Vinfolio's Wines Subscribe to this Feed

Vinfolio's Review:

Barolos that hail from Verduno all seem to have signature warmth and spiced fruit note to them. This wine (a blend of multiple vineyards) is no exception and is a very traditional Barolo with loads of reticent aromatics of baked red cherries, raspberries and smoky leather. An immediate rush of dried and fresh cherries, salumi, mushroom and forest berries. The intricacy of the core is due to a substantial pomegranate seed and black tea influence. The finish has a haunting note of chewy nougat that solidifies the firm and lithe tannins. Reveals a superb balance of fruit and acidity - especially for the warmth of this vintage - and is a masterful expression of masculine elegance.

Vinfolio's Review:

Very proper and respectable Barbaresco that is made by a fourth generation family that used to sell this fruit to the Produttori del Barbaresco. Dried cherry, spice, smoke and leather - all the elements necessary. A beam of cherry liqueur greets you straight out of the gate and is joined by a straightforward, pure strain of fresh blackberry, bramble and minty/cedary cherry fruit. Textured and saddled with a solid, yet polished, grip. Elegance personified. If it talks like a Barbaresco and walks like a Barbaresco then...

Vinfolio's Review:

Sincere and fresh nose of stone and yellow fruits. Lovely, enticing aromas of lemon rind and a bit of tropical fruit. A generous broadness in the mouth gives a nod to citrus, crystallized ginger, and acacia. A bit of lanolin-laced lemon and grapefruit lend a weight to the palate and the whole package in liberally dosed with the typical stone mineral that Friuli is known for. Beeswax, dried orange rind and a lovely essence of mountain floral flow into a full and clean and crisp finish. Serious juice that will readily match with pork and cured meats. A delight and treat for anyone tired of the usual white suspects.

Vinfolio's Review:

Wonderfully bright and crystalline and poised. Crushed cherries, violet petals and fleeting aromatics of fresh strawberry tickle your nose. Playful and typically traditional with its accents of bitter chocolate, licorice and black cherry. Silky tannins and an element of chewy, violet-infused dried cherry round out the finish. Precise and proper.

Vinfolio's Review:

One of several sites owned by the Mauritson family in Rockpile, the Cemetery Block is named for rock outcroppings in the vineyard that resemble grave markers. I was impressed by the structure of this wine - powerfully built with concentrated fruit in the nose (black raspberry, and currant), balanced on the palate with excellent length and depth to the abundant fruit and supple tannins. Zinfandel of this quality is always a pleasure to experience.

Vinfolio's Review:

(70% Sangiovese, 20% Colorino, 10% Merlot) 2nd and 3rd year barrique. Aromatically engaging elements of warm earth, tobacco and spice layer over a core of red fruit with prominent red cherry and raspberry notes. Still testing its limits, this wine's entry is very welcoming and fits like your favorite pair of slippers. Lean muscularity and velvety forest fruits are augmented by a sweet toastiness and captivating freshly squeezed red cherry juice. The tannins and acidity play their role magnificently and set the stage for a suave, ever-broadening finish. Great body and length and an incredible deal.

Vinfolio's Review:

Beautiful, stain-worthy blackberry purple. The majority grape here is the ancient clone Corvinone. From hillside vineyards in Negrar. The nose is redolent with roses, raisins and tar with an odd note of spice cake that reaches out from the glass. Very alive and energetic on the palate with an alluring melange of dried boysenberries, blackberry-soaked raisins, and an unexpected bit of nougat and cantuccini. The acidity is vibrant, but perfectly integrated as it needs to be to perform its duty of providing complexity and layering. A secondary wave of flavors paint a swath of sweet cherry, macerated forest fruit and candied plum tart that ends in a serious grip and a blackberry honey trace. Sublime in its strangeness and a delicious departure from the 'usual' Amarone. Fresh!

Vinfolio's Review:

If this is what we can expect from Emilia-Romagna in the future, sign us up! Thoroughly Bordelais in style, with an Emilia-Romagna flair. Exuberant and front-loaded nose of plum, toasty oak, violets, black raspberry and cassis. But it doesn't stop there. The plunge into the glass floods your mouth with blackberries, cassis, milk/dark chocolate all properly punctuated by brown spice, licorice and velvety tannins. Full-bodied and well-proportioned; long presence in the fore and mid-palate that stretches into a boysenberry and black tea-accented finish. Stunning!

Vinfolio's Review:

Seven Twenty Eight is from the Fiddlestix Vineyard, and is so named for its location at Santa Rosa Road mile marker 7.28. The vineyard is situated in the often fog-shrouded east-west oriented valley that sees nearly constant breeze, as cool air is sucked inland from the nearby Pacific Ocean. The nose shows the characteristic rich black fruit aromas (cherry, currant and raspberry) this site is known for. The palate is forward, showing smoothness and length to the nicely integrated acidity.

Vinfolio's Review:

Several years ago Chappellet introduced a bottling of their best lots in what has become a wine of legendary following. Referred to PHEV in the shorthand of the winery, a companion Cabernet Franc-based wine is also produced under the same program, and the wines represent the most severe cuts to include only the best barrels from the best lots. Vinfolio receives only a small allocation of this world-class wine. Blended with 18% Petite Verdot and 6% Malbec. The nose shows exquisite concentration to the profound cassis, chocolate, licorice and black cherry aromas, with a polished vein of spicy oak. Nothing is lost in the translation to the palate as the wine is seamlessly integrated across all facets. Flavors of blackberry, licorice, allspice, and mocha are well-integrated into a marvelous complexity.