Scott Evans

Sommelier/Owner Pago & Finca

9.4

Absolutely stunning. Complex and full of tertiary goodness we all want from excellent wine. Stoked I grabbed three cases for Pago! — 10 years ago

Roel van der Burg

Sommelier at Restaurant Entrepot

9.2

Like no other! Old Zibibbo vines planted on volcanic soil of the Pantelleria island (located between Sicily and Africa). Aromatic, lenght and grip. Skin macerated for three months in amphorae. By the way: Bini also farms capers the organic way. @Saturne — 10 years ago

with Piet, Alessandro and 2 others

Andrew Lampasone

Owner Wine Watch Selections

9.0

They make three cuvees here this one is from old vines 60-100 years old — 12 years ago

Michael Horkay

9.7

Stop buying drinking and anything else with this juice. This champagne drank like a burgundy...'m. And it was jobard like in getting better by the hour. Alk I can say is that I tasted this wine twenty times over three hours and in the end I thought I had tasted thirty different wines. It was a threesome for the palate. — 10 years ago

Paul Stefani

9.2

The 2010 is just drinking awesome now. Thirty year old vines, producing an intense and powerful wine. Packed with ripe fruit and elegant tannins. — 11 years ago

Jay Miner

9.1

Big fruit up front, predominantly blackberry and currant. Long smoky finish. Better on day two, and even held up nicely on day three. — 12 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

9.9

Very dark crimson red in color. The nose is very delightful with dark juicy ripe black plum, black raspberries and hints of vanilla. This Is one expressive Tempranillo from 70 year old vines of Ribera del Duero. The juicy plum continues through to the palate and full in the mouth. At three years old the balance is pronounced. Smooth tannins and a good chalky dryness. There are good soil notes with subtle oak tones on the backend. I am pleasantly at how well made this wine is. It will only improve with age. — 12 years ago

Gae Saccoccio - NdC

9.0

Ampeleia, beyond this winery in the heart of Maremma (Tuscany) there was a swiss couple: Erica and Peter Max Suter, they bought an abandoned piece of land which since 2002 has been reorganized under the protection of Elisbetta Foradori. Roccatederighi's the ancient town nearby that spread over the Metalliferous Hills. All the Ampeleia wines bear names that recall ancestral ideas and profound concepts taken from ancient Greek culture: Kepos, Empatia, Ampeleia. Biggest enemy in the wine region is an excess heat and too much sun exposure of the vines which could provides too mushy wines or some dispreferred overipe. How does Marco Tait in the vineyards first then in the cellar, fight against such an adversary? Altitude, actually three different altitudes! Ampeleia di Sopra is where they've got vineyards between 450 and 600 m.a.s.l., here's for instance, the main reason why this vintage 2004, a blend of Cab Franc, Sangiovese and four others Mediterranean grape varieties despite his twelve years behind it is still that vibrating, breezy, unbroken and savory! http://www.ampeleia.it/ — 10 years ago

Perry Riddle

9.8

Well. Hmmm. Opulent? Hedonistic? Over the top? Yes to all three. Floral nose and citrus predominant on opening. After a thirty minute decant, almond and citrus oil took over. Weighty in the mouth but exceptionally pure and has great lift on the finish. It's definitely an experience. Served with Julia Child's Chicken with Cream and Mushrooms and it was spot on. — 11 years ago

jarred gild

Head Wine Buyer Western Market

9.4

so f'n good. bottle-fermented pignoletto. read about alberto tedeschi on the louis/dressner website: "I'm just getting started: my parents have other jobs, so I'm starting from scratch! We work organically in the vineyard, and it's very important for me to work traditionally in the cellar. And even though I'm renting my vines, I'm ok with that because they produce quality grapes and I can make the wines I want to make. These are fresh wines with great acidity, that can be drank young, but can also age in bottle for quite some time. I am also proud to make GOOD territorial wine; most consider Bologna wine to be an industrial product, and most of the time they are right! I only work with Pignoletto. I drive the grapes (which are in boxes) to the cellar in my van. I then do a direct press; Pignoletto is thick skinned and very tannic, so it's important to be gentle. After that I leave the juice outside overnight, then I rack it to stainless steel. The natural fermentation begins, then nothing! After three of four days, I re-rack the wine back to old oak barrels, where they stay on the lees for 12 months. That's for the Bellaria. For the frizzante, the fermentation and aging is in stainless steel (almost a year). I take a bit of must (which hasn't fermented) I've kept in the fridge, and add it to the still wine, then I bottle. The sugar of the must then begins the refermentation in bottle. It's a really typical way of making wine in our region. In Emilia, we are not famous for rich, big wine. We are country folk! We make easy, drinkable wine made to enjoy in the moment." — 12 years ago