Jay Kline

9.2

The Giovanni Sordo holdings in the Gabutti MGA are directly west and northwest of Cappellano’s. They have been bottling a single-vineyard expression of Gabutti since 1982.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2021 “Gabutti” pours a beautiful ruby color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of Morello cherry, orange peel, a room of freshly cut roses, talcum powder, some cedar and dry organic earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose though, it took about 30min of air to reflect that continuity. The finish is long. This is quite a lovely wine; I’m impressed! Silly value. Drink now with patience through 2046+. — 10 minutes ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2021 pours a garnet/purple color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of bramble jam, pomegranate, licorice, black pepper and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This is quite remarkable at 10.5% ABV. It’s nearly sacramental! Perfect over lunch with light fare. Drink now through 2031. — 2 hours ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Delicious throughout. The 2021 pours a bright garnet color with transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of Morello cherry, raspberry, cranberry, red flowers, orange zest, some tar, talcum powder, dried herbs and dry, organic earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is about as sapid of a young Classico I’ve had from Produttori. It’s a bold wine right now but some time on its side will bring more into balance. Drink now with some patience through 2051. — a day ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Better on Day 1 but still very enjoyable on Day 2. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon pours a deep garnet/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining and loads of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe black currants, blackberries, purple flowers, leaf tobacco, sweet minty herbal notes, espresso and stony, inorganic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrating) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes form the nose. The finish is medium+. To my palate, this is textbook Mt. Veeder and the 2014 is currently singing. Drink now through 2034+. — 24 minutes ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The NV Brut Rosé 1er Cru pours a pale salmon color with a persistent mousse. The color is so pale in fact, that I’ve seen BdN with similar color! No matter, it’s pretty all the same. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of peach, apple, raspberry, lemon curd, some white flowers and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Fabulous Rosé with depth and precision. Disgorged November 2024. Drink now through 2034. — an hour ago

Jay Kline

8.9

“Screw top, drop-top”; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2024 Liebenberg pours a pale straw color with a slightly green glint and medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe tropical fruit, a bit of pepper and rocky earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and the texture is creamy. Drink now through 2034. — 21 hours ago

Jay Kline

8.8

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90min. The 2020 pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of dark cherries, plum, a touch of black pepper and some warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. I found this to be a somewhat shy Ripasso that worked quite well with pizza. Drink now through 2035. — a day ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of days. This was gorgeous on Day 1 and was even more remarkable on Day 2. The 2019 “Chiesamonti”, which comes from a small plot in Castelnuovo Berardenga that used to be blended into Cinque (5), pours a slightly hazy garnet color with transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with heady notes of Morello cherry, richly varnished wood, red ripe licorice, red flowers, the stems of those red flowers, dried herbs, and dry organic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and almost decadent for a “Chianti Classico”, even if it’s not labeled as such. This is stunning. Yes, there’s a fair amount of VA but this is Italy we’re taking about and the quality is out of this world. Drink now through 2039. — 37 minutes ago

Jay Kline

9.1

“Screw top, drop-top”; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2024 Dürnstein pours a pale straw color and medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart tropical fruit, lemon, a touch of petrol, and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. I love the brightness and energy! This is delicious. Drink now through 2038. — 11 hours ago

Jay Kline

9.0

“Twist top, drop-top”; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2020 pours a deep garnet/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of brambles, purple flowers, some pepper, funky earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. This is a serious wine that puts the fun into funky. If I were to have been presented this double-blind, I would probably have called it Gamay. Drink now through 2030-ish. — a day ago