Winemaker Notes
Leafy underbrush, new leather, dark berry and chopped herb aromas waft out of the glass. The fresh palate doles out succulent wild cherry, ripe raspberry, white pepper and cinnamon notes, blanketed in smooth, round tannins. A licorice note caps off the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose has the bite of red apple skin, hibiscus tea and cranberry, while the palate keeps those tangy, high-toned red fruit notes but also adds the warmth of dried cherries and wild strawberries, as well as the sweetness of milk chocolate. Zippy acidity adds a playful energy
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James Suckling
Compact and savory wine with dark fruit, ground cloves, dried rose petals and a hint of cured meat. Medium body with sturdy tannins and fresh acidity. Cedar aftertaste. A few years will soften it out.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe flavors of cherry, blackberry, plum and earth highlight this red. Muscular tannins emerge on the expanding finish, leaving a solid grip. The balance tips toward the tannins, with a subtle hint of fruit. Best from 2027 through 2042. 5,400 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.
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Vinous
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is rich and darkly floral with a whiff of dark chocolate and violet pastille that gives way to crushed blackberries. This is soft and enveloping with tart red berry fruits that saturate as a coating of fine tannins mounts toward the close. It finishes staining, long and structured with a licorice note and hints of cedar lingering on.
Italian Red Wine
While picturesque hillsides, endless coastlines and a favorable climate serve to unify the grape-growing culture of this country. The apparent never-ending world of indigenous grape varieties gives Italy an unexampled charm and allure for its red wines. From the steep inclines of the Alps to the sprawling, warm, coastal plains of the south, red grape varieties thrive throughout.
The kings of Italy, wines like Barolo and Barbaresco (made of Nebbiolo), and Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino (made of Sangiovese), as well as Amarone (mostly Corvina), play center stage for the most lauded, collected and cellar-worthy reds. Less popular but entirely deserving of as much praise are the wines made from Aglianico, Sagrantino and Nerello Mascalese.
For those accustomed to drinking New World reds, the south is the place to start. Grapes like Negroamaro or Primitvo from Puglia and Nero d’Avola from Sicily make soft, ammicable, full-bodied, fruit-dominant wines. Curious palates should be on the lookout for Cannonau (Grenache), Lagrein, Teroldego, Ruché, Freisa, Cesanese, Schiopettino, Rossese and Gaglioppo to name a few.