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

97

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2016 - 2028

Reviewed by

Monica Larner

Issue Date

29th Jan 2016

Source

Interim - January 2016, The Wine Advocate

The 2001 Paleo comes together with stunning intensity and balance. If you have a bottle, this wine is absolutely at its prime. This pure expression of Cabernet Franc ushers forth a steady release of black fruit, crushed granite, liquid smoke, licorice, cola and grilled herb. This is one of the first and most important expressions of the French grape made in Italy. Today, some 15 years after the release of this wine, Cabernet Franc is among the hottest varieties on coastal Tuscany--and it's all thanks to the success of Paleo. There is a profound level of complexity and elegance here that is contrasted perfectly against the wine's rich texture and opulence. The wine shows equal parts breed and brawn. Le Macchiole has created the precedent for world class Cabernet Franc from Tuscany.

The beautifully refined 2004 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Selezione Giuseppe Quintarelli captures the magic and the grace of classic Quintarelli. The only problem is getting your hands on one of these very hard to find bottles. The bouquet is delicate and feminine with enduring tones of wild berry, forest floor, balsam herb, cola and sweet almond. The wine's texture is silky and long with an impressive level of polish on the tannins. The 2004 vintage is especially prone to long aging.

Score: 95 Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (216), December 2014

The 2005 Sassicaia is another strong effort from Tenuta San Guido. Medium in body, it reveals an understated, delicate expression of smoke, herbs, tobacco and sweet dark fruit. The wine possesses compelling harmony and a gorgeous sense of inner perfume that flows from start to finish. This is an outstanding showing in a very challenging vintage. Sassicaia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with a small amount of Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025.

Score: 93 Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate (177), June 2008

Dark ruby in color, showing aromas of currant, new oak and fresh herbs, with hints of spices. Full-bodied, with very chewy tannins and an outstanding concentration of fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Needs plenty of bottle age. Best after 2012. 20,000 cases made.

Score: 94 James Suckling, Wine Spectator, October 2008

The 2006 Ornellaia (magnum) is a massive, towering masterpiece. There is awesome depth and richness to be found in the glass. Flowers, minerals, tar smoke and dark fruit are all woven in an intricate fabric of almost indescribable elegance and power. Tonight the 2006 Ornellaia is absolutely moving in its beauty and expressiveness. Vintage 2006 will go down as one of the all-time greats in Tuscany, and Bolgheri in particular, as all of that region’s benchmark wines are spectacular. The 2006 shows the intensity of the small berries that were harvested that year, with exceptional concentration, acidity and freshness, qualities that are precious and exceedingly rare when they are found in a single wine. In 2006 the final blend is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Simply put, the 2006 Ornellaia is a must-have bottle.

Rating

96

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2017 - 2035

Reviewed by

Monica Larner

Issue Date

28th Apr 2017

Source

230, The Wine Advocate

The Tenuta San Guido 2006 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a timeless classic. This might just be the vintage to photograph in an encyclopedia entry for Sassicaia. This is especially true at this exact moment in its long and promising drinking window. The wine shows less volume compared to some of the more opulent vintages, but it absolutely excels in terms of length and finish. It offers amazing drive and momentum that are fueled by the extremely fine nature of the wine's texture and the seamless unity of its flavors. It treads in light and delicate footsteps that will carry it far into the future. As they say in Italian: "Piano piano si va lontano" (slowly slowly you go far)

Rating

92

Release Price

$60

Drink Date

2009 - 2022

Reviewed by

Antonio Galloni

Issue Date

31st Aug 2009

Source

184, The Wine Advocate

The just-bottled 2007 Le Serre Nuove opens with sweet scents of mocha, berries, spices and flowers that lead to a soft, seamless expression of fruit. This is an accessible, silky-textured Serre Nuove to enjoy while the 2006 rests in the cellar. It is an unusually harmonious, refined wine that is sure to deliver much pleasure over the coming years. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2022. 

Rating

93

Release Price

$199

Drink Date

2016 - 2026

Reviewed by

Antonio Galloni

Issue Date

31st Oct 2009

Source

185, The Wine Advocate

The 2006 Barbaresco reveals terrific concentration, depth and purity. This is a remarkably soft, harmonious Barbaresco from Angelo Gaja with pretty notes of raspberries, crushed flowers and spices. The wine turns more powerful in the glass, as it gains additional richness, volume and depth, all of which carry through to the polished finish. The wine’s balance is impeccable, and this is easily is one the more harmonious, complete wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026.

The 2007 Langhe Sori Tildin opens with a huge, kaleidoscopic bouquet that immediately draws me in. A remarkably vivid wine, the sensual Sori Tildin caresses the palate with silky, textured fruit, showing incredible power, length and class. There is a transparency to the wine that is beguiling. Once again, the finish is eternal. Sori Tildin is one of Gaja's more nuanced wines, and in 2007 it is breathtakingly beautiful. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2037. Score: 97

AG Soft contours, silky tannins and textural volume are the hallmarks of the 2007 Solaia. A riper, denser version of the 2004 with the richness of the 1997, the 2007 will please readers with a long drinking window of pure pleasure. The style is intense and bold. Readers who prefer more subtlety will find that in other vintages, as the 2007 is a voluptuous, racy, turn-on with tons of immediacy but less in the way of detail or nuance. -- Antonio Galloni

96+

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2018 - 2040

Reviewed by

Monica Larner

Issue Date

28th Jun 2013

Source

207, The Wine Advocate

Gaia Gaja uses the word “salty” to describe this next wine, and I see her point. The 2010 Sori Tildin shows a dry, firmly structured quality that enhances those extraordinary, breezy overtones of lead pencil and brimstone that so fittingly frame the Nebbiolo grape. The lingering end-notes of rose petal, ginger and cedar are striking. You immediately feel the tannic structure and power of the wine. The jump is very sharp next to the Costa Russi, and that’s why this is one of Gaja’s best cellar-agers. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.  

Rating

98

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2017 - 2035

Reviewed by

Monica Larner

Issue Date

28th Feb 2015

Source

217, The Wine Advocate

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is an absolutely distinctive wine and one unlike this producer has ever released. It feels radically different in terms of concentration, intensity and complexity. I was blown away by the beautiful and profound sense of inner harmony on display here. The wine puts on an epic showing of aromas that span from the simple ripe cherry and blackcurrant to the most ethereal tones of balsam herb, root beer and licorice. In between, are hearty aromas of cured tobacco and smoked meat. It really has it all along the entire Sangiovese spectrum. In the mouth, the wine offers similar complexity with thick extraction backed by sweet and sour layers of fruit and tannic structure. If you are looking for outstanding Brunello, look no further. This is one of the top three wines of the vintage.

MONICA LARNER: 96

ANTONIO GALLONI: 91

Cerbaiona's 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the protagonists of the vintage. There is no denying the sheer beauty and focus of this wine. It makes a fabulous first impact with super sharp tones of wild berry, cola, balsam herb, flint and crushed oyster shell. Those drying mineral notes leave a lasting impression. In the mouth, this wine is super elegant, tight and delicately nuanced. Unfortunately, I have not had the best track record with aged Brunello from Cerbaiona (ten years or more) personally, but I am hopeful that a wine of this caliber and depth will restore my faith. No matter what the aging trajectory...

Rating

94

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2017 - 2035

Reviewed by

Monica Larner

Issue Date

29th Jun 2015

Source

219, The Wine Advocate

The 2011 Langhe Nebbiolo Conteisa is an irresistible wine with enormous depth, beauty and penetration. It sweeps over the palate in opulent waves with dark fruit, spice, leather and grilled herbs. It also shows a distinct balsam personality with cola and dried violets that give the wine a beautiful sense of aromatic lift and buoyancy. Langhe Conteisa is made with Nebbiolo (and a tiny part Barbera) from the Cerequio vineyard in La Morra. The 2011 vintage is slightly broader than past vintages, but this wine promises a long drinking evolution regardless.

MONICA LARNER: 92

The 2012 Bolgheri Le Serre Nuove is a voluptuous and generous wine that bursts forth with wild-cherry aromas, blackberry, crème de cassis, oak spice and smoke. The blend of grapes this year is 52% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 12% Petit Verdot. It awards pleasure and smoothness, thanks to its plump tannins and ripe fruit overtones. Le Serre Nuove shows the acidity and structure for ten years or more of cellar aging. eRobertParker.com.October, 2014

Extremely impressive ripe dark fruits of blueberries, plums and blackberries follow through to a full body, round texture and bright acidity. The finesse and depth to this red is stunning making it a wonderful successor to the 2011 Solaia. Needs three or four years to soften and open. Better in 2018.

Score: 97 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, August 2015