2008 Calabretta Nerello Mascalese Sicilia Vigne Vecchie

Community Tasting Notes (11) Avg Score: 90.6 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View PaulusLoZebra's profile
  • Report Issue

  1/15/2024 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points

  My fifth bottle, this (L MS1) was decanted one hour before dinner and served over three nights; equally good on all three nights, even if the wine did change. This is a classic Calabretta NMVV, the pinnacle of rustic Etna. It took about ten minutes for the initial funk to blow off. This has a very complex aromatic and flavor profile. It is animal, earthy and rustic, with intense aromas of sweet cherry, leather, oregano, exotic spices, bitter orange and smoke. It has a medium+ body wine supported by a big acid and tannin structure, with beauitifully integrated, fine tannins. It is very savory, sappy and very long, a great wine for sipping. Outstanding QPR. Drink to 2030?

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View PaulusLoZebra's profile
  • Report Issue

  11/19/2023 - PaulusLoZebra wrote: flawed

  It’s been almost three years since my last bottle (L MS1). This one had many of the wonderful characteristics of previous bottles, but it also had a strong presence of Brett, despite decanting it 2 hours before dinner. We all drank it despite the Brett, such is the quality of the wine, and some guests were more bothered than others. Some found the flavor just an overly aggressive version of a pleasing barnyard characteristic, others found it unacceptable after a half glass. Overall, it was a big disappointment. I have quite a few left in the cellar, so I am praying that this was bottle variation ! A glass was stored in the fridge overnight but even 24 hours of air did not change the wine.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View PaulusLoZebra's profile
  • Report Issue

  1/14/2021 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points

  My third bottle, this (L MS1) was decanted three hours before dinner and has a very complex aromatic and flavor profile. Animal and rustic on the attack, with intense aromas of both sweet cherry and smoke, it is a medium+ body wine supported by a big acid and tannin structure. It is very savory, with sweet dark spices, minerals, mint and especially oregano, and an equally intense finish. The tannins get more prominent with air. Very satisfying. Outstanding QPR. Drink to 2028?

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View PaulusLoZebra's profile
  • Report Issue

  5/16/2020 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Wow, how this wine has evolved and improved in the last 18 months ! Decanted 90 minutes before serving. Dark red core with transparent red edges. Complex nose of ripe dark cherries, cherry liqueur, leather, spices, raw meat, beetroot. Medium+ body with lots of acid, prominent but finely grained tannins and a sweet mid-palate. Very long, intense, bittersweet finish showing minerals, beetroot and raw meat. Still a rather tannic Calabretta, but a wonderful, big, complex and satisfying wine made in the classical style. Excellent QPR.

  2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View sjw_11's profile
  • Report Issue

  7/21/2019 - sjw_11 wrote: 88 Points

  Lots of barnyard and chicken poo on the nose, perhaps a touch of Brett. The palate opens cleaner. Some dark berries and nice complexity. Drink now.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 11 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.