This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous
Marchesi Antinori
Tenuta Guado al Tasso Cont'Ugo Bolgheri Merlot 2016
Montepeloso
A Quo Toscana Cabernet Sauvignon Sangiovese 2017
The 2017 A Quo is the only wine Montepeloso bottled in a brutal, challenging vintage in which dehydration took with it 40% of the potential crop. All of the best fruit went into the entry-level A Quo, which is positively stellar in 2017. Red cherry jam, mint, cedar and wild flowers are all wonderfully fused together in a sumptuous, racy Bolgheri red that punches well above its weight. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 5 years ago
Fattoria Le Pupille (Elisabetta Geppetti)
Saffredi Maremma Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 2016
The 2016 Saffredi is even better from bottle than it was from barrel - and that is saying a lot. A ton, in fact. Soaring in its concentration and scale, the 2016 boasts superb intensity in all of its dimensions. Readers who want to understand how magical the 2016 is will find the answer here. Macerated dark cherry, espresso, mint, lavender and leather add layers of nuance, but it is the wine's inner sweetness and extraordinary balance that stand out most. The 2016 is a pure and total pleasure bomb; that's all there is to it. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 5 years ago
Tenuta San Guido
Bolgheri Sassicaia Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2016
The 2016 Sassicaia is one of the most powerful, imposing young Sassicaias I can remember tasting. Explosive and vibrant with stunning depth, the 2016 possesses off-the-charts aromatic intensity, richness and structure, all in a mid-weight style that is so distinctive. Plum, lavender, rose petal, spice and mint all build into the explosive, deep finish in this potent wine. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 5 years ago
Montepeloso
Eneo Toscana Sangiovese Blend 2016
The 2016 Eneo is a dark, sumptuous beauty. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice, menthol and licorice infuse the 2016 with striking depth as well as tons of textural resonance. Rich and expansive on the palate, the 2016 builds effortlessly through to its layered, super-expressive finish. This is such a gorgeous, alluring wine, especially for the money. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 5 years ago
Fattoria Le Pupille (Elisabetta Geppetti)
Poggio Valente Morellino di Scansano 2016
The 2016 Poggio Valente is a total knockout. Ample and resonant, with tremendous richness, the 2016 is fabulous from the very first taste. A whole rush of Sangiovese aromas and flavors build as this potent, full-bodied, pure Sangiovese shows off its considerable power. Hints of tobacco, cedar and mint add the closing shades of dimension. The 2016 was aged in 500-600L. French and Slovakian oak, with a touch of Hungarian and Austrian wood for greater complexity. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 5 years ago
Marchesi Antinori
Tenuta Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato Bolgheri Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2017
The 2017 Bolgheri Il Bruciato is pliant, supple and luscious, but what stands out most is how much freshness Antinori was able to keep in this wine. Dark red cherry, plum, spice, new leather and floral notes all meld together in this sumptuous, racy red. This is such a pretty and expressive wine. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 5 years ago
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia
Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2017
A stunning wine, the 2017 Ornellaia offers a captivating interplay of richness and energy. Picking early was the key. Young vine Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc were harvested in August for the first time ever. In the glass, the 2017 offers up an enticing mélange of mocha, cedar, tobacco and licorice, with soft curves that add to its sensuality and allure. The 2017 is sumptuous and racy, as Ornellaias from warmer years tend to be, but it is not at all heavy or overdone. In a word: superb! (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 5 years ago
Montepeloso
Gabbro Toscana Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
The 2016 Gabbro, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is one of the most compelling wines I have ever tasted from Montepeloso. In most prior vintages, Gabbro has been rich and concentrated, but the 2016 flows with a sense of total refinement. Wild flowers, herbs, licorice, lavender, graphite and spice add myriad shades of dimension to a core of dark, beautifully resonant fruit. A wine of real gravitas and structure, the 2016 is going to require a number of years to be at its best, but it is stunning, even in the early going. In fact, I am simply blown away by how integrated it already is. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 5 years ago
Gaja
Ca' Marcanda Camarcanda Bolgheri Red Bordeaux Blend 2016
The 2016 Camarcanda is pretty, open-knit and gracious in its bouquet, although there is a good bit of Cabernet tannin underpinning the dark fruit. Hints of chocolate, mint, sage, tobacco, licorice and blackberry develop in the glass. The 2016 needs a few years to soften, but it is undeniably attractive and inviting. It's hard to say if it is the vintage, or if the style here has moved towards a bit more freshness as it has at Gaja in Piedmont, but the 2016 Camarcanda does seem to have an extra kick of vibrancy over some previous editions. I can't wait to taste it with some bottle age. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 5 years ago
Delectable Wine
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The 2016 Cont'Ugo offers a super-appealing mix of rich, dark fruit and bright acids with notes of black cherry, graphite, plum, chocolate, savory herbs and leather. Another year in bottle has done wonders for the 2016, which is showing very well today. Drink it over the next decade or so. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2020)
— 5 years ago