Encouraging from the beginning, where aromas of cherry, plum, wood grain, lemon peel and olive draw you in. Deep and pure on the palate, with ultraripe, defined and delicious red-fruit flavors. Smooth and lasting, with mouthfilling tannins and snap.
— M.S.
(9/1/2006)
Just reaches the cut of excellence with its attractively stewed nose that packs in plenty of blueberry and other jammy dark-fruit aromas. Well-oaked but not overdone, with cherry, cassis, tobacco and chocolate all in equal, balanced portions. Villa La Selva is a good label with true-to-form Tuscan wines; its blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet is on the money.
— M.S.
(9/1/2006)
Some tobacco, vanilla and toasty oak mingle with rich black fruit on the bouquet. The palate offers plum and berry fruit along with some black pepper. A fruity 100% Cabernet with a chocolate- and coffee-tinged finish.
— M.S.
(11/15/2003)
Here’s a super Tuscan that’s made for food, not fireside sipping. It’s full of red fruit, mostly currants and plum. There’s a menthol/eucalyptus element in there as well. It’s already into its aging process and it’ll be at its best in another couple of years. However, for a well-regarded wine that’s all Cabernet, it is a tad thin in the middle.
— M.S.
(8/1/2002)
Round and powerful, she’s a brick house. This wine features a tough exterior with a piercing streak of ripe cherry running through the middle. Boxed-in cherry and raspberry flavors grace the firm palate, and there’s more than enough tannins to the starching finish. Now it’s probably better with food; in a couple of years it should soften up. —M.S.
— M.S.
(12/31/2002)
Chunky and meaty, with broad fruit spread across a full bouquet. The palate deals a wave of cherry-cola and plum before a clean, fruity finish. An upright wine with snappy acids and tasty core flavors. A good food wine for sure.
— M.S.
(10/1/2004)
This 100% Tuscan Cabernet has struggled for ripeness in the past couple of vintages, and the 1998 is fairly green at the core. Beyond that it has a nice feel and racy tannins. But the murky, somewhat underripe flavor profile is a hurdle that it just can’t clear. This type of wine makes one wonder about Cabernet’s performance in central Tuscany. —M.S.
— M.S.
(12/31/2002)