Wines
29 Items Found
- Monte Degli Angeli Sangiovese Puglia 2008 Product #22540 (In Stock)
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We're not sure how Monte Degli Angeli found Sangiovese like this down in the hot heel of the Italian boot, but we're really glad they did! The aromas are rich and dark, with lots of black cherry and a hint of balsamic. In the mouth the wine is round and energetic, with cherry and black raspberry fruit complemented by hints of damp earth. If you like Sangiovese-based wines like Chianti or our best-selling Colsanto from Umbria, you'll love this! The wine is ripe, fresh, and fruit-driven with a wonderful dash of earthy complexity at the end. Buy it by the case and drink with pizza, grilled poultry, and pasta.
- Terrazzo Esino Rosso 2008 Product #23329 (In Stock)
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The Terrazzo Rosso hails from Italy's Esino DOC, a newly recognized sub-area in the central Italian Marches region. The wine is a blend of Sangiovese (60%) and Montepulciano (40%) and is just about the tastiest weeknight pizza/pasta wine we've run across in a while. Juicy and fresh, this shows off sour cherry and red plum fruit with accents of lavender and freshly turned earth. The flavors are robust and ripe, but the wine is refreshingly light in alcohol (12.5%) and tannin (just a tiny bit). This will show best with a light chill, and he winemakers have given about 15 different pairing suggestions on the back label. But, don't worry too much - just pop a bottle open and have fun!
- Molino Di Sant'Antimo "Asso" 2009 Product #23431 (In Stock)
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While it’s not really fair to call this a “baby Brunello”, you could argue for “baby Rosso di Montalcino”. It’s made from 25 year-old Sangiovese Grosso vines - the grape used in Brunello/Rosso - grown in the heart of Tuscany’s Brunello zone. But, unlike Brunello and Rosso, this spends 8 months in stainless steel instead of wood to highlight fresh fruit and make the wine wonderfully affordable!
Pour a glass and you’ll be rewarded with generous aromas of ripe red cherry fruit, baking spice, fresh turned earth, and just a wisp of herb. Take a sip and you’ll be surprised by the intensity of the rich dark fruit - black cherries and blackberries - and notes of bitter chocolate and spice. The contrast between the wine’s fairly lightweight frame and the big, rich, fruit is fascinating and fun. The fruit brightens and turns more red on the generous finish with wispy tannins giving enough support for food but not getting in the way of simple sipping. With a slight chill, it’s refreshing and perfect for pizza. A touch warmer, and it’s rich enough for sausages and grilled meats. And, at this price, it’s perfect for keeping on hand for just about any occasion! - Colsanto Ruris Umbria 2007 Product #22396 (In Stock)
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Here's our single best-selling Italian wine of the past two years - a fantastic value that tastes like it costs twice as much as it does. The wine is mainly (70%) Sangiovese and delivers plenty of that variety's juicy black cherry fruit. But, the 20% Merlot in the blend rounds out the mid-palate and keeps the wine soft while the secret ingredient -- 10% Sagrantino -- adds spice and complexity uncommon in Umbrian wines. Sure, it goes well with pizza and robust pasta sauces, but there's enough going on to handle game and hard, salty, cheeses and a soft enough finish just to drink at a party. Fantastic value.
- Bibi Graetz Casamatta Rosso 2008 Product #22722 (In Stock)
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100% Sangiovese and 200% fun, this snappy, fresh, wine from Bibi Graetz has the bright acidity needed to complement a wide range of foods plus the juicy dark cherry fruit needed to stand on it’s own. A fine bargain.
“I continue to be impressed with the beautiful wines of Bibi Graetz. These are highly singular, expressive wines that merit serious consideration. It’s hard to find a better value in Tuscany than Graetz’s 2008 Casamatta Rosso. This medium-bodied, juicy red offers plenty of dark red fruit in an accessible style underpinned with a bright accent of acidity. The Casamatta Rosso would make a great house red.”Wine Advocate 87 points
“Sweet raspberry jam aromas lead to medium-to-full body, with delicate tannins and a fruity, tangy aftertaste. Sangiovese. Best Buy."Wine Spectator 88 points
- Lucignano Chianti Colli Fiorentini 2007 Product #23502 (In Stock)
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Practically our House Chianti! The Blend: Sangiovese - 80% Canaiolo - 10%, Colorino - 5% and Merlot - 5% Medium intensity ruby red. The nose on this wine is intense, overflowing with fruity aromas of black cherry and violets. Soft and medium bodied on the palate it balances rather present tannins with moderate acidity. An ideal accompaniment to pasta dishes, medium aged cheese. This classic never fails.
- La Spinetta Il Nero Di Casanova 2006 Product #23067 (In Stock)
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The Casanova winery is the newest venture from the ever-extending arm of the Spinetta winery. Originally from Moscato D'Ast, the Rivetti family set out some years back to start making red wine. Their first venture was a Barbera D'Asti, and now they've set their sights on the Tuscan hillsides.
The Nero Di Casanova is 95% Sangiovese and 5% Colorino, just a local blending grape. The wine has a sweet dark cherry vanilla aroma. The palate is delicious with flavors of coffee bean, mocha, cinnamon, and plum. The tannins are very soft along with the acidity. The wine is full bodied and finishes very elegantly. A great pairing with richer red meats.
- Brancaia Tre 2008 Product #23206 (In Stock)
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The 2007 Brancaia Tre earned 93 points from Wine Spectator and ranked number 10 on the magazine’s Top 100 Wines of 2009. I’ve tasted the just-released 2008 Tre three times (naturally!), and the outcome is clear - this vintage is better.
Brancaia Tre is a triple trifecta of a wine: 1) the third wine introduced by Brancaia, 2) a blend of three grapes (Sangiovese complemented by soft Merlot and currant, structured, Cabernet Sauvignon), and 3) grown in the estate’s three different Tuscan vineyards.
The ruby-colored 2008 Brancaia Tre opens with complex aromas of ripe Sangiovese cherry, Cab/Merlot black plum and currant, and classic Tuscan earth. In the mouth, it’s noticeably softer and more approachable than the 2007 edition, leading with dark black cherry fruit and gaining complexity with notes of spice and more currant. There’s fine richness and depth of flavor here, but also an elegance and class that’s rare from a super-tuscan blend at this price point. We have no idea how the press will rate this wine - these things are more than a little mysterious! - but we do know that this a fine wine that deserves a place on your table and in your cellar. Delicious. - Fattoria La Lecciaia Brunello Di Montelcino 2004 375ml Product #22526 (In Stock)
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Once again, the good folks at La Lecciaia have over-delivered. Just try to find a 2004 Brunello with this score and depth of flavor at anything like <$40! The 2004 La Lecciaia Brunello shows everything great about the 2004 vintage - ripe and full-bodied but still definitely Brunello. Give this an hour of breathing time and watch it sing. A perfect foil for lamb, standing rib roast, or most any festive Holiday meal!
"Plush aromas of black cherry and blackberry. Full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins and a long, delicious finish. There's fresh acidity and lots of subtle flavor on the finish."Wine Spectator 93 points
- Fontodi Chianti Classico 2007 Product #23111 (In Stock)
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Always one of the very best wines in Chianti Classico, the 2007 Fontodi delivers all the depth and complexity you could want from a great Tuscan red in a more open, accessible, package. A Chianti to enjoy with everything from pizza and pasta to grilled meats and roasts.
“A maniacal attention to detail in both the vineyards and cellar sets Fontodi apart as one of Italy’s most inspired producers. The 2007 Chianti Classico is fresh and perfumed as it bursts into the palate in a generous, silky expression of Sangiovese. This is an especially open vintage for the Chianti Classico that should drink well upon release. The balance, harmony and softness are all commendable. This is a fabulous effort from Fontodi. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020.”Wine Advocate 91 points
“Blackberry and dark plum aromas follow through to a full body, with silky tannins and a bright, fruity finish. There's a nice combination of bright fruit and clean acidity. Drink now.”Wine Spectator 91 points
- Canalicchio Di Sopra Rosso Di Montalcino 2007 Product #21396 (In Stock)
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The wines from Canalicchio have been shooting up in quality for the past few vintages. The 2003 Brunello was a breakthrough, and the 2004 Brunello earned 93 points from Wine Advocate and is the “best ever” from this estate. (We’ve got 18 bottles left if you’re interested!)
The quality revolution at this address has worked its way into the Rosso di Montalcino program as well. The Panceti family farms 15 acres of Sangiovese Grosso in high elevation vineyards just north of Montalcino. The fruit for Canalicchio’s Rosso is destemmed and receives a cool fermentation in stainless steel followed by a two-week maceration. The wine then gets 8 months aging in neutral oak barrels before bottling and release.
The wine is a lovely ruby red color with bright highlights. The primary aromas of bright red cherry gain complexity from notes of roses, fresh leather, underbrush and fresh-shaved truffle. In the mouth, there’s plenty of vigor and zip, with pronounced raspberry fruit complemented by strawberry, aged balsamic, and just a touch of herb or tobacco. The wine finishes long and lush with more red fruit and a very satisfying licorice note. Best now with 30 minutes or so in decanter and sure to drink well over the next five years. A great match to pork or veal on their own or in a meaty pasta sauce. - Valdicava Rosso Di Montalcino 2007 Product #21397 (In Stock)
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“The 2007 Rosso di Montalcino is one of the more massive Rossos in this vintage. In fact, it is one of the few wines that may actually require a year or two in bottle for the tannins to soften! Super-ripe red cherries lead to kirsch, earthiness, leather and spices as this full-bodied, tannic Rosso struts its stuff. The wine possesses exceptional depth, purity and class. Proprietor Vincenzo Abbruzzese elevates Rosso to another level with this effort, but readers will need to be patient. The Valdicava Rosso is made from the estate’s youngest vines, all of which are Brunello-designated. In 2007 Abbruzzese gave his Rosso an additional 4-5 months in cask above the usual 8-10 months. He describes the wine as “too important for a Rosso” and I tend to agree as this is by no means an approachable, easy going wine. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022.”Wine Advocate 91 points
“This has a subtle nose, but there's good crushed black fruit and mineral. Full-bodied, with firm, fruit-coated tannins and a clean finish. Unwinds in the glass. Valdicava Brunello character for half the price. Drink now.”Wine Spectator 90 points
- Bibi Graetz Grilli Di Testamatta 2007 Product #23252 (In Stock)
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The new vintage of wild-man Bibi Greatz's Grilli di Testamatta is delicious. More open and elegant than the 2006, there's still plenty of gusty fruit and a fine floral and spice note. Great to drink now and for years.
"Shows beautiful, subtle aromas of sweet berries, vanilla, cream and cherry. Full-bodied, with a tight mouthfeel of silky tannins and fresh fruit. Complex and interesting. Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino."Wine Spectator 91 points
- Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 2006 Product #23167 (In Stock)
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With Fontodi’s Cru Sorbo, a single vineyard Chianti that defines the heights quality can reach in this ancient wine region. But unlike Cru Sorbo, Rancia is 100% Sangiovese, which it makes it more like
Fontodi’s Flaccianello - 100% Sangiovese, dark, a little brooding, muscular, and very deep and reserved young. You can get glimpses of the quality now, but this really needs 3-4 years more cellaring to sing. The price is stunning for a wine of this quality.“If you were to cut proprietor Giuseppe Mazzocolin’s veins the man would bleed Sangiovese, such is his passion for Tuscany’s most important native grape. Mazzocolin has a terrific set of new releases on his hands. The 2006s are glorious and benefit from a warm growing season that also saw good alternation of day and evening temperatures before the grapes got a final kick of heat that informs the wines. The 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is a vibrant, focused wine that flows with the essence of dark fruit, minerals and flowers. The wine possesses gorgeous length and proportion, all of which is framed by powerful yet well-integrated tannins. Simply put, this is a superb Chianti that also happens to be one of the best relative values in fine, age worthy wine. The Rancia is made from vines planted on poor soils at 420 meters above sea level. In 2006, the Rancia spent 16 months in French oak, of which 60% was new. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026.”Wine Advocate 95 points
- Fattoria La Lecciaia Brunello Di Montalcino 2004 Product #22611 (In Stock)
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Once again, the good folks at La Lecciaia have over-delivered. Just try to find a 2004 Brunello with this score and depth of flavor at anything like <$40! The 2004 La Lecciaia Brunello shows everything great about the 2004 vintage - ripe and full-bodied but still definitely Brunello. Give this an hour of breathing time and watch it sing. A perfect foil for lamb, standing rib roast, or most any festive Holiday meal!
"Plush aromas of black cherry and blackberry. Full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins and a long, delicious finish. There's fresh acidity and lots of subtle flavor on the finish."Wine Advocate 93 points
- Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino 2004 Product #22083 (In Stock)
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Ciacci makes a sliky, layered, sensuous, Brunello that’s marked by lovely aromatics, rich fruit, and very fine, ripe, tannins. Unlike most Brunello, Ciacci is delicious to drink right on release (although an hour or so of air can help), but it ages beautifully too.
Ciacci’s 2004 Brunello delivers the concentration and depth of flavor found in the 2001 vintage with the elegance and complexity of the 1999 and the soft tannins of 1998. Within 10 minutes of being poured, the wine shows a very pretty nose of spice and ripe red cherry fruit with just a hint of old balsamic vinegar. The flavors show perfectly balanced red cherry fruit, acidity, and floral elements and, as the wine opens, more black cherry, violet and balsamic notes emerge. There’s plenty of tannin here, but you really have to look to find it as the complex, layered, finish goes on and on.“Proprietor Paolo Bianchini has a lovely set of wines on his hands with these new releases. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino reveals sweet, open aromatics that meld seamlessly into a perfumed core of ripe red fruits. This is one of the more intensely scented, fruit-driven Brunellos of the vintage. The wine reveals superior density and richness in an engaging style. The softness of the tannins makes the wine accessible even today, yet the flavor profile is decidedly youthful. Readers looking for a measure of tertiary development will need to give the wine a few years in bottle. This bottling is made from the estate’s youngest vines. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022.”Wine Advocate 92 points
- Pertimali Brunello Di Montalcino 2004 Product #22339 (In Stock)
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Good deep medium red. Highly complex, slightly musky aromas of red berries, spices, minerals, incense, iron and graphite; quite Burgundian. Silky on entry, then sharply delineated and vibrant in the middle, with a sappy, rather imploded character suggesting more to come. This very young and structured wine finishes with excellent grip and slowly emerging notes of leather, chocolate, iron and underbrush. It's a shame that more 2004 Brunellos can't match this wine for clarity of flavor or back-end thrust.International Wine Cellar 92 points
Candied plum notes, with hints of flowers and mushroom, follow through to a full-bodied palate, with very soft, juicy tannins and lightly grilled meat, berry and fresh shiitake mushroom flavors. A decadent style. Best from 2010 through 2015.Wine Spectator 93 points
- Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 1994 Product #23007 (In Stock)
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A few years ago, a change in importers left dribs and drabs of some of Felsina’s wines lingering in the old importer’s temperature-controlled warehouse. We were excited to find that these stocks included just under 5 cases of the 1994 Rancia! Tasted at the store, we found a beautiful, fully mature, Chianti. There’s still black cherry fruit at the wine’s core, but it’s become silky and loaded with sandlewood and spice to go with the ripe fruit. Notes of rose petal and forest floor emerge with time - an elegant wine that’s showing maturity, but still zippy and fresh on the finish. The 2006 is a better wine than the 1994, but his will give you a hint of what to expect from Rancia at 16 years of age.
Number 54 on Wine Spectator Top 100 for 1997. “This is a beautifully crafted Chianti with impressive berry, cherry and vanilla aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, with wonderfully integrated tannins, a long and silky finish. Best after 1998.”Wine Spectator 92 points
- Brancaia Il Blu 2006 Product #22758 (In Stock)
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Brancaia’s flagship wine, Il Blu, is a blend of just about equal parts Sangiovese and Merlot plus 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Perhaps because Il Blu comes entirely from fruit grown in Brancaia’s Chianti Classico vineyards, this is one of the most consistent and truly “Italian” of the more famous super-tuscan blends. Always a big scoring wine in the US wine press, Il Blu has also earned the highest, Tre Bicchieri, award in Italy’s Gambero Rosso guild every year since 2003.
“The 2006 Il Blu (50% Sangiovese, 45% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) is a striking wine loaded with vibrant dark cherries, violets, sweet spices and French oak in a powerful, structured style. Naturally the Blu doesn’t show the warmth of the Ilatraia but it does possess a touch more freshness and finesse, attributes which will allow the wine to age gracefully over the coming years. Once again, Brancaia has produced a gem in the Blu. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026.”Wine Advocate 95 points
- Verbena Brunello Riserva 2004 Product #23208 (In Stock)
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Verbena’s wines have become increasingly respected in Italy, but have struggled a bit to reach US consumers. Things began improving a couple of years ago when local Italian specialist Downey Imports began working with Verbena’s Rosso di Montalcino. Having established a good relationship, Verbena began allowing Downey to import small quantities of the estate’s Brunello last year- and we grabbed almost all of it.
Now, for the first time ever, Verbena has released a tiny quantity of its top wine, the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, to the US market. Only 300 cases were made of this ripe, full-bodied, and complex Brunello and we grabbed virtually all of the very limited US release. Like any good Riserva, this needs a little cellar time to open up, but it’s sure to give pleasure for 10-15 years.“Shows gorgeous aromas of strawberry jam, with vanilla bean and Indian spices. Full-bodied, with a rich core of ripe fruit, velvety tannins and a long aftertaste of fruit and milk chocolate. Long and balanced. Best after 2011. 300 cases made.”Wine Spectator 92 points
