Tag Archives: sangiovese

Cosentino Sangiovese 2014, Carneros, California

24 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


It’s pasta night and I need a Sangiovese.  This one happens to be ready to go on my daily drinking shelf and I am excited.

In the glass, the color is a pale, see through reddish purple- reminiscent of Pinot Noir.  On the nose, strawberry and cherry, just like Pinot.  The palate introduces me to delicious strawberry and capsicum flavors, but I get a dose of heat right away.  A quick glance reveals a 14.5% lurker here.

The wine transitions on the mid palate to more strawberries and a red raspberry jam.  The alcohol still permeates though and I am not sensing much in the way of tannins, until the very end.  The finish is where they appear, very well integrated but lacking a good dose of acidity, just more heat.  The wine is delicious, yet unbalanced and I fear it will not hold out well in the cellar, which is a shame as I would love to revisit this one in 10 years.  88 points, the structure and excessive alcohol being detractors.  I really do enjoy the flavors though.  For $28 it is a 2 star wine for me.  Salut….

consentino sangiovese

Bollina Corte Medicea ‘Aros’ Rosso Toscana IGT 2014, Tuscany, Italy

10 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,


I just saw the 95 point sticker on the label, it must be good or this particular critic is dead to me…

Dark purple color, from the 50% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Lets see what the 50% Sangiovese brings.  Olives, plum jam and seaweed hit the nose.  On the palate I get a very intriguing flavor.  I can’t quite put my finger on it…Black plums, dark, dark stone fruits and perhaps black tea leaves.  I am getting a very one dimensional hit of tannins as well.  The mid palate is all black tea and tannins.  The finish is bitter, with faint notes of black plum and oversteeped tea.  I don’t get it.  This wine was hyped by a pro, written up by the seller as soft and supple, with gentle tannins.  Quite the opposite for me, and bottle variation doesn’t count here.  This wine is barely 86 points in my book and for $20 I think I will look elsewhere.  2 stars.  Salut….

aros toscana

Il Roccolo Sangiovese Rubicone IGT Italy NV

12 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


I bought two bottles from this producer for a grand total of $8.  One was a Nero D’Avola and this one being a Sangiovese.  I was not expecting much, but really enjoyed the Nero poolside watching my daughter splash around at a hotel we just stayed in.  I took no notes but decided I should do so with this bottle now that I am home and not reeking of chlorine.

A pale purple color shows typicity of the varietal as does the nose of faint cherries and cinnamon.  I’m not expecting complexity or depth here but am pleasantly surprised so far as the wine comes across very smoothly on the intro and gives some cherry notes along with a cola thing.  The wine has more acidity than tannins and lacks any  semblance of wood.  The finish is decent in length and leaves me with a slightly drying sensation, hinting at some minuscule level of tannins being offered up.  Like I said- this is a basic wine.  It drinks easily and is a serious contender for a backyard BBQ, a poolside quaff or even a light pizza partner.  For $4 or even $6 this wine rocks it and I am giving it 84 points and 4 stars.  (I have had far worse wine in the First Class sections of many airlines).  Salut….

il roccolo sangiovese

 

Piccini Chianti DOCG Tuscany Italy 2014

09 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


I’m in Japan and wanted to enjoy something red in my hotel room.  I found this bottle at what looked like an Import Gourmet shop.  I paid 1280 Japanese Yen for it, but it can be found for $8 USD.  The notes:  See-through pale purple that gives away the extraction of this wine.  On the nose- subdued hints of dark cherry fruit and a touch of leather.  Very hard to discern from a straight glass (no wine glasses in the hotel room!).  On the palate I’m getting some black fruit and telltale Sangiovese notes.  The wine has a refreshing acidity and a slight dryness from the well camouflaged tannins.  The finish is short but decent, leaving behind some tannic components that grip the gums.  This wine is relatively light in extraction, easy to quaff and a decent sundowner.  84 points make this a 2 star wine.  Would I buy it again?  Negative.  Salut….

puccini chianti

Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 2007

09 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Wine

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,


I don’t get it….  This wine got huge scores, from 91 to a 96 from the man himself.  I must have had an off bottle, or the wine is in a dumb stage.  For me it was a disjointed mess, unbalanced and unsure.  On the nose it was very enticing, with earthy blueberry and a mineral streak.  On the first taste, black cherry and tar were the primary drivers.  The balance was all wrong though with the acidity and the tannins hitting on the front, rather than the mid and back palate.  The wine has potential if given time to sort itself out.  The flavors are interesting, if somewhat subdued.  I hate it when an expensive bottle turns out to be a dud, I so wanted this wine to rock.  I am going to have to give this a preliminary 2 stars based on its $60 price and my 87 points.  I will reserve final judgement for at least two more years and cellar the other bottle in hopes  of a better re-taste.  Salut….

IMG_0585

Carpineto Vigneto Poggio Sant’Enrico 2001

17 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


A Vino Nobile di Montepulciano made from the Sangiovese grape.  I have been sitting on this one for a while waiting for the right time and the right meal.  Tonight my stars aligned.  Moxie went nuts and cooked the mother of all Paleo meals- a Ribeye, Bang Bang Shrimp, sauteed mushrooms, roasted Yam fries and a Kale/Brussell sprout salad with homemade French country dressing.

IMG_0031The wine was superb.  I just love Sangiovese and this one was so typical of the grape.  Cherries and a delicious use of oak.  This wine is 12 years old and is just now coming to life.  A great tannic profile with racy acidity have given this wine an iron-clad structure.  It still shows purple/red in the glass with no bricking.  It’s nose is dark cherry and strawberry.  Secondary flavors of earth, capsicum and leather really excite me.  I am getting a long finish and the tannins are mouth puckering, yet smooth.  Alcohol on this wine is 13.5% which is about where my threshold lies.  This wine started out at over $60, can be found today for about $42 and will not let you down with a big steak, pasta or rack of Lamb.  A serious wine that gave me much enjoyment, 92 points and a 4 banger.  Salut….

IMG_0029

Savignola Paolina Chianti Classico Riserva 2010

29 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,


With Pizza, one must serve Italian wines.  I love Chianti, the Sangiovese grapes offer up a unique flavor profile that gives me strawberry, cherry and tar flavors.  In this particular bottle, there was some muted flavors, and more heavily weighed on the tart cherry side.  I think it is a little young as the tannins were very prominent.  Nicely acidic  but slightly out of balance for me, I think the wine is a little disjointed.  Perhaps a few years of slumber and the fruit will emerge, the tannins will meld and the balance will come about.  At $32, it is a pricey bottle to take a dive on.  The pro’s gave it 91, I would go 89 and 3 stars.  Salut….

IMG_2612

Casalvento Chianti Classico Riserva 2009

18 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,


Wow, a full power Chianti with years ahead of it.  Purple in the glass, the nose offers dark brooding fruits and a hint of earth.  On the palate, a very definitive tar component mixed with dark cherries and black berries.  A very powerful tannic structure is making my mouth pucker and the acidity is great.  This wine is 4 years young and will last another 10 at the minimum.  Mainly Sangiovese, it weighs in at 13.5% alcohol, a decent number these days.  It does not follow typical Chianti/Sangiovese profiles (which I love), instead there is a departure from the norm and you can tell this is a well crafted wine.  92 points I reckon, and a 4- perhaps 5 star rating for its $35 price point.  I think this wine needs another 3 years in cellar, and should absolutely rock any pasta dish you could throw at it.

IMG_2202

Diletto di Gellina Riserva 2009

10 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,


Served at a restaurant and I did not read the label or the wine list….  Not my favorite Chianti.  Some elements of cherry and oak on the nose and palate, with vibrant acidity and tannins.  Missing something though, and I can’t pick it out.  There seems to be a slight imbalance, but this wine is still very serviceable.  Served up with the biggest ever Veal chop, it was a great companion thanks to the acid.  The usual Chianti flavors are somewhat muted though and the wine does not show off the Sangiovese that I have come to love.  An 86 pointer that I cannot even rate with any stars due to the lack of pricing info.  I would imagine it will drink for another 5 years and hopefully come out of its shell.

IMG_2026

Ferrari Carano Siena 2010

02 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,


A Californian blend whose majority is Sangiovese, made by the famed Ferrari-Carano winery. Instant pleasure for most people. It comes off as an easy drinker, yet has some depth and complexity to impress.
Strawberry and Raspberry form a bright attack, with good balance and some very hidden tannins. The structure surfaces after a while, as do some tertiary flavors, giving this wine some street cred. A dry finish lasts for a while, which is making my mouth water. I am digging this wine. 4 stars and 89 points IMHO.

20121201-193841.jpg