Tag Archives: sangiovese

Casalforno Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2017, Tuscany, Italy

30 Tuesday Nov 2021

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I would say this wine is of medium opacity and has purple to ruby color.  I can smell it a few feet away but as I nose in I get red cherry, leather, dried herbs, smoke and pomegranate.  The palate is sour, as expected from this varietal.  Juicy acidity and medium tannins give way to flavors of cherry, leather, dusty herbs and oak influences from smoke.  This wine is still primal, the red fruit is very prominent whilst the tertiary and secondary flavors and aromas are muted.  The sourness is evident till the back end yet the tannins recede somewhat from the opening push.  The wine is medium bodied and has a short finish.  I think it needs to flesh out a little, it will improve with age.  I would eventually pair this wine with Schnitzel, stuffed green peppers or any pasta with red sauce.  89 points from me for this $13 wine make it a 4 star effort.  Drink from 2023-2028.  Salut….

Talenti Pian di Conte Riserva 2013, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy

22 Monday Nov 2021

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Our final wine at the 22nd Virtual Wine Tasting event was the capstone of our Italian themed night.  We had tried three new-to-the-group varietals so I wanted to circle back to familiar roots with a Sangiovese from Brunello.  The tasters got the usual cherry and tar that we expected plus black and white pepper, iron, brine and (unfortunately) stewed prune and stewed apricot which told me the wine was already fading fast.  On the palate this fear was confirmed by the light-bodied nature of the wine that had low to medium tannins, medium acidity and a short finish.  The flavors we got were cherry, briny salt and iron.  I was hoping for some leather, tobacco, dried herbs- alas it was not to be.  A massive disappointment for me personally as I always hope for 1 home run wine per tasting.  At $70 this 90 pointer only gets 2 stars from me.  Drink now if you have any.  Salut….

Marchesi Frescobaldi Castello di Nipozzano 2014, Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG, Italy

25 Sunday Jul 2021

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I had to buy this funky bottle, it is gold.  As in they sprayed the bottle, there is no looking through the glass.  With a bit of age on it, there may be some hope of tertiary development in this Reserva.  It’s pretty dark in the glass, a lovely shade of ruby.  On the nose I get red cherry, cooked red cherry, earth, mushroom, pomegranate and oak.  The palate is very delicious, smooth and not biting.  I am really enjoying lush flavors of dark cherry, earth, game and cooked red cherry.  The tannins are really well integrated and meet up on the back end with some vibrant acidity.  The body is decent, heavier than I was expecting and certainly welcome, the mouthfeel is balanced and smooth.  I am thoroughly enjoying this Sangiovese, and feeling that most people would not buy it due to the strange packaging- I’m off to get the remnants, it’s that yummy for the barebones price of $15.  A veritable steal that gets 91 points and 5 stars.  Drink till 2025 with pasta, duh!  Salut….

Dievole Novecento Riserva 2015, Chianti Classico DOCG, Italy

11 Sunday Jul 2021

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The third wine at tasting #19 was this 100% Sangiovese. Medium purple, it was more opaque than I was expecting from this varietal. The tasters got aromas of raspberry, flowers, iodine, chocolate, black cherry and a medicinal note (Oak influence?). On the palate it was very smooth with grippy tannins and medium plus acidity. Flavors of black cherry, coffee, iodine, licorice and black tea were accompanied by that medicinal note which someone stated was akin to cherry cough syrup. It is a tasty, bold wine with lots of aging capacity. It will drink well now if you like them tannic, or mellow out in a cellar and be more approachable in 2025 till 2030. 91 points from me for this $33 effort makes it a 4 star wine. Salut….

Caparsa Chianti Classico DOCG 2016, Tuscany, Italy

08 Thursday Jul 2021

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This week’s tasting assignment for school is a wine from Italy or Spain. I’ll end up doing both but here is the Tuscan one that I paid $20 for. It gets 91 points from me and is a brooding baby. This one needs a good aeration or several years in the cellar. 5 stars. Salut….

  • Appearance- Medium garnet with thin legs.
  • Nose- Medium (+) intensity with aromas of red cherry, red plum, cranberry, coffee, earth.  Developing.
  • Palate- dry, medium (+) acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, medium (+) flavor intensity of red cherry, cranberry, tobacco, earth and coffee with medium (+) finish.
  • Conclusion- very good quality wine that can be drunk now, but has potential for aging.

Delicious but young Sangiovese, paired with dry-aged T-bone steak and baked potatoes.

 

Stefano di Blasi IGT Toscana Gold 2019, Tuscany, Italy

11 Friday Jun 2021

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It’s pizza night- an Italian wine is in order. This Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cab Sav and Merlot is pale purple in the glass. The nose is of medium (+) intensity with strawberry, rhubarb, cherry cola, blackberry and woodsy spice. On the palate it is off-dry, brimming with those red/black fruit notes and medium (+) tannins that caress the gums. The wine has a nice acidity that is just enough to balance out the structure. I am enjoying the primary fruit flavors of this drop and it’s mid weight body. The mouthfeel, albeit a touch tannic, is really nice and refreshing. It’s going to rock my pepperoni pie. The finish is of decent length and leaves a good impression. This wine is drinking nicely now and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. At $15, I got a great deal and I’m going with 90 points. 5 stars in my book. Salut….

Monteraponi Chianti Classico DOCG 2018, Tuscany, Italy

04 Friday Jun 2021

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Clear, medium garnet in the glass, this Sangiovese has a funky nose. Sour cherry, sauerkraut and compost all come to mind. #Concerned.

The palate allays my worries- cherry, blackcurrants, straw and rhubarb are present alongside lithe tannins. Juicy acidity keeps my jaws watering for an eternity whilst the finish lasts a medium amount of time. The wine is of light to medium body and lithe. It drinks well and will go nicely with my Lamb Kofta, which are very fatty and need some acidity to curb the grease. I’m ambivalent about this wine right now- I think it has potential but the nose is very off-putting. I will give it 88 points initially. On sale for $27, it gets 3 stars from me. Drink till 2028 with meaty tapas, Duck breast or Lamb stew. Salut….

La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013, Tuscany, Italy

31 Sunday Jan 2021

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This Sangiovese was second up at the virtual wine tasting. At 7 years of age it is already showing signs of maturity with bricking on the meniscus it is semi opaque with a lovely shade of purple and long legs in the glass. The nose blew me away. I was astounded that such a young wine could already show nuances of leather, earth, cordial cherry, cinnamon and spice box. The palate was a slight disappointment after smelling this beauty- the flavors were not quite as powerful but we still got Luxardo cherries, Angostura bitters, leather, tobacco and spice. Grippy tannins reminded us that this wine is technically still young but they are offset by some juicy acidity. Yummy stuff overall that scored a monster 19 on my system. Had there been a touch more body and concentration of fruit it would have hit the magical 20. Overall it gets 92 points from me and at $45- 5 stars. I would buy again and drink till 2028. Salut….

B Cellars Sangiovese 2018, Napa Valley, California

26 Tuesday Jan 2021

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Super purple and totally opaque- not what I was expecting from this varietal.  The nose is very rich with cherry extract, toasty oak and strawberry jam.  It’s very concentrated.  The palate is packed with red fruit preserves, cherries jubilee and a hint of tobacco.  There’s a nice acidic tone from the get-go alongside medium level tannins.  I’m enjoying the whole package- the mouthfeel is very lively, balanced and complex.  The finish is medium in length, pseudo dry and quite juicy.  I’m really liking this atypical wine that gets 92 points from me. At $74 it’s worthy of 4 stars. Drink till 2027 and pair it with Lamb Chops, Venison Tenderloins or even Eggplant Parm. So delicious I may want to try it again! (Ps. I just read the winery notes- they use the Ripasso method to really extrude as much color, tannins and essence from the grapes which makes sense why it is so dense, full bodied and delicious). Salut….

Castelli Martinozzi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2015, Tuscany, Italy

20 Wednesday Jan 2021

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I am looking forward to this Sangiovese, which will pair with grilled Lamb chops, Prosciutto wrapped asparagus and boiled carrots. It shows a deep red yet see-through hue in the glass which can be expected of the varietal. On the nose I get loads of cherry, strawberry and red licorice. The palate is stupendous- rich red fruit compote, leather, great acidity and very fine grained tannins. The cherry component is very red, the strawberry giving way to pomegranate and cranberry. Oak use is very deft and the juiciness of the acidity is on pointe. The mid palate adds a spicy component and some tar. The tannins are starting to grip as well. On the long finish I still get red cherry and that tartness from currants and cranberries. This is quite a rich, layered wine with much complexity. I am really enjoying it and the thought of charred Lamb with the cut of this wine- it’s going to be amazing. Whilst a touch young, if you like them a little dry and fresh then drink now. Cellaring for a few years will reward and I will imagine this wine can last till 2030 at the least. 92 points from me and 5 stars for this $40 stunner. Salut….