Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
What a crazy nose of pure fruit, featuring pressed violets, lavender, dark plums, cherry compote, orange rind, lemon zest, boysenberries, vanilla, Thai basil and bay leaf. The fruit is so overt and generous, yet presented in an unimaginably sleek way, the firm tannins keeping it compact and silky throughout, while the tangy acidity cuts right through to the long, structured finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
I followed the 2016 Il Carbonaione for three days and it only got better with air, its fruit gaining depth and richness, and its acidity becoming more integrated. However, it always offered ample upfront charm and grace as well as loads of pleasure. Possessing ripe cherries, strawberries, and even a hint of cassis in its fruit, it has lovely background notes of licorice, toasted spices, and blood orange. Medium-bodied and silky on the palate, it has a supple, seamless texture, nicely integrated acidity, and sweet tannins, all of which are beautifully balanced by the wines upfront fruit. This is an elegant yet also powerful expression of Sangiovese that has wonder depth and purity of fruit.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Vittorio Fiore's 2016 Il Carbonaione is a robust expression of Sangiovese from a classic vintage. The wine is carefully balanced but also powerful at the same time, with bright cherry and wild berry aromas followed by tilled earth and garden herb. You also get lighter tones of licorice and tar at the back. Despite the opulence and generosity of the bouquet, the wine ultimately proves lean and elegantly streamlined in terms of mouthfeel.
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Wine Spectator
A fruity style, boasting cherry and raspberry flavors and a light touch of oak spice. Leather, earth, iron and sanguine elements creep in as this gains air. Firms up, ending with a dusty finish. Sangiovese. Best from 2021 through 2033.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made with Sangiovese, this opens with aromas of dark-skinned berry, green peppercorn and leather. The savory palate delivers dried black cherry, clove, licorice and a touch of sage alongside firm fine-grained tannins.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.