2013 Frank Cornelissen Munjebel VA

Community Tasting Notes (8) Avg Score: 91.2 points

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  8/29/2023 - forceberry wrote: 94 Points

  100% organically farmed Nerello Mascalese blended from the highest-altitude Contradas of Cornelissen (Barbabecchi, Rampante Soprana and Tartaraci), three old, ungrafted vineyard located between the altitudes of 870 and 1000 m asl; the average vine age is +90 years. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts using pied de cuve. Fermented and macerated for 60 days, aged for 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks ranging from 1500 to 2500 liters. Bottled unfined and lightly filtered. 14,5% alcohol.
  
  Moderately deep, somewhat evolved and rather translucent reddish-maroon color with a brick-red rim. The nose feels clean, dark-toned and relatively youthful with slightly restrained aromas of licorice root and brambly black raspberries, some evolved meaty tones, a little bit of sweet, ethery VA, light earthy nuances, a perfumed hint of floral nuanced and a touch of wizened red cherry. The overall feel is more youthful and less tertiary than in 2013 MC and 2013 CS we tasted at the same time. The overall feel is firm, savory and slightly lifted with a medium body and relatively youthful but also subtly sauvage flavors of sour cherries, ripe red gooseberries and wizened red fruits, some volatile notes of balsamico and nail polish, a little bit of stony minerality, light tertiary notes of beef jerky, a hint of acetic tang and a touch of old leather. The structure feels still pretty stern and unresolved, thanks to the high acidity and rather assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is dry, savory and moderately tannic with a long, nuanced aftertaste of sour cherry bitterness and phenolic spice, some earthy tones, a little bit of sanguine iron, light volatile notes of balsamic and sharp acetic tang, a sweeter hint of wizened red fruits and a touch of stony minerality.
  
  A lovely, harmonious and very impressive vintage of Munjebel VA that is starting to show some age, but still retains a lovely youthful edge to its fruit. In our tasting of 16 Cornelissen wines, this was probably the most structured wine along with the similarly impressive 2013 Munjebel CS. Tasting these wines side-by-side, I felt that 2013 CS was slightly a tiny bit better than this VA, but this CS was somewhat more evolved and tertiary in character, more or less at its peak now, whereas this VA still had some way to go. Perhaps with enough time, this wine will reach the level of quality of that 2013 CS - or maybe even surpass it. Whatever the case, both of these were real stunners. At 58,41€ this was priced according to its quality.

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  6/3/2021 - Morten D. wrote: 89 Points

  Double decanted, some CO2 at opening. Somewhat reductive to begin with, but gives way to fresh red fruit (red currant and raspberry) with hints of the classic ash and juniper notes of Etna. Tannins are grippy, but somewhat evolved. Feels young. Good length.

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  3/16/2020 - WG Johns@n Likes this wine: 92 Points

  A great bottle with a suboptimal cork not suitable for use with a Coravin. Etna volcanic ash character with dark berry helps pinpoint the origin. The bottle was very clean and is best consumed at room temp and best with air. There was some carbonic qualities upon opening that wil eventually blow off. I actually left a glass out overnight, returned to bottle, and consumed later that evening with much enjoyment.

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  8/20/2016 - BSA wrote: 89 Points

  Sweet-sourish red and blue berries, and also some cherries in the mouth. Much lighter and more transparent (and 80% less dry powder...) than the Magma tasted a few months back. Then again not as light and "simple" as the 2015 Occhipinti SP68 tasted also, though there are definitely similarities in my book. Structured wine, with long notable tannins in an otherwise dry finish. More interesting than great. Paired well with grilled duroc.

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  7/5/2015 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points

  Served below room temp; super refreshing fruit, nice minerality, other interesting aromas and flavors; evolved in the glass; not in any way too young to drink now but the moderate and pleasurable structure suggests laying this down for a year or so.

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