Luscious, modern, intense and powerful: This is a blockbuster 50-50 blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon created by enologist Vittorio Fiore. The wine opens with dark concentration and segues to rich aromas of black fruit, spice, espresso and leather. There are also milky tones of chocolate and blueberry that appear over the wine’s smooth, sweet finish.
— M.L.
(9/1/2009)
This is a deep wine with rich notes of barbecue, smoke and hickory over black fruit and spice. Nothing is overblown or out of proportion and the wine offers solid fruit notes in the mouth backed by good freshness and spice.
— M.L.
(9/1/2009)
This deeply garnet-colored wine offers a very perfumed bouquet of church incense and potpourri. You’ll also get background tones of Indian spice, dried lavender and hickory smoke. The wine is supple and smooth on the close.
— M.L.
(9/1/2009)
Here’s a healthy, ruby-colored wine with fragrant notes of pressed rose, potpourri and exotic spice. There’s a fruit element, too, that recalls wild berries and black cherry. The mouthfeel is smooth, dense and slightly bitter.
— M.L.
(9/1/2009)
Here’s an oak-driven Sauvignon Blanc from the 2004 vintage with a thick layer of toast, nut and campfire that play a leading role and leave little room for the wine’s natural fruit and floral tones. Those carpentry notes also dominate the mouthfeel and add a piquant touch of exotic spice on the close. That said, this white wine has held very well over the years.
— M.L.
(9/1/2009)
Aged in oak casks for almost one year, this carefully aged Sauvignon Blanc presents a unique window on the potential longevity of white wines from central Italy. It opens with an off-gold color and citrusy aromas of pink grapefruit and lemon peel. The mouthfeel is chewy, dense and sticky.
— M.L.
(3/1/2012)
There are sharp and slightly nervous notes here of bramble, wild berries, artichoke leaf and crushed white peppercorn. The wine is thin and streamlined with bright berry flavors on the close. Pair it with pasta and meat sauce.
— M.L.
(9/1/2009)
This wine boasts a delicate and understated nature with aromas of red forest berry fruit, spice and raspberry. The mouthfeel is smooth and easygoing and this informal Sangiovese would pair perfectly with stay-home pasta dinners.
— M.L.
(9/1/2009)