Published in August 2002

Wines, Spirits and Beers published in the August 2002 issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

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Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 1999 Ornellaia Red (Bolgheri)

Price $125

Spicy and full of cassis, tobacco and coffee aromas. Texture and mouthfeel are what this wine is all about; it is plush like velvet carpet. Deep, satisfying flavors of plum, black currant and vanilla lead into an ultrasmooth finish that is clean as a hospital emergency room. — M.S. (8/1/2002)

points

Talenti 1997 Sangiovese (Brunello di Montalcino)

Editors' Choice

Riccardo Talenti, grandson of Pierluigi Talenti, the grand old man of Montalcino, currently makes one of the finest Brunellos with the help of consultant Carlo Ferrini. They are now using new wood for aging, and the extra layer of richness this brings is apparent in the comparative accessibility of this wine. Yet it is also huge, with classic tannins and intense… — R.V. (8/1/2002)

points

Petra 1998 Riserva Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot (Toscana)

Price $50

Hailing from the town of Suvereto in the southern Maremma, this sophomore Cabernet-Merlot blend from the same owner as Bellavista and Contadi Castaldi in Franciacorta is flat-out awesome. One whiff of the bouquet says it all: earth, currant, blackberry and coffee. The palate is equally sensational—a magic carpet ride of plum fruit, pure oak and solid but forgiving… — M.S. (8/1/2002)

points

Antinori 1999 Guado al Tasso Red (Bolgheri)

Price $80

Fast becoming one of the world’s top luxury cuvées, this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Syrah is a complex amalgam of dry, classy fruit, herbal notes, smoked meat, black pepper and baking spices. Its calling card is its perfect body weight. It isn’t heavy or jammy, but it manages to offer tons of stuffing and a graceful finish loaded with the… — M.S. (8/1/2002)

points

Domaine Drouhin 1999 Louise Drouhin Pinot Noir

Cellar Selection

Price $45

This is the best Pinot Noir yet from the Drouhin estate; immensely concentrated and rich. The fruit is complex and penetrating, focused and long, layered throughout a generous and extended finish. Cherries and chocolate linger on the palate, resonating long after the wine has been swallowed. — P.G. (8/1/2002)

points

Tenuta di Sesta 1997 Sangiovese (Brunello di Montalcino)

Cellar Selection

Price $45

Sesta is one of the wines coming out of Montalcino that manages to combine the old-world power and tannin of Brunello with top-quality fruit flavors. It is firm and concentrated, showing dry tannins that go right through the palate. At the same time, there is delicious ripe, violet-flavored fruit and balancing acidity. Drink after 10 years. — R.V. (8/1/2002)

points

Borgo Scopeto 1998 Misciano - Riserva Sangiovese (Chianti Classico)

Price $35

The label reads Chianti, but this is more about deep, driving black fruit than typically racy Sangiovese. It kicks off with the purest scent of smashed berries, and then offers up a supercharged black-cherry-laden palate with far more hedonistic weight than starching acids. The wine finishes with power and warmth. — M.S. (8/1/2002)

points

Borgo Scopeto 1998 Borgonero Sangiovese (Toscana)

Price $35

This nuovo mondo Super Tuscan represents the first vintage of Borgo Scopeto under the management of Tenuta Caparzo, and it has a tremendous jammy, extracted quality to it, from the smooth, deep plum and blackberry nose to the soft, rich palate that exudes tons of black cherry fruit along with coffee and licorice. It’s a mix of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon… — M.S. (8/1/2002)

2008 PerryMoore Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

This is a lush, heady wine that’s full bodied and dry, with massive…

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