Showing items 1 through 10
of 14,735
-
- 100
- $460
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2007 Masseto Merlot (Toscana)
A perfect wine from a classic vintage, the 2007 Masseto (100% Merlot from a 17-acre vineyard of the same name) opens with an unabashedly opulent bouquet of delicious blackberry, cherry, chocolate, vanilla, exotic spice and cinnamon. Masseto excels both in terms of quality of fruit and winemaking and delivers plush, velvety tannins and an extra long, supple finish. It will make a special and valuable collection to your cellar. — M.L. (12/15/2010) — 100 -
- 100
- $210
Avignonesi 1995 Occhio di Pernice Prugnolo Gentile (Vin Santo di Montepulciano)
Thick as molasses and dark as caramelized brown sugar, the wine oozes out of the bottle releasing concentrated aromas of butterscotch, toffee, honey, licorice, coffee, resin and maple syrup. Grapes from the Montepulciano area are dried in a ventilated room and the wine ages over 10 years in tiny oak barrels resulting in thick, dark concentration. Don’t pair it with food: Vin Santo as good as this deserves to be enjoyed alone, as a so-called “meditation wine.” — M.L. (3/1/2008) — 100 -
- 99
- $440
Gaja 2007 Sorì Tildìn Nebbiolo (Langhe)
This is an elegant Nebbiolo-based wine and arguably the most feminine of Gaja’s newest releases. There’s extreme balance and sophistication evident in the focused aromas of wild berry, white licorice, pressed violets and polished stone. The mouthfeel is tight, firm and those tannins need at least 10 more years to soften in your cellar. Beautiful. — M.L. (5/1/2011) — 99 -
- 99
- $320
Le Macchiole 2007 Messorio Merlot (Toscana)
Here’s a “wow” wine you won’t easily forget. Messorio is all Merlot, and happily delivers the softness, richness and overall opulence that we love in this noble grape variety. What elevates this particular expression and vintage is the true elegance and sophistication evident here. This is a huge wine, but it’s not exaggerated and the finish is as long and smooth as they come. — M.L. (12/15/2010) — 99 -
- 99
- $237
Avignonesi 1997 Occhio di Pernice Prugnolo Gentile (Vin Santo di Montepulciano)
This sweet wine from Italy is guaranteed to blow your socks off. Its thickness and density resembles concentrated maple syrup or molasses. It is made with Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese) grapes that are air-dried and then aged in small wood containers for many careful years. The gorgeous aromas include roasted chestnuts, brown sugar, prunes and sweet figs and you can sense the power too. — M.L. (7/1/2010) — 99 -
- 99
- $250
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2004 Masseto Merlot (Toscana)
Even better than the highly acclaimed 2001 vintage, this Merlot from a tiny, clay soil vineyard in Bolgheri is just about everything you’ve ever dreamed of tasting. Gorgeous, generous, voluptuous, cheerful, succulent and intense: Masseto is all those things. The aromas are seamless and capture the essence of chocolate fudge, sweet cherry, blackberry, spice and vanilla. It boasts thick, dense extraction, excellent structure and amazing persistence. — M.L. (4/1/2008) — 99 -
- 99
- $440
Gaja 2007 Sorì San Lorenzo Nebbiolo (Langhe)
Always a standout among Gaja’s five single-vineyard wines, Sorì San Lorenzo benefits from an excellent vintage to produce what will surely become a must-have bottle for collectors of Italian wine. There’s enormous beauty and elegance here, backed by power and intensity with ripe fruit, spice, toasted nut and cola. It also shows impressive linearity and focus. Hold for 10 years or more. — M.L. (5/1/2011) — 99 -
- 99
- $200
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2007 Ornellaia Red Blend (Bolgheri Superiore)
The 2007 Ornellaia is a masterpiece blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a tiny element of Petit Verdot. The intensity and purity are outstanding and the wine delivers beautiful notes of chocolate, black cherry, leather, cedar and spice. It’s a big, modern expression that closes long with luscious softness and opulent fruit. Hold 10 years or more. — M.L. (12/15/2010) — 99 -
- 98
- $135
Fattoria Petrolo 2007 Galatrona Merlot (Toscana)
Galatrona is an opulent, gorgeous wine (from the excellent 2007) vintage that shows the very best of Merlot in Italy. Thanks to a unique growing climate located between Florence, Siena and Arezzo, as well as extremely low vineyard yields, the wine feels soft and velvety and imparts long-lasting flavors of black cherry, lively spice, tobacco and cigar box. The true beauty of Galatrona is that it shows all the passion and enthusiasm of its very talented winemaker. — M.L. (12/15/2010) — 98 -
- 98
- $102
Marchesi Antinori 2008 Guado al Tasso Red Blend (Bolgheri Superiore)
Here’s a “wow” wine on every level, with incredible intensity and supple softness that builds momentum over many long minutes. A sweet cherry note at the core is surrounded by lush layers of tobacco, dark chocolate and spice, which promise to evolve gracefully over years to come. — M.L. (2/1/2012) — 98
Showing items 1 through 10
of 14,735
Chocolate Box
Shiraz, Barossa Valley
Lush and appealing, this is one of the more appropriately named of the…Read More