Italy

Rating

93

Release Price

$45

Drink Date

1997 - 2010

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

28th Apr 1995

Source

98, The Wine Advocate

The 1990 Sammarco may prove to be a worthy rival to the glorious 1985. The saturated ruby/purple/garnet color is followed by an intense yet youthful fragrance of ripe black fruits, vanillin, and minerals. Full-bodied, rich, beautifully delineated and structured, it possesses considerable body, tannin, and extract. Although accessible, it is extremely young and ideally should have another 2-4 years of cellaring. It should age well for 15+ years. As I have said many times, Sammarco always reminds me of a top Graves, because of the tobacco/mineral component it often displays. This outstanding Tuscan producer has been exceptionally consistent over the last decade, so it is not surprising that the 1990s performed brilliantly. Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; Tel. (212) 629-0200

Rating

87

Release Price

$65

Drink Date

1999 - 2010

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

30th Oct 1998

Source

119, The Wine Advocate

The dark ruby/purple-colored 1994 Sammarco, a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Sangiovese, reveals aromas of lead pencil, charred leather, black cherries, and toasty oak. With moderately high tannin, and a more angular, austere personality than is generally found in Sammarco, this very good to excellent effort will benefit from 1-2 years of cellaring. It should keep for 12 or more years.  

Rating

94

Release Price

$50

Drink Date

2000 - 2015

Reviewed by

 Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

28th Aug 2000

Source

130, The Wine Advocate

Cotarella's flagship wine, his 100% Merlot called Montiano, is aged in 100% new oak casks for 12 months, and bottled with neither fining nor filtration. The terrific opaque purple-colored 1998 Montiano exhibits a spectacular bouquet of black cherry liqueur, licorice, and toasty vanillin. The wine explodes on the palate, offering copious quantities of glycerin, cassis, black cherries, and blackberries. As it sits in the glass, aromas and flavors of melted chocolate and toasty oak emerge. The finish lasts for 40+ seconds. This 1998 should drink well for 10-15 years. Bravo!  

Much the same can be said about the 2000 Solaia, another wine with plenty of near and medium-term appeal, but less potential for aging.

-- Antonio Galloni 91 Antonio Galloni 2013 - 2018 Not Available Dec 2013

Rating

90

Release Price

$110

Drink Date

2005 - 2018

Reviewed by

Daniel Thomases

Issue Date

26th Apr 2004

Source

152, The Wine Advocate

The 2000 Solaia, not unexpectedly, is the best wine of the series with expansive aromas of black currants, thyme, and sage, much eucalyptus and chocolate on the palate along with ripe, sweet fruit, and a sizeable finish. Drink: 2005-2018. Are we dealing with a half-full or a half-empty glass here? Hard to say, but the competition among the bigger houses is getting tougher in Tuscany, and Antinori may have to look at its quantities in less favorable vintages. It is not clear, for instance, that the right stuff for over one hundred thousand bottles of Guado al Tasso was available in 2000. 

The 2000 Sorì San Lorenzo is another of the standouts of the vintage. It remains quite youthful, with notable energy in its dark, brooding fruit and considerable tannin. Despite its sheer power, the 2000 isn't as explosive as it can be. Still, there is little doubt the 2000 Sorì San Lorenzo has the stuffing to age well for many years to come.

-- Antonio Galloni 96 Antonio Galloni 2015 - 2030 Not Available Jun 2011

Rating

88

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2017 - 2024

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

28th Apr 2017

Source

230, The Wine Advocate

Oddly enough, this is the first official review of the 2002 Bolgheri Sassicaia in Robert Parker Wine Advocate. Presumably, the wine was overlooked due to the infamy of this widely condemned vintage. However, all is not lost. The wine offers a rather subtle bouquet of dried fruit, autumnal leaf, forest floor, button mushroom, tar and balsam herb. The effect is flat and one dimensional. And, the finish lacks freshness and vigor. What's the upside you ask? The wine seems to have taken on a life of its own. At a plateau now, I don't think it will change much in the coming years. It's a weaker expression of Sassicaia for sure, but Sassicaia it is nonetheless.

The 2006 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova, with its warm, resonant fruit, was a crowd favorite. And no wonder. It was dark, beautiful and highly suggestive of the southern reaches of Montalcino, where the climate and vegetation show distinctly Mediterranean influences.

Rating

93

Release Price

$60

Drink Date

2012 - 2024

Reviewed by

Antonio Galloni

Issue Date

2nd May 2011

Source

194, The Wine Advocate

The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is fabulous in this vintage. Waves of dark fruit caress the palate as this juicy, delicious wine reveals its considerable charms. The fruit shows lovely weight and richness while maintaining an essentially mid-weight personality. Sweet scents of French oak linger on the round, caressing, impeccable finish. This is an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade-plus. The harvest took place from the 2nd to the 5th of October. The wine spent 24 days on the skins, after which it was racked into cask, where it spent 45 months prior to being bottled. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024.  

The wine that most delighted me at this historic tasting of Tuscany's most iconic wines was the 2006 Masseto. This is a wine of sheer power, bliss, opulence, infinity and sublime seduction. This Merlot-based masterpiece hits all your senses with the grace of a ballerina and the power of a heavyweight. It is steady on its proverbial feet, but it also glides over the palate with a profound sense of elegance, harmony and rhythm. Among the prized vintages of Masseto, including 2001, 2004 and 2007, this edition is my favorite. The wine delivers an extra sense of tightness or firmness at the back that serves to stitch together its fleshy richness and general sumptuousness. The personality is sunny, expansive, articulate and sophisticated. You'll remember that the 2006 vintage is celebrated for the elegance of its wines. In the coastal Bolgheri appellation, it is also remembered for the power of its wines. You get the best of both worlds with this stunning creation: elegance and power. These traits are particularly well suited to the versatile grape variety at the heart of this Tuscan all-rounder. This is a true Renaissance wine. 
 

The 2006 Barbaresco Crichët Pajé is one of the most open, accessible vintages of this wine I can remember tasting. But it's still Roagna, which means the wine is powerful and structured, but less so than is typically the case. Iron, smoke, incense, tobacco, autumn leaves and a host of ferrous, savory notes are some of the signatures. As is sometimes the case here, extended time in barrel has dried out the fruit a bit. This is a style that personally gives me less pleasure, although, as the saying goes, your mileage may vary.

-- Antonio Galloni

The 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva emerges with hints of smoke, underbrush, licorice, leather and wild cherries. The wine gains volume and depth in the glass as its sheer pedigree emerges over time. There is plenty of muscle to back up the delicate aromatics in a striking balance of elegance and power, all in an essentially classic, mid-weight style. The round, deeply satisfying finish makes it hard to put the glass down.

The immediate, voluptuous personality of the 2007 Masseto was on full display. Round, seamless and totally beautiful, the 2007 stood out for its balance and overall harmony.

Rating

95

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2017 - 2035

Reviewed by

Monica Larner

Issue Date

31st Oct 2013

Source

209, The Wine Advocate

To be released in early 2014, the 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella (with fruit sourced from the high density Monte Lodoletta vineyard) opens with immense darkness and the kind of midnight impenetrability you never see on any color wheel for fine wine. Its off the charts appearance is followed by similarly unique aromatic intensity and versatility that spans from blackberry syrup and candied prune to chewing tobacco, black peppercorn and rain-soaked asphalt. This is but a baby that will require loads of time in your cellar before it enters its prime drinking window. Because Dal Forno did not make Amarone in 2007, the wait will seem that much longer. Having said that, this wine is very different from the 2006 Amarone despite the fact 2006 and 2008 were relatively similar cool vintages overall. I distinctly remember the impossible tightness and astringency of the tannins in 2006 when tasted at the same young stage in the wine’s life. The 2008 Amarone, on the other hand, is much softer and a tad more approachable in contrast. Ultimately, this wine promises a graceful, steady and long evolution. Drink: 2017-2035.   

The 2009 Lupicaia (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Petit Verdot) bares the trademark aromas of eucalyptus thanks to the soaring trees that line the perimeter of the vineyard. Dried salvia, black fruit, crushed mineral and barbecue ash are part of the complex embroidery of this gorgeous wine. The 2009 vintage shows stunning elegance and balance and is not to be missed. A horse farm, a vineyard and a massive chunk of Tuscany territory (with a whopping 1,700 hectares of land), Castello del Terriccio is a piece of paradise. Owner Gian Annibale Rossi di Medelana Serafini Ferri keeps a low profile but is nonetheless an eloquent and visionary protagonist of modern Italian wine. The Lupicaia is one of the best wines I tasted this year.

Score: 96

Monica Larner, robertparker.com Maturity: 2015-203529 August 2013

Beautifully resonant in the glass, the 2009 Lupicaia is a standout. Sweet red cherries, flowers, mint, anise, savory herbs and spices all ring out in a supple, gracious wine loaded with class. The 2009 needs a few years for some of the contours to soften, but it is a gorgeous wine with tons of personality. This is a decidedly round, sexy Lupicaia that is going to offer plenty of enjoyment over the course of the next fifteen years or so.

Score: 95

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media.com Maturity: 2016-202901 August 2013

Bartolo Mascarello fans will want to stock up on the 2009 Barolo, a great choice for indulging in pure pleasure while vintages like 2006, 2008 and 2010 take their time to develop in bottle. Dried rose petals, fennel, anise, sweet tobacco and mint are all very much alive in the glass. The 2009 is ethereal, graceful and utterly beguiling from the very first taste. I expect the 2009 will mature relatively quickly by the estate's standards, but there is more positive to that than negative.