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.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2005

Date of Tasting: 6 April 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot

Alcohol: 14.5%

Origin: Tuscany, Italy

Appellation: Bolgheri DOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR150

Web: http://www.ornellaia.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 95/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 93/100, AG - 93/100, WS - 95/100, WE - 97/100, FS - 95/100, JS - 95/100, JR - 18.5/20, DC - 18/20, CT - 93/100

Appearance: Dark violet ruby

Aroma: Sweet violet and currant, exotic spices, black tea leaves

Palate: Velvety tannins and structure. Opulent but feminine. Dark fruits note and complexity persists lengthily.

Beautiful wine, this Ornellaia 2005 is. It is drinking wonderfully now and perhaps a decade more. If you have one, do not hesitate to pop up now and enjoy with red meat dishes. This is not the kind of big and powerful Super Tuscan bordeaux blend. On the other hand, it exhibits more of mouthwatering silky structure and finesse. Ones would enjoy it with a meal and ones would even be happy to sip it alone slowly through the night. I would be one of the later kind in the case. Salute to this beautiful craft!!!

Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve IGT 2005

Date of Tasting: 26 April 2014

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 100% Sangiovese

Alcohol: 14.5%

Origin: Tuscany, Italy

Appellation: IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica)

Expect to Pay: ~ THB3,000

Web: http://www.fontodi.com/
Chubby Score: 92/100
Value for money: 5/10
Professional Rating: WA - 93/100, AG - 94/100, WS - 94/100, JR - 17.5/20, CT - 93/100

Appearance: dark ruby

Aroma: complex forest floor of cedar, spices, and black fruits

Palate: medium-full bodied with beautiful and lingering finish. integrate tannins. it exhibits class and depth. on the palate, it shows integrated cherries, oak, and dried spices. notable acid.

This is a nice bottle that drinks well right now and a decade to go. It possesses some generous perfume of fruits and profound elegance. Not so much of the power. The 2005 is not quite my style but it shows superb with pizza and non-cream based pasta.

Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi Maremma 2004

Date of Tasting: 24 March 2014

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Alicante

Alcohol: 14.0%

Origin: Tuscany, Italy

Appellation: IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica)

Expect to Pay: ~ THB4,000

Web: http://www.fattorialepupille.it/
Chubby Score: 94/100
Value for money: 8/10
Professional Rating: WA - 96/100, AG - 96/100, WS - 97/100, WE - 95/100, JR - 18.5/20, CT - 94/100

Appearance: crimson red

Aroma: redcurrants in the aroma pool of spices, vanilla, and rose

Palate: meaty body of a big guy, strong and powerful. fine sweet and noticeable tannins. earth, tobacco, oak, and leather also present. elegant Super Tuscan. ripe red cherry and plum on the main palate. 

This is a beautiful wine. It possesses the power of cabernet sauvignon as well as the aroma of merlot. The sophisticated but yet subtle tannins are lively and dazzling. It is pretty much enjoyable but I suspect that a few more years of cellaring should do it a good job as grains of tannins are still there. It should live wonderfully for at least a decade to go. I shall return to this Saffredi next year to see how it develops.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore 2006

Date of Tasting: 27 March 2014

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot

Alcohol: 15.0%

Origin: Tuscany, Italy

Appellation: DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata)

Expect to Pay: ~ THB6,000 - THB8,000

Web: http://www.ornellaia.com/
Chubby Score: 94/100
Value for money: 6/10
Professional Rating: WA - 97/100, AG - 97/100, WE - 97/100, FS - 95/100, WS - 95/100, JR - 18.5/20, CT - 94/100

Appearance: purple inky red

Aroma: ripe dark fruits and licorice, smoky with minimum floral and menthol

Palate: juicy, sweet, and dense. big and delicious but unlike the American style of big. elegant also lies within. dark berries with balanced acidity. long and thick jams with oak and spices followed by mocha. complexity lies within. it sings harmoniously with rich flavour.

Needless to say, this is a great quality bottle of super Tuscan that has probably just started to reveal its true value. It shall live a decade to go. Promising and exciting bottle. This is a food wine and shall compliment well with roasts and games.

Gaja Ca'Marcanda Magari IGT 2009

Date of Tasting: 26 January 2014

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc

Alcohol: 14.5%

Origin: Tuscany, Italy

Appellation: IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica)

Expect to Pay: ~ THB1,500 - THB2,500

Web: n.a.
Chubby Score: 90/100
Value for money: 5/10
Professional Rating: WA - 92/100, WS - 92/100, FS - 92/100, CT - 91/100

Appearance: deep and dark garnet/violet

Aroma: ripe cherries and plums with floral and cloves notes and hint of coffee and dark chocolate

Palate: full, big, and rich on the body. Fine tannins. A little sweet dark berries and spices of Merlot characters. A touch of oak and bitter dark chocolate. Long length on the finish.

I don't think it is quite there just yet. The bottle seems to shut itself down though showing some promising characters. Fruits do not just yet exhibit wonderfully. I shall keep the rest for a few more years before another examination.

Orma 2008 by Tenuta Sette Ponti

Date of Tasting: 23 April 2013

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 14.5%

Origin: Tuscany, Italy

Appellation: Indicaziione Geografica Tipica (IGT)

Expect to Pay: THB2,000 - 3,000 (retail price in Thailand)

Web: http://www.tenutasetteponti.it/
Chubby Score: 92/100
Value for money: 8/10
Professional Rating: WA - 93/100, JS - 95/100, WE - 93/100

Appearance: rich, thick, and fathomless purplish ruby

Aroma: beautiful fragrant of licorice, cassis, tabacco, and berries

Palate: so long, so deep, and so complex. layers of dark berries, chocolate, and spices dominant followed by plums, figs, and leather. full bodied with soft and elegant tannins. a touch of promising sweetness.

So much potential and pleasure for this bottle of Bordeaux style by Tenuta Sette Ponti. Flavours are well integrated. At this point, it is big and bold with oakiness but well structured. Cellar it a little while to soften and it would be so delightful for a decade.  A wonderful bottle for cellar indeed. Cheersssss!!!!!!!!!