Weekly tasting report (Jun 21-27, 2020): Argentina, Chile, France, Greece, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, USA
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- James does a Zoom tasting with Lamberto Frescobaldi from Florence.
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- Executive Editor Nick Stock tasting with Brian Croser of Tapanappa.
Note from the editor: These weekly tasting reports used to pick out a few high-scoring highlights. Given that we taste so many wines each week, this series will now publish all the wines tasted in the previous week. The only exceptions will be wines tasted for special tasting reports to be published at a later date. There is a new sort function in the dropdown filter, so you can arrange the notes by COUNTRY. We hope you enjoy these new comprehensive reports with all the wines, scores and tasting notes from the past seven days. We certainly enjoyed tasting them. – JS
Italy dominates the podium this week as James has singled out a number of impressive wines, primarily from Tuscany. From the 2017 vintage, a pair of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from Barone Ricasoli really impressed and there’s a continuation of the strong showing from the Tuscan 2016 vintage here too.
This week’s top wine is the Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Colledilà Gran Selezione 2017 (97 points) which delivered with its “racy and focused” style along with “precision and polish that is very impressive for the vintage.” The Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Ceniprimo Gran Selezione 2017 (96 points) plays on subtlety and palate length with “creamy and refined, yet structured” texture. A trifecta for Barone Ricasoli, they rated well from 2016 with the Chianti Classico Roncicone Gran Selezione 2017 (95 points) that is “so perfumed .. so aromatic .. full-bodied, yet the precise.”
The tastings this week also continued to reiterate that Tuscany’s 2016s are polished wines that are drinkable now and also age-worthy. The Frescobaldi Chianti Classico Tenuta Perano Rialzi Gran Selezione 2016 (96 points) really typifies this, as its is “beautiful now” and has “excellent potential.” The San Felice Chianti Classico Poggio Rosso Gran Selezione 2016 (95 points) delivers in a similar vein, “full-bodied, yet balanced and refined.”
The Frescobaldi Toscana Lamaione 2016 (95 points) sees merlot in full flight. James described it as “full-bodied with chewy yet polished tannins and a flavorful finish .. excellent pure merlot.” Another standout merlot from a high altitude (600 meters) in the form of the Ampeleia Merlot Costa Toscana Empatia 2016 also showcases the variety at its complete and complex best with the familiar mix of blueberry and truffle, mushrooms and violets on offer. An old vine parcel, James declared it a “fantastic wine with special energy.”
And an excellent syrah from Tua Rita reminds us that this grape too can find full voice among the Tuscan landscape. The Tua Rita Syrah Toscana Per Sempre 2018 (95 points) has “blue fruit, white pepper, dried flowers and stone” and makes a “full-bodied” impression with the potential to improve further with some time in the cellar.
A duo of 2017 vintage Vino Nobile wines from Avignonesi rated very well, again showing the refined delivery of powerful, structured and deeply flavoured wines form Tuscany. The Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Oceano 2017 (95 points) is “full-bodied, layered and rich, yet always in balance and energetic” and the Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Le Badelle 2017 (95 points) also “full and flavorful” with “solid tannins, but creamy in texture.”
From elsewhere, came an impressive duo of Bordeaux-style reds from RdV Vineyards in Virginia, USA. The RdV Vineyards Virginia Lost Mountain 2017 (95 points) is their top expression of cabernet sauvignon and showed “layered and pretty” style. The RdV Vineyards Middleburg Rendezvous 2017 (95 points) is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot and impressed with a “racy, fine-tannin line through the center palate.”
This week’s top wines are all about power and polish. Enjoy!
– Nick Stock, executive editor