Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A balanced and delicious red now with plum and light clove character. Hints of volcanic ash. Full body, soft tannins and a fruity finish. Very reserved and refined. Firmness at the end. Drink now or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Serpico is a bold, larger-than-life wine, with beautiful aromatic intensity and notes of black fruit, espresso and crushed granite. Some 18 months of oak aging adds elements of dark spice and smoke; and the wine shows firm tannins and a long, polished mouthfeel. It's very elegant and should withstand many more years of cellar aging.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Serpico (Aglianico) is dark, powerful and intense. Black cherries, tar, asphalt and menthol are some of the nuances that emerge from this vibrant, tightly coiled Serpico. The 2008 will require cellaring, but the wine has a brilliant track record of repaying patience. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. Rating: 92+
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Wine Spectator
The dark and brooding flavors of brambly berry, underbrush, aged balsamic vinegar and black licorice are underscored by a rich note of tarry smoke in this burly red. The muscular tannins clamp down on the finish. Needs some time. Best from 2015 through 2023.
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.