45min decant. Had high expectations for this, and boy did it deliver! Rich and smooth, but with good acidity and freshness. Wonderful balance of dark cherry and lush tannins still present but perfectly integrated. Lovely long finish that seemed to go on for ages. Certainly a top class wine, and hands down the best ripasso I've had, and better than a good few amarones too. Only negative is that I have none left!
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My last bottle and by far the best. At peak for sure right now. Pnp. Deep garnet in the glass. On the nose and palate a plethora of both tart and sweet cherries, strawberries, newly tanned leather, animale funk, crushed granite, Tahitian vanilla, and very well integrated oak. Chewy midpalate with lovely fruit made complex by the granite and leather funk. The structure has come together perfectly at this point with the tannins and acid in the background quietly orchestrating and keeping the wine in perfect pitch. Medium (+) finish is still fresh and moreish. Nice effort here.
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This bottle has definitely turned around since the last one (which I didn't write a note for). It was absolutely singing! Deep purplish-red garnet core in the glass with no signs of fading at the rim. The nose and palate were brimming with sweet black and sour red cherries, plums, prunes, figs, cassis, coffee, dark chocolate, mountainside earth, boatloads of Saigon cinnamon, vanilla, and barely-there oak. The tannins came out of the gate absolutely ripping but over two hours really started to turn into something much more pleasurable. Mouthfeel all the way through was big. High glycerin levels and big tannins were rounded out by mouthwatering acidity not unlike that of Beaujolais. Long finish left off where the wine started with plenty of cherries and went on for a good 20 seconds +. If I had tasted this blind I probably would have guessed Old-World style high end CaliCab from Spring Mountain. Based on this bottle I would say this wine has at least another 10 years of life in it. Lovely!
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Two hour decant, this has a great nose of dark fruit, cherry and oaky elements. The palate is very well integrated and smooth without any jamminess being expressed. Blackberry, plums and a hint of florals run through this full bodied wine with a pleasant finish. This is the best valpolicella I have had at this point.
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8/28/2022 - Edeon Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Nothing too exciting here... bit unpleasant after a while. Didn't finish the bottle.
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1/18/2019 - trepak wrote: 94 Points
45min decant. Had high expectations for this, and boy did it deliver! Rich and smooth, but with good acidity and freshness. Wonderful balance of dark cherry and lush tannins still present but perfectly integrated. Lovely long finish that seemed to go on for ages. Certainly a top class wine, and hands down the best ripasso I've had, and better than a good few amarones too. Only negative is that I have none left!
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3/7/2017 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine: 91 Points
My last bottle and by far the best. At peak for sure right now. Pnp. Deep garnet in the glass. On the nose and palate a plethora of both tart and sweet cherries, strawberries, newly tanned leather, animale funk, crushed granite, Tahitian vanilla, and very well integrated oak. Chewy midpalate with lovely fruit made complex by the granite and leather funk. The structure has come together perfectly at this point with the tannins and acid in the background quietly orchestrating and keeping the wine in perfect pitch. Medium (+) finish is still fresh and moreish. Nice effort here.
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10/25/2016 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle has definitely turned around since the last one (which I didn't write a note for). It was absolutely singing! Deep purplish-red garnet core in the glass with no signs of fading at the rim. The nose and palate were brimming with sweet black and sour red cherries, plums, prunes, figs, cassis, coffee, dark chocolate, mountainside earth, boatloads of Saigon cinnamon, vanilla, and barely-there oak. The tannins came out of the gate absolutely ripping but over two hours really started to turn into something much more pleasurable. Mouthfeel all the way through was big. High glycerin levels and big tannins were rounded out by mouthwatering acidity not unlike that of Beaujolais. Long finish left off where the wine started with plenty of cherries and went on for a good 20 seconds +. If I had tasted this blind I probably would have guessed Old-World style high end CaliCab from Spring Mountain. Based on this bottle I would say this wine has at least another 10 years of life in it. Lovely!
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7/13/2016 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 92 Points
Two hour decant, this has a great nose of dark fruit, cherry and oaky elements. The palate is very well integrated and smooth without any jamminess being expressed. Blackberry, plums and a hint of florals run through this full bodied wine with a pleasant finish. This is the best valpolicella I have had at this point.
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