Tasting note: San Leonardo shows an intense ruby red color and nuances of garnet red color, little transparency. The nose reveals intense, clean, pleasing, refined and elegant aromas which start with hints of black currant, black cherry and plum followed by aromas of violet, vanilla, tobacco, licorice, chocolate, cigar box, clover, eucalyptus, mace and hints of black pepper. The mouth has very good correspondence to the nose, a tannic attack and however well balanced by alcohol, gull body, intense flavors, very agreeable. The finish is very persistent with long flavors of black currant, black cherry and plum. A great and well made wine. San Leonardo ages for 24 months in barrique followed by at least 12 months of aging in bottle. Score - ***** (out of 5). (www.diwinetaste.com, 2006)
Italy Red
Wines - May 2007
Piedmont
ALTARE BAROLO LA MORRA 2000
DOCG
966044 (XD) 750 mL $ 89
Tasting note: This is very pretty, with blackberry, mineral and cherry character. Full-bodied, with a lovely core of silky tannins and a long finish. Slightly reserved, but will turn out wonderfully. Best after 2007. Score - 93. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, July 31, 2004)
CAVALLOTTO BAROLO BRICCO BOSCHIS 2001
DOCG
579276 (XD) 750 mL $ 59
Tasting note: Loads of plum, chocolate and spices on the nose here. Full-bodied, with supersoft tannins and a long, rich aftertaste. This gives you loads of everything in a reserved, determined way. Better than the 2000. Best after 2008. Score - 94. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, October 15, 2005)
MOLINO BAROLO CONCA 1999
DOCG
579128 (XD) 750 mL $ 89
Tasting note: Extremely well-crafted. Very pretty aromas of plums and Christmas pudding follow through to a full-bodied palate, with silky tannins and a coffee, ripe fruit finish. Best after 2007. Score - 93. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Nov. 30, 2003)
Italy Red
Wines - May 2007
Italy - Sicily
FEUDO PRINCIPI DI BUTERA SAN ROCCO CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2001
IGT Sicilia
28902(XD) 750 mL $ 49
Tasting note: Sicily has proved itself a worthy territory for Cabernet Sauvignon and this wine from the island’s southeast corner is tightly packed with aromas of spice, licorice, vanilla, earth, iron, bay leaf, dried herbs and a playful touch of crushed raspberry. It does not boast the same density as other over-extracted Cabernets because it counts on elegance, not muscle. Score - 90.(Monica Larner, Wine Enthusiast, Sept., 2006)
Italy Red
Wines - May 2007
Italy - Tuscany
CASTELLO BANFI EXCELSUS 2001
DOC Sant'Antimo
919605 (XD) 750 mL $ 85
Tasting note: Fabulous aromas of blackberry, currant and lightly toasted oak. Full-bodied, with a rich, silky texture and a long, luscious finish. Fruit-driven but refined. One of the best in a long time. Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2006. Score - 92. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 15, 2004)
CASTELLO BANFI POGGIO ALLE MURA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2001
DOCG
673715 (XD) 750 mL $ 75
Decanter awarded this wine **** out of five. (www.decanter.com)
Tasting note: Red-ruby. Spicy, musky aromas of sweet red berries and exotic spices and flowers. Sweet, lush and packed with fruit; seamless, suave and quite concentrated. This is quite layered and full but less heavyhanded than some past vintages. Finishes with suave tannins and excellent persistence. Score - 92. (Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, July/August 2006)
CASTELLO BANFI SUMMUS 2003
IGT Toscana
999532 (XD) 750 mL $ 65
Tasting note: Balanced and pretty for such a hot vintage. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a bright, fruity aftertaste. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Best after 2007. Score - 90. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct 31, 2006)
CASTELLO DELLA PANERETTA QUATTROCENTENARIO 2001
IGT Toscana
28753 (XD) 750 mL $ 59
Tasting note: The 2001 Quattrocentenario presents the house’s best Sangiovese and is an impressive wine, very spicy in its expression of coconut, cardamom, and nutmeg-laced raspberry and currant fruit, powerful and dense on the palate, very long and focused in character. It will drink well for another dozen years. Score - 92. (Daniel Thomases, www.erobertparker.com, April 2006)
CASTELLO DI FONTERUTOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2001
DOCG
673301 (XD) 750 mL $ 55
Tasting note: This dark violet-red wine’s color presently reaches all the way to the rim. The nose is a bit closed at the moment, but with a little coaxing shows abundant ripe red and dark berry fruit. Big bodied with plenty of firm, muscular tannins and vibrant raspberry and cranberry fruit, this wine shows very promising structure and potential and should be put aside for later enjoyment. Drink 2008 to 2016. Score - 90. (Julia Sevenish, www.stratsplace.com, Nov. 25, 2004)
CASTELLO DI FONTERUTOLI SIEPI 2004
IGT Toscana
581678 (XD) 1500 mL $ 199
See note for #740019.
Tasting note: add'l size
CASTELLO DI FONTERUTOLI SIEPI 2004
IGT Toscana
740019 (XD) 750 mL $ 89
The 2006 Gambero Rosso Italian Wines guide for experts wrote: " Castello di Fonterutoli is more than just Tuscany's most successful estate in terms of Guide Glassware [i.e., awards]. It is also the one that has picked up the most Three Glass awards right from the earliest editions of Italian Wines." While no reviews were available for the 2004 vintage, the Siepi has consistently been awarded Gambero Rosso's highest honour of Three Glasses since 1995! Acclaim is this wine's middle name. Well-structured and full-bodied, this Merlot (50%) and Sangiovese (50%) blend displays extremely pretty dark chocolate and blackberry aromas with caressing whispers of vanilla, leather and tobacco. Like any great wine, this wine will reward cellaring.
FONTODI FLACCIANELLO DELLA PIEVE 2003
IGT Colli Toscana Centrale
963744 (XD) 750 mL $ 69
Tasting note: Aromas of blackberry and chocolate, with hints of dried flowers. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long, long finish. A beautifully refined red for such a hot vintage. Sangiovese. Best after 2007. Score - 91. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2006)
GAGLIOLE ROSSO 2004
IGT Colli della Toscana Centrale
30379 (D) 750 mL $ 55
Tasting note: Beautiful aromas of blackberry, chocolate and flowers follow through to a full-bodied palate, with ultrafine tannins and a currant and berry aftertaste. Excellent intensity and length. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2008. Score - 94. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2006)
GIANNI BRUNELLI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2001
DOCG
30478 (XD) 750 mL $ 69
Tasting note: Lots of plum, blackberry and lightly toasted oak follow through to a full-bodied palate, with firm tannins and a long finish. This is tight now but shows a touch of class. Best after 2009. Score - 91. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, April 30, 2006)
IL PALAZZONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2000
DOCG
21105 (XD) 750 mL $ 65
Tasting note: The Brunello '00 is also excellent, making the most of the highest vineyards on the property and marked by those warm sensations typical of the vintage. It shows incredible precision on the nose where wild cherry and cherry mingle with redcurrants and well-integrated coffee and vanilla. The palate is harmonious and underpinned by fine-grained tannins. The elegance of the understated acidity adds rigour to the progressions and precision to the caressing finish. Score - Two Glasses (out of 3) . (Gambero Rosso Italian Wines 2006)
IL PALAZZONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA 1999
DOCG
21063 (XD) 750 mL $ 89
Tasting note: Three unanimous glasses went to the Riserva '99, a wine from a seriously superior growing season. The fruity sensations run from the territory's typical blackberry and morello cherry with further hints of balsam and rosemary in the background that add breadth to the spectrum of aromatics. The attack on the palate is austere, sustained by balanced alcohol that heralds a broad, winning progression, thanks above all to the lovely balance of fine-grained tannins and textbook acidity that is an integral feature of all sangiovese-based wines. The finish is broad and deep. Score - Three Glasses (out of 3) . (Gambero Rosso Italian Wines 2006)
LA BRANCAIA IL BLU 2001
IGT Toscana
31559 (D) 750 mL $ 69
The 2004 Gambero Rosso Italian Wines guide was effusive in its praise of the 2001 Il Blu and bestowed upon this wine its highest honour of Three Glasses out of three.
Tasting note: A super wine, with a wonderful nose of ripe berry, tobacco, and toasty oak. Very rich. Full-bodied, with lovely, silky tannins and a long plum, raspberry and vanilla aftertaste. A real beauty. Drink now through 2008. Score - 93. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 15, 2003)
LA BRANCAIA ILATRAIA 2004
IGT Maremma Toscana
685230 (XD) 750 mL $ 65
Tasting note: Fabulous aromas of licorice, blackberry, chocolate and mineral. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, long finish. Balanced and complex. Best after 2008. Score - 92. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2006)
MARCHESI DE FRESCOBALDI CASTELGIOCONDO RIPE AL CONVENTO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA 2000
DOCG
724252 (XD) 750 mL $ 109
Tasting note: Aromas of plum, berry and flowers. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a ripe fruit finish. Delicious and hard to resist. Best after 2006. Score - 90. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, July 31, 2006)
MARCHESI DE' FRESCOBALDI GIRAMONTE 2003
IGT Toscana
976126 (XD) 750 mL $ 79
Tasting note: Beautiful, sweet fruit, with hints of coffee and chocolate. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long finish. A pretty, balanced wine. Merlot and Sangiovese. Best after 2007. Score - 91. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2005)
MAZZEI BELGUARDO 2003
IGT Maremma Toscana
678326 (XD) 750 mL $ 79
Tasting note: Wonderful aromas of concentrated blackberry, toasted oak and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, with loads of berry and cherry character. Lots of vanilla. Long. Big and juicy wine. Very close to the 2002. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. Best after 2008. Score - 91. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2005)
PODERE POGGIO SCALETTE IL CARBONAIONE 2003
IGT Alta Valle della Greve
719872 (XD) 750 mL $ 59
Tasting note: Plum, vanilla and light coffee aromas. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Gorgeous. Well-made and balanced for the vintage. Sangiovese. Best after 2008. Score - 91. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2006)
POGGIO ANTICO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2001
DOCG
700377 (XD) 750 mL $ 59
Tasting note: Intense aromas of blackberry, cherry, light wood and meat. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long caressing finish. Seductive, delicate and refined. Best after 2010. Score - 91. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, April 30, 2006)
POGGIO ANTICO MADRE 2003
IGT Toscana
25577 (XD) 750 mL $ 49
2001 was the first vintage produced of Madre and it was immediately successful. A limited-production blend of sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon, Madre has characteristics of spice, chocolate, coffee and dark fruit. It will drink well now or can be aged.
POLIZIANO LE STANZE 2004
IGT Toscana
32615 (XD) 750 mL $ 65
Tasting note: Gorgeous aromas of crushed berry, flowers and currant follow through to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. A fantastic Cabernet. Wow. Best after 2009. Score - 94. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2006)
RUFFINO MODUS 2001
IGT Toscana
912956 (XD) 750 mL $ 49
Tasting note: Dark in color, with very ripe, almost pruny aromas. Coffee, sweet tobacco and chocolate. Full-bodied and very powerful with lots of caressing tannins. Herbs and fruit on the finish. A complex wine. Best after 2007. Score - 90. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2005)
TENUTA CARLINA TOGATA DEI TOGATI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2001
DOCG
32607 (D) 750 mL $ 99
Tasting note: Full-bodied and superpowerful, with an intense concentration of berry, chocolate and coffee character. Long and velvety. Massive. Best after 2008. Score - 93. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2006)
TENUTA DI TRINORO LE CUPOLE ROSSO 2004
IGT Toscana
30361 (XD) 750 mL $ 45
Gambero Rosso awarded this Tuscan red Two Glasses out of three. (Gambero Rosso Italian Wines 2007).
Tasting note: (Translated from the Italian) Fully ruby colour, with notes of cherry, pepper, flowers and aromatic herbs. On the palate it is elegant, soft, and round. On the finish it is full and fruity. Enjoy with Bistecca alla Fiorentina (steak Florentine). Score - 4 Grape Bunches (out of 5).(Judging panel, Duemilavini 2007)
VILLA CAFAGGIO CORTACCIO 2003
Toscana
20966 (XD) 750 mL $ 65
Tasting note: Gorgeous aromas of blackberries and currants. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a medium finish. A bit short but pretty. Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2005. Score - 88. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2005)
VITANZA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2001
DOCG
588319 (XD) 750 mL $ 59
Tasting note: Beautiful aromas of blackberry and dried flowers with just a hint of toasted oak. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a mineral, vanilla and berry aftertaste. Excellent as always. Best after 2010. Score - 93. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, April 30, 2006)
Italy - Veneto
LORENZO BEGALI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA MONTE CA'BIANCA 2001
DOC
28274 (D) 750 mL $ 79
Tasting note: Aromas of prune, raisin and lightly polished oak follow through to a full-bodied palate, with firm tannins and lots of flavor. Long, long finish. Best after 2007.Score - 91. (www.winespectator.com, Aug. 31, 2006)
QUINTARELLI AMARONE CLASSICO 1998
DOC
986109 (XD) 750 mL $ 359
Giuseppi Quintarelli is a man needing no introduction. His wines are legends and the release of each and every one he makes is eagerly anticipated. The just-released 1998 Amarone Classico is no exception. Gambero Rosso Italian Wines 2006 awarded Three Glasses to Quintarelli's 1997 Amarone Classico and called it 'an absolutely unmissable wine, and one of the world's great bottles.' Expect more of the same from the 1998.
TENUTA SANT'ANTONIO CAMPO DEI GIGLI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2000
DOC
681627 (XD) 750 ML $ 69
Tasting note: Deep red. Nose of ripe black fruits, pepper and chocolate. On the palate, the velvety, spicy black fruit flavors are joined by grilled red meat and balsamic accents. The tannins, currently a bit pronounced, need some time to round out. But this wine shows real complexity and power.Score - 92. (Ian D'Agata, International Wine Cellar, March/April 2006)
ZENATO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO RISERVA SERGIO ZENATO SELECTION 2001
DOC
928036 (XD) 750 ML $ 89
Tasting note: Minerally and intense on the nose, with clean aromas of currant, dried spice and mineral. Full, tightly packed palate, with big velvety tannins and a long finish. Best after 2008. Score - 92. (Jo Cooke, www.winespectator.com, Sept. 30, 2006)
