2004 Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico San Marcellino (Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico)

Killer bottle of wine. Popped and poured to be consumed with some of my homemade Pizza. Stunning nose. Dark red color and a soaring nose of dark plum, cherry, earth, mediterranean brush, dried herbs and violets. Just as stunning on the palate as on the nose. Cherry, chocolate, earth, leather. Finish is sensational. A total home run Chianti Classico.

2001 Castello di Camigliano Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

Excellent Brunello in a more traditional style. Garnet red color and very nice nose of berry, spice, and earth. Good weight on the palate and silky texture. Finishes strong and has years of ageing potential. Really a great bottle of wine.

2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico (Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico)

A reliable bottle of wine. Dark garnet red color. Seems tight on night 1. More generous with some air. Dark chocolate, cherry, earth, and dried herbs. Solid finish. Just about a perfect "pizza wine" at the $18 I paid for it.

2006 Azienda Agricola Montevertine Toscana IGT (Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT)

Another stunner. Reminiscent of a very good Rioja, this has the same silky texture and complex palate with interesting dark berry, raspberry and dried herbs. It's fresh, yet powerful. Really one of the great unique wines of the world in my opinion, and it's right there with Chateau Simone in style, and it's unlike any other wine from Italy I have tasted. A curiosity, but an excellent one.

2001 Fanti (Tenuta San Filippo) Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

Not what I had hoped for. Very dark, very big, very fruity, very angular, and very alcoholic. It definitely has a rocket fuel feel to it that I dislike. Extended aeration helped, but never quite cured the issues with this wine. The good news is that if you love dark berry fruit and dark/bitter chocolate, you will love this wine. Loaded to the gills in every aspect, lovers of this style should have a field day with this. A very modern and ultra clean version of Brunello that lacks some character.

2000 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

Brilliant wine. Mature Brunello that shows pretty cherry and plum fruit with leather, earth, and a hint of licorice on the finish. Long, warm, and comforting. We had this with my home made pizza, and it was a perfect food-wine pairing. I bought this for less than $30 and at that price, it was a steal. A more traditional version of Brunello, I believe. I would recommend this wine and its producer based on this experience. 

1999 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

As always, a very solid wine. Great vintage, great producer, and riserva equals phenomenal wine. Juicy and sweet, this shows class, elegance, and the effects of the warm Tuscan sun on the fruit. Plum and cherries with balsam wood and a hint of earthiness and autumnal flavors. Delicious

1999 Fattoria La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

Served with Fettuccine Alfredo and what a fantastic pairing. The wine's fruit, freshness, structure and spice really complemented the Fettuccine Alfredo. Lovely wine which shows a significant amount of earth and spice. The fine acidity helps cut through the butter and cream of the noodle dish. With this food pairing, the fruit does not get emphasized as the other parts of the wine, but there's still plenty of lovely fruit in it. Should be able to hold a while longer.

2000 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

Another day, another Brunello. And this one was very good, as well. Although it doesn't measure up to the Pertimali of a few nights before, it is still a very good wine. With 10 years of age on it, it shows nicely balanced, round, supple and soft, and it has a very attractive character of plum, cherry, dried herbs, earth, and barnyard. A touch of brett adds a little extra complexity to this wine. I purchased this at auction for about $29, which is a great deal for this wine.

2004 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

We had this at dinner at a local Italian restaurant favorite. And this wine didn't disappoint. It's hard to describe how this wine manages to deliver perfectly ripened fruit while at the same time delivering incredible finesse, elegance, and freshness. Apart from the wonderful fruit, the tobacco notes are very appealing and earthy notes help make this wine a benchmark young Brunello for me. As good as it is right now, it will only getting better for years to come. As highly recommended as any wine I have ever recommended.

1999 Fattoria La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

Had this over the course of two nights. Started out surprisingly tight, but it unwound quickly. Nice plum and red berry fruit with tobacco, earth, and some dark chocolate. A funky wine in a good way, and a monster QPR. Only downside is that I picked up on a hint of bitterness/astringency. I think the tannins are beginning to outlast the fruit, so I think it's time to drink up with this wine. Certainly no need to drink it immediately, but I still think this needs to be consumed within the next five years.

2004 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

Brilliant wine. In a moment of heresy, I opened this to drink with a dinner of Pizza. That said, despite the simple and rustic meal, this wine is just unbelievably fun to drink. Although it is young, it has layers upon layers of ripe Tuscan red and black fruits along with tobacco, leather, earth, and some barnyard. Although one can taste that the fruit was ripened in warm and sunny Tuscany, the wine retains fantastic freshness and has a structure that can reward decades of aging (based on my drinking of older vintages of Pertimali). This is a must buy for lovers of structured, finesse Brunello.

1999 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino Campo del Drago (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

Brilliant wine. Velvety smooth texture, but focused, layered cherry and plum fruit. Good freshness and tell-tale Italian funkiness in this wine. You can taste the warm Tuscan sun and earth. Lovely wine. Although this can certainly be held for some time to come, this is drinking absolutely spectacularly right now.

2000 Cerbaiola (Salvioni) Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

What a great wine. Amazingly pure black and red fruit, superb freshness, and a killer finish. Plum and blackberry, leather, earth, and a tiny bit of tobacco. Quite rustic and funky, but in a good way. The fruit screams sun drenched, yet it's light on its feet. Laser focused and restrained. If this isn't the best Brunello I've had, it is definitely one of the very best I've tasted. Amazing stuff and a real treat on a Saturday night. And did I mention that this went terrifically with food? Has the structure to age many more years, so no need to hurry. If you have a chance to buy this at a reasonable cost, this is a no-brainer purchase.

2006 Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto Toscana IGT (Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT)

I was making bone-in pork chops tonight, and no wine works better for me with this dish than a nice Tuscan wine. And this did not disappoint. I cannot even say it often enough...this is world class wine. From a terrific vintage from a terrific producer, this is so deep, so layered, so complex, so fresh, so interesting and age-worthy, it's just plain silly. It shows blackberry, blackcurrant, dried herbs, leather, cigar box, earth, fig paste, and a touch of funk. Finish is awesome and maybe the most amazing part of this wine is the superb acidity that frames the perfectly ripe fruit. This is just a show stopper. A wine that I cannot ever have enough of. 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 10% Sangiovese. Aged for 12 months in American and French oak. 13.5% alc.

1999 Fattoria La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

• 1999 Fattoria La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (5/28/2009)
  This is definitely a winner. Deep dark berry and plum fruit with some tobacco, earth, and lots of italo-barnyard. Just a classy wine with a velvety and silk texture and a classy finish. If there's a wine that goes great with roast pork, this is it. Food friendly yet nicely ripe and fresh at the same time. Love this stuff. Only word of caution....I had it open for a few days, and after three days, it began tasting a little pruney...tells me that it should be had in the next 5 years or so. YMMV.

Posted from CellarTracker

2004 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia (Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico)

Completely different wine from the one I had nearly six months ago. Nose shows blackberry and plum along with some leather, earth and tobacco. Surprisingly funky. High acidity and silky texture that shows nice fruit in the red spectrum. Long finish and some pretty good structure. Very much in balance, but the acid is the most obvious component right this moment. I like this a lot, and it's a great food wine. When I first opened, it was darker, less penetrable, and heavier. With 4 hours of air, this has turned silkier and more finesse driven. An absolute buy in my book.

Superbowl Wines

Popped some wines for the Superbowl. Al were tasted blind to keep us honest.

• 1999 Sportoletti Villa Fidelia Umbria IGT - Italy, Umbria, Umbria IGT
  My friend Mike likes Italian wines. The Superbowl was a good opportunity to break out something I thought he'd like. Continues to be a great wine. Nice and velvety red and dark fruit. Hint of tobacco and dried herbs. Again a little reminiscent of a very good Napa Cab with plenty of structure to support many more years of aging. Very solid wine, but it lacks just a little in the excitement factor department.


• 2001 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
  This is still very youthful. When tasted straight out of the bottle, this was extremely backward and brooding. Wound so tight that a saline note was the most prominent characteristic of the wine. With time, the wine filled out though. Dark fruit with an impressive frame Wood is unnoticeable, and the fruit is dark and smokey with a little blueberry behind the more obvious blackberry and black currant flavors. It's not sweet or alcoholic or over the top. Has the restraint of a Bordeaux, but the fruit is decidedly not like any Bordeaux I've ever had. Great wine that speaks of its place.


• 2001 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
  A wine that I thought would do well with Superbowl fare. And I was positively surprised by how well this showed. No heat on the finish, not blowsy one bit, not stewed tasting, and no blueberry milkshake...just a very solid Shiraz that showed tremendous restraint, further aging ability and some nice fruit, texture, and good acidity. Was definitely worth what I paid for it and I enjoyed drinking this a much or more than the other wines on Super Bowl night.


• 2003 Flat Creek Estate Sangiovese Parker - USA, Texas, Texas Hill Country
  The shocker in the lineup for me. I guessed Sangiovese blind, but thought it was a California Sangiovese...this was not just drinkable, but very enjoyable. Very much in a similar style to Montevertine's Pian del Ciampolo. Best TX wine 've ever had by a landslide.

2001 Podere Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione Toscana IGT (Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT)

Great stuff. 100% Sangiovese, but I would have never suspected it if I'd have tasted it blind. It's dense, brooding, brawny, brambly, and black fruited. Structure is evident upon opening, but with air, this turns into a ferocious monster. So much structure underneath the fruit. And there's lots of earth and surprising freshness to the wine. The 100% old-vine Sangiovese also shows some smokey and tarry qualities. Finish sails through seemingly forever. With 30 minutes to an hour of air, this turned hard as nails and became an academic exercise. No need to open the rest of my stash for at least 5 more years, and more likely 10 years.

2004 Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico San Marcellino (Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico)

Excellent bottle. When I first popped and poured, it was a tad disjointed, but with about 30-60 minutes, it began to sing. Laser focused cherry fruit and scorched earth, dried herbs, and sun dried fruit. Weighty fruit with ample acidity and tannins for a Sangiovese. This is built for aging, just like its sister cuvee, the Geremia IGT. Finishes extra long and it's definitely a food wine. Was a great match for a slow roasted frenched pork loin tonight. Something about slow roasted pork and the texture of Tuscan wine that makes the combo irresistible. Lovely wine.