Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackcurrants, plum liqueur, Chinese spices and a hint of mint. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fruity finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Heady aromas suggesting grilled herb, sea breeze, wild berry and eucalyptus lead the nose. Made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot, the tightly knit palate offers dried black cherry, red currant, white pepper and star anise framed in taut, fine-grained tannins.
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Wine & Spirits
The Capalbo family, owners of Campania’s Feudi di San Gregorio, acquired this 37-acre estate on the Tuscan coast in 2016. This is their first release of Stupore, a blend of merlot with 20 percent each of syrah and petit verdot and 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. Its lifted aromas of bay leaf and bergamot lead into flavors of red currants edged with orange zest, a mid-weight red with grace.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
An outstanding wine region made famous by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines for his own consumption in 1940s on his San Guido estate, and called the resulting wine, Sassicaia. Today the region’s Tuscan reds are based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can be made as single varietal wines or blends. The local Sangiovese can make up no more than 50% of the blends. Today Sassicaia has its own DOC designation within the Bogheri DOC appellation.