Stuart Robinson

9.1

Smokey, dusky, smouldering red fruit

Light, lithe, possesses volcanicity - that sense of a wine that is airy like a pumice stone; Fine texture, it opens up to reveal a loose and fine structure.  — 9 years ago

Gae Saccoccio - NdC

9.6

Really complicated on these so suspect days, expose themselves with concepts such as: tradition, terroir, identity without falling into the most sinister rhetoric if not sounds just trite and hypocritical as the counterfeit currency with which even large-scale industries - supported by marketing - pays back its inattentive mass audience riding the wave of the country of origin or protected typicality. A diabolical mechanism this one for which even the most noble ideas probably the right practices and good experiences completed in the scale of centuries to human measure and not on massive industrial scale, are trivialized by sleazy slogan, emptied of meaning to be more or less surreptitious thanks to barbaric persuasion techniques and brain-washing propaganda.
Yet with the Valentini's Trebbiano you may not groped to summarize in words if not by drawing on terms so appropriate to express it. Now concerning this iconic label we've got behind it a local grape variety, a real family and a great wine that collect in a bottle the past and present story of a side of Abruzzo who claims to defeats victories and sacrifices to dominate the abuses (on and of) nature, miseries and splendours of agricultural seasons. Places, people, vision, wines such as Valentini are here to remind us how each bottle stay so proudly standing as non-reproducible beauty and fermented goodness expressing all its artisanal uniqueness and authenticity which are just that suspect to industrial wine production in manufacturing chains on standardized quantities; wines that are all equal to themselves even though wine itself is not much left at the end of the day/cycle. Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Valentini 1998 is what we have to rate right now: rusticity with class; style, purity and glory of a local grape recognized by many admirers from all over the world: act local think global this is another slogan-cliché which in this specific Valentini's wine exemple could sounds a little less false and more effective. — 9 years ago

with Alberto and Giovanni

Dave Kluz

9.0

Dark berry and dusky tannins. — 10 years ago

Paula Matt

8.9

Smells both herbal and fruity, tastes like a fruity/citrusy sauvignon with the slightest saline after-taste. Maybe that sounds gross but I really like this one. Dry and acidic without being overly so. — 10 years ago

David Kline

9.1

60/40 Merlot-cab. Dense, dark and heavy, but velvet like the curtain on the Devil's theatre. Licorice, tobacco, black and blue berries, with a tart Kool-aid grapey-ness, that sounds cheap, but this is rib-stickingly tannic fruit sand slide stuff, and really just a symptom of drinking this wine young. I am unapologetic, I like precocious young wines. I drank the Kool-aid, and am now a believer. — 12 years ago

with Courtney

J C

9.7

Wonderful dessert wine! Sounds strange with the chocolate, but it is wonderful! — 12 years ago

Tom Wood

8.9

Bitta old world funk. Literally smells like wine once you've spilt it on cordorie couch cushions. Sounds unusual, but it's half fruit, half mustiness. Drinks so clean however. Not enough interest for higher points — 9 years ago

Bill Lewis

9.0

Seductive nose. Big, but still in balance. Not hot, despite the 14+ABV. Dusky fruit, great acidity. Well done Wes. (2013) — 9 years ago

Keith Pinault

9.0

Like the rosé, only... Redder. If that sounds like a diss it's not: less lemon, more strawberry. Still the same weird and awesome minerality/salinity. — 9 years ago

Nick Mallon

9.2

Barnyard, smoke and funk. Sounds like a band name, I like it. — 10 years ago

Dave Kluz

9.2

Dusky cherry and red berries. Forest floor, cedar, leather and macerated berries. Great length and richness. — 10 years ago

Art Bennett

9.5

Full bodied, fruity, smooth, delicious " it was red ergo I liked it" dark cherry , dark chocolate but the smell is amazing, sounds great with Compay Segundo "Chan Chan" — 10 years ago

with Laraine and Lianna

Anna Coleshaw-Echols

10

Always learning! This wine has a good story. The dry grown process sounds like smart business because it produces a very full bodied and very tasty vino. Alas this was brought to us from Australia by hand. — 12 years ago

Jacqueline Reyes

9.0

Would be great with some food. Was suggested to have burgers with it, which sounds real great. — 9 years ago

Indra Priede

9.2

Perfect wine, I was surprised finally that recognized and nominated wine really tastes good and price is acceptable. For me it's sounds I'll include it in ma favorite list. Try it! — 9 years ago

Chip Hughes

9.0

Dusky and pleasingly mineral. Lots of Santa Rita black tea, spice box & cocoa. Cool, refined and taut. Long life ahead. — 9 years ago

Marshal White

9.3

The dimensions of this wine are huge, and I don't mean alcohol, acidity, or tannin, though it has fair bit of all three. There's a depth or a third dimension that only wines from special places have. The fruit is bright and the color pale, but the wine is dark in character. It's the character that Etna has - that rocky, ashy, old balsamic, dusky mountain herb, intense etnosity. — 10 years ago

Blaine Brown

9.0

Highly floral and mineral, like white rose candy. Except super dry and less grandma-y than that sounds. — 10 years ago

Chris DeBarr

9.3

Late outside picnic wine. Orchard fruits on the nose, tendrils of seductive dusky weight. It could've aged, but 'twas a delight for brunch outside — 11 years ago

Barb Geisler

9.6

Damn delicious. Balanced--no certain notes stand out (fruit, leather, armpits) which sounds boring but is happy-making and mellow. — 12 years ago