Winemaker Notes
Marciliano is best served with grilled steak, pot roasts, and balsamic grilled vegetables.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is intense and powerful, with loads of fruit and incredible berry, coffee and toasted oak character. Full throttle yet balanced and fresh. Loads going on. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best in 2014.
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Wine Enthusiast
Vintner Riccardo Cotarella's fantastic Cabernet-based Marciliano (both Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc are present) opens with an intense bouquet of red fruit, blackberry, oak spice and chocolate. The ripeness level is spot-on; and the wine leaves a smooth, soft sensation in the mouth that’s followed by firm, age-worthy tannins.
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Wine Spectator
Dark in color, showing dried herbs and currant on the nose, with licorice and blackberry. Full-bodied, with chewy, polished tannins and a long, juicy finish. Pretty and well-crafted. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2007 Cabernet Marciliano is a beautifully expressive wine. Dark plums, cassis, herbs and exotic spices come together in this racy, opulent Marciliano. All of the elements are nicely balanced and lead to a long, refreshing finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017.
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.