Riebeek Sauvignon Blanc is 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Made in a definite herbaceous style, this Sauvignon Blanc also offers tropical undertones of gooseberries that add fruit to the palate. Well-balanced with zesty acidity; fresh & crisp.
Treated as reductively as possible. Juice settled for 2 weeks at -4 Celsius to give green lees contact. Blocks fermented separately to ensure a complex flavor profile after blending. After fermentation was completed, various wines were blended to obtain the best characteristics of each wine.
Very refreshing on its own and lovely with crisp salads, light seafood dishes, tapas, steamed green asparagus and aioli.
Riebeek Cellars Shiraz is made from 100% Shiraz.
Cold soaked for one day and then inoculated with selected yeast. Fermentation temperature was between 24 - 26 degree Celsius. Malolactic fermentation was done with French oak chips and American oak staves. This
was then blended with wine matured in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels for 12 months.
Often referred to as Shiraz Country, the Riebeek Valley is renowned for exceptional Shiraz wines. The Riebeek Shiraz is a lively rich wine, full bodied with a subdued smokiness on the nose and a pallet of ripe fruit and
interesting spice. Well-balanced and smooth, the aftertaste lingers with the exciting flavors of Christmas pudding.
Serve at room temperature. The perfect companion to barbequed lamb, filet medallions and game. Lovely with Springbok stuffed with bacon, garlic and rosemary and a great match to a cheese and preserves platter.
This unoaked style of Viognier offers an accessible wine with enough body but without wood flavors.
The color is a brilliant green-gold and the style is dry but fruity. The perfume of a floral bouquet greets the nose and follows through with lovely tropical flavors in a light but lingering palate.
Free run juice was used. After settling and acid adjustment, it was inoculated with selected yeast. Fermentation temperature stayed between 13-14 degree Celsius. Wine was left on lees for few months prior to bottling to enhance the flavor. Alcohol: 13.82% Residual Sugar: 3.4 Total Acidity: 5.3 pH: 3.5
Slightly chilled. Lovely with most entrees - from crisp salads to creamy soups. Beautiful with chicken and fish - whether served grilled or in a creamy sauce.
Rinaldi Barbera d' Asti La Bricca is made from 100% Barbera d'Asti.
"Bricca" means the top part of the hill. (see picture of the vineyards)
La Bricca is a deep, ruby-red colored wine with violet hues. The bouquet is vinous and intense with ethereal aromas (typical of the Barbera grape) and scents of ripe fruit and spices. The wine is full-bodied with very pleasant silky tannins. Long and harmonious with a good aging potential.
Enjoy it with meat dishes, rich pasta, risotto and well-aged cheeses. To appreciate the wine at its best, the bottle should be left at least 24 hours at room temperature and opened 1 hour before serving.
Deep red with a slight purple hue on release. The wine has a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive on the nose. The palate is expansive, and yet balanced and finessed. An amalgam of dark berried flavors and textural sensations. The 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.
Slowly the tide turned, Australians began drinking more wine and Dad with his uncanny ability to select and plant Clifton Park with the grape varieties of the future, saw fortunes change for Clifton Park and the Thorn family. I loved my Dad's wry sense of humor and his work ethic was an inspiration to us all.
"My father, Ron, was born in 1923 at the Angaston Hospital not far from where the Thorn-Clarke Winery is currently located. He was the fourth born of the nine children my grandparents raised at Clifton Park in the Eden Valley Ranges. Dad's great-grandparents took up farming land in the Barossa in the 1840's and purchased Clifton Park, where Dad grew up, in the 1870's. To this day, Clifton Park remains in the Thorn family and the 1870's vineyard still produces quality fruit.
As the family grew, Dad showed tenacity and judgment by pulling out orchards and extending the family vineyards. During the 1950's, 60's, and 70's, times were testing for a family business based on dry land horticulture and mixed farming. Dad's strong work ethic proved an invaluable asset during the tough years on the farm and he traveled widely as a shearer, drove bulldozers and worked at the local cement works to support his family.
Ron Thorn Shiraz is made from the best fruit that we grow and is produced only in exceptional years. This wine is given the benefit of 20 months barrel maturation and 12 months in bottle prior to release. This is our tribute to Dad's life and his contribution to the Thorn-Clarke story." - Cheryl Thorn Clarke
Review:
Deep red with a slight purple hue on release. The wine has a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive on the nose. The palate is expansive, and yet balanced and finessed. An amalgam of dark berried flavors and textural sensations. The 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.
Parcels of fruit for this wine were identified in the vineyard by the winemakers. Daily fruit inspection led to the fruit being harvested at optimum flavor ripeness. The fruit was harvested at night and quickly transported to the winery. The fruit was destemmed to 6T open fermenters for fermentation. A Shiraz specific yeast was selected to ferment the wine and fermentation was carried out at a maximum of 28°C. The fermenter was manually pumped over twice daily in the first half of fermentation to give the winemakers control of color, flavor and tannin extraction. Pump over regimes were adjusted toward the end of fermentation to suit the tannin and flavor extraction of the wine. The cap was completely broken up on each pump over. The wine remained in fermenters for 6-8 days (dependent on parcel) before being pressed, inoculated with malolactic bacteria and filled to American oak (100% new barrels). The wine was racked post malolactic fermentation and returned to the same barrels. The wine was topped every month and after six months racked and returned to the same barrels again. Prior to bottling the parcels were emptied from oak and blended. Minimal fining and filtration was carried out prior to bottling.
Review:
Only made in top vintages, the 2019 Shiraz Ron Thorn is 100% Shiraz from the St. Kitts Vineyard in Barossa. Killer notes of blackberries, black cherries, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and subtle menthol all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, layered mouthfeel, huge mid-palate depth, and a salty, decadent style on the finish. This monster of a Shiraz stays balanced and light on its feet and is beautifully done.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
The Royal Chenin Blanc Old Vines Steen is 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
As the unofficial drink of the Riebeek Valley, Chenin Blanc is the perfect every day wine that offers uncomplicated quality for the novice and connoisseur alike. Packed with upfront melon fruit, the nose charms with an abundance of guava and gooseberries as well as the signature hint of honey. The palate follows through with fruit flavors balanced by a crisp acid to ensure a fresh and fruity style of wine.
Enjoy well-chilled as a lovely crisp glass on its own but ideal for al fresco dining and with light summer fare. Beautiful with salads, anti pasti and seafood.
Rubus Brut Blanc de Blanc NV is made from 1/3 Ugni Blanc, 1/3 Airen, 1/3 Muscat .
The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.
Elegant pale yellow color with fine bubbles. Floral and fruity on the nose, with aromas of fresh butter and cake. On the palate, the wine is crisp and harmonious - a delightful sparkling wine.
Machine harvest. The base wine is fermented at a low temperature. The second fermentation takes place at 14°C for 2 weeks, followed by dosing.
SALE!
Lodi, American Viticulture Area (AVA) – The Lodi AVA is located in the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley, Central Valley California, east of the San Francisco Bay. Lodi has warm days and cool nights, similar to the Mediterranean climate. The lower temperatures that occur in Lodi result in fruit with good acidity. A wide range of soils are found in the Lodi AVA, but they generally are deep, loamy, sandy, rocky soils similar to that found in southern Rhone valley.
The Lodi appellation totals almost one half million acres, and the approximately eight hundred growers farm roughly 90,000 acres. Lodi produces more Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel than any other wine region in California, but it is probably best known for its old vine Zinfandel. The vines are often head trained giving them a classic old world appearance.
Zinfandel – The Zinfandel grape is a hearty variety that produces grapes with high sugar levels, often resulting in wines with a high alcohol content. Thought to be a relative of Primitivo that is found in southeast of Italy (the boot heel), Zinfandel can be made into a wide range of wine styles, including White Zinfandel, light or full bodied red wines, and even late harvest desert style wine. However Zinfandel, especially Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, is usually made into a full bodied, spicy red wine with characteristics of red fruit, raspberry, and cherry.
Produced in the heart of Lodi AVA.
Rubus Zinfandel Lodi is made from 98% Zinfandel + 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottled after aging in French and American oak for 9 months.
Rubus Zinfandel Lodi presents with ruby red in color, with red fruit, raspberry, and spice on the nose. This wine is medium in body, with notes of ripe cherry, cedar box, cinnamon, anise, black pepper, and hint of smoke on the palate. It has a long, silky finish.
Selected by Fran Kysela MS.
SALE!
Lodi, American Viticulture Area (AVA) – The Lodi AVA is located in the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley, Central Valley California, east of the San Francisco Bay. Lodi has warm days and cool nights, similar to the Mediterranean climate. The lower temperatures that occur in Lodi result in fruit with good acidity. A wide range of soils are found in the Lodi AVA, but they generally are deep, loamy, sandy, rocky soils similar to that found in southern Rhone valley.
The Lodi appellation totals almost one half million acres, and the approximately eight hundred growers farm roughly 90,000 acres. Lodi produces more Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel than any other wine region in California, but it is probably best known for its old vine Zinfandel. The vines are often head trained giving them a classic old world appearance.
Zinfandel – The Zinfandel grape is a hearty variety that produces grapes with high sugar levels, often resulting in wines with a high alcohol content. Thought to be a relative of Primitivo that is found in southeast of Italy (the boot heel), Zinfandel can be made into a wide range of wine styles, including White Zinfandel, light or full bodied red wines, and even late harvest desert style wine. However Zinfandel, especially Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, is usually made into a full bodied, spicy red wine with characteristics of red fruit, raspberry, and cherry.
Produced in the heart of Lodi AVA.
Rubus Zinfandel Lodi is made from 98% Zinfandel + 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottled after aging in French and American oak for 9 months.
Rubus Zinfandel Lodi presents with ruby red in color, with red fruit, raspberry, and spice on the nose. This wine is medium in body, with notes of ripe cherry, cedar box, cinnamon, anise, black pepper, and hint of smoke on the palate. It has a long, silky finish.
Selected by Fran Kysela MS.
Rubus Old Vine Zinfandel Reserve is made from 100 percent Zindandel.
The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.
Rubus Reserve Pinot Noir is sourced from Russian River Valley. It shows complexity with raspberry and cherry notes that dance on the tongue.
Rubus Special Edition Barossa Shiraz is made from 100 percent
The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.
Deep red with a slight purple hue on release. The wine has a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive on the nose. The palate is expansive, and yet balanced and finessed. An amalgam of dark berried flavors and textural sensations. The 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.
Sourced from Thorn-Clarke’s St Kitts vineyard (Block 7) in the far north of the Barossa, the Rubus Reserve demonstrates both the strengths of the region and the unique characters of the vineyard.
A thin layer of topsoil over weathered marble, schist and shale mean the vines work hard to source water and nutrients. The result is naturally low yields concentrating the power and density of the fruit. Diurnal temperature variation is another important aspect of St. Kitts. Warm daytime temperatures are followed by cool nights with variations of up to 30°C (55°F) from the peak during the day into the cool night minimums.
Review:
“Earthy detail develops in this sleek and juicy shiraz, a tarry streak under fresh plum and bruised strawberry. The tannins have gravity and precision, their bracing intensity and concentration integrated into what panelist David Hawkins described as “a big, powerful wine with great liveliness.” While suited to aging, this is accessible now if you’re grilling meats to serve with it.”
- Wine & Spirits (February 2023), 94 pts
"Made by Thorn-Clarke for the US market, this has a rich and vivid nose with blueberry, violet, dark plum and subtle oak spice in play. The palate has a succulent feel with plenty of rich, open-knit blackberry and blueberry flavor. Smoothly delivered tannins carry long and even. Drink over the next decade."
- James Suckling (November 2021), 94 pts
Ruffino Modus Primo Toscana IGT Italian Red Wine is the evolution of Modus, showcasing quality fruit from three Tuscan vineyards on Ruffino's Poggio Casciano Estate, each one representing the best that this centuries-old wine region terroir has to offer. This Ruffino wine opens with a bouquet of ripe cherries and orange zest, followed by layered balsamic notes and spicy hints of sweet tobacco and vanilla.
Review:
Ripe and lively in its sensory profile, it shows notes of black plums, blackberries, sage and laurel. Juniper berries describe the secondary scene. Full body, elegant and relaxed on the palate, it closes modern and captivating. Better from 2023.
-WineCritic.com 94 Points
Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Rouge is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% Cinsault.
Saint Cosme Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from three climats, the most famous of which is the plateau of La Crau with its distinctive galets over clay, bringing power and structure to the blend. The climats of Valori and Christia are on sandy soils, giving the wine its perfume and freshness. The wine is a blend of Grenache Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsaut, made with whole cluster fermentation from indigenous yeasts, is aged for 24 months in old 228-liter barrels, and bottled without fining or filtration.
Woodsy honeycomb, nutshell, and mushroom patch aromas with a satiny fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body and a delicate savory mushroom stock, chestnut, and golden beet driven finish. A fine choice for tempura. 91 Points -Beverage Tasting Institute
RATING: 91 points (Exceptional)
CATEGORY: Junmai Ginjo Sake, Sake
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 15.4%
TASTING LOCATION: In Our Chicago Tasting Room
TASTING DATE: Dec-05-2012
WINE ID: 200767
Shibumi Knoll Chardonnay Corazon del Rio is made from 100% Chardonnay aged 14 months in 20% new French oak.
Review:
“The 2021 Chardonnay Corazon Del Rio Vineyard is another brilliant Chardonnay (these are all made by Thomas Rivers Brown) from the Russian River Valley. Bright citrus, honeyed flowers, and subtle toasty oak notes define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, has a fresh, focused mouthfeel, terrific balance, and a great finish. I'd be thrilled with bottles in the cellar.”
-Jeb Dunnuck, 95 points
Siegel Ketran Red Blend is made from 35% Syrah, 30% Petit Verdot, 25% Carmenere, 10% Cabernet Franc
Ketran is coming from the Mapuche Language and it means "plowed earth". In fact, Earth was plowed by fire from the volcanic acitivity. Ketran is a tribute to the volcanic soils that gave birth to the fantastic terroir of Los Lingues, located at the foothills of the “Cordillera de los Andes".
The wine is clean and bright in color.
The wine displays a very aromatic and elegant nose of ripe black fruit, prune and dried fig.
The mouthfeel is smooth and the length to the finish is quite exceptionnal, with sweet and fleshy tannins, balanced by a perfectly integrated acidity which gives the wine some freshness and emphasizes the presence of fruit and its ability to age.
Coming from the volcanic soils of Los Lingues, at the foothills of the Andes mountain.
The wine went through ML fermentation, it was then aged 24 months in French Oak barrels.
The wine has been slightly filtered before bottling.
Review:
"2014 is the second release of Siegel's top red wine, made from a four-way cuvée of Syrah, Petit Verdot, Carmenère and Cabernet Franc. Plush, spicy and smoothly oaked, with some tannic backbone and a glossy finish. Needs time. 2021-30"
- Tim Atkin MW (Chile 2019 Special Report), 94 pts
Ketran is Siegel’s most ambitious wine. Debuting with the 2013 vintage, it’s a selection of the best barrel lots from Los Lingues in the Andean zone of Colchagua. The blend works very well, especially if you let the wine breathe for a few hours beforehand. The oak steps aside, and the aromas of fruit and herbs take over in a red with firm, sharp tannic structure that leaves room for the acidity—not very prominent in a warm year, but still present—to achieve balance. This blend is for the cellar.
-Patricio Tapia - Descorchados 94 Points
This is a 6 pack with 2 bottles each from vintages from 2013, 2015, and 2016.
***Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino 2016:
The 2016 Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino is the most brooding of the lineup from Val di Suga and is sourced from the southwest of the region on sandy soils. There are aromatics of black raspberry, licorice, menthol, sage, cinnamon, and iron-rich earth. Its Mediterranean influence is felt on the palate with ripe black cherry, dried herbs, and sun-baked earth. This is the fullest bodied and most savory of the Val di Suga lineup, with more roundness and grip. Its structure will benefit from cellaring for several years and will be great drinking over the next 20 years or more. 2026-2040.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
***Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino 2015:
The 2015 Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino is more introverted on first opening, with notes of black plum, licorice, dried Mediterranean herb, and sun-baked earth. On the palate, it offers a tart dried fruit character, with a building tannin structure that finishes with tomato leaf, and bitter herbs. The most rustic and burly of the wines in the lineup of the 2015 Val di Suga vintage, it will benefit from allowing some time in cellar to see how this matures and its tarriness develops. Drink 2026-2036
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
***Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino 2013:
Plenty of spices and fresh herbs on the nose, such as dried rosemary and nutmeg, to match the underlying dried redcurrants and cranberries. Full-bodied with plenty of concentration, but still shows a very sturdy, tannin backbone and punchy acidity, to drive this through to a long finish. Drink in 2021.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Thierry Mortet Gevrey Chambertin Vigne Belle is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The wine is produced from 20 different parcels (3 hectares total). The soils are a mix of clay and silt.
The age of wines varies between 15 to 60 years.
Yield: 45 hl/ha
Production: 15,000 bottles on average.
Manual harvest with a selection of the grapes; sorting table; 100% destemming; maceration for 15 days, cold stabilization for 4-5 days; M-L.; racking twice a day. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks for 4 months. Aging in oak barrels for 12 months (new and 1 or 2 year old barrels). Kieselguhr filtration before bottling.
The wine offers a subtle and complex nose. It displays a sweet and delicate mouthfeel. Very nice wine with black fruit aromas. Dense, good concentration. Good length and well integrated oak.
Thierry Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The wine is produced from 20 different parcels (3 hectares total). The soils are a mix of clay and silt.
The age of wines varies between 15 to 60 years.
Yield: 45 hl/ha
Production: 15,000 bottles on average.
Manual harvest with a selection of the grapes; sorting table; 100% destemming; maceration for 15 days, cold stabilization for 4-5 days; M-L.; racking twice a day. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks for 4 months. Aging in oak barrels for 12 months (new and 1 or 2 year old barrels). Kieselguhr filtration before bottling.
Liquorice, blackberry, red fruits flavors.
Excellent with meat, game and cheeses.
Thorn Clarke Shotfire GSM is made from 51% Grenache, 39% Shiraz, 10% Mourvedre.
The Shotfire range honors a family pioneer who worked the Barossa goldfields in the late 1800's. He had the hazardous job of being a 'Shotfirer'; one who handled the explosives to be used in finding that rich vein of gold.
A classic blend of the traditional stalwarts from the Barossa, this blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre is sourced from older low yielding vines.
Bright crimson in color with purple highlights at the edge of the glass. The nose is lifted and draws you in with ripe plum, mulberry and white pepper. The palate is plush and vibrant with cherries, forest fruits and enticing spice. As silky and smooth as it is complex and savory - the wine is beautifully balanced and juicy with great structure and generous mouthfeel. This classic GSM finishes with long, velvety tannins.
Each variety was destemmed and fermented separately - in small 6 tonne open fermenters - to allow full expression of varietal character. To ensure optimum extraction of tannins, color and flavor the Grenache was pumped over twice daily for a duration of 10 days and both the Shiraz and Mourvedre spent 7 days on skins with pump overs twice daily. Fermentation temperatures were maintained between 22-25 degrees to retain fruit purity. All batches were pressed off and once both primary alcoholic fermentation and secondary malolactic fermentation were complete the wines were then racked to new (10%) and 10 year old French hogsheads where the wines matured for a period of 18 months. Bench blends were created to ensure a harmonious final wine.
Pairs best with slow Cooked Lamb or Roasted Vegetable Medley.
Review:
"A generous Barossa red, this is gentle to the touch, impressive in the 2020 vintage. Blending grenache and shiraz with a little mataro, this starts of in the grip of the tarry tannins, then opens to floral fruit, the tannins and fruit seamlessly melted, like the taste of peppery strawberries. Pour it with lamb burgers. - Joshua GREENE"
- Wine & Spirits (Spring 2024), 93 pts , Best Buy
Hickinbotham Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Trueman represents Cabernet in Clarendon at its best. Its purity, its elegant style, its supple, polished nature ... it’s a wine of its own.Distinct in character, this is not like Cabernet from the Vales below or the hills to the east. From its pretty, delicate florals and musk, through to its silky blackcurrant and kalamata juice and down to its dark carbon soul - Trueman is a modern Cabernet that encapsulates all the toil and antiquity of Clarendon. Echoing the unearthed prose of wine writer Ebenezer Ward from 1886 on theCabernet sown from this very land – Trueman is “an excelled wine, of very marked flavor and bouquet”.
Review:
Deep garnet/purple, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hickinbotham Vineyard has a classic nose showing pronounced fresh blackcurrant and blackberry highlighted by cloves, menthol, pencil shavings and earth notes. Medium to full-bodied, taut and muscular, the palate has grainy tannins, nice freshness and a long finish.
-Wine Advocate 93 Points
Castellare di Castellina 'I Sodi di San Niccolo' Toscana IGT is a blend of Sangioveto (85%-90%) and Malvasia nera (15-10%)
Castellare’s top wine, ranked in the Wine Spectator Top 100 on multiple occasions and recognised with the prestigious Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri and Bidenda’s Cinque Grappoli ratings. The company takes great pride in demonstrating the greatness of the Sangioveto variety, paired with Malvasia Nera, achieving a worldwide position of sixth place.
Pairs well with cold cuts and meat rich in flavour, cheeses with a strong and aromatic taste, in particular, Pecorino Toscano and Parmigiano.
The masterpiece of Castellare, I Sodi di San Niccolo, has twice placed in the top 100 of Wine Spectator, and has been awarded “Three Glasses” by Il Gambero Rosso.
I Sodi di San Niccolo is produced solely with native varieties: 85-90% of Sangioveto and 10-15% of Malvasia Nera, I Sodi comes from the two best crus of the farm.
The word "I Sodi" was used by the Tuscan farmers to describe those grounds which had to be processed by hand, being too hard (in fact firm) or too steep to allow for the employment of the horses, unlike the "fields" that make the grounds more easily cultivable.
Reviews:
Clear ruby with a fine garnet sheen. Impressive nose, very finely drawn, aromas of juicy cherries, blood orange and dried thyme, some liquorice in the background. Polished and precise from the attack to the finish, finely-meshed, very well-integrated tannins, flows beautifully, finely worked out fruit, long finish.
-Falstaff 97 Points
Complex and deeply embedded aromas of ripe blackberries, spices and aromatic bark. Full-bodied and very firm for now, with impressive concentration of fruit and tannin. Very long, balanced finish. Great to taste now, but this is one for the cellar. Patience will be rewarded. Sangiovese and malvasia nera. This has always been a top Tuscan red. Best from 2027.
- James Suckling 96 Points
Super fragranced nose, patchouli, pot pourri, Turkish Delight, rose with caramelised red berries and a touch of smoke and incense - all quiet forward and expressive. The nose alone you could smell for hours such is its complexity and beguiling nature. Powerful and concentrated on the palate, this is broad and muscular, sinewy with depth and determination. Tannins are well integrated, really giving the support to the fruit and acidity, driving the flavours forward despite the clear weight and hold. Fragranced red berries continue on the palate with a touch of stone, graphite and matchstick. Rich and big on the mid palate, becoming more focussed towards the finish. Cleary well made with lots going on. Acidity is great, it's cool, clean, sleek and packed full of flavour. Almost too much, this is a big wine, so needs time, but has lots of appeal and mouthwatering freshness throughout. Released on the 9th March. Director and winemaker Alessandro Cellai.
- Decanter 96 Points