There’s a soft, almost plush mouthfeel and a creamy quality to this wine’s aromas and flavors. The dark cherry fruit sports both chocolate and vanilla accents. A touch of espresso on the finish is accompanied by full but soft tannins, giving this wine the structure to age a few years.
— W.E.
(4/1/2001)
Some toasty oak starts it on its way, and in support is some dried red fruit. A sweet and puckery berry-driven palate leads you to a mildly lean but still cuddly finish, while overall it’s modern and shows a fair amount of pop and zest. That said, the wine backs off a touch at the end.
— M.S.
(11/15/2003)
Fairly intense, with mineral notes to the deep plum and black-cherry nose. Raspberry and toast flavors lead into a smooth and supple finish that’s a touch tangy and tart. Lacks a great wine’s depth of flavor, but it’s pretty good nonetheless. A blend of Sangiovese and Merlot.
— M.S.
(11/15/2003)
The tart cherry and earth flavors here have a green hay-like note around the edges. It’s a touch light, but the fruit is decent and it’s not buried under massive doses of oak. The medium-length finish has modest tannins. Drink now.
— W.E.
(4/1/2001)
This wine makes an interesting contrast to the rest of the Coli line, which is otherwise very traditional in style. Pratale is a modern style, with a vibrant purple color and scents of cherries, cream and vanilla, backed up by tobacco and tea leaves on the finish.
(11/1/2002)
Light and well balanced, this is nice entry-level juice with a classic Chianti flavor profile of cherries, herbs and earth. Even finishes with a little length and some spicy notes. Drink now through 2002.
— W.E.
(4/1/2001)
This is an example of what Coli does best: A light, fruity wine that would be perfect washing down some fried calamari. The lemon and pear flavors have just enough acidity to ready your palate for the next bite, while the finish displays a moderately rich, dusty texture.
— W.E.
(11/1/2002)
From a small plot within the Brunello region, Coli makes approximately 1,000 cases of this wine per year, aged traditionally for 48 months in oak. Soft and light for a Brunello, it’s still a good wine, with pretty aromas of tobacco, earth and tart cherries.
— W.E.
(11/1/2002)