1994 Dorigo Friuli Colli Orientali Pignolo di Buttrio

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 96 points

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  10/16/2017 - forceberry wrote: 96 Points

  13,5% alcohol.
  
  Almost completely opaque garnet color with a light, developed mahogany hue. Remarkably complex, mature and somewhat sweet nose with fragrant aromas of raisins, some wizened dark fruits, a little bit of prunes, a hint of tobacco and an umami touch of beef consommé. The wine is full-bodied and somewhat substantial, yet remarkably airy on the palate with beautifully mature, silky mouthfeel rounded by age. There are layered, delicate flavors of sour cherries, some tobacco, a little bit of integrated sweet oak spice, a hint of leather and a touch of allspice. The wine is still pretty structured with high acidity and moderately pronounced, firm tannins, but it lacks the tightly-knit texture of a young Pignolo. The finish is developed, complex and somewhat earthy with moderately grippy tannins and layered, tertiary flavors of leather, some wizened blackcurrants, a little bit of savory and woody oak, a hint of roasted spice bitterness and a touch of chocolate shavings. The aftertaste is firm, pretty dry, really persistent and it feels as though it changes constantly and is different with every sip.
  
  A total stunner, this. Not only is this the greatest Dorigo wine I've tasted, but perhaps the greatest red wine from Friuli I've ever had. There is just stunning kaleidoscope of developed, tertiary flavors, yet still a touch of more youthful, vibrant fruit remains. The structure has resolved pretty much, so the tannins and acidity are no longer on the fore, yet their presence looms heavily above the fruit, giving the wine seriousness and sense of aristocracy instead of rough rusticity usually associated with Pignolo. The new oak - often thought necessary to soften the toughness of Pignolo - lingers on as nothing more than a mere suggestion. All in all, this is a beautiful - and very Friulian - red wine that has reached its plateau of maturity and will definitely stay there for quite a while. A remarkable experience.

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