I was at a big Antinori themed tasting with 30-40 wines in 2.5 hours. Antin ori is one of the largest italian producers, and its one of the fathers of the supertuscan. The reference wine being Tignanello. He expanded to own wi nes in most regions.
Given the sheer amount of wines in a short timespan, I have quick notes on them, and just mention what sprang to mind. This means that things that are a given, might not be mentioned, just something that surprised me.
Tenuta Montesia, Franciaforta Brut **
They claimed its super dry. I thought its sweet. lacks toasted bread notes. prefer Ferrari at same price.
----------------------------------- Castello della Sala, Umbrien (all whites):
2013 San Giovanni della sala Orvieto Superiore *smells like vomit.
2013 Bramito del cervo Chardonnay **Watery, some chard undertones
2013 Cervaro della sala ***Good but lacking at the price (50E). a 40E napa chard is better.
-------------------------- Prunotto, alba, Piemente:
2012 Mompertone Monterrato rosso **Musty undertones, unribe. like a cheap supermarket italian, but its not che ap
2011 Pian Romualdo Barbere d'alba ***Interesting but a bit too acidic for me. fresh red berries, hay finish.
2011 barberesco **Nice tannins but no taste
2010 bric turot barberesco **candied vodka, no tannins. cherry
2010 Barolo **Nice tannins no taste.
The server noted that maybe I should go over to the tuscany table. But firs t there was puglia:
----------------------------- Tormaresca, Puglia
2014 Chardonnay **too much a sodapop feeling
2013 Neprica Rosso *its 15E but tastes like a 4E supermarket puglia.
2012 Trentangeli, Castel monte **Nice grainy tannins, dark fruit emerge but cheat and hide quickly
2012 Torcecoda Primotivo salento **hot, dark , unbalanced
2008 bocca di lupo (mouth of the wolf??) ****Haleluja! Now we're talking real wine. broken dark fruits, long finish. ver y surprised.
--------------------------------------------------- Pian delle Vigne, Montalcino
2012 Rosso di montalcino ***(*)Brussel sprout, dark, alluring, licorice
2010 Brunello *****The first five star wine today! Yummy. Dark complex, fruit, earth, wood. It costs the same as castelgiocondo brunello, and by my memory tastes the sam e as well.
----------------------------------------- La Braccesca, montepulciano
these guys love to play with syrah.
2013 Sabazio, rosso di M **Pepper, more acid too much.
2012 achelo, cortona syrah *the server called this the best buy everyday meatloaf wine. its 21E. ha. It was downright horrible. Worse than the other one star wines. Melted red bonbons
2009 Bremasole, cortona, syrah *****Perfection. Merely smelling it fills me with joy. I used to buy this at 28E . Now its 50E. thats annoying.
---------------------------------- Villa antinori and peppoli, chianti
2014 bianci IGT *nuff said.
2011 rosso IGT **fresh and fruity
2012 peppoli chianti classico **still too fresh
2011 Chianti classico riserva ****real wine version of previous. musky, mushroom, darker , earth
------------------------------- Badia a Passignano
2009 Chianti classico fran selezzione ****like the prev. but fells younger. but its not. should have great potential.
---------------------------- Tenuta Tignanello
2012 marchese antinori, chianti classico riserva ***Too fresh berry, too little earth
Tignanello and Solaia was available for a by the glass fee (pretty high fee , so didnt get them)
---------------------------
Santa Christina, Toscana
Skipped whites and went for reds.
La maestrella toscana rosso **
fruit.
----------------------------- Tenuta le mortelle, maremma
strange area where they use a lot of cabernet franc.
2012 botrosecco *Harsh, elderberry flower, burns the tongue.
2010 poggio alle nane *****fantastic, sandy tannins, lush fruit, cigar, leather.
--------------------------------- Tenuta guado al tasso, bolgheri
skipped whites, went for reds.
2013 II bruciato bolgheri ***dark and spicy.
2012 Cont'ugo merlot **grassy, a bit of burning sensation. reminds of the cab franc botrosecco for some reason.
And todays winner:
2012 Guado al Tasso *****This was a pay per glass wine. knowing my taste they recommended I try this over the tignenello, Solaia and Bussia barolo. Good choice. Amazing wine. Its a bourdeaux blend cabernet sauv. driven. Perfect crunchy scent, blackcurrant, beach sand tannin structure. tastes exactly like beringer quantum (from memory) which costs half. So I'l l never buy it.
-------------------------- Then we had a huge discussion about Pine Ridge vs the big well known napa h ouses. They claimed that pine ridge has been improving and improving over the last decade while the bigger houses e.g. B.V. G. Latour and Beringer ha s declined, so that Pine Ridge is now the best. hmm... Told them if they wa nt to convince me they have to sell me a Pine Ridge cabernet at the same (l ower) price as I can get the Beringer, otherwise it is going to be hard for me to switch over.