Sadly, due poor health, one of the Frescobaldis could not make the dinner. A great night of grand wine and food from two Cru's.
Montesodi-Chianti Rufina. Vineyard planted in 1974. Single vineyard Super Tuscan.
Montesodi 1985- Sweet cherry, aged porty nose with tobacco nuances. Full bodied with plenty of power. Cherry and tobacco intitiate the palate, leather completes with a lead into a drying finish of firm and mature tannin. Powerful acids carry the finish.
Montesodi 1986- Aged porty nose but a swirl invigorates youthful dark cherry aromas. A layer of tar, dark fruits and tobacco/tomato leaf makes a solid palate. Aged leather leads into firm, drying tannins. Tannins grippy and dominant. Full bodied and needs rich Italian tomato based food to tame.
Montesodi 1998- Unrevealing and closed. Oak spice evident. Medium weight palate seems tired with more spice and distinct earthy nuances. More puckering tannins here. Somewhat tired. You would question the cork I think.
Montesodi 1999- Heavy investment in new oak here. Dark cherry, choc-berry and spice aromas. Juicy dark fruits, spice and earth make a natural transition from the nose. Although the tannins are powerful and drying, fresh acids balance a long finishing chianti.
Montesodi 2000- Inky dark fruits, very ripe with sweet vanillan oak aromas. The palate is restrained, earth and minerals before gob smacking tannins. The ripe fruit and new oak flavours persist, but will never outlive the tannins.
Montesodi has a structure of considerable presence. Somehow, the wine has elegance in amongst it's considerable personality. Comfort wines for comfort foods- there could not be wines made better for Italian food. The recent vintages have leanings toward oakiness- the sangiovese has no problems absorbing the new oak, it is not unpleasant but probably not so neccessary IMHO.
Mormoreto-cabernet sauvingon, cabernet franc and merlot. These varieties go back to 1855 in the region. First vintage from this single vineyard 1983.
Mormoreto 1988- Aged aromas with built around a focused vegetal/vanillan combination. Soft palate flavours, complex vegetal notes with a mature finish of balanced acids and tannin.
Mormreto 1994- Soft black forrest berries, some chocolate and cassis aromas, elegant and complex palate with great harmony and balance in the finish. The balanced mature tannins and quaint acids hold good flavour persistance in a finish of considerable length.
Mormoreto 1997- Outstanding. WOTN. Very complex aromas of black fruits and fine intermingled red berries. Hints of iodine too. The dark fruits make up a well weighted palate, terrific mouthfeel of considerable intentsity-minerally. The class is the length and harmony of this wine. Long and impeccably balanced ripe tannins and clean acid.
Mormoreto 1999- Violets, cassis and blackberry. New World like. Ripe flavoursome blackberries build the palate, no cabernet hole but a powerful backpalate build up toward a long finish of class.
Mormoreto 2000- Super ripe dark berries and underlying oak and apricot nuances. Palate similar and a warm finish.
Mormoreto 2001- Dusty, earthy cabernet franc dominates the nose. Lovely violet notes too, which lead into a palate of similar with dusty/violet fruit flavours. Clean, powerful youthful finish-some tannin acid integration and harmony.
Powerful, dry cabernet blends. A style in evolution no doubt. Constant structure noted throughout but with plenty of variation in fruit.
Frescobaldi Super Tuscan Vertical
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JamieBahrain
- Posts: 3754
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 7:40 am
- Location: Fragrant Harbour.
-
JamieBahrain
- Posts: 3754
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2003 7:40 am
- Location: Fragrant Harbour.