Tag Archives: tuscany

Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT 2009, Tuscany, Italy

19 Wednesday Apr 2023

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A murky, deep garnet colored with some light staining and medium viscosity legs (14% ABV).  The nose is stupendous- pronounced intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, vanilla, baking spices, cedar, tobacco, cassis, crushed violet, white truffle, baked black cherry- it’s over-the-top.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are polished and very fine grained.  Full bodied, this blend of 75% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc gives me flavors of cassis, blackberry and black cherry along with the secondary and tertiary notes I got on the nose.  It all turns a touch tart on the mid-palate, something Old World wines tend to do.  The silky mouthfeel is smooth and leads to a long finish that is layered and delicious.  The cassis and vanilla lasting for an eternity.  This wine has matured beautifully for me and I’m proudly serving it with Pappardelle and Meatballs- it’s my birthday week after all so I can do what I want.  95 points from me for this $ 175 bottle makes it a 5 star treat.  Salut….

Renieri Invetro Toscana IGT 2018, Tuscany, Italy

10 Friday Mar 2023

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Deep dark purple color with medium legs (14% ABV).  The nose of this Sangiovese, Merlot and Cab Sav blend has some exotic dark fruit aromas- mulberry, boysenberry, elderberry with vanilla, coffee bean, baking spices, eucalyptus and camphor (yup).  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and finely grained medium (+) tannins.  The body is full and the flavors echo the dark berry notes I got on the nose.  I’m missing the pungent camphor but I get oak influence by way of vanilla and baking spice.  The wine retails for $18 and got a big score.  I’m thinking 91 points and 5 stars.  Tonight- it’s pasta with meatballs, sausages and meat sauce- this will pair beautifully.  Drinking window till 2026.  Enclosed by a glass stopper btw.  Salut….

Tenuta di Nozzole Chianti Classico Reserva DOCG 2018, Tuscany, Italy

20 Sunday Nov 2022

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We went out to dinner last night and ordered this $21 Sangiovese ($65 at the restaurant 😳).  I did not take notes but loved the wine.  At 4 years of age it was showing plenty of earthy, tertiary notes along with some fruit and oak influence.  The leather fingerprint of this varietal was abundant and the tannins had really integrated. Acidity was en pointe and the wine had a lovely mid length finish.  Well worth the price of entry even at a restaurant.  91 points from me and a drink till 2025 window.  5 stars.  Salut….

Castelli del Grevepesa Clemente VII Riserva 2016, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG Tuscany, Italy

03 Saturday Sep 2022

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Pale to medium ruby colored with thick, droopy legs.  The nose has aromas of steeped cherry, rose, baking spice, white raspberry, coconut, cherry cola and vanilla bean.  The palate is dry with high acidity and medium tannins.  Medium (+) bodied I get delicious flavors of cherry, vanilla, coconut, raspberry and spice. It finishes long with a tart cherry note and some lingering, integrated tannins.  This is a delicious and mature Sangiovese from the heart of Tuscany.  It will cellar well into 2028 and pair beautifully with pasta (duh!) and perhaps a ribeye with Roquefort sauce.  It is very pinpoint btw.  93 points from me for this $28 effort makes it a 5 star wine.  Salut….

Tenuta di Renieri Chianti Classico DOCG 2019, Tuscany, Italy

29 Monday Aug 2022

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Pale ruby colored, this Sangiovese has lovely aromas of red cherry, tar, rose petals, orange peel, leather, green herbs (dill) and sandalwood.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins.  Medium to full bodied- I get flavors of tart red cherry, leather, rose petal and that dill component.  A slight charred oak note follows on at the mid palate and the finish is short.  A serviceable Chianti that lacks a real oomph, it gets 89 points from me and for $22 it is a 3 star effort to drink till 2027.  Salut….

San Felice Campogiovanni Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2012, Tuscany, Italy

15 Sunday May 2022

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I have been following the progress of this Sangiovese for a few years now and really enjoyed it alongside charcuterie prior to dinner.  I didn’t take notes, only mental observations.  It is now mature, with high acidity and melded tannins.  The red fruit is joined by leather, rose, cigar box and maduro.  Medium bodied, it drinks nicely to a medium finish.  You can read about my last tasting here.  I’m sticking with the 93 points previously given.  It runs $50 now which is still a good deal for well made Brunello.  5 stars.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

 

Castello di Meleto Vin Santo del Chianti Classico 2009, Tuscany, Italy

06 Wednesday Apr 2022

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This is a new one for me- Vin Santo (not to be confused with Vinsanto) is a technique of drying the grapes in the rafters of a shed and pressing the dried grapes later in the season.  The must is then sealed in small barrels and left for several years to ferment, slowly, integrating with the barrel and it’s oxygen.  Mainly Trebbianno, they also add Sangiovese and Malvasia to the blend.  These small barrels are called Carati and are sealed once 70% filled, creating ample air space.  This one is now 13 years old and is medium amber colored.  The liquid slides down the glass in a watery sheen, versus the traditional legs, which imply a viscous texture is to be expected.

The nose has pronounced aromas of dried apricot, honey, walnuts, hazelnuts, orange marmalade, a touch of bread dough and cream.  The palate is medium sweet with medium acidity and full body.  Medium alcohol and a mouth coating richness make for a beautiful mouthfeel.  The flavors are pronounced- honey, dried apricot and nuts with much less bread/yeast notes.  The marmalade is less intense but adds depth.  This delicious dessert wine has a decently long finish and gets 92 points from me.  I would love some sharp cheese to pair with it and can see it aging nicely till 2030 at the least.  I paid $25 for this 5 star sticky and would do it again for the cellar.  Yummy stuff.  Salut….

Corbinelli ‘Fonte dei Borghi’ Chianti DOCG 2019, Tuscany, Italy

17 Thursday Mar 2022

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If you Google what wine goes with Shepherds pie the answer is Chianti.  Seeing as today is St. Patrick’s day, that is exactly what’s going down.  This particular bottle is pale to medium ruby in the glass with watery legs denoting a lower alcohol wine at 12.5% ABV.  The nose is classic Sangiovese.  Cherry, red raspberry, violets, a hint of leather and red licorice.  No sign of any oak at this point.  The palate is dry with racy acidity and medium (+) tannins.  The flavors are shrouded in the tannic grip but I get cherry, mushroom, raspberry, red licorice and a touch of the leather component.  Dried herbs and a floral note kick in on the medium length finish- which is very astringent btw.  I feel like I am stuffing pouches of black tea bags between my gums.  It needs a good aerating or decanting to soften this wine up a touch, it will pair nicely with my ground lamb based dish, cutting the fat nicely.  The intensity of this wine’s fruit is the only detractor, the balance is a little off for me.  I like it, don’t get me wrong, it’s just a little out of sorts.  89 points for this $15 effort makes it a 3 star wine to drink from 2024-2027.  Salut….

Bonacchi Podere Molino della Suga Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016, Tuscany, Italy

11 Friday Mar 2022

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This Sangiovese is starting to mature- pale garnet in the glass with thick legs (14% ABV).  Pronounced aromas of cherry, leather and strawberry with hints of clove, rooibos tea, garigue and dried herb.  The palate is dry and quite tannic.  I get lovely crushed cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, strawberry coulis and earthy leather.  This wine has juicy acidity and a full body- it’s just now starting to become drinkable.  It is a very young wine with great structure and potential for aging that will allow tertiary flavor development.  Right now it is still relatively primal.  Delicious stuff that has a long finish and rather astringent mouthfeel right now.  It will drink beautifully till 2030 and pair well with Italian fare, grilled ribeye or game.  93 points from me for this $40 wine makes it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Castello Romitorio ‘Romitoro’ Toscana IGT 2019, Tuscany, Italy

28 Monday Feb 2022

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This Tuscan blend of Petit Verdot and Syrah is a deep shade of ruby, bordering on purple in the glass.  The nose has pronounced aromas of violet, black plum, cedar, a touch of fresh funk, spice box and maduro.  The palate is quite zippy and fresh.  Dry, with gentle tannins and medium acidity it has a medium weight body and yummy flavors.  Plum, cedar, spice, maduro ( a dark tobacco), blackberry and that funk- perhaps a mushroom scent?  The mouthfeel is staggeringly smooth and delicious.  This wine is seamless in its component makeup.  The tannins are very nicely integrated, the acidity is balanced and the depth of fruit is great.  The finish is medium to long.  My only concern is the funk that is very persistent.  It is ever present and distracting, knocking a point off the total.  Overall this is a very good wine that gets 91 points from me and at $19- 5 stars.  I am pairing with meatballs and red sauce.  Drink till 2026. Salut….