realizing the vine becomes more and more delicious. This is special.
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4/24/2011 - mhensel wrote: 91 Points
Light cherry red --- Nose flowery, red berries, spicy, some plum, some tar, mint, cherry, olive, nuts --- Mouthfeel fesh, vivid, watery --- Palate a lot going on, a beauty behind a curtain, lilac, cherry, tar, herbs, curry ketchup, green olive --- Finishes on bark, earthy tones, minerality. This vine is asking full attention and patience and answers with a multi layered structure of fruit, soil and minerality. The class is 92, the delicious factor 90.
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1/6/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 83 Points
Not as impressive as I hoped. Medium bodied, light colored. I've had much better expressions of these grapes, especially from Cos. Not worth the price. Not much complexity and a short finish. Can't recommend at this price point.
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1/4/2011 - Millertime2020 wrote: 93 Points
Spectacular bottle. Great structure and balance. Amazing wine. This is what it's all about.
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1/2/2011 - InVinoMomentum wrote: 92 Points
Day 1: Decanted for approx 45-60 minutes. Earthy, leather notes in its nose, slowly opening up over time. Lots of power, almost fiery and feisty. Palate of wild roses, burned wood and dark, ripened plums. The tannins indicate it will definately last for 3-5 more years.
Day 2: Less fiery, although still some rough edges - no beginners wine. It's a true Sicilian Masterpiece. Nose developed more floral notes and the palate is now less smokey, giving the dark fruits more space.
Drink now, but decant and drink at 18-19 degrees. But if you manage to be patient - leave it just a little longer.
InVinoMomentum.nl
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5/26/2010 - cardsandwine wrote:
This bottle drank very well. Nice earthy bouquet with little oak coming through. Soft and balanced on the palate. Finish, while not lengthy is delightful. I have had the 2001, 2002 and 2004 vintages over the past few years. This is comparable to the 2004 and 2002. The 2001 lacked balance.
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4/24/2010 - mdobro wrote: 90 Points
In blind tasting, I thought it is sangiovese wine; really very good
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10/3/2009 - clembos wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby, pomegranate, tar, smooth and dense, velvet palate, spicy and sweet, absolutely balanced.
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6/19/2009 - Employee500 wrote:
Sour cherries and slightly stewey. Not good....
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6/2/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Italians at Momo's: Blind Red 5 - Smells of carbonic maceration. Okay. Fruity medium-bodied.
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3/17/2009 - theeb wrote: 90 Points
Am Rand schon leicht bräunlich. Zwetschgen, etwas Eiche und etwas Schwarzpulver in der Nase. Am Gaumen vielschichtig mit schöner Frucht.
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1/15/2009 - henrychinaski wrote: 95 Points
Another great showing for this wine. Super balanced, grip, fruit, spice etc.
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12/18/2008 - henrychinaski wrote: 96 Points
No formal note as I simply got lost in this ethereal, pure soulful wine.
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