Category Archives: Tuscany

Red wines from France and Italy

Louis Latour, Marsannay, Rouge 2007 The nose displays earthiness and meatiness upon first opening with a bit of black fruit in the background. In the mouth it is quite hard at this point in time. Mis en bouteille a Beaune … Continue reading

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Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2006

Isole e Olena, Chianti Classico 2006 Cherries and cranberries mark the nose with a touch of earth and smoke. In the mouth it is perfectly tart, light-bodied and ready to accompany roasted chicken. There’s long, lingering cherry flavor and acidity … Continue reading

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Casa Alle Vacche Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2009

Casa Alle Vacche, Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2009 The nose offers minerality, hay and citrus fruits. In the mouth you’ll find the expected acidity, in a lean format with a bit of roundness on the edges. The grape behind this … Continue reading

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Tuscany’s Wine Classics

Castello della Paneretta, Chianti Clasico 2006 The nose shows baked cherries and brown spices. In the mouth the cherry fruit is quite vibrant as is the acidity which matches it – nice.The grapes behind this wine are 90% Sangiovese and … Continue reading

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Coltibuono Chianti Classico 2007

Badia a Coltibuono, Chianti Classico 2007 The nose sports cherries and caramel with some raisins – clean and inviting. In the mouth the acidity is vibrant, the tannins are there yet ripe and there is a creaminess as well – … Continue reading

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Paradiso Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2008

Il Poderi del Paradiso, Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2008 Unfortunately this wine is aging prematurely, featuring a golden color and the smell of ethyl acetate. We’ll try another bottle soon to see if this was a failure of the seal … Continue reading

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La Rasina Brunello 2004

La Rasina, Brunello di Montalcino 2004 This wine smells as if you’ve walked into a room filled with spices, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and more. In the mouth you’ll find lots of extract, a wine that is dense and acidic yet … Continue reading

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Avignonesi Vino Nobile 2006

Avignonesi, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2006 In April, the nose spoke Old World with a bit of funkiness. In the mouth this Vino Nobile shined, concentrated, tannic and possessing electrifying acidity that accentuated the cherry fruit – very nice. I … Continue reading

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Frescobaldi Toscana Remole 2008

Frescobaldi, Toscana IGT, Remole 2008 This wine is fresh and fruit forward, ready to drink, a light-bodied quaffer which demonstrates that clean and juicy wine is not the exclusive realm of New World producers. Behind the bright cherry fruit is … Continue reading

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Frescobaldi Nipozzano Riserva 2006

Marchesi de Frescobaldi, Chianti Rufina DOCG, Nipozzano, Riserva 2006 Unfortunately the first bottle was corked and will make a good example for my seminar on wine faults. The second bottle shows the huge difference a cork can make. In bottle … Continue reading

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