Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

From 3L.

Mid red color with very light bricking.

The nose reveals; cherries, poached strawberries, spiced plum and just a hint of late to the party raspberries and rhubarb, red cola, dry leaves, dry soils-volcanics, soft, dry herbs, dry tobacco, used, dry leather, withering red flowers and red roses,

This is fresh, nice but it needs more 5-7 yrs more time in the cellar. Add a point then.

The palate is ripe, juicy with dry M tannin powder. Tart cherries, dry plums, rhubarb, strawberries, blackberries and some pomegranate and late arriving raspberries, dry soils-limestone-sandstone, crushed rock powder, bay leaf, very understated baking spices, dry tobacco w/ ash, dry, used leather, grilled meats w/ a touch of char, dry twig, steeped tea, some white & black pepper, soft Asian spices, withering to dry, red flowers, nice acidity, well balanced, nicely knitted, good; structure, tension & length 90 second finish that lands on dry earth.

3000 bottles made and only nine 3L’s. This is one of them. — 2 months ago

Milan Antonopoulos

9.1

For a cheap Pinot Grigio this was very good. Goes down very easily, yet pretty acidic. Nose is citrus fruit, tending more towards lime. Taste is grapefruit with tropical. Medium-pale colored. — 2 years ago

Joe Fischer

9.4

Tasting at Tenuta seller Terrre Nere. More black fruit forward with a bit of spice and earthy. All though the same age as Caldera Sottana, more bold and rich. — 4 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.1

Medium bodied. Nose is Maraschino liqueur and ocean breeze. Palette presents some red fruits and tar. Medium weight, medium+ tannin, and strong acidity. Suckling gave 97 pts. I’ve followed it a few years now and still can’t give more than low 90s. — 5 years ago

Peter Heyboer

8.9

Grabbed this Pinot Grigio to use in some braised chicken but had a little left over to sip and rate. Not much aroma outside the peach/pear and honey. Body is a little more full with a medium light acidity. Taste is a delicate pear, melon, and honey that quickly fades into a lingering sweetness on the tongue. Not bad and made a great dish. Would buy again. — 6 years ago

with Jody and Diane

Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Beautiful and funky Northern Italian white. Bordering on an Orange Wine. Floral, stone fruit, fresh firewood and citrus aromas and flavors. Just a hint of yeast. Almost has some “ beer-like” qualities. Loads of minerality. Ripping acidity on the very long finish. Oily/waxy texture. This beauty can age for a bit. Simply unique and extremely well made. Revisited in January of 2021. Still unique and outstanding! Notes of ginger and a bit more of an oxidized quality. Beautifully funky and complicated. Thanks Kase! Revisited again in April 2024. More austere. Yeasty notes are more baked bread-like. Ginger and honey flavors have intensified. Outstanding texture! Finish a bit short on this bottle but still delicious! — 6 years ago

with Kasey

Rod

9.2

More fruit than expecting. I was hoping for a smokier taste. — 8 months ago

Matt Perlman

8.9

Nice cranberry / strawberry fruit, could have used a bit more freshness. This estate has never really captivated me for whatever reason — 2 years ago

Gregory Spock

9.0

Gorgeous peach and fresh roses on the nose. Very light on the palate and on mouth feel, but with nice acid and notes of unripe peach, plum, and cherry. I’ll wait 11 minutes more to see if anything changes. — 4 years ago

Chris MacLean

9.1

I like this a lot more than I expected. A touch woody but not overbearing. Silky smooth. — 5 years ago

with Sarah

Paco Suro

9.0

Of the two, the 06 is the more Sangiovese forward. Good old world notes. Drank well into day 2. Great value for a 15 year old baby Tuscan. — 5 years ago

Chris Zitzman

9.3

“Before decanting- or even much of a breathe- the ‘15 Rocca Delle Macie, Chianti Classico Riserva floats right off the glass as if it knew it’d be opened soon. seriously - this is one of the more lush and powerfully expressive Chianti’s I’ve experienced. While blackberries and hints of cherry find their way to the nose- there’s something else there that, even after thirty minutes studying my little book of aromas- I cannot pinpoint! It’s an earthy-yet youthful, “sandstone-y” type of aroma. Which I’m sure doesn’t exist but, whatever- that’s what I got. And very, very much am digging. There is a notable roundness to this wine- both in the nose as well as on the palate. The finish is long and kind of “unwinding” other flavors I missed along the journey of the swig. For its price in particular, I would even invite staunch fans of Brunello Di Montalcino to have a go at this beautifully-expressive & precocious Chianti Classico Riserva from Rocca delle Macie. #PublicofRidgewood, #PublicofPrinceton, #chianti — 6 years ago

with Beth

Paul J

9.0

Definitely needs a decant. I decanted 30 minutes and it needed more. Dark red color with ever so subtle brownish tones. Nose contains pencil shavings and ripe vegetables. Wine is very green with hints of cranberry and plum. Tastes much higher than the listed 13% OH. Wine reminds me of the 2010 Domaine Eden Cab Sauv. — 6 years ago

with Brooke

Martijn

9.0

Nice flowery and fruity nose. I think I will keep my other bottles a few more years to see if and how it can develop further.
The acidity is at a nice very old balsamic level. — 2 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Medium deep ruby with garnet rim . Freshly cut herbs like sage and rosemary with cedar , plum and dark cherry , liquorice . On the palate quite dense but with fresh acidity and firm slightly dry tannins . More of the plum and dark spiced cherry , blackberry, herbal and liquorice touches on the reasonable length finish . Drinking well now though will continue to show well over the next 5 years . Slightly under the radar with good personality and surprising freshness . — 2 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.0

2022 spring. Enjoyable but fairly straightforward at this young age - if given a few more years it may develop the additional richness and interest of other recent Friulano bottles, and I would be curious to see if it would — 4 years ago

Riccardo L.

8.9

You know how beer has a a division called “sours,” and they’re different but once they grow on you they’re pretty good? Yeah. That. It’s like a Pinot noir, but thinner and more sour. Lots of minerality. What you eat with it is important. Choose something creamy or cheesy. Not for n00bs. — 5 years ago

Chris Dye

9.0

Very pale and clear. Peach, melon, and honeysuckle in the bouquet. Medium-high acid with plum/fig complimenting the continued peach and honey. Lingering finish is dry with a little more citrus than the rest of the palate. — 6 years ago

with Jennifer

Matt

9.4

Been a while since I’ve had this in my glass. Oh how I’ve missed thee! Similar to what I remember about Morei, it carries some nice flesh and roundness to it, seems more open knit. Finessed and elegant, brimming with purity and freshness. Crushed morello cherry, pomegranate, blood orange, juniper, bitter herbs, rocks, licorice root, smoke. I want to say its too young but its energy and refreshing nature make it hard to argue keeping it. — 6 years ago

Karl Ziegler

9.5

Very Chablis like... more please! — 7 years ago