Index:
1971 Castell’in Villa Chianti, Riserva 97.5/100
1993 Sandrone, Barolo, Cannubi Boschis 92/100
1995 Castello Banfi, Poggio all’Oro, Brunello 89/100
1999 Guiseppe Rinaldi, Barolo Brunate “Le Coste” 95.5/100
2005 Sassella, Valtellina Superiore, “Ultimi Raggi” 93/100
2006 Masseto 94+/100
2007 Bressan, Schiopettino 93.5/100
2007 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino 93.5+/100
2008 Le Macchiole, Messorio 92/100
2008 Occhipinti, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Grotte Alte 92.5/100
2008 Outis, Etna Rosso 92/100
2008 Terre Nerra Guardiola, Etna
2009 Dona Noir, Hartmann Dona, Pinot Noir, Aldo Adige 92/100
2009 Poggio di Sotto, Rosso di Montalcino 91/100
2009 Terra di Lavoro 93/100
2010 Casavyc, Temerario Pinot Noir 90/100
2010 Castello Potentino “Piropo” Pinot Noir 91/100
2011 Emilio Pepe, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 94/100
2011 Myo, Friuli Orientale, Schiopettino 90.5/100
2011 Pietradolce, Vigna Barbagalli, Mount Etna, “Prephylloxera” 96/100
2012 Occhipinti, Il Frappato 90/100
1999 Guiseppe Rinaldi, Barolo Brunate “Le Coste”.
This is a captivating, complex and elegant, Bourgogne like Barolo. The nose is complex and has developed with cardamom, malt, dried rose, sweet strawberries. The color is very vibrant with no brown edges. The flavor follows and raspberry and black cherries developed by aeration. Perfect harmony with sweet spices in the finish. Clearly wild yeasts. Silky texture and intensity is due to dry extract not to the 13% alcohol. The acidity is bright and uplifting. 95-6/100
2010 Castello Potentino “Piropo” Pinot Noir
Really good. It has a perfumed nose with dried herbs and wild mushrooms and red fruits. It is concentrated on the palette with good fruit, mineral, lively acidity and peppery finish. Not overextracted but has weight. I would have guessed a Pommard rather than Seggiano PN from high altitude vineyards. 14%. 91/100
2010 Casavyc, Temerario Pinot Noir
3 times more expensive than Piropo but I will give the edge to the less expensive one. It has a dark color and a little barrique in the aroma. Dark berries and nice, silky texture. It is elegant and rich in various forest berries but the finish is a touch woody and displays dry-green tannins. Opened up in glass and displayed griotte. 89-90/100
1971 Castell’in Villa Chianti, Riserva.
What an incredible Chianti from old vines and before the whole region started catering to international taste. Light red brick edges. Fungus, dried herbs, spice and wild berries aroma. Elegant and very smooth on the palette with lively acidity. Fruit is esp. complex. Finish lasts more than a minute and leaves a sensual impression. Fruit is neither sweet nor tart, like a Bourgogne Grand Cru. 13%. At its peak but will stay there a few more years. 97-8/100
1993 Sandrone, Barolo, Cannubi Boschis
Oak is still too apparent. It is elegant and Burgundy like with sweet fruit nose and red fruit on the palette with creamy texture. The finish is smooth. At its peak but acidity will keep it many more years. 92/100
2009 Poggio di Sotto, Rosso di Montalcino
Tar, coffee, slightly earthy and spicy nose. Nice balance between acid and fruit. Red and black berries are on the ripe side. It is giving pleasure accompanied by local pici. 14%. 91/100
2007 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino
Dry herbs, sage, earthy, red currant aroma. Structured and elegant with nicely integrated tannins. Light on its feet but intense fruit and long and layered finish. A complex brunello which should develop very well. 14%. 93-4+/100
2011 Myo, Friuli Orientale, Schiopettino
Dark red fruit, pit cherry. Overall round and enjoyable with good acidity. Medium long finish. There is a bitter edge to the fruit which is pleasant. 90-91/100
2007 Bressan, Schiopettino
Bright ruby color. Black and white pepper, absinthe, licorice nose. Quite juicy with raspberry and blackberry. Elegant and round. Perfect integration of oak. The fruit goes back and forth between ripe blackberry, black cherry and tart strawberry. Lean and focused. The entry is ripe with sommer berries, buffered by good acidity. Spicy finish. Last impression is fresh, tannins have melted. Sweet and round and at its peak. 93-4/100
2011 Emilio Pepe, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Dark color. Slightly sur mature. Kirsch. Peppery, mace, dried herbs and anise aroma. Concentrated but not heavy, very good acidity. Yummy palate with black cherry, organic blueberry, black berry. Some herbs unfold on the palette but the wine is not green. Tannins are integrated. 13.5% alcohol but feels higher as sweetness comes from old vines, not alcohol. Wild yeast and fermented in cement tanks without temperature control. Minerality developed in the finish. 94/100
1995 Castello Banfi, Poggio all’Oro, Brunello.
International style with evident aggressive oak. The fruit is ripe, a touch jammy, tannins have melted. Acidity is good. Kirsch fruit. Finish has some class with an earthy component. At its peak. 89/100
2011 Pietradolce, Vigna Barbagalli, Mount Etna, “Prephylloxera”.
One of the 2 best Etna Nerello Mascalese red I have tasted (the other is Graci Quota 1000). The aroma is a cross between Chambolle Amoureuses and Cote Rotie. It has spice, blood, wild herbs. The palette is more Chambolle with a meaty yet elegant texture and captivating sweet but not jammy red and black berries. Light, elegant and complex. It is treated very gently and aged in tonneaux. The fruit is very delicate and the finish is very long with powdered small perfumed strawberry and raspberry as well as sweet, Asian spices. Sensual. 95-96/100
2008 Outis, Etna Rosso
80% Nerello Mascalese, 20% Nerello Capucino. Bright red fruit, lively and nice herbal component. Cherry and cranberry. Mace, cardamom like spices in the finish. Tannins are hidden. I liked the underextraction, the opposite of Benanti reds. 92/100
2009 Dona Noir, Hartmann Dona, Pinot Noir, Aldo Adige
Medium red and bright color. Soft spices and sweet berries. Fresh and light on the palette but it has presence. The finish is medium long with fresh berries and without a hint of greenness or oak. Elegant. I may have guessed this to be a Volnay. 92/100
2005 Sassella, Valtellina Superiore, “Ultimi Raggi”
Lavender, rose, wild berries and plum aroma. Juicy. Tannins are present but soft. Good structure. Quite lean for Nebbiolo. Rich fruit. The finish is more sweet than first entry with earth and mineral tones. Nice acidity. It developed in glass. 93/100
2008 Terre Nerra Guardiola, Etna
Too jammy. Bad example of Nerello Mascalese. Avoid it!
2008 Occhipinti, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Grotte Alte
Sweet red fruit and sage, thyme aroma with some rose petal nuances. Light palette with good acidity and tart berries. The finish is complex with earth, spice and herbs and underbrush. Light on its feet but vibrant. It is a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato (I would have guessed Loire Cabernet Franc). The second day the wine added on weight and an earthy, fungus and humus like character came to the fore and the fruit became sweeter and more delineated. Has character. 92-3/100
2012 Occhipinti, Il Frappato
Freshly cut grass and herbs, soft spices, cranberry, cinnamon and ginger aroma. Light and zippy with cranberry, raspberry and the finish is short to medium and aftertaste is pleasantly green. 12.5%. 90/100
2008 Le Macchiole, Messorio
Dark color. Charred wood, crème de cassis and licorice nose (from barrique?). Lush, smooth tannins and persistent. What I like is that the fruit is buried in iron minerality and it is concentrated w/o being heavy. Very good Bolgheri Merlot. 14.5%. 92/100
2009 Terra di Lavoro
Coffee, chocolate, plum, leather, cassis, licorice and polished wood aroma. Sweet and round tannins, forward fruit. It displays complexity and terroir and the medium long finish has tobacco, black pepper and leather nuances. Should evolve well and may be an interesting ringer in a blind Bordeaux tasting. 93/100
2006 Masseto
Coffee, bitter chocolate, clove and cinnamon aroma. It is not monolithic on the palette as some others I tasted but rather complex with an interplay of fruit and earthy backbone. Tannins are buried in fruit and the oak is well integrated. One of the best Masseto and it should improve in the coming decades. Sexy. 94+/100
Other Masseto tasted:
2004 Masseto: 93/100
2007 Masseto: 91/100
2009 Masseto: 89/100