In 1877, Illario and Leopoldo Ruffino laid the foundations of their dream to make Italian wines from the heart of Tuscany. Medium Ruby with aromas of dark berry fruit and earthy spice. On the palate black cherry, blackberry and plum flavors with tobacco, pepper and earthy cedar notes. Full-bodied, well balanced soft drying tannins on a smooth medium+ finish. Grab some Italian food and enjoy the great value wine. Consistent quality. — 10 days ago
Hot vintage, warm, aromatic, baked earth, dark cherry, dried herbs, a bit of olive tapenade, yet incredibly fresh, cool, enticing.
Medium bodied on the palate with incredible freshness, juicy acidity, pure fruit. Great depth & character, so drinkable, so fresh.
Year in, year out - even in a difficult hot vintage - this is just brilliant.
One of my all time favourites! — 7 days ago
Last of my case of this. Man has this matured over the short year-ish that I've had it. White pepper, subtle cherry, anise, hazelnut. Medium bodied, medium alcohol, medium minus acidity, soft yet chewy tannins. If not for some sharp angles on the finish, I would blind taste this as a Brunello presentation of Sangiovese. This can improve still more with age. Excellent!
93 points — 4 days ago
This was infanticide - absolutely inky & impenetrable color, and shut down nose. I caught a glimpse of the power & depth after several hours, but I opted to hold the bottle for a couple of days… glad I did: drenched in rich black cherry, blackberry, black plum, and secondary notes galore: smoke & white pepper, lilacs & violets, turned soil, cherry cough drop, and so much more. Wave after wave, first it was Brunello then it was some intense Aussie Shiraz. Palate is huge, but finely grained tannins. Lacking acidity is really the only facet holding this back. Paired w/leftover roasted lamb w/balsamic reduction over rice. Impressive @Lyle Fass but I won’t touch this again for at least 5 yrs — 14 days ago
Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deeper ruby color with a transparent core. Medium+ viscosity; slight staining of the tears. On the nose, dark cherry, dried herbs and baking spices…it smells Italian. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with monumental structure. The fruits and non-fruits are confirmed. I gotta say this is painfully primary. It took half a day of air to even budge. I vacillated between Sangio and Nebbiolo…the color didn’t quite seem right for Nebbiolo but the structure was beyond what I would expect for Sangiovese. So, I called Barolo from 2017, from a modern producer. Welp…I got the Italian part right! In hindsight, I should have trusted the color. If you have these, slow-ox for at least 12 hours before service. This will drink nicely, well past it’s fifteenth birthday. — 3 days ago
Allison Lyzenga
Pale garnet; medium plus intensity aromas of wild berries, spices, black cherry, red plum, spiced apple rings, dry herbs, sweet baking spices, vine; dry, medium plus acid, medium smooth tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, medium plus intensity flavors consistent with aromas; spicy light and complex, delightful — 7 days ago