The colour is a beautiful deep ruby, and the nose announces great depths of combined cherry and dark fruits. Both nose and togue give you sweetness and maturity, but that's not all, as there are hints of chocolate and violets and integrated, straightforward tannins which give strong structure. And what gives this the edge over SOME big reds is that the sweetness backs off in the finish and a nice long savoury finish rounds it off. A 5 for me - but a 90+ in more conventional books, in my opinion. Really nice Chianti - and it looks like this 2006 is definitely ready for drinking.
Ben Roberts
rockyhill
Member Since March 2010
From United Kingdom
About
Brought up on French, Spanish and Italian, but have learned to love the New World wine just as much. Favourite game: finding wines I can't normally afford at cut prices that I can.
Submitted Wines
Recent Reviews
10/22/2011 - 20:19
This is a pretty respectable chateau making a really nice wine in an off year - which deserves some credit, especially at just over £10 a bottle. I gambled on six (my source said they were ready and good value and he was right, I think.) The Cab/Merlot balance is 50/50, and that sense of balance in maintained. The colour is a pleasing intense dark red with a nose of gentle oak and a touch of sweet candy toasted briefly on a wood fire. Sweet red fruit sits in the palate briefly with a fresher, breezy forest floor effect carrying on for a decent length of time. There is a proper supporting structure here, with enough savoury grip and a light finish of powdered vanilla which suggests something from the other side of the Pyrenees, almost. The good year versions of this probably cost a lot of money and are more complex - but a decent Haut Medoc at this price is very welcome.
10/22/2011 - 20:10
The wine has the colour of a thin sliver of smoked salmon and the aroma of fresh red berries. The first impression in the mouth is of extreme dryness and a swarm of tight, exuberant small bubbles. Pleasing traces of fruit, some raspberry and some less than ripe strawberry, develop in the mouth, but the acidity keeps the wine seriously taut with no hint of the flabby sugary quality which gives some rose sparklers a bad name (and taste). This is excellent value at less than £10 - and would complement most cold savoury dishes and fish. I have never had a sparkling Bordeaux of this sort - made from 50% each of merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Very unusual but good wine with a brilliant gripping acidity and effervescence, and one to serve to those suspicious of pink fizz. 4.5 if i took the cut price into account.
10/20/2011 - 19:27
Before trying this new grape variety (for me) I found this comment from Wine Weekly which said: Teroldego Rotaliano is the wine you would have if you crossed a Beaujolais Cru with a Chianti Classico - that was intriguing, but now I've tried it i can see exactly what they meant. It's a lovely bright, fruity wine with brambly cherry and dark fruit flavours very nicely integrated with oak. The acidity is relatively low, but the tannins are attractive and the wine is on the full side of medium bodied. Apparently it is distantly related to Syrah, but it tasted very Itaian to me. Thre were violet hints in the colour, and some floral smoothness on the tongue. Very good wine at around £10. I have no idea if it will improve, because although it felt ready, I found a weight and intensity that just might develop over a few years. I'll have to check that out with some expert opinion. Try the grape. Serious but easy-to-like wine.
10/19/2011 - 21:01
Dark red wine, but the general effect is a much brighter red with crisp, acidic berries and savoury red plums to the fore. There are dark tones too, though, with a bit of tar floating beneath the surface, but these are subsidiary. The oak is restrained, just a bit too restrained for my taste, but I know others have enjoyed it's balanced use here. It's tight and twitchy at the moment and I am sure will be better in two or three years. The minerality needs tempering in my opinion - but age may do that. Very acceptable for an £11 wine, but not outstanding yet.
