Friday, August 22, 2008
GPCi for Aug 30th 2008 release at the LCBO
Top picks for under $25:
2005 LUIGI BOSCA RESERVA MALBEC - $15
2004 MUGA RESERVA - $24.95
2005 EMINA PRESTIGIO - $24.95
2003 SANTA BRIGIDA COLLI DELLA TOSCANA CENTRALE - $24.95
Spain
2001 MONASTERIO DE LAS VIÑAS GRAN RESERVA - $21.95
DO Cariñena (Grandes Viños y Viñedos)
A blend of Garnacha (Grenache), Tempranillo, Cariñena and Cabernet Sauvignon, this fine Gran Reserva is just approaching its prime drinking window. Featuring dried plum, raspberry, leather and vanilla aromas and flavours, this wine is clearly being released now to take advantage of its near-perfect maturity. Enjoy it with braised beef dishes, or it will still reward 2-5 years in a cellar.
GPCi - I have recently visited Grandes Viños y Viñedos (GVV) in Carinena. A very impressive winery and facilities. For those of you who heard about Fusion in general and Fusion Spain in particular - GVV is helping us producing it!
re the 2001 Monastrio - I've tried this wine and it's a steal. A great wine for the right price. I'd buy 2-4 bottles.
2005 EMINA PRESTIGIO - $24.95
DO Ribera del Duero
Jay Miller = 90 : The 2005 Prestigio was aged for 16 months in French Allier barrels. Inky purple, it offers an enticing bouquet of cedar, clove, dried black fruits, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. A bit more opulent and concentrated than its younger peer, it has the stuffing to blossom for another 2-3 years and should drink well through 2020. Bodega Emina sources its fruit from the Valdebaniego and Horno vineyards in Valbuena de Duero. Each of these wines is 100% Tinta del Pais, the local name for Tempranillo. (www.erobertparker.com, Feb. 2008)
GPCi - Ribera Del Duero has produced great wines in 2005 and this one is no exception. The fact that it can lay down until 2020 and it cost $25 just makes it a no-brainer. I'd buy 6-12 bottles.
2005 TORRES SALMOS - $31.95
DOCa Priorat
Jay Miller = 91 : The 2005 Salmos is composed of Garnacha, Syrah, Carinena, and Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 9 months in new French oak. Dark crimson-colored, it offers up an aromatic array of slate, garrigue, lavender, cedar, black cherry, and blueberry. Full-bodied, sweetly-fruited, with excellent depth and breadth, this outstanding Priorat will provide much pleasure over the next 8-10 years. (www.erobertparker.com , Feb. 2008)
GPCi - Any wine from Priorat-Spain from the 2005 vintage that costs as low as $32 is a "Strong-Buy". Good wines from the Priorat region usually starts from $50.
Buy 3-10 bottles.
1991 URBINA GRAN RESERVA - $43.95
DOCa Rioja
Riojan Gran Reservas are only made in the very best years. The wines must spend two years in oak and another three in bottle before they can leave the bodegas. This 17-year-old wine has clearly had much more time in the bodegas than the rules dictate. The wonderful advantage of a wine such as this is that the winery has done all the ageing for you, resulting in an excellent opportunity to try a fully mature wine without having to cellar it yourself. Another ad-vantage is that these wines are frequently attractively priced so you won't need to take out a second mortgage to buy it.
GPCi - not one of the best vintage in Rioja, but 1991 is the birth year of my daughter, so I would definitely buy at least 2 bottles. Expect lots of "leather" and smooth tones of red berries.
2004 MUGA RESERVA - $24.95
DOCa Rioja
Wine Access = 90: Deep ruby-red. The 2004 Muga is crafted in a characteristically modern style with dominant black fruit aromas, but with sufficient oak character, both spicy French and coco-nutty American so that the wine remains decidedly Spanish in style. On the palate it is dry and fullish, with juicy acid, generous but not exaggerated alcohol and rather highly extra-cted, firm tannins. This wine needs another 2-4 years to reach its peak and should drink nicely from 2010-2016.
(John Szabo M.S., 'First In Line E-Report', April 12, 2008).
GPCi - Muga is always a 'yes' for me. I have collected the different levels (Gran Reserva and their Special editions etc.) from 1999. Never failed even in off years.
I'd buy 3-12 bottles.
2001 CONDE DE VALDEMAR RESERVA - $22.95
DOCa Rioja (Bodegas Valdemar)
WS = 90 : Harmonious and well-balanced, this red delivers black cherry, cola and tobacco flavors with well-integrated tannins and a spicy finish. Not showy, but shows typicity and breed. Drink now through 2015. (Thomas Matthews, www.winespectator.com, June 30, 2006)
GPCi - another great wine from a great vintage from a great producer. what's not to like. just buy it... 3-6 bottles. go.
Portugal
1995 DALVA COLHEITA PORT - $32.95
Btld. 2008 (C. da Silva)
Colheita [Ports] are best understood as tawny ports from a single year, bottled with the date of the harvest on the label. The law states that colheita ports must be aged in wood for at least seven years, although most are aged for considerably longer [in this case it was bottled in 2008, making it 13 years in wood]. The wines take on all the nuances of an aged tawny but should also express the characteristics of a single year. All colheita ports carry the date of bottling and most wines should be drunk within a year or so of that date. (Richard Mayson, Oxford Companion to Wine, 2005)
GPCi - I have tried their 1985 COLHEITA and was a wonderful treat. 1995 is not as good as 1985, but the price is tempting for a 750 mL.
US - California
2006 ROSENBLUM CELLARS ZINFANDEL - $26.95
Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County is one of California's most historic winegrowing appellations and home to some of the state's oldest Zin vines which managed to escape the scourge of Phylloxera. This concentrated old vine Zin also has a small amount of Petite Sirah blended in for additional structure. Ripe and juicy, it's bursting with wild berry, plum, ripe cherry and peppery spice and earth notes. Enjoy over the next 2-3 years with paellas, roasted chicken or barbecued ribs.
GPCi - not the cheapest Zin, but one of the safer bets. you cannot go wrong with Rosenblum's Zins - you get everything you can expect from this wonderful and powerful grape. I'd buy 2-3 and enjoy it in the next BBQ.
2005 SIMI ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - $24.95
Alexander Valley, Sonoma
Winemaker Steve Reeder's final blend for the 2005 vintage of this Sonoma favourite includes tiny amounts of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot which each add subtle complexities and structure to this luscious Cab. Classic Cabernet Sauvignon hallmarks are well-represented however with vivid cassis, blackberry, cedar and vanilla aromas, and a full-bodied palate featuring plump berry fruit and plum flavours, ripe tannins and spicy oak notes.
GPCi - A fair price for a Cab from California. I had a few Simis before and it was very pleasant experience. I'd buy 2-4 bottles.
US - Washington
2005 WATERBROOK SYRAH - $28.95
Columbia Valley
WS = 91 : Crisp and juicy, this is almost preternaturally focused to show off its blueberry, plum and blackberry fruit, shaded by hints of mineral and cream as the finish lingers effortlessly against light, crisp tannins. Drink now through 2013. (Harvey Steiman, May 31, 2007)
GPCi - sounds like a promising Syrah - great review by WS and for mid term cellaring. I'd try a bottle and then decide whether it's a good experience to buy more...
Argentina
2005 LUIGI BOSCA RESERVA MALBEC - $15
Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza
This wine earned an Editors' Choice nod with a score of 91 points in the February 2008 issue of Wine Enthusiast.
WS = 91 : A big, broad-shouldered wine, with muscular layers of black fig, coffee, bittersweet cocoa and dark licorice piled on top of hefty cedar-tinged tannins. A bit of a brute in style, but cellaring should soften its edges enough. Drink now through 2010. Smart Buy. (James Molesworth, Feb.29, 2008).
GPCi - my #1 pick from this release. Malbec that got 91 by WS and cost $15 - do I need to say anything more beside buy a case or two?
Chile
2005 VALDIVIESO RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - $17.95
Central Valley
TASTING NOTE: Reminiscent of the early Chilean cabernets that arrived here in the Seventies, this is bursting with ripe, sweet, elegant, creosote and cassis fruit, tailor-made for a juicy steak. (Jane MacQuitty, www.timesonline.co.uk, Feb. 9 2008)
GPCi - Will be interesting to compare it with the Simi from California. Valdivieso is pretty known and definitely honored with his Caballo Loco edition (at the same price level with Almaviva and Don Melchor). I'd buy 2-4 bottles for day-to-day.
France
2006 MARTIN STEIMER GEWÜRZTRAMINER - $18.95
AC Alsace
This shows classic Gewürz aromas and flavours including honey, lychee, dried apricot and paraffin. Dry, ripe and round, this full-bodied white pairs well with spicy shrimp dishes or salmon teriyaki.
GPCi - a full body Gewurz from Alsace is something that needs to be handy. Goes very well with spicy/Asian food. I'd buy 3-6 bottles and enjoy them in the next 6 months.
2007 DOMAINE HUET LE HAUT-LIEU VOUVRAY SEC - $30.95
AC
There is little debate that Domaine Huet is one of the finest wineries in the Vouvray, if not the entire Loire Valley. Their skill with the Chenin Blanc grape causes one to wonder if they secretly perform the ancient art of alchemy on their wines. Perhaps they do, as they have been following Mother Nature-embracing biodynamic practices for many years. Whether dry, like this example, or sweet, Huet's Chenin wines taste like no others in the world. Enjoy now with a variety of shellfish, bloomy cheeses, poultry or mushroom dishes, or cellar these wines for 10+ years.
GPCi - DOMAINE HUET knows to make their white to please my palate (and many of my friends). Worth the $30 since you can cellar it for 10+ years. I'd buy 3-6 bottles.
2003 CHÂTEAU BARET - $32.95
AC Pessac-Léognan
WS = 90 : Wonderful aromas of crushed blackberry and raspberry with just a hint of spice. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Very silky and rich. Jammy and delicious. Very well done. Best after 2010. (James Suckling, March 31, 2006)
GPCi - 2003 was excellent in that part of Bordeaux. The price is a bargain. I'd buy 3-6 bottles of this very good wine.
2003 CHÂTEAU PIBRAN - $49.95
AC Paulliac
WS = 92 : Complex aromas of currants, spices and sweet tobacco with just a hint of cigar box. Full-bodied, with masses of velvety tannins and rich fruit. Very chewy and rich. Best after 2012. 5,000 cases made. Smart Buy. (James Molesworth, March 31, 2006)
GPCi - another great wine from 2003 with lots of potential. I'd buy 2-4 bottles.
Australia
2004 KATNOOK ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON - $29.95
Coonawarra, South Australia
Jeremy Oliver = 91 : An elegant, focused and fine-grained cabernet whose intense cassis, mulberry, plum and blackberry flavours are carefully integrated with cedar/vanilla/dark chocolate oak and supported by fine, tight-knit tannins. Scented with violets, it's smooth, seamless and briary, with a suggestion of lightly herbal complexity. (www.jeremyoliver.com.au, Nov. 1, 2007)
GPCi - I was lucky enough to meet Jeremy to know that a 91 is an achievement. Again, another interesting competition with Simi (see above). I'd buy 2-3 bottles.
2005 WOLF BLASS GOLD LABEL SHIRAZ - $29.95
Barossa, South Australia
WS = 91 : Polished, round and generous with its creamy blackberry, currant and cedar flavors, lingering on the focused, harmonious finish. Best from 2008 through 2015. (Harvey Steiman, Oct. 15, 2007)
GPCi - a safe bet Shiraz from the Mega known producer Wolf Blass. I'd personally go with d'Arenberg "the original" (part of essentials at the LCBO) for $19.
Italy (Piedmont)
2004 PRUNOTTO BAROLO - $49.95
DOCG
WS = 91 : Wonderful perfumes of red fruit and ripe strawberry, with hints of violet. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, caressing finish. A refined style. Very well done. Best after 2011. (James Suckling, June 15, 2008)
GPCi - seems like a fair price for this serious and highly praised Barolo from a very good vintage. If you like Barolos, that's a good opportunity to add one or two bottles to the cellar.
Italy (Tuscany)
2003 SANTA BRIGIDA COLLI DELLA TOSCANA CENTRALE - $24.95
IGT (Fattoria La Ripa)
WS = 91 : Displays pretty aromas of mineral and currant, with hints of blackberry. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is very balanced for the vintage. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2010. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 15, 2007).
GPCi - the IGT region/classification is continue to produce more QPR wines. for $25 with 91 from WS, you won't find too many wines. I'd go with 2-4 bottles.
2005 LUIGI BOSCA RESERVA MALBEC - $15
2004 MUGA RESERVA - $24.95
2005 EMINA PRESTIGIO - $24.95
2003 SANTA BRIGIDA COLLI DELLA TOSCANA CENTRALE - $24.95
Spain
2001 MONASTERIO DE LAS VIÑAS GRAN RESERVA - $21.95
DO Cariñena (Grandes Viños y Viñedos)
A blend of Garnacha (Grenache), Tempranillo, Cariñena and Cabernet Sauvignon, this fine Gran Reserva is just approaching its prime drinking window. Featuring dried plum, raspberry, leather and vanilla aromas and flavours, this wine is clearly being released now to take advantage of its near-perfect maturity. Enjoy it with braised beef dishes, or it will still reward 2-5 years in a cellar.
GPCi - I have recently visited Grandes Viños y Viñedos (GVV) in Carinena. A very impressive winery and facilities. For those of you who heard about Fusion in general and Fusion Spain in particular - GVV is helping us producing it!
re the 2001 Monastrio - I've tried this wine and it's a steal. A great wine for the right price. I'd buy 2-4 bottles.
2005 EMINA PRESTIGIO - $24.95
DO Ribera del Duero
Jay Miller = 90 : The 2005 Prestigio was aged for 16 months in French Allier barrels. Inky purple, it offers an enticing bouquet of cedar, clove, dried black fruits, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. A bit more opulent and concentrated than its younger peer, it has the stuffing to blossom for another 2-3 years and should drink well through 2020. Bodega Emina sources its fruit from the Valdebaniego and Horno vineyards in Valbuena de Duero. Each of these wines is 100% Tinta del Pais, the local name for Tempranillo. (www.erobertparker.com, Feb. 2008)
GPCi - Ribera Del Duero has produced great wines in 2005 and this one is no exception. The fact that it can lay down until 2020 and it cost $25 just makes it a no-brainer. I'd buy 6-12 bottles.
2005 TORRES SALMOS - $31.95
DOCa Priorat
Jay Miller = 91 : The 2005 Salmos is composed of Garnacha, Syrah, Carinena, and Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 9 months in new French oak. Dark crimson-colored, it offers up an aromatic array of slate, garrigue, lavender, cedar, black cherry, and blueberry. Full-bodied, sweetly-fruited, with excellent depth and breadth, this outstanding Priorat will provide much pleasure over the next 8-10 years. (www.erobertparker.com , Feb. 2008)
GPCi - Any wine from Priorat-Spain from the 2005 vintage that costs as low as $32 is a "Strong-Buy". Good wines from the Priorat region usually starts from $50.
Buy 3-10 bottles.
1991 URBINA GRAN RESERVA - $43.95
DOCa Rioja
Riojan Gran Reservas are only made in the very best years. The wines must spend two years in oak and another three in bottle before they can leave the bodegas. This 17-year-old wine has clearly had much more time in the bodegas than the rules dictate. The wonderful advantage of a wine such as this is that the winery has done all the ageing for you, resulting in an excellent opportunity to try a fully mature wine without having to cellar it yourself. Another ad-vantage is that these wines are frequently attractively priced so you won't need to take out a second mortgage to buy it.
GPCi - not one of the best vintage in Rioja, but 1991 is the birth year of my daughter, so I would definitely buy at least 2 bottles. Expect lots of "leather" and smooth tones of red berries.
2004 MUGA RESERVA - $24.95
DOCa Rioja
Wine Access = 90: Deep ruby-red. The 2004 Muga is crafted in a characteristically modern style with dominant black fruit aromas, but with sufficient oak character, both spicy French and coco-nutty American so that the wine remains decidedly Spanish in style. On the palate it is dry and fullish, with juicy acid, generous but not exaggerated alcohol and rather highly extra-cted, firm tannins. This wine needs another 2-4 years to reach its peak and should drink nicely from 2010-2016.
(John Szabo M.S., 'First In Line E-Report', April 12, 2008).
GPCi - Muga is always a 'yes' for me. I have collected the different levels (Gran Reserva and their Special editions etc.) from 1999. Never failed even in off years.
I'd buy 3-12 bottles.
2001 CONDE DE VALDEMAR RESERVA - $22.95
DOCa Rioja (Bodegas Valdemar)
WS = 90 : Harmonious and well-balanced, this red delivers black cherry, cola and tobacco flavors with well-integrated tannins and a spicy finish. Not showy, but shows typicity and breed. Drink now through 2015. (Thomas Matthews, www.winespectator.com, June 30, 2006)
GPCi - another great wine from a great vintage from a great producer. what's not to like. just buy it... 3-6 bottles. go.
Portugal
1995 DALVA COLHEITA PORT - $32.95
Btld. 2008 (C. da Silva)
Colheita [Ports] are best understood as tawny ports from a single year, bottled with the date of the harvest on the label. The law states that colheita ports must be aged in wood for at least seven years, although most are aged for considerably longer [in this case it was bottled in 2008, making it 13 years in wood]. The wines take on all the nuances of an aged tawny but should also express the characteristics of a single year. All colheita ports carry the date of bottling and most wines should be drunk within a year or so of that date. (Richard Mayson, Oxford Companion to Wine, 2005)
GPCi - I have tried their 1985 COLHEITA and was a wonderful treat. 1995 is not as good as 1985, but the price is tempting for a 750 mL.
US - California
2006 ROSENBLUM CELLARS ZINFANDEL - $26.95
Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County is one of California's most historic winegrowing appellations and home to some of the state's oldest Zin vines which managed to escape the scourge of Phylloxera. This concentrated old vine Zin also has a small amount of Petite Sirah blended in for additional structure. Ripe and juicy, it's bursting with wild berry, plum, ripe cherry and peppery spice and earth notes. Enjoy over the next 2-3 years with paellas, roasted chicken or barbecued ribs.
GPCi - not the cheapest Zin, but one of the safer bets. you cannot go wrong with Rosenblum's Zins - you get everything you can expect from this wonderful and powerful grape. I'd buy 2-3 and enjoy it in the next BBQ.
2005 SIMI ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - $24.95
Alexander Valley, Sonoma
Winemaker Steve Reeder's final blend for the 2005 vintage of this Sonoma favourite includes tiny amounts of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot which each add subtle complexities and structure to this luscious Cab. Classic Cabernet Sauvignon hallmarks are well-represented however with vivid cassis, blackberry, cedar and vanilla aromas, and a full-bodied palate featuring plump berry fruit and plum flavours, ripe tannins and spicy oak notes.
GPCi - A fair price for a Cab from California. I had a few Simis before and it was very pleasant experience. I'd buy 2-4 bottles.
US - Washington
2005 WATERBROOK SYRAH - $28.95
Columbia Valley
WS = 91 : Crisp and juicy, this is almost preternaturally focused to show off its blueberry, plum and blackberry fruit, shaded by hints of mineral and cream as the finish lingers effortlessly against light, crisp tannins. Drink now through 2013. (Harvey Steiman, May 31, 2007)
GPCi - sounds like a promising Syrah - great review by WS and for mid term cellaring. I'd try a bottle and then decide whether it's a good experience to buy more...
Argentina
2005 LUIGI BOSCA RESERVA MALBEC - $15
Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza
This wine earned an Editors' Choice nod with a score of 91 points in the February 2008 issue of Wine Enthusiast.
WS = 91 : A big, broad-shouldered wine, with muscular layers of black fig, coffee, bittersweet cocoa and dark licorice piled on top of hefty cedar-tinged tannins. A bit of a brute in style, but cellaring should soften its edges enough. Drink now through 2010. Smart Buy. (James Molesworth, Feb.29, 2008).
GPCi - my #1 pick from this release. Malbec that got 91 by WS and cost $15 - do I need to say anything more beside buy a case or two?
Chile
2005 VALDIVIESO RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - $17.95
Central Valley
TASTING NOTE: Reminiscent of the early Chilean cabernets that arrived here in the Seventies, this is bursting with ripe, sweet, elegant, creosote and cassis fruit, tailor-made for a juicy steak. (Jane MacQuitty, www.timesonline.co.uk, Feb. 9 2008)
GPCi - Will be interesting to compare it with the Simi from California. Valdivieso is pretty known and definitely honored with his Caballo Loco edition (at the same price level with Almaviva and Don Melchor). I'd buy 2-4 bottles for day-to-day.
France
2006 MARTIN STEIMER GEWÜRZTRAMINER - $18.95
AC Alsace
This shows classic Gewürz aromas and flavours including honey, lychee, dried apricot and paraffin. Dry, ripe and round, this full-bodied white pairs well with spicy shrimp dishes or salmon teriyaki.
GPCi - a full body Gewurz from Alsace is something that needs to be handy. Goes very well with spicy/Asian food. I'd buy 3-6 bottles and enjoy them in the next 6 months.
2007 DOMAINE HUET LE HAUT-LIEU VOUVRAY SEC - $30.95
AC
There is little debate that Domaine Huet is one of the finest wineries in the Vouvray, if not the entire Loire Valley. Their skill with the Chenin Blanc grape causes one to wonder if they secretly perform the ancient art of alchemy on their wines. Perhaps they do, as they have been following Mother Nature-embracing biodynamic practices for many years. Whether dry, like this example, or sweet, Huet's Chenin wines taste like no others in the world. Enjoy now with a variety of shellfish, bloomy cheeses, poultry or mushroom dishes, or cellar these wines for 10+ years.
GPCi - DOMAINE HUET knows to make their white to please my palate (and many of my friends). Worth the $30 since you can cellar it for 10+ years. I'd buy 3-6 bottles.
2003 CHÂTEAU BARET - $32.95
AC Pessac-Léognan
WS = 90 : Wonderful aromas of crushed blackberry and raspberry with just a hint of spice. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Very silky and rich. Jammy and delicious. Very well done. Best after 2010. (James Suckling, March 31, 2006)
GPCi - 2003 was excellent in that part of Bordeaux. The price is a bargain. I'd buy 3-6 bottles of this very good wine.
2003 CHÂTEAU PIBRAN - $49.95
AC Paulliac
WS = 92 : Complex aromas of currants, spices and sweet tobacco with just a hint of cigar box. Full-bodied, with masses of velvety tannins and rich fruit. Very chewy and rich. Best after 2012. 5,000 cases made. Smart Buy. (James Molesworth, March 31, 2006)
GPCi - another great wine from 2003 with lots of potential. I'd buy 2-4 bottles.
Australia
2004 KATNOOK ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON - $29.95
Coonawarra, South Australia
Jeremy Oliver = 91 : An elegant, focused and fine-grained cabernet whose intense cassis, mulberry, plum and blackberry flavours are carefully integrated with cedar/vanilla/dark chocolate oak and supported by fine, tight-knit tannins. Scented with violets, it's smooth, seamless and briary, with a suggestion of lightly herbal complexity. (www.jeremyoliver.com.au, Nov. 1, 2007)
GPCi - I was lucky enough to meet Jeremy to know that a 91 is an achievement. Again, another interesting competition with Simi (see above). I'd buy 2-3 bottles.
2005 WOLF BLASS GOLD LABEL SHIRAZ - $29.95
Barossa, South Australia
WS = 91 : Polished, round and generous with its creamy blackberry, currant and cedar flavors, lingering on the focused, harmonious finish. Best from 2008 through 2015. (Harvey Steiman, Oct. 15, 2007)
GPCi - a safe bet Shiraz from the Mega known producer Wolf Blass. I'd personally go with d'Arenberg "the original" (part of essentials at the LCBO) for $19.
Italy (Piedmont)
2004 PRUNOTTO BAROLO - $49.95
DOCG
WS = 91 : Wonderful perfumes of red fruit and ripe strawberry, with hints of violet. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, caressing finish. A refined style. Very well done. Best after 2011. (James Suckling, June 15, 2008)
GPCi - seems like a fair price for this serious and highly praised Barolo from a very good vintage. If you like Barolos, that's a good opportunity to add one or two bottles to the cellar.
Italy (Tuscany)
2003 SANTA BRIGIDA COLLI DELLA TOSCANA CENTRALE - $24.95
IGT (Fattoria La Ripa)
WS = 91 : Displays pretty aromas of mineral and currant, with hints of blackberry. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is very balanced for the vintage. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2010. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 15, 2007).
GPCi - the IGT region/classification is continue to produce more QPR wines. for $25 with 91 from WS, you won't find too many wines. I'd go with 2-4 bottles.
