Posts Tagged ‘italy’
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
89 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 21 Nov 2008
Dark maroon core with a garnet rim. Boysenberry fruit, light floral and fresh herb aromas followed by plum and hints of menthol. Juicy entry on the palate with dark, ripe plum surrounded by dark earth. Medium bodied with lots of great acid. Fresh ground nutmeg and mint on the finish.
Made from a blend of 80% Negroamaro, 20% Malvasia.
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Tags: 2006, apulia, boysenberry, Castello, earth, floral, fruit, garnet, herb, italian, italy, liante, malvasia, maroon, menthol, mint, monaci, negroamaro, nutmeg, plum, red wine, salentino, salice
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
93 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Feb 2008
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese. Deep purple core with just barely a hint of a bright ruby rim. Dark aromas of black cherry and blackberry are lifted by light floral aromas, cinnamon, cocoa powder and leather. Full bodied on the palate, with bold yet very ripe and round tannins. Black licorice, blackberry and plum are backed by leather, graphite, vanilla and milk chocolate. The finish is rich, long and bold with a nice cassis note. Deep and complex, this should continue to develop in the bottle for the next couple of years, and the high, balanced acid and full tannins matching the power of the fruit should allow this to easily age another 10+ years.
Wines made from a blend of grapes not typically grown in Italy are becoming more popular, and are known as Super Tuscans when produced in Tusany (and given the Italian government’s approval). This is simply a fantastic wine. Tastes great young, but will age for a while. Can be drunk on it’s own, but like most Italian wines should really be enjoyed with a meal. Try something with tomato sauce or some good fat to it like dry salami.
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Tags: 2004, Agricola, black, blackberry, Blend, bold, bright, cabernet, Camartina, cherry, cinnamon, cocoa, dark, deep, dry, floral, graphite, italy, leather, licorice, m, plum, powder, purple, Querciabella, red, red wine, ripe, ruby, Sangiovese, sauvignon, table, tannin, Tuscany, vanilla, wine
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
86 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Feb 2008
95% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium density purple and ruby core with a thinner pink rim. Bright red cherries are surrounded by cocoa, tobacco, dusty earth and light metallics on the nose. In the mouth the flavors are somewhat more subdued. Fairly bold tannins, though somewhat coarse and green. Sour cherries, cocoa and chalk lead into the medium length finish.
Too many Chiantis are associated with cheap, bulk wine. Querciabella is a very solid producer, although their 2005 is not as good as most vintages. On the plus side, it is not over priced.
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Tags: 2005, Agricola, bold, bright, cabernet, chalk, cherry, Chianti, Classico, cocoa, dense, dry, dust, earth, Greve, italy, metallic, pink, purple, Querciabella, red, red wine, ruby, Sangiovese, sauvignon, sour, subdue, table, tannin, tobacco, Tuscany, wine
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
89 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 10 Mar 2008
Medium ruby core. Lighter on the rim with a hint of garnet. Graphite and fresh pencil shavings, blackberry and plum. Touch of burnt chocolate. Light entry. Medium acid. Red cherry fruit with cinnamon spice and nutmeg on the palate. Touch of heat on the back end. Medium length. Touch of earth and caramel.
A good quality wine, but 2004 was so exceptional in Tuscany I expect a little more for $30.
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Tags: 2004, acid, Birba, blackberry, burnt, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon, earth, garnet, Gerla, graphite, italy, La, nutmeg, pencil, plum, red wine, ruby, Sangiovese, spice, table, Tuscany
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
94 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Mar 2008
Bold ruby red core with a slightly lighter ruby rim. Fresh aromas of raspberries, milk chocolate, orange zest with a touch of white flowers, dusty slate and caramel. Amazing entry and mouthfeel. Silky doesn’t really even begin to describe it. Fantastic acidity is balanced very well by the fruit and ripe tannins. This wine has the smooth feel of a well made Pinot Noir. Raspberry and cherry fruits with a touch of fresh anise, black truffle and orange zest. Long, smooth finish.
100% Nerello Mascalese, a grape native to Sicily. Grown on the rocky volcanic soils of Mt. Etna. This is a stunning little wine, and more than worth every penny. Try it if you want something smooth and easy to drink that will go with just about any food.
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Tags: 2005, anise, bold, caramel, cherry, chocolate, dusty, flower, italy, Mascalese, milk, Nerello, orange, Passopisciaro, raspberry, red, red wine, ruby, Sicily, silk, slate, smooth, table, truffle, zest
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
86 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Mar 2008
Pale lemon green in the glass. Crisp, light aromas of flint and sweet green apple. Medium bodied with very crisp acidity. Good minerality and apple flavors. Light and refreshing.
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Tags: 2004, acid, Adige, Alto, apple, Concilio, Contessa, crisp, dry, flint, green, grigio, italy, lemon, Manci, medium, mineral, pale, pinot, refreshing, sweet, table, Trentino, white, White wine
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Mar 2008
Deep ruby core with a vibrant rim. Dark cherry, cassis, black truffle and roasted leather aromas. Smooth entry on the palate. Nice acid on the mid-palate. Caramel and black cherry linger on the finish.
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Tags: 2005, acid, black, caramel, cassis, cherry, dark, dry, italy, leather, Montalcino, Placido, red, red wine, roast, Rosso, ruby, Sangiovese, table, truffle, Tuscany, vibrant
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Mar 2008
Medium gold with a bright rim. The Riesling really lifts the aromas out of the glass giving a bright white flower nose with white licorice and sweet candied citrus peel. Dry and crisp entry onto the palate with apricot and yellow apple flavors. Nice acid and balance leading to a medium length finish. A fun little wine.
30% Chardonnay, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Riesling, 10% Pinot Grigio.
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Tags: 2005, acid, apple, apricot, Bianco, blanc, Blend, bright, candy, Castello, chardonnay, citrus, crisp, delle, dry, flower, gold, grigio, italy, licorice, medium, peel, pinot, Regine, Riesling, sauvignon, sweet, table, Umbria, white, White wine, yellow
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Sunday, January 25th, 2009
84 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 18 Mar 2008
Dark ruby core with a pink and orange rim. Milk chocolate and smoky aromas over red cherry and raspberry. Soft entry in the mouth. Easy drinking red cherry with an earthy mineral finish.
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Tags: 2004, cherry, chocolate, dark, domani, earth, easy, ecco, italy, milk, mineral, orange, pink, raspberry, red, red wine, ruby, smoky, soft, Venetto
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Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
91 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 28 May 2008
Bright ruby core with a brick rim. Explosive floral aromas surround dark cherry, fresh ginger bread, charcoal and a hint of green pepper. The wine enters the mouth with a nice soft, rich and round feel. Coffee, mocha, black cherry and sweet tobacco linger for a ling time on the finish. Blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot.
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Tags: 2001, Adige, Alto, Blend, cabernet, charcoal, cherry, coffee, delle, Dolomiti, floral, Franc, ginger, green, italy, Leonardo, merlot, mocha, pepper, red, red wine, San, sauvignon, Tenuta, tobacco, Trentino, Vignetti
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