Tag Archives: Tuscan

San Felice Chianti Classico DOCG 2017, Tuscany, Italy

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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See through and light purple in color.  On the nose I get funky cherry, burnt firewood and snuffed matchsticks.  Yup- probably the most bizarre set of notes I have smelled in a long time.  The palate is quite refreshing with a burst of acidity, fresh flowers and cherries.  I don’t know where that burnt match or firewood was going, the palate is very tasty.  The midpalate is much the same with nice acidity and a trace of delightful tannins.  The finish is a sunset of cherries, rhubarb and some bright acidity.  Tasty, young and fresh.  Drink now with chicken parm or Osso Bucco.  88 points and 3 stars for this $13 Sangiovese.  Salut….

Molino di Sant’Antimo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2014, Tuscany, Italy

24 Friday Jan 2020

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Light shades of see through purple.  As expected from this varietal.  The nose is gorgeous- floral, cherry, garigue and mushroom.  It’s kinda funky, exciting and not what I thought a young Brunello could offer at this stage.

The palate is delightful, not as mature as the nose but there’s hope.  I get cherries, that funky mushroom thing, crispy acidity and very lithe tannins.  This is a bombshell of a wine folks.  There’s fresh fruit, trappings of tertiary flavors, well balanced structure and a delightful mouthfeel.  The mid palate is a seamless transition from the initial to the medium length finish.  I am so glad I got a case of this stuff, I’m going to cellar some and track the evolution.  I have high hopes.  Drink till 2030.  92 points and 5 stars for this $40 Sangiovese.  Salut….

I Giusti & Zanza Rosso Vigna Vecchia Toscana IGT 2015, Tuscany, Italy

18 Friday Oct 2019

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It’s quite bright and fresh looking in the glass with a deep garnet shade.  On the nose – rhubarb crumble, cherry and chocolate dust.  On the palate it is refreshing, tart and brimming with red fruits.  There’s a hint of balsamic as well as coconut on the initial.  The mid palate gives me some woody notes alongside the red currants and cherry.  The tartness gets a little spiky and herbaceous on the finish, a little off-putting.  Overall this is a tasty wine that has some structure to last a few years in cellar but is drinking nicely now.  I’m gonna bury the others I have as I believe they will improve vastly with a bit of age.  Made from Organic grapes and costing $50 makes it a wee bit pricy.  Pair it with Fettucine or pot roast, perhaps Osso Bucco..  Drink till 2035.  90 points from me (the pros went as high as 95!) and 3 stars.  Salut….

La Loggia ‘Toscaia’ Rosso Toscana IGT 2017, Tuscany, Italy

07 Tuesday May 2019

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It’s a pretty shade of purple in the glass with a 98 point sticker on the bottle….. hmmm.  The nose is thin but offers up strawberry coulis and cherry juice.  On the palate it has much more presence.  A rich mouthful of dark cherry, strawberry extract and cola hit me square on.  Tannins introduce themselves right away and are not holding back.  This is a hefty wine, with structure to boot.  The mid palate has more of that extracted cherry that is almost overwhelmed by the tannic grip.  Wow, this wine is built.  The finish is very astringent yet tasty.  Red fruits swirl alongside black tea and jaw drying tannins.  It’s certainly an interesting wine that I am really enjoying, yet wondering what the cellaring potential is as there is very little acidity.  The tannins and fruit are certainly present, I am just a little concerned about the long term structure.  Let’s see in a few years.  For now, enjoy this Merlot/Sangiovese blend with pasta, steaks or moussaka.  It gets a realistic 91 points from me and 5 stars for the $14 price I paid.  Drink till 2027 at the least.  Salut….

Tenuta Ghiaccio Forte Toscana IGT 2016, Tuscany, Italy

26 Tuesday Mar 2019

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See through purple in the glass, which makes sense for a Sangiovese.  The nose has a pretty floral note to it alongside red licorice, cedar and raspberry.  On the palate it is more subdued, less flowery, with crisp flavors of red cherry juice, rhubarb and a dose of black tea.  Tannins are rampant, from the get-go, they are quite present throughout the palate and are quite astringent.  There is a greeness to the mid palate that is bothersome, but it gives way to more sour cherry on the finish that keeps this wine lively and fresh.  Overall there is a slight unbalance between the fruit and the tannins, with the acidity being a touch heavy.  This wine is for near term drinking and I would pair with BBQ, perhaps pizza and for sure Moussakka.  87 points from me and 3 stars for this  $15 effort.  Drink till 2021.  Salut….

Ornellaia ‘Le Volte dell’Ornellaia’ Toscana IGT 2014, Tuscany, Italy

04 Monday Mar 2019

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I bough this wine on its pedigree for $24.  Medium opacity purple in the glass with visible legs.  The nose has kirsch, raspberry and bing cherry by the boatload.  On the palate it is brimming with red fruits, bright acidity and delightful tannins.  Young and vibrant- it needs a little time to settle down.  It is slightly one-dimensional at this time. I hope it evolves and gains tertiary flavors.  The mid palate is more or less the same.  The finish is of medium length with more cherry extract and a dose of rhubarb as well as lingonberry.  The tartness of which shows up at the end.  Overall- a decent wine that gets 89 points from me and 3 stars.  Cab, Merlot and Sangiovese make up this Tuscan red.  Drink from 2022 till 2027.  Salut….

Barbanera Ser Passo Toscana IGT 2016, Tuscany, Italy

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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Bright purple in the glass.   Black cherry and sassafras come to mind on the nose.  The palate is very tasty, brimming with Black cherry, cola, and dark chocolate.  Very fine grained tannins introduce themselves right off the bat and help to coat the gums very gently all the way through the mid palate and onto the finish.  Speaking of the mid-palate, there’s more cola than fruit here along with some licorice.  It’s quite nice!  The finish is medium length and continues the theme.  A very satisfying wine that I am enjoying with pasta and meatballs.  90 points, drink till 2025 with anything Italian!  For the $13 price tag, you need some of this 5 star wine.  Salut….

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Donne Fittipaldi Bolgheri 2015, Tuscany, Italy

10 Sunday Jun 2018

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A few of these came across my desk at a reasonable price so to speak.  I had to try.  Quite a dark shade of purple in the glass.  The nose is fresh, plummy and hinting of Ribena.  The initial palate gives me quite a biting dose of plums, tannins and acidity.  All at once.  It kinda made we wince.  The label says this wine is unfiltered, has a 14% alcohol and contains sulfites….

On the mid palate is where it opens up, adding some black currants and nutmeg to the mix.  The tannins are searing however and this wine needs some time in the cellar.  The finish is woody, with that astringency of young tannins.  Strong black tea comes to mind.  As does an old oak barrel.  I like this wine, it has potential.  I would decant/aerate the hell out of it if you want to drink before 2020.  It will last a good while after that and hopefully mellow down some.  I am giving it 90 points and 4 stars for the $20 I had to fork over for this 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Sangiovese blend.  It got 93 points from the pros, so there is that.  Think hearty stews, beef rib or even eggplant Parmigiana for this heavyweight.  Salut….

Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT 2009, Tuscany, Italy

22 Sunday Apr 2018

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The second wine of the Birthday dinner at Chez Francois.  This one was stunning.  No notes were taken but I remember thinking that this is what being a wine lover is all about.  Near perfection in the bottle.  Rich, ripe, sumptuous, balanced, maturing yet showing youth and verve.  This wine blends some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with the majority Sangiovese.  It gets 94 points from me and 5 stars, even with its $125 current price tag.  I believe I have one left in storage and will look forward to the next opportunity.  Paired beautifully with Lamb Chops.  Salut….

Vignamaggio Il Morino Tusacany 2015, Italy

14 Thursday Sep 2017

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It’s pasta for a quick pre-ballet dinner with my daughter so I needed a quick and easy Italian wine.  This one rolled in the other day at $10 so I figured it was worth a shot.  The glass shows off a decent color palette of purple that is somewhat see-through.  The nose offers red berries, raspberry and some clove.  The Sangiovese in the blend gives me some cherry notes on the palate while the Merlot component brings out some  plum while adding a bit of backbone to the wine.  On the mid palate is where I get a nuttiness, almonds and a touch of oak.  The wine has some very dry tannins that kick in on the finish and add a bite to the gums.  Acidity is nice and the wine is balanced.  I’m not sure I would go as high as the pros with 92, more like 89 points for me.  Still a good value IMHO and worthy of 4 stars.  Perfect for the midweek pasta dish or perhaps a thin crust wood oven pizza.  Drink till 2020.  Salut….