Marchesi de Frescobaldi Tenuta di Castelgiocondo Lamaione 2008

Date of Tasting: 26 July 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 100% Merlot

Alcohol: 15%

Origin: Tuscany, Italy

Appellation: Toscana IGT

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR60

Web: http://www.frescobaldi.it/
Chubby Appreciation: 92/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 92/100, JS - 93/100, CT - 90/100

Appearance: Dark purplish red.

Aroma: Sweet dark fruits and licorice with touches of herbs and smokiness. Breeze of cool mint.

Palate: Big and dense but velvety. Sweet and smooth tannins. Persistent flavour of fruit notes. Lingering but not complex.

Exciting? Might be not. Enjoyable? Oh, yes. To me, it is not a wow wine. It seems to lack characters but nice aroma and not overwhelmed with oak. Nevertheless, its silkiness and feminine side of this Merlot based red wine from Tuscany should make it a wonderful pair with rich dishes. Lamaione 2008 is now accessible. I did pop it up an hour before consumption and it was at satisfaction. Not much of acidity to support, hence, not over a decade to go perhaps for this one.

Score Explanation

95+ = classic and extraordinary

90+ = outstanding in its class

85+ = recommended wine with some degree of enjoyment

80+ = drinkable occasionally

WA = Wine Advocate
AG = Antonio Galloni
WS = Wine Spectator
WE = Wine Enthusiast
JR = Jancis Robinson
DC = Decanter
JS = James Suckling
BH = Burghound
FS = Falstaff Magazine
ST = Stephen Tanzer
CT = Cellar Tracker Average Score