Dave

9.2

Drinking this way too early, but it sounded good and it is good. Chewy, tart cherry juice, cedar, silky tannins. Happy Friday, friends!
Listening to Black Eyed Peas — 5 months ago

Amanda Drazka

9.0

This full bodied reserva wine offers big aromas of cherry, black licorice and black pepper. It was tight upon opening but I let it breathe in the glass for an hour which allowed vanilla aromas to come through as well. It offers silky tannins that keep the structure and mellow out on the persistent finish. This wine has flavors of ripe cherry, black pepper and leather. This is a beautiful and complex wine that I think will be even better in a few years. — 5 months ago

Vanessa

9.4

There’s a quiet intensity to Valdicava that makes its way into each & every sip.

🪽 On the label is the depiction of an archangel with sword raised, and wings open, standing as a symbol of Brunello—a wine shaped by patience, precision & deep respect for place—both protective & powerful, grounded in tradition yet shaped with its own energy.

⛰️ 🌊 Valdicava is located on the slopes of Montosoli (a prized ‘cru’), in one of the coolest sectors of the Brunello appellation, enjoying both cooling & warming factors from the radiant sun, to the forests of Monte Amiata, to the breezes off the Tyrrhenian Sea…

🌱 The growing environment is characterized by tension, which is reflected in this wine holding equal parts strength & finesse.

👁️ It is medium garnet in color with pronounced, layered notes of black cherry, black raspberry, baked plum, boysenberry, cedar, cardamom, nutmeg, cigar box, clove, sweet tobacco, black licorice, fennel, olive tapenade, balsamic, dried oregano, wet earth, leather & peat moss.

👄 The palate is dry, with velvety tannins, a vibrant acidity, and warming, though not intrusive, alcohol at 13.5% ABV & a lingering finish.

👌 It has a bold profile softened with age; it is supple & polished, held together with a firm acidity, giving lift to the kaleidoscope of dynamic aromas & flavors.

🥂Cheers to wines offering a sensory window to a particular place & time.   — 5 months ago

with Deked1

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Bright Ruby with aromas of dark fruits, spices, oak and floral notes. On the palate flavors of cherry and sweet plum with notes of herb pepper, tobacco, cedar and cacao. Long finish, nice balance with fine soft tannins, ending with oak and earthy notes. Needs a few more years in the bottle! — 6 months ago

Jordin Page

9.0

Gorgeous ruby color. Aromas of black cherry, pepper, and spice the nose. On the palate, dry, medium tannins, high acidity, medium body, flavors of red and black fruit, pepper and tobacco. — 7 months ago

Robert Stackowiak

9.7

Beautiful fragrance and on the palate after 20 minute exposure to air. Dark cherry but nice balance. After 14 years, awesome. October 2025. — 8 months ago

Robert Stackowiak

9.1

Cherry licorice nose. Cherry with a touch of spice on the palate. Tannins have smoothed but still present. Deserves the accolades that I have seen. February 2026. — 5 months ago

John Willison

9.0

Dried cherry, eucalyptus, sweet tannins. — 5 months ago

Ericsson

9.6

Silk and stone in perfect balance.
Quiet power; dark cherry, tobacco, graphite; unfolding with patience and grace. Another great Unico. — 6 months ago

Doug Griffin

9.0

Not sure, I think it’s a bit maderized. However still giving some grippy tannins, rich cherry, vanilla and wood…375 ml. Kind of played out — 6 months ago

Anthony Cammarata Jr.

9.5

From the start this 1998 Opus had a beautiful nose of cherry and plum, with notes of cedar and herbs. On the palate, the wine is refined and silky, with tannins and flavors of dark fruit and notes of leather, cocoa, espresso, and spice, finishing long and polished. — 6 months ago

with Michael and Daniel

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Deep Ruby with aromas of fresh ripe berry fruits, floral and slight spicy notes. Blend of 95% Sangiovese; 5% Canaiolo & Colorino, aged 24 months in oak. Fruit comes primarily from a small parcel of galestro-rich soils. On the palate cherry and black raspberry flavors, adding lovely floral notes, well balanced with acidity and fine tannins. The finish is long ending with slight earthy toasty minerality. Very Nice!! — 6 months ago

Diana Cohen

9.1

Very full bodied and heavy. Cherry leather pepper . Good with a steak . A little sweet we had at felsina winery in Tuscany — 7 months ago

Ericsson

9.3

Jéroboam for wedding. Fresh, fun, with notes of violet, licorice, and tart red cherry. — 5 months ago

Andrew Belzer

9.6

Cherry, dust, raspberry, dried rose petals. Firm tannins and balanced acidity! — 5 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Decant for sediment and pour(decent chunky/fine sediment). A striking dark ruby red color. On the nose: jumping from the glass are port drenched cherries, pencil shavings, tobacco, toffee, balsamic, and cinnamon. Taste: silky, balanced, still fresh wine with currants, little dried cherry, tobacco, earth, dried herbs, and a spicy saline graphite satisfying finish. YUM! In the home stretch, drink. — 5 months ago

with Brenda

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented to me, double-blind. The wine pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears, and some signs of light sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with a mix of ripe and desiccated, mostly dark fruits: cassis, black cherry, plum, mixed brambles, old leather, pipe tobacco, pencil shavings, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (that is mostly integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend, Tempranillo (or based blend) or Grenache-based blend from France, Spain or the United States. I feel like this leans more towards its fruit than its structure, even though it is a fairly well balanced wine in both regards. As a result, I am calling this a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend from the United States, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain from a producer like Dunn, 2006. Shiiiiiit. To be honest, I’m not terribly surprised since this is Cos and from a warm vintage no less. Drinking well now and should through 2050+. — 6 months ago

Ignacio D. Cenicacelaya

9.2

Black current, dried black cherry and slight tobacco. Very light tannins.
Excellent with beef and stews. — 6 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Aldo Vaira took control of family vineyards in 1968, he was just 15 years old. Today, G.D. Vajra consists of 150 acres, mostly around the commune of Barolo. Ruby with a rich bouquet of fruit, spices & floral notes, fruit from several vineyards, aged 26 months in Slavonian oak. On the palate flavors of cherry & raspberry with notes of pepper, cinnamon & floral, slight earthy notes. Long finish, nice balance with fine soft tannins ending with earthy floral notes. Enjoyable now, a few more years will benefit. — 6 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium light ruby , garnet wide light garnet rim . On opening this was very fruit forward , strawberry, orange rind, raspberry and with some floral, liquorice and spice hints . On the palate again fruit forward , sweet strawberry , raspberry and some red cherry . Just balanced alcohol with fresh acidity . Tannins were quite rounded and sweet , it seemed to lack a little structure . Coming back to this a day later there is much more tannin which is ripe but gritty and more structure noticable . Bizarre how this happens quite often with young Barolo, they appear lighter and more fruit forward than they actually are on opening . A bit more serious too, showing more nuances . Herbal hints , with lightly smoky darker cherry , liquorice and stony, mineral hints on the medium length finish. You could drink this now (if you do what I did last night and just pop and pour), but will be better in 5 years or so and last well a further 5-10. — 8 months ago