Posts Tagged ‘truffle’
Saturday, February 21st, 2009
97 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 30 Jan 2009
Dark amber color in the core with a lighter brick red rim. Complex aromas pour out of the glass: brown sugar, bacon, black cherry, earth, black truffles, sweet tea and tobacco. The palate entry is incredibly smooth and the tannins are fully integrated into the wine. Flavors of coffee and toffee surround black cherry, brown sugar, bacon, smoky earth and wet stone with a lingering cherry and soy sauce note. The acid is relatively high, keeping the wine impressively fresh. The flavors linger on for quite a while.
The aromas and flavors seem to be fully developed at this point, and the earthy and spicy characteristics fully dominate the remaining fruit. While an impressive wine, it is likely on its down swing, so I would recommend drinking it rather than holding on to it for too much longer.
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Tags: 1985, amber, bacon, black, brick, brown sugar, Burgundy, cherry, coffee, conti, cote du nuits, drc, earth, france, grand cru, la tache, pinot noir, red wine, romanee, smoke, soy sauce, stone, tea, tobacco, toffee, truffle
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Oct 2007
Very pale lemon-green color. Lighter sweet tree fruit aromas - apricot and green apple with ripe candied citrus. Dark toasty flavors with strong clay mineral notes. Big acidity through the palate. Long lingering earthy notes over citrus, with a touch of white truffle on the finish.
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Tags: 2002, apple, apricot, brut, candy, chamagne, citrus, clay, cuvee, earth, france, fruit, gastronome, gimonnet, green, lemon, mineral, pierre, sparkling wine, toast, tree, truffle, white
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
86 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Oct 2007
Light orange zest aromas followed by toast and milk chocolate. White truffles on the front of the palate lead to tight acidic green apple. Medium body, but a bit harsh on the finish. Lingering candied lemon.
Tags: 2000, apple, blanc, blancs, brut, candy, champagne, chocolate, fleuron, france, gimonnet, green, lemon, milk, orange, pierre, sparkling wine, toast, truffle, white, zest
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / A+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 May 2008
Dark ruby and purple core with a bright ruby rim. Chocolate and fresh oak over rich dark fruit, crushed violets and a hint of spice and game. Orange zest and ripe red cherries on the front palate. Full-bodied with round tannins. Just a hint of black truffle and pepper spice over plum, dark cherry and a baker’s chocolate finish.
Incredibly complex for a Cotes du Rhone. Approachable now and will continue to improve for another 3-5 years.
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Tags: 2005, baker, baker's, beaucastel, black, chateau, cherry, chocolate, Cotes, coudoulet, crushed, de, du, france, game, oak, orange, pepper, plum, purple, red, red wine, Rhone, ruby, Southern, spice, truffle, violet, wine, zest
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
93 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 23 Dec 2008
Deep ruby core with a touch of garnet on the rim. Lots of rich earth, coffee and cedar spice in the aromas, surrounded by sweet plum, cassis, dried tobacco, dusty minerality and toasty oak. Beautifully silky entry on the palate. Medium to full bodied. Great to drink now, but still has nice supporting tannins through the back. Blackberry, plum, cassis, cedar, leather and tobacco flavors are all balanced very well. Medium length finish with mocha and black truffle joining the fruit.
I let the wine sit in my glass for a good 45 minutes, and it kept opening up. This is delicious now, and will continue to be at peak drinking for another 10 years.
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Tags: 1995, black, blackberry, Blend, bordeaux, cassis, cedar, chateau, coffee, dried, dry, dust, earth, estephe, france, garnet, leather, mineral, mocha, montrose, oak, plum, red, red wine, ruby, saint, silk, spice, sweet, toast, tobacco, truffle, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 24 Jan 2008
Rich ruby core, with garnet hints on the rim. The aromas are spicy and rich, with red and black cherries underscored by plum with cinnamon notes in the background. On the palate this tastes and feels stunningly like a beautiful red Burgundy. Lush and ripe, with elegant, smooth tannins. Dark raspberry and cherry flavors are accented by a touch of tea and leather with light black truffle and earth underneath.
I tried this blind the first time, and while distinctly Spanish in aromas, I could swear that I had a well aged Burgundy in my mouth. Stunning little wine. Most likely in its prime now, but should be able to hold its own for several more years.
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Tags: 2001, Add new tag, alta, benito, blakc, Bodega, Bodegas, Burgundy, cherry, cinnamon, earth, especial, garnet, leather, pedro, plum, raspberry, red, red wine, Rioja, ruby, seleccion, spain, spice, tea, Tempranillo, truffle, urbina, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 22 Jan 2008
Dark purple core with a vibrant pink rim. White and black truffles support the nice wet earth edge to this leather, black cherry and blackberry beast. Sweeter fruit on the front palate is met by nice minerality in the middle. Long finish of dark cherries and toffee.
Another good example of an Italian wine made in California. These guys know what they are doing. Good quality for the price, and it also has a good hefty bottle that will impress people before you even pour the wine. Sealed with wax, which I find annoying for opening, but looks nice.
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Tags: 2002, Ambullneo, barbara, barbera, Bien, black, blackberry, california, cherry, earth, leather, Maria, mineral, Nacido, Nonno, pink, purple, red wine, santa, sweet, toffee, truffle, valley, Vineyard, white, Zito
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple 22 Jan 2008
Dark ruby core with a garnet edge. Sweet raw honeycomb aromas are backed by black cherry and white truffle. Bold acidity once would expect from a nebbiolo on the front of the palate, just screaming for some food. Leather and earth notes surround black and red cherries from the front palate through the finish.
This is a very strong example of this grape. It can be incredibly tricky to grow and make, and many of the ones coming from Italy are bad and overpriced. The best examples are truly stunning, but so is the price tag. That being said, this one is a little bit pricey for what it is, but well worth it if you can find it on sale. This is one of those wines that pairs well with a lot of foods, particularly those with a lot of acid (think tomatoes) or cream and butter. It also has a good hefty bottle that will impress people before you even pour the wine. Sealed with wax, which I find annoying for opening, but looks nice.
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Tags: 2001, Ambullneo, barbara, Bien, black, california, cherry, earth, garnet, honey, honeycomb, leather, Maria, Nacido, nebbiolo, Nonno, raw, red, red wine, ruby, santa, sweet, truffle, valley, white, wine, Zito
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Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
92 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 17 Nov 2008
Medium ruby core with a touch of garnet to the rim. Complex, heady aromas. Light floral notes quickly yield to spicy fresh anise, earth and white truffles all surrounding a dark core of wild blackberry and strawberry. Very fruity on the front palate followed quickly by darker earth and truffle flavors. Creamy vanilla over black cherry in the mid palate leads to a long, lingering cream and spice finish underscored by dark scorched earth. Balanced and delicious.
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Tags: 2007, anise, black, blackberry, california, cherry, Coast, cream, eareth, earth, estate, floral, garnet, marimar, noir, North, pinot, red, red wine, scorched, smith, sonoma, spice, strawberry, truffle, vanilla, Vineyard, w.h.smith, white, wild, wine
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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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