Riccardo L.

8.9

You know how beer has a a division called “sours,” and they’re different but once they grow on you they’re pretty good? Yeah. That. It’s like a Pinot noir, but thinner and more sour. Lots of minerality. What you eat with it is important. Choose something creamy or cheesy. Not for n00bs. — 4 years ago

Chris Zitzman

9.3

“Before decanting- or even much of a breathe- the ‘15 Rocca Delle Macie, Chianti Classico Riserva floats right off the glass as if it knew it’d be opened soon. seriously - this is one of the more lush and powerfully expressive Chianti’s I’ve experienced. While blackberries and hints of cherry find their way to the nose- there’s something else there that, even after thirty minutes studying my little book of aromas- I cannot pinpoint! It’s an earthy-yet youthful, “sandstone-y” type of aroma. Which I’m sure doesn’t exist but, whatever- that’s what I got. And very, very much am digging. There is a notable roundness to this wine- both in the nose as well as on the palate. The finish is long and kind of “unwinding” other flavors I missed along the journey of the swig. For its price in particular, I would even invite staunch fans of Brunello Di Montalcino to have a go at this beautifully-expressive & precocious Chianti Classico Riserva from Rocca delle Macie. #PublicofRidgewood, #PublicofPrinceton, #chianti — 6 years ago

with Beth

Paul J

9.0

Definitely needs a decant. I decanted 30 minutes and it needed more. Dark red color with ever so subtle brownish tones. Nose contains pencil shavings and ripe vegetables. Wine is very green with hints of cranberry and plum. Tastes much higher than the listed 13% OH. Wine reminds me of the 2010 Domaine Eden Cab Sauv. — 6 years ago

with Brooke

Rick K

9.3

Tar, underbrush, anise, rose, raspberry. Bracing but not aggressive tannins. Really nice. Not as exciting the second night, which leads me to think it's at or near its peak. I've got more, so let's do this @Larry Frierson ! — 7 years ago

Manuel Buergi

9.7

The Voerzio Capalot/Brunate 01 (mag) was the third WOTN for me. A perfect Voerzio expression. Hell of a nose and intensity/concentration. Much fresher and more vivid than a 09 I had last weekend. 01 seems to rock here again. Bright red stone fruit, dark roses and flowers, coffee bean, some mocha, tarry irony minerals. You kinda feel the old vines here. Wow. — 8 years ago

Max Kelly

9.1

More rounded black cherry fruit w medicinal, herb and rocky notes. Very dense and tannic with notable grip on the finish. Good stuff but sooooo young. — 9 years ago

sam howe

9.6

Really interesting wine which gets more complex the warmer it gets - would recommend this as an aperitif — 9 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.1

Medium bodied. Nose is Maraschino liqueur and ocean breeze. Palette presents some red fruits and tar. Medium weight, medium+ tannin, and strong acidity. Suckling gave 97 pts. I’ve followed it a few years now and still can’t give more than low 90s. — 5 years ago

Peter Heyboer

8.9

Grabbed this Pinot Grigio to use in some braised chicken but had a little left over to sip and rate. Not much aroma outside the peach/pear and honey. Body is a little more full with a medium light acidity. Taste is a delicate pear, melon, and honey that quickly fades into a lingering sweetness on the tongue. Not bad and made a great dish. Would buy again. — 6 years ago

with Jody and Diane

Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Beautiful and funky Northern Italian white. Bordering on an Orange Wine. Floral, stone fruit, fresh firewood and citrus aromas and flavors. Just a hint of yeast. Almost has some “ beer-like” qualities. Loads of minerality. Ripping acidity on the very long finish. Oily/waxy texture. This beauty can age for a bit. Simply unique and extremely well made. Revisited in January of 2021. Still unique and outstanding! Notes of ginger and a bit more of an oxidized quality. Beautifully funky and complicated. Thanks Kase! Revisited again in April 2024. More austere. Yeasty notes are more baked bread-like. Ginger and honey flavors have intensified. Outstanding texture! Finish a bit short on this bottle but still delicious! — 6 years ago

with Kasey

Byron Hewett

9.1

Solid. Seemed more expressive a year ago.... — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The nose reveals, black & bing sour cherries, blackberries, slightly baked strawberries, blueberries, some black raspberries, pomegranate extract and hint of plum, a fair amount of vanillin, soft limestone, whiffs of other baking spices, black tea, rich dark soils, faint crushed rocks, beautiful, fragrant, bright, blue, red and dark red florals.

The body is round & full. The tannins just starting to hit a good point of softening and rounding, yet have 10 plus years ahead. The structure, tension are hitting their stride. The length and balance are just getting to near perfect form. Two years ago, this wine was not ready and is now at the place I was hoping to get. I have two bottles left and I will have another in five years. Based on that performance, another in three to five plus years more. It’s the evolution that is so much fun to follow.

Black & bing sour cherries, blackberries show more on the palate and the pork pasta bring them out more deeply, slightly baked strawberries, blueberries, some black raspberries, pomegranate extract, cranberries and hint of plum, a fair amount of vanillin, soft limestone, nuances of volcanic minerals, soft baking spices, dark medium intensity of spice, black tea, rich dark soils, faint crushed rocks, beautiful, fragrant, bright, blue, red and dark red florals. The acidy is like a fresh water river. The long finish is unbelievably elegant, well balanced with a touch more fruit than earth, polished and persists seamlessly for several minutes.

I look forward to trying this wine again as it continues to evolve and improve over the next five to ten years...should be stunning! Well made Brunello’s simply take more than ten years in bottle to even begin to amaze.

Photos of, a wide hilltop shot of Casanuova, field hand harvesting their Sangiovese, large oak fermentation cask so there is less noticeable oak influence on the wine and their sloping vines on a sunny beautiful day.

@Oenotri Napa — 7 years ago

Paco Suro

9.0

Of the two, the 06 is the more Sangiovese forward. Good old world notes. Drank well into day 2. Great value for a 15 year old baby Tuscan. — 5 years ago

Chris Dye

9.0

Very pale and clear. Peach, melon, and honeysuckle in the bouquet. Medium-high acid with plum/fig complimenting the continued peach and honey. Lingering finish is dry with a little more citrus than the rest of the palate. — 5 years ago

with Jennifer

Matt

9.4

Been a while since I’ve had this in my glass. Oh how I’ve missed thee! Similar to what I remember about Morei, it carries some nice flesh and roundness to it, seems more open knit. Finessed and elegant, brimming with purity and freshness. Crushed morello cherry, pomegranate, blood orange, juniper, bitter herbs, rocks, licorice root, smoke. I want to say its too young but its energy and refreshing nature make it hard to argue keeping it. — 6 years ago

Karl Ziegler

9.5

Very Chablis like... more please! — 6 years ago

Adam Kincaid

9.2

This was wonderful. Bright purple hues in the glass and a tightness on the first sip that told me we had to decant it. Did so for 24 hours and could have used some more.

Highly acidic, rich tannins, but well balanced with dark fruits and a little sourness. This is a complicated guy. I could use a few more glasses and another day of decanting to pull it apart. — 7 years ago

with Jillian

Martin Mills

9.0

Still a little young with unresolved tannin but pointing in the right direction. Hint of alcohol on the nose but mostly that menthol eucalyptus note along with honeyed fruit, a hint of coffee. Dark colour mostly opaque and still youthful right to the edge. The palate is mostly fruit, fig, more herbs, quite dry but in a dark chocolate kind of way, that is, more-ish. — 8 years ago

Matthew Denci

9.0

Interesting, sort of like you took Italian barbera and lightened up two notches. At first it was a bit sour cherry, high acid, and short finish but with time it put on a little weight and showed more what I would call the barbera hallmarks, a sort of richness, balsamic notes, bitter green near the back and a long finish. Interesting more than great but worthwhile none the less. — 9 years ago

Stephanie Bruno Herndon

9.1

Terre Nere's bigger, slightly bolder big brother. A bit more shoulder and depth with the same lovely dried violets, crushed earth, and minerality. Beautiful. — 10 years ago