Chris On Wine

2002 Brothers In Arms Shiraz Tasting Notes

2009-10-13T04:09:00.004-04:00

This has been sitting in the cellar with its twin 'Brother' for long enough; although the back label says hang on for up to 20 years tonight was the night.

This is another Langhorne Creek wine that happily sails under the radar and excels in all respects. We bought this wine at way less than $40 at the time and it is still available online from the winery at not much more. Not a bad prospect because it now has some age and is perfectly ready to drink right now. Langhorne Creek area is seriously under threat from lack of water so you should make an effort to get your hands on some LC wines before you miss out.

This has a colour of deep red with just a touch of brick appearing.
The nose has dark chocolate, stewed plums and rich, sweet vanillan oak.
Palate has the chocolate, vanillan oak, plums and lovely soft spices and sweet fruit. Soft, savoury tannins gently coat the mouth, and the 15% alcohol is perfectly hidden. There is a supple and silky texture and the finish is smooth, rich and long.

In the 2007 Australian Wine Companion James Halliday writes ' Deep dense red-purple; layer upon layer of black cherry, plum, bitter chocolate, ripe tannins and oak-carries the 15% alcohol very well. 95 points.'

So it has moved on over the years from the the purple colour and black cherry and ripe tannins to the beautiful example of Langhorne Creek shiraz that it now is. Many of the back labels of our Aussie wines suggest cellaring for up to 10 and 20 years and sometimes more. I suggest that, unless perfectly cellared, go a little early rather than late.

2007 Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting Notes

2009-10-10T04:11:00.004-04:00

Just another Margaret River Cabernet from the 2007 vintage that, although not rated as a 'best ever' vintage, is nonetheless turning up some extraordinary wines. The bonus for us lovers of cab and cab blends is that several of these wines are on sale at less than $30, this wine at less than $20. The other advantage is that, generally speaking, they will improve in your cellar for at least another 10 years.

Ringbolt is actually from the giant Yalumba stable although you would not find out by reading the label.

Colour is deep plummy red. The nose has blackberry, cedar, some savoury spice with oak in the background. There is a lovely tinge of violets overlaying all of these.
The palate is medium to full bodied, elegant and smooth. a lovely mouthfeel with all of the above and the bonus of a long and satisfying finish. The tannins are fine grained, smooth and mouth coating, providing the structure and balance that sets this number apart. There is also an alluring savoury edge to the wine that adds another appeal to every mouthful.

In the 2010 'Australian Wine Companion ' James Halliday writes "A poised bouquet of cassis and cedar and a lovely note of violets; equally as attractive on the palate, the balance between fruit, acid, oak and tannin is impeccable; very long and varietal, with refreshing tannin and fruit. 95 pts."

After reading Halliday you can go back to the wine and certainly find the cassis (ribena)

This wine has flown in somewhat under the radar so my advice is get yourself some while the price is still under $20. After Halliday awarded 97 points to the Forest Hill Cabernet it suddenly became hard to find, and also suddenly jumped from $20 to $30, an overnight rise of 50%. I have managed to get some of the Forest Hill and will review it on the next blog.

Voyager Estate Girt By Sea Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2007 Tasting Notes

2009-08-18T01:53:00.004-04:00

Huon Hooke's SMH wine of the week this week is the Voyager Estate Girt By Sea Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2007. Huon writes:

'Long-serving winemaker Cliff Royle and viticulturist Steve James made a great double act at Voyager, until Royle departed recently. But he's left this gem as his legacy. It's a seriously good red and great value at the price.

Quality cabernet aromas of blackberry and blackcurrant laced with spice; oak is barely perceptible and the fruit does the talking. It's deep and elegant with fine balance and intensity. Markedly varietal but properly ripe and of pristine quality. From a very successful red year in the Margaret River region. Drink now to 15 years-plus. 94/100.

Food - Pink roast leg of lamb; vitello tonnato; casseroled kid; hard cheeses such as parmesan, compte and cheddar.

Mt Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz 2003 Tasting Notes

2009-08-14T00:35:00.003-04:00

You know which your favourite wines are when you are always looking for an excuse to bring one out of the cellar for some dinner guests.

This was tasted with said guests, and a seasoned webber roasted whole fillet of beef accompanied by a roast vegetable one-pot.

The wine is deep red in colour and has a nose of earth, leather, spices and blackberry.
The palate is surprisingly elegant, but with wonderful structure and texture. It has all the above spice, leather, earth and blackberries, overlaid with fine grained tannins. The finish is long, luscious, graceful and velvety. Alcohol at 14.5% is in harmony with the whole.

This is just another in the long line of Maurice O'Sheas that are a sheer joy to drink. Sure there has been some vintage variation over the years (James Halliday in his Wine Companion once pointed it higher than Grange), however these wines are really the very essence of Hunter Valley and a perfectly true reflection of that region.

Wanted Man Shiraz/Dolcetto 2006 Tasting Notes

2009-08-14T00:15:00.003-04:00

This was tasted recently Prior to a dinner, so it was quite a price to pay for a pre- dinner quaff.

The colour is deep crimson with purple hue. Nose has some pretty evident sweet vanillan oak right up front which might need some time to get soaked up by the fruit. There are some plums, jube-like blueberry, and some pleasant soft spices.
The palate reflects the nose; there is a little raspberry/lolly note, as well as some lovely soft tannins and the finish is quite long. Alcohol is not an issue, at 13.8% and quite restrained (for the Heathcote area).

While very enjoyable to drink, I would question the rather high price tag on this wine. This probably needs to left alone in the cella r for a couple more years to see what happens.

Pikes Gill's Farm Viogner, Clare Valley 2008 Tasting Notes

2009-08-13T20:18:00.004-04:00

This week's SMH wine of the week is the Pikes Gill's Farm Viogner, Clare Valley 2008. Huon Hooke writes:

'Gill's Farm is the old name of the Pike family's vineyard property in the Polish Hill River sub-region. Neil Pike is the winemaker and brother Andrew tends the vines.

This is a delicious viogner, spice and apricot aromas mingling with nutty lees-derived perfumes and some old-barrel nuances that takes the wine into a more interesting realm than the standard apricot jam-smelling viogners. Neither does it suffer from the common affliction of an alcoholic afterburn: the 13.5 per cent listed in the label rings true, with a nicely soft, delicate, seamless palate that flows evenly from start to finish. High on drinkability. Best now to two or three years. 95/100.'

Food - Bollito misto, cantal cheese, crab omelette, chicken poached in stock with truffles.

Brand's Laira Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 Tasting Notes

2009-08-06T20:42:00.002-04:00

This was tasted recently to welcome the arrival of a new grandchild - keep them coming kids!

The colour is still red/crimson with no show yet of any brick or tawny traces. The nose has blackcurrant, mulberries and a little mint.

Palate is medium to full bodied with some plummy flavour, the blackcurrant and mulberry, and a lovely smooth and long finish. There are lovely fine grained and velvety tannins, and the oak has receded completely into the background.

For well cellared examples, there are still many years ahead for this wine. There is plenty of sediment in the bottle so it needs to be double decanted ready for tasting.

d'Arenberg The Last Ditch Viogner, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale 2008 Tasting Notes

2009-08-06T07:49:00.004-04:00

This weeks SMH Wine of the Week is the d'Arenberg The Last Ditch Viogner, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale 2008. Huon Hooke writes:

'Viogner is a difficult beast: the good ones are few and far between but d'Arenberg's Chester Osborne nails it more often than not. This is a subtly complex example with hints of barrel ferment and yeasty characters adding extra interest.

Toasty, bready yeast, nut and stone-fruit aromas are nicely balanced and layered: it's a far cry from the shrill, one dimensional apricotty viogners. The palate is soft and round, with fresh acid in balance, and good drinkability, thanks to modest alcohol (13.5 per cent) and not too much oily glycerol. Lovely drinking now. 94/100.

Food - Poached chicken, deep-fried fish and chips, vegetable lasagna, washed-rind and white-mould cheeses.'

La Linea Temperanillo, Adelaide Hills 2008 Review

2009-07-30T21:04:00.003-04:00

Huon Hooke's pick for the SMH wine of the week this week is the La Linea Temperanillo, Adelaide Hills 2008. Huon Hooke writes:

Produced by former Nepenthe winemaker Peter Leske and master of wine David LeMire, this is one of the most delicious Australian temperanillos to come my way. It's medium-bodied and doesn't try too hard to impress. Instead, it glides over the palate with elegance and harmony, inviting another sip.... and another. Toasted-nut, vanilla and cherry/plum aromas lead into a soft, smooth palate with flesh and charm, No sharp edges, just terrific drinkabilitiy, And it compliments food well. Best now to six years, possibly longer. Moderate alcohol (13.5 per cent); screwcapped. 91/100.

Food - Lighter casseroles with lamb or goat; veal parmigiana; vitello tonnato.

Turners Crossing Shiraz Viogner 2006 Tasting Notes

2009-07-26T06:38:00.007-04:00

This is another wine recommended by the young and enthusiastic team at 1st Choice Liquor Naremburn. Not sure how this slipped under the S/V radar but now we are on to it!

This is a remarkable wine, and must be placed among the very best shiraz viogners being made in Australia. We now have a wonderful spectrum of this style, from the etherial, elegant and savoury, to the rich, luscious and bold; this wine belongs towards the latter end of the scale.

Colour is deep red/purple. Nose shows chocolate, plums, savouriness, and a slight floral tinge of violets.
The palate is opulant, rich and full bodied. There are blueberries, ripe plums, a slight tang of apricot, savouriness, chocolate and peppery spices. The whole is supported by velvet smooth, but firm, powdery and drying tannins. The finish is long and and luscious, capped by the drying tannins and soft peppery spice.

The wine is astutely matured in old oak so that the fruit complexity is allowed to retain centre stage. It's a full bodied wine, at 14.5% alcohol, that discreetly manages to avoid any overt jammy fruit characters. This wine comes from the Turners Crossing 40 hectare vineyard at Bendigo that was planted in 1999.

You could expect a wine with such stylish and delicious characters to cost at least twice the price of this; that's why this wine is an absolute must have for your cellar.

Food: Try it with a daube of beef, or lamb shanks, with mash and vegetables.

Zema Estate Family Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Tasting Notes

2009-07-25T21:28:00.004-04:00

I came across this wine courtesy of the enthusiastic and knowledgeable guys at the Naremburn 1st Choice Liquor Store. If you are in the area pop in and ask for Alex or Andrew. These guys don't just sell wine - they live it; and they know most of the wines first hand. You might even catch me in there on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

Having said all that, you will need to move fast as the 04's are nearly gone; the 2005 will be released in August and will carry with it a whopping 15.5% alcohol that may pose some questions.The 2004 is 14.5% and spends 2 years in small French oak, it's now at its peak but could live another 5 to 10 years in your cellar. It comes of course from the very heart of the Terra Rossa soil of Coonawarra.

Colour is deep, dark red/crimson. The nose has blackcurrant and exotic spices with some lovely cedary oak. Earlier reviews commented about oak prominence, however I think now at 5 years in the bottle the fruit is eating it up beautifully.

The palate is rich, appealing, luscious and developed, medium to full bodied, with blackcurrant and cassis; this all encased in a web of superfine tannins and French oak. Here the fruit, acid, tannin and oak balance is now a Masterclass in four-part harmony. The finish is luxurious, long and satisfying that leaves you asking - 'where is my next glass?' Alas there is no more!

We tried the wine with a herb and garlic encrusted butterfly leg of lamb with roast seasonal vegetables and gravy. In truth the food was entirely incidental to the wine - a standout.

De Bortoli Gulf Station Pinot Noir 2008 Tasting Notes

2009-07-21T22:05:00.004-04:00

After a couple of slightly disappointing versions of this usually reliable wine, some big reviews are starting to appear about the 2008 model.

So we duly grabbed a bottle and tried it with a super quick stir fry of sliced beef, vegetables, mushrooms, soy and oyster sauce and roasted cashews; not bad for a total preparation and cooking time of 20 minutes - and the wine went fine.

Colour is bright cherry/ruby.
Nose shows soft spice, red fruit, light cherry with a lovely mix of earthy/savoury notes to add extra interest. Elegant and pretty could describe it.
Palate is medium bodied with a silky texture. It avoids the rasberry, confectionary spectrum very well with some lovely savoury or undergrowthy characters, tannins are savoury and soft and entirely appropriate for this wine.

It is elegant and you could say 'pretty' but in the nicest way. It retains a lovely structure and texture and the finish is soft, spicy and quite long. Alcohol is 13.5%. I think Steve Webber and the DB team have come up with another cracker here so I advise getting your stocks in the cellar now while the specials are on.

With the heat wave stricken 2008 vintage much talked about, we are still able to find wines like this; perfectly made with restraint and clearly superb fruit quality.

Paringa Estate Pinot Noir 2007 Tasting Notes

2009-07-20T20:46:00.004-04:00

This wine was tasted recently with a one pot winter bake of pork fillet, pear, potato and red onion with garlic, cloves and lemon juice.

The colour is vivid deep ruby red, the nose shows plenty of spice, dark cherry and plums.
The palate has huge depth, intensity and a wonderful structure. It is a substantial wine (14.5% alcohol) with dark fruits, charry oak, ripe and firm tannins, huge depth and great length.

It is a great match for the dish; but if you get to cook this one make sure you don't go over time by even a minute or it will end up too dry - the price we paid for reminiscing in the cellar.

There is no doubt this is a great wine and perfectly made as expected by Lindsay McCall. It will repay some years in the cellar if you can leave it alone. It is well and truly at the full bodied end of the pinot pile, so a Burgundian look-alike it certainly is not. However it loses nothing for that; this is the Lindsay McCall style of pinot and you pretty much know what you are going to get every time - brilliance!

Pewsey Vale Prima Riesling 2008 Tasting Notes

2009-07-20T20:24:00.003-04:00

Wine reviewer Huon Hooke's SMH wine of the week this week is the Pewsey Vale Prima Riesling 2008. Huon writes:

'This is the alter-ego to Yalumba's regular Pewsey Vale riesling. It's a low-alcohol (9.5%), early-harvested, slightly sweet style from the same Eden Valley vineyard that yields the regular Pewsey Vale and aged Contours rieslings. It's a respectful tilt at Germany's Mosel Valley styles. Tropical, herbal, lightly pineapple aromas are captivating while the taste is light but intense, gently off-dry rather than sweet, with great tension between fruit, sweetness and acidity. Utterly delicious and a worthy follow-up to the '07 Prima. Best drunk now or within a couple of years. Sealed with a glass Vino-Lok stopper. 93/100.

Food : Lightly spiced Thai food, especially fish and seafood. Or by itself as an aperitif.

Tapestry BG&V Shiraz 2007 Review

2009-07-14T22:24:00.005-04:00

Huon Hooke's SMH Wine Of The Week this week is the Tapestry BG&V Shiraz 2007. Huon writes:

'BG&V stands for Bakers Gully and Vignerons, the two vineyards where the grapes were grown. Very low yields resulted in intense flavours in McLaren Vale in 2007 and you can find modestly priced reds that really over-deliver.

Typical plummy, chocolaty, earthy regional aromas, a hint of licorice; oak nicely understated. In the mouth, it has a pleasing balance of savoury and fruit flavours, good fleshy texture and a hint of chewiness, the tannins and flavours already starting to mellow. Well balanced, it's good to drink now and should age gracefully for at least a decade. 91/100.

Food - Red meats and game, casseroles and pasta with meaty sauces. Also hard cheeses such as Cheddar and compte.'

Evohe` Garnacha Vinas Viejas 2006 Review

2009-07-10T01:19:00.005-04:00

This Spanish beauty comes from the appellation of Vino de la Tierra and the sub-region of Bajo Aragon. The winery is Bodega Laceranas. The Spanish Garnarcha is the similar grape to the Aussie Grenache.

This was tasted at a new pizza and tapas restaurant in Noosa called 'Is'. It IS a fine addition to the Gympie Terrace strip and with wines like this on the menu, and great food, we will be back.

The wine sees no oak and is fermented in large concrete vats that actually date back to 1912. The average age of the vines is 70-80 years. There has been a heavy depopulation of the area over many years so that most of the concrete vats at this winery were empty for many years; the only thing that saved them was the loving care of the remaining local villagers. The wine is not meant for long term cellaring but a few years in stock will do no harm.

The tasting notes from the maker I think are spot on and a better coverage than the scribble I wrote on the night:

'Color: Inky red color.
Nose: On the nose, dry red raspberry, cherry, red currant, smoke, white rock, red slate.
Palate: On the palate, fresh raspberry, bright red juicy fruit with great minerality, good
acidity, grippy tannins, medium body and a long finish.'

Food - It goes perfectly with tapas, as it would with lighter meats like pork chops and chicken. I should say that it is also a most enjoyable drink on its very own.

Starvedog Lane Shiraz Viogner 2007 Review

2009-07-10T00:41:00.005-04:00

This was tasted recently at home, feeling compelled to try one after reading all the hype. The following is a review by Campbell Mattinson and Gary Walsh following its trophy at the Sydney Royal. I think they have it covered far better than I could; and I must say I agree with it all. This is just one very appealing wine to drink, and will gain even more appeal with a little time in your cellar. The alcohol is a pleasing 13.5%

“It announced itself as the wine of the year the instant we tasted it. We wanted a red that best captured the essence of the year – a wine that combined both quality and value better than any other…Wow. What a fabulous drink.
Just a ripper of a wine. A drink and a conversation in a bottle. They made 2000 dozen of this, and they are going to fly – get in quick. Brilliant wine. Sure, we rated a few reds higher, but this Adelaide Hills beauty slays them for value and, more simply, tastes fantastic. It has so many things going for it: complexity, charm, moderate alcohol and a vast array of flavours. It is a beautiful wine, full of X-factor. Welcome to centre-stage, Starvedog Lane – you deserve it.”
Value ***** 95 Points,
The Big Red Wine Book;
Campbell Mattinson & Gary Walsh

Heemskerk Chardonnay 2007 Review

2009-07-09T23:40:00.003-04:00

The SMH Wine of the Week this week is the Heemskerk Chardonnay 2007. Huon Hooke writes:

Foster's has revived the Heemskerk brand with a snappy etched-label design and a trio of fine Tassie wines, this one from Coal River Valley grapes. It's shy and a little closed at first but responds to warming and time in the glass, with a fine and subtle fruit-led aroma of great intensity, freshness and subtlety. In the mouth it is lean and pure-fruited, with bud-waking acidity and liveliness that coexists with a marvellously soft, smooth texture. Very drinkable now but also very likely to age gracefully. A tight slow-developing, modern Australian chardonnay. Now to eight years-plus. Just 13% alcohol. 95/100.

Food - All white-fleshed fish, crayfish and prawns, salads and shellfish. Try a mixed salad with mango and chargrilled scallops.

Gemtree Obsidian Shriaz 2005 15%

2009-07-07T07:13:00.004-04:00

While meeting winemaker Mike Brown at a Gemtree tasting in North Sydney was a fascinating experience, he simply added a further layer of interest to the already compelling wines on show. Much has been written about the albarino wines and their vinous autheticity and Gemtree has a large investment there. Needless to say we have some Gemtree albarino (or other name) in the cellar and it still tastes great.

This Obsidian invokes no doubt of origin; it could only hail from the very best McLaren Vale fruit. Only about 1% of the shiraz fruit that comes into Gemtree is used for the Obsidian Shiraz.
The colour is deep, dark and inky.
Nose is complex and intense; dark chocolate, spice, stewed plums and dusty but sweet vanillan oak.
Palate is full bodied, rich and complex; with all of the above plus liquorice, the structure of the wine is powerful and enveloping. Tannins are firm and grippy and will give this wine life for many years to come. Finish is long and satisfying. Bottom line is the wine needs 5 more years in the cellar and I think it will be a great Australian wine and good for 20 years if you are.

Pierro Margaret River Cab Sauv/Merlot LTCf 2005 14.5%

2009-07-07T06:37:00.008-04:00

This wonderful wine was tasted with anchovy basted BBQ cooked rack of lamb with oven roasted vegetables.
The colour is deep ruby red, clear and inviting.
Nose has blackcurrant, a whiff of MR mint, soft spice and is invitingly restrained and elegant.
Palate right up front feels luscious, harmonious and rich. An outstanding example of MR Cabernet Merlot with the added complexity of a little cab franc, petit verdot and malbec. Tannins are soft and ripe and add just the right structure and balance to the mouthful. There is a seductive savoury and dry finish to the wine that inspires a Bordeaux comparison.
And the wine does give a nod to Bordeaux (Left Bank) and loses nothing in the contest. It feels like it will age gracefully for at least another 10-15 years but even another 2-5 will see some exciting development.
This is the second string to the Reserve wine that retails at roughly twice the price. More power to the elbow of Michael Peterkin for one of the best examples of a second tier wine I have tasted in many years.

Charles Melton The Father In Law Shiraz 2006

2009-07-01T20:39:00.010-04:00

The SMH Wine Of The Week this week is the Charles Melton 'The Father In Law' Shiraz 2006. Huon Hooke writes:

Charlie Melton dedicated this terrific, everyday drinking red to his father-in-law, Sydney Weckert. Melton advised him against taking up grape-growing in his retirement. Weckert, who was in his 70s, was told to "just play lawn bowls" but his Teutonic stubbornness prevailed.

The wine is great value and can be bought for as little as $19. Blended from Barossa, Clare and Southern Flinders Ranges grapes, it's rich and meaty, deep and fleshy, with some spice as well as blackberry flavours, the tannins ample and supple throughout the palate. It has the structure to age well, although it drinks superbly now. Best now and for 10 years. 90/100.

Food - Most red meat dishes and all cheeses except blues. Meaty casseroles and stews are especially recommended.

Bream Creek Reserve Pinot Noir 2005

2009-06-15T21:00:00.004-04:00

After managing to survive a few years in the cellar, this highly regarded wine from the supreme 2005 Tasmanian vintage was tasted recently with pancetta wrapped pork fillet with sage and apple, accompanied by roasted vegetables.
The wine is a deep crimson colour and has a nose of dark berries, spice, some earthiness and some fine sweet oak.
Palate is complex and rich with wonderful texture. There are dark cherries, fine spices, plums, a lick of sweet oak and some super-fine tannins. It's medium to full bodied and is now superbly balanced with superb mouthfeel and a very long and fine finish. The complexity builds with each minute in the glass. This is more confirmation, as if we needed it, of the truly wonderful pinots that were able to be made in Tasmania from that best ever 2005 vintage.

Willow Creek Vineyard Tulum Pinot Noir 2007

2009-06-15T20:32:00.008-04:00

This week's SMH Wine of the Week is the Willow Creek Vineyard Tulum Pinot Noir 2007. Huon Hooke writes:
Willow Creek's premium '07 Mornington Peninsula pinot is a real lip-smacker. It wins you over with its perfume and finesse, balance and beguiling sweet fruit, rather than bigness or power. It has well-concentrated flavour, which gives it intensity and persistence but it's very elegant and fine, long and balanced. Aromas of cherry and strawberry, with some spice and smokiness, contribute to its allure. There's fleshiness and richness too. Good with lighter meats, poultry and cheeses but don't overpower it with heavy sauces or strongly spiced food. Drink now to five years. Sold at Annandale Cellars and Vine Providore in Redfern. 94/100
Food - Coq au vin; mushroom risotto; pasta with duck ragout; softer cheeses like buche d'affinois, taleggio and Red Square.

Paringa Estate Peninsula Pinot Noir 2008

2009-06-09T20:46:00.003-04:00

This week's SMH wine of the week is the Paringa Estate Peninsula Pinot Noir 2008. Huon Hooke writes:
One of the Mornington Peninsula's stars, Paringa Estate, makes outstanding pinot at three levels. This is the cheapest and the only one not made solely from Lindsay McCall's estate-grown grapes. I can't recall a better vintage. The restrained nose has sweet red-and black-cherry aromas, oak is relatively low-key and the finish carries some firmness from well judged tannin. It's a smidgen leaner and more angular than the Estate pinots but it's a lovely drink at a more than reasonable price. The fruit ripeness is excellent and with this kind of structure it will age well fro several years. Drink now to five years-plus. 90/100
Food - Grilled lamb shops; veal saltimbocca; vitello tonnato; milder cheeses, from asiago to ripe brie.

San Raffaele Valpolicella Superiore, Monte Tabor, 2004

2009-06-06T21:03:00.003-04:00

Colour is brilliant deep ruby red.
Nose has leather aromas accompanied by sweet oak and a multi-layered array of delicate and elegant aromas of savoury and some raspberry; aromatically intense might be it.
Palate is medium to full bodied with supple mouthfeel and great structure. There are fine and focused tannins with a rich amalgam of fruits like dried cherries, plum and raspberry. Then also some hints of chocolate and cloves, a touch of sous bois; the whole lot wrapped in a cloak of velvet. It all ends in a savoury and super fine finish that is long and very elegant. Alcohol is 14% and it could easily handle another 5-10 years in the cellar.

This was tasted with osso bucco, however it really needs something lighter, perhaps a regional dish from Veneto.
With its 'Superiore' moniker this wine may be of the Ripasso method (passing over the lees of a recently fermented Amarone), or Apassimento method (inclusion of some Amarone juice). I suspect the former, however whether in contact or in concert this is one lovely wine.