Rhone Blend Wines

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(Quinta do Noval Nacional) I had never tasted the legendary 1963 Nacional previously, and this stunningly pure and still almost youthful wine was every bit as profound as its reputation suggests. The glorious nose erupts from the glass in a sappy mélange of red plums, cherries, heather, coffee, cigar smoke, clover honey, a brilliant base of soil, orange zest and incipient notes of celery seed and other savory delights. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still rock solid at the core, with glorious transparency, melting tannins, laser-like focus and brilliant soil drive on the very, very long and tangy finish. Like several other of the very best 1963 Ports, the ’63 Nacional is still a fairly young wine and will continue to dazzle for another fifty or sixty years. It was an absolute privilege to taste this legendary wine! (Drink between 2012-2075)John Gilman | 100 JGAmazingly, the importer still has tiny stocks of such legendary ports as the 1970, 1963, and 1962 Nacionals. In most vintages the production of Quinta do Noval Nacional is no more than 250-275 cases. The 1970,1963,1962 and 1994 are candidates to achieve perfect scores. The 1963 Nacional’s opaque purple color is remarkable, looking more like a 1992 than a 33-year old port. The wine possessed a fabulously smoky, cassis, black-cherry, peppery nose. After thirty minutes in the glass, fruitcake notes and more evolved aromas emerged. This port is so concentrated it defies belief, with extraordinary balance, and, like its two siblings, well-integrated alcohol and tannin. The impression is one of a silky, succulent, voluptuously-textured mouthful of exceptionally extracted port. This is a legend in the making. In 30-40 years it may well be considered, along with the 1931, as one of the greatest ports ever produced. Those lucky few with a bottle or two should plan to hold onto them for another decade before pulling the cork. It, too, is a hundred-year port.Robert Parker | 99 RPToffee, incense, dried cherry, bergamot and green tea notes provide the aromas here, with mulled plum and licorice flavors forming the core. A light singed balsam wood accent lines the finish, which is viscous and sweet-edged but stays decidedly dry in feel overall. Harmonious and incredibly long.—Non-blind Quinta do Noval vertical (May 2018). Drink now through 2030. 251 cases made.Wine Spectator | 99 WSGood full, deep red. Knockout nose offers red and black cherry, strawberry, spices and mint. Unbelievably young for a wine that’s nearly a half-century old, offering incredible power and thrust to its red berry, spice and mineral flavors. Fills the mouth with perfume. Combines extraordinary mid-palate lift with a silky texture and buns of steel, conveying an impression of buzzing energy. The endless finish features great concentration and urgency, and utterly noble tannins. Can a 49-year-old port still be on an up curve? I hope to find out. This wine should go on for another 30 years without difficulty.Vinous Media | 98+ VM

Vintage Port doesn’t seem like the right wine in the middle of the summer but I had an Amarone producer for dinner the other night in Tuscany and he had never drunk a wine from his birth year. He was lucky enough to have been born in 1977 - a great Port year! I found a bottle of 1977 Fonseca in my cellar - probably my last. It was absolutely gorgeous. I gave this fortified wine a perfect score in its youth and I think it has finally evolved into its perfection as a mature vintage Port. Here is the tasting note. 1977 Fonseca Vintage Port: This is in total balance now with such harmony. What amazing aromas of berry and flowers. Full and sweet, the tannins are complete dissolved. The fruit is perfect. This goes on for minutes. Drink now. But it will go forever.James Suckling | 100 JSWhat a Vintage Port. Dark ruby center, with a dark garnet edge. Aromas of flowers, blackberry and licorice. Subtle and complex. Wow. What a palate. Full, concentrated and rich, yet balanced and beautiful. Solid and sleepy. Still not giving all it has to give. This is just coming around. Gorgeous and classy. Love it. ’77/’85/’97 blind Port retrospective. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 100 WS(Fonseca) I have always found the ’77 Fonseca to be one of the stars of the vintage, and this most recent bottle was beginning to really hit on all cylinders. The bouquet delivers a beautifully complex and concentrated mélange of sweet cassis, plum, blackberry, mint, tobacco, chocolate, minerals, and cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and almost voluptuous, with a fine core of fruit, beautiful structure and focus, ripe tannins, and great grip on the long and modestly tannic finish. This wine is a beautiful and relatively forward example of the vintage, and consequently it is offering up superb drinking already. My gut instinct suggests that there is more complexity to come with further bottle age, but it is pretty hard not to want to drink this beauty at this stage of development. A quintessential vintage of Fonseca. (Drink between 2007-2050).John Gilman | 95 JGFonseca is one of the great port lodges, producing the most exotic and most complex port. If Fonseca lacks the sheer weight and power of a Taylor, Dow or Warre, or the opulent sweetness and intensity of a Graham, it excels in its magnificently complex, intense bouquet of plummy, cedary, spicy fruit and long, broad, expansive flavors. With its lush, seductive character, one might call it the Pomerol of Vintage ports. When it is young, it often loses out in blind tastings to the heavier, weightier, more tannic wines, but I always find myself upgrading my opinion of Fonseca after it has had 7-10 years of age. The 1977 has developed magnificently in the bottle, and while it clearly needs another decade to reach its summit, it is the best Fonseca since the 1970 and 1963.Robert Parker | 93 RP

A superbly structured wine, with impressive aromas and flavors of violets, berries and mint. Its full body and super tannins set up well for the concentrated, fruity finish. Try after 1997.--Super Tuscan retrospective.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A big, ripe and full-bodied effort that’s fully mature, the 1990 Chateauneuf du Pape offers fabulous character and depth, and is about as classic as they comes. Showing an amber/mature color, it has loads of garrigue, spice meats, red currants, licorice and pepper as well as a rich, layered and seamless profile on the palate. It’s a thrilling wine, but it’s not going to get any better, so drink up.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

Fonseca has scored in both the 1991 and 1992 vintages. The 1992 is a majestic young port that should ultimately rival, perhaps even surpass this house’s most recent great efforts (1985, 1977, 1970, 1963). This colossal vintage port reveals a nearly opaque black/purple color, and an explosive nose of jammy black fruits, licorice, chocolate, and spices. Extremely full-bodied and unctuously-textured, this multi-layered, enormously-endowed port reveals a finish that lasts for over a minute. It is a magnificent port that will age well for 30-40 years. Importer: Kobrand, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 490-9300.Robert Parker | 97 RPIntensely fruity on the nose, with lots of blackberry and violet. Full-bodied and lightly sweet, with slightly astringent tannins and a medium finish. Silky. Still very tight. Needs time. ’91/’92 Port retrospective. Best after 2010. 8,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Taylor's 1992 Vintage Port is unquestionably the greatest young port I have ever tasted. It represents the essence of what vintage port can achieve. The color is an opaque black/purple, and the nose offers up fabulously intense aromas of minerals, cassis, blackberries, licorice, and spices, as well as extraordinary purity and penetration. Yet this is still an unformed and infantile wine. If Chateau Latour made a late-harvest Cabernet Sauvignon, I suspect it might smell like this. In the mouth, the wine is out of this world, displaying layer upon layer of concentrated black fruits backed by well-integrated tannin and structure. This is a massive, magnificently rich, full-bodied port that will be far more flattering in its youth than were such Taylors as the 1983, 1977, or 1970. It possesses awesome fruit, marvelous intensity, and lavish opulence, all brilliantly well-delineated by the wine's formidable structure. This monumental 30-50 year port is a must purchase for port aficionados.! Also noteworthy is the fact that the 1992 Taylor commemorates the 300th anniversary of this firm, as evidenced by the special bottle Taylor used for this port.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 1992 Taylor’s Vintage Port has a black/purple colour with only slight maturation on the rim. The nose has always been so intense, a kaleidoscope of damson, raspberry, crushed violets and just a touch of alcoholic warmth, yet somehow it retains incredible delineation. The palate is full-bodied with concentrated black fruit, the tannins having melted in recent years. The acidity is perfectly tuned and lends freshness and tension to the blueberry, cassis and blackberry fruit laced with orange zest and marmalade. It is still a primal Port after two decades but at least its "ferocious power" is being tamed with time. Tasted at a private dinner in London.Vinous Media | 98+ VM(Taylor Fladgate) In notable contrast to the brooding and large-scale 1994 Taylor, the 1992 is absolutely singing. The bouquet is deep, pure, perfumed and brilliant, as it offers up an unforgettable mélange of black cherries, plums, cassis, dark chocolate, tarry tones, black pepper, fennel bulb, and black licorice candy. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and magnificently deep, with great structure and a seamless palate impression. The finish is profoundly long, and offers up stunning grip and focus. This is an utterly brilliant young vintage of Taylor that is so beautifully balanced that it is approachable already, but I would not dare to touch a bottle until it has fully had thirty years of cellaring. There is simply so much more to come that it would be infanticide to drink this wine too soon. One of the greatest young ports that I have ever tasted! (Drink between 2022-2100)John Gilman | 97 JGFresh and lively, with raisin, spice and hints of blackberry. Full-bodied and very tight, with plenty of tannins. Very long. Needs to open. '91/'92 Port retrospective. Best after 2008. 6,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSDeep and opaque. Still going through an awkward adolescence on the nose with much more to give. Lovely rich, fleshy fruit – powerful with bittersweet chocolate intensity, good depth and a wonderful finish. Drinking Window 2015 - 2030DecanterScore given as 18.5 | 93 DEC

The 1993 is a beguiling, graceful Saffredi laced with plums, prunes, wild herbs, spices and licorice. It possesses gorgeous inner perfume and freshness that frame the fruit through to the elegant, impeccable finish. The French oak confers a level of textural richness and sweetness, but is beautifully balanced in this vintage. At the same time, the 1993 could have been a truly great wine with a more restrained approach to cooperage.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGThe blend is very similar to the previous year: Cabernet Sauvignon dominating at 75% and just marginally more Merlot and Alicante. Climatically, it was an uneventful year and the wine is bigger and more concentrated than its predecessor - and higher in alcohol at 13.5% - but it’s a little less balanced and complete. There’s some spicy, meaty evolution on the nose and smoky black fruit intensity, but there’s both a slight woodiness and a slight woodenness on the palate. Drinking Window 2020 - 2023.Decanter | 91 DEC

Such a powerful mouthful of wine that after swallowing, it’s almost hard to talk. Explosively aromatic, with jam, tar, licorice and exotic spices, it leads with concentrated fruit, then follows with a sledgehammer of polished tannins that somehow dissolve on the finish, where the fruit reemerges like a rainbow. With a slab of well-aged, chargrilled beef--paradise. Drink now through 2005. 450 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSSaturated ruby. More perfumed, more floral, fruit-driven aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, black raspberry, mocha and clove; vibrant and youthful. Huge, sensual and deep on the palate, with great creamy depth of flavor. Still a bit youthfully tight but has the structure and concentration to develop over the next decade or two. Great persistence on the finish; huge, dusty, noble tannins coat the entire palate.Vinous Media | 95+ VMA clone of the 1994, the 1995 L’Ermita does not reveal quite the power and density of its older sibling, but that is a tough call ... especially at this age. The color is an opaque purple, and the wine displays more pain grille, grilled jus de viande, blackberry, and floral notes in its aromatics, which seem slightly more evolved than the 1994’s. In the mouth, the 1995 is deep, powerful, and rich, with low acidity, better sweetness and integration of tannin (only when compared to the massive 1994), layers of extract and flavor, and a 40-second finish. It is a remarkable wine with formidable style, intensity, and flavor. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2020.Robert Parker | 94 RP

Toasty, smoky, coffee aromas and dark black cherries on the nose and palate. The structure is impeccable, making it drinkable now and ageable, too. Not overly extracted, but concentrated and so complex it’s impossible to describe all the nuances.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEWonderful floral, berry and cocoa aromas. Full-bodied, with fine, polished tannins and a long finish with dark chocolate and berry on the aftertaste. A sleek, racy Merlot from a respected winery. Best after 2001.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

An intense, extremely well-structured Tuscan red, showing intense Cabernet character, with currant, spice and mint aromas and flavors. Full in body, with loads of silky tannins and a long, long finish. Finest Guado Al Tasso ever. Best after 2002. 4,000 cases made. — JSWine Spectator | 94 WSGood medium ruby, less saturated than the 1997. Expressive aromas of herbs and Mediterranean brush, with reasonably harmonious oak. Plenty of cassis and blackberry intensity and character, but slightly tough, with a grittiness of tannins. Far from ready today but offers plenty of potential for development.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Irresistible fruit meets immovable structure. It’srare that such a juicy, ripe fruit-bomb, lush withblackberry and blueberry flavors, is also soconcentrated and well structured, but this richred effortlessly marries power and grace. Abenchmark for the appellation. Drink now through 2010. 300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSBright ruby. Highly nuanced aromas of blackcurrant, pungent minerals and spicy, toasty oak. Large-scaled yet light on its feet. Terrific fruit carries through to a very long, ripely tannic aftertaste. Kept fresh and lively by a flavor of licorice and very good acidity. A great showing for a vintage with a modest reputation for red wine in Spain. Palacios used more heavily toasted barrels following the rainy harvest of ’97, but eschews charred oak in richer years like ’98.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 1997 I Sodi di San Niccolo is wonderfully elegant, pure and silky. It remains very young, but is so polished that opening a bottle today is far from a crime. Dark red cherries, flowers, mint, spices and new leather flow across the palate in this gracious, totally elegant wine. The 1997 boasts huge dry extract and a show-stopping personality to match. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022.Proprietor Paolo Panerai is adamant about it. Sangioveto is the correct name and spelling of Tuscany’s main indigenous red variety. Panerai is one of Italy’s most successful entrepreneurs. His publishing empire is vast and encompasses a number of journals running the gamut from Milano Finanza, an Italian version of Barron’s, to Class and other glossy lifestyle magazines. Since the late 1970s, Panerai has owned Castellare, one of the jewels of Chianti Classico. Castellare isn’t as well known as the trendiest estates in Tuscany, but the wines rarely fail to impress. The last few years have seen a marked increase in quality throughout the range, especially among the entry-level bottlings. Quality has never been an issue with the flagship I Sodi di San Niccolo, one of the true icons of Chianti Classico that remains under the radar. Fortunately for consumers, prices have yet to catch up with quality. Sodi is 85% Sangioveto and 15% Malvasia Nera from a vineyard in the heart of the estate, where the bunches are typically loose and naturally low in vigor. Today Sodi is fermented in stainless steel, then racked into concrete for the malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged 24 months in French oak barrels, roughly 50% new. Consulting oenologist Maurizio Castelli made the first vintages. Current winemaker Alessandro Cellai arrived in 1997. Readers who want to learn more about Castellare and I Sodi di San Niccolo may want to take a look at my recent video interview with Cellai.Castellare I Sodi di San Niccolo Key Points:1. 85% Sangioveto/15% Malvasia Nera aged in French oak barrels2. Made from a low-vigor vineyard in the heart of the property in Castellina3. Impeccable track record of consistency and excellence4. Aging potential: 20-30 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 1997 I Sodi di San Niccolo is wonderfully elegant, pure and silky. It remains very young, but is so polished that opening a bottle today is far from a crime. Dark red cherries, flowers, mint, spices and new leather flow across the palate in this gracious, totally elegant wine. The 1997 boasts huge dry extract and a show stopping personality to match.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGDark ruby red. Lots of blackberry and fresh cherry, with hints of chocolate and meat. Full-bodied, with tangy fruit, fresh tannins and a long finish. Balanced and rich. All there. Still very youthful. Sangiovese and Malvasia.--1997 Italian blind retrospective. Best from 2008 through 2018. 2,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSNo written review provided | 92 W&S

What a bottle. Off the charts! Full and velvety with spice and berry character and dark chocolate. Bright citrus acidity underneath. Intense. Wild fruit.James Suckling | 97 JSRich aromas of blackberry and raspberry jam, with hints of licorice. Full-bodied, with soft, round tannins and a clean, fresh finish. Balanced and refined. Perfect now, but will improve.--1997 Italian blind retrospective. Drink now through 2014. 3,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 1997 Sammarco is starting to show the early signs of oxidation in its bouquet, which suggests it is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. There is plenty of depth, but probably also limited potential from here on out. Like the 1998, the 1997 is giving all it has right now, and will continue to hold based on its huge core of fruit, but I wouldn’t push my luck too far.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

Fruit and complexity as well as freshness and richness. Beautiful nose with extraordinary aromas of prunes, licorice, and dried flowers with rosemary undertones. Full-bodied and velvety textured. So beautiful to drink now, but obviously has a long future ahead.James Suckling | 97 JSDark ruby red. Shows intense blackberry, currant, fresh herb and mineral character on the nose. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Still young and powerful.--1997 Italian blind retrospective. Best after 2009. 11,415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSProbably the finest (and most sumptuous) Ornellaia yet produced, the 1997 has it all. A dense purple color offers up smoky espresso and jammy black cherry aromas wrapped in new oak. Full-bodied, opulent, thick, and juicy, this low acid, seamless classic can be drunk now and over the next 15+ years.Robert Parker | 94 RP The estate’s 1997 Ornellaia (65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc) combines the large-framed opulence of the 1999 with the slightly more herbal notes found in the 1998. It is a big, plump wine packed with layers of fruit and well-integrated oak, showing outstanding length and the telltale note of sweetness on the finish that defines this vintage. Despite its approachable nature today, the 1997 appears to have enough structure to drink well for another decade. Both the 1997 Ornellaia and Masseto enjoyed a very strong showing in this tasting. Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

A deep black inky core with deep ruby rim. The nose dose not have the definition or the ripeness of the -92 yet it is cut from the same cloth. Scents of pure blackberry, blueberry, liquorice, raisin with a touch of dried blood and a sense of being earthier than the previous two declarations. The palate is medium-bodied rather than full-, but has lovely balance and a bewitching sensuality. I love the sense of earthiness to this port and it is adorned with a cohesive, very refined finish. Superb.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP-NM This is rather flashy for Taylor, with plenty of upfront appeal to its floral, spicy aromas and gobs of fruit. It’s very lush and soft on the palate, almost overloaded with blackberries and plums, then firms up and begins to show that Taylor reserve on the dusty finish. Hold.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WESaturated deep ruby. Great minerally aromas of black plum, black cherry, roasted meat and deep spices. Very sweet and very dense, with youthfully backward black fruit, mineral and bitter chocolate flavors. Finishes with wonderfully ripe, sweet tannins and superb persistence and grip. Has the verve most ’97s lack. This may ultimately challenge the great ’94.Vinous Media | 95+ VMJuicy and energetic, with lots of warm raisin, toffee and toasted peanut notes, mixed with mulled fig, singed juniper and baked plum flavors. Has a warm Christmas pudding feel through the finish, with nicely inlaid brambly grip.--1997 Vintage Port retrospective (January 2017). Best from 2020 through 2035. 10,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Taylor Fladgate) The 1997 Taylor is a good bottle that is either in a rather cranky, adolescent phase, or is not quite in the same league as the fine 2000 vintage. The bouquet offers up a mélange of black cherries, cassis, weedy, Napa Cabernet-like notes, chocolate syrup, tar and tobacco. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and broad, but without the customary density and laser-like focus of the great Taylors, with good length, ripe tannins and good balance on the finish. Certainly a good drink by any standards, the 1997 Taylor only falls short by the very, very high standards of this house. (Drink between 2020-2100)John Gilman | 92 JG

The prodigious 1997 Amarone Vigneto Alto TB is reminiscent of Henri Bonneau’s 1990 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins. The lofty 16% alcohol is barely noticeable. Yields were a minuscule 20 hectoliters per hectare. Sadly, there are only 300 cases of this extraordinary Amarone. It boasts notes of smoke, truffle oil, blackberries, plums, and earthy, concentrated black currant jam. Layered, thick, full-bodied, and dry, with extraordinary purity as well as definition, it is an amazing achievement. While not for everybody, this is a singular, impeccably balanced wine. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.Robert Parker | 96 RP

I have been extolling the virtues of this wine, produced in partnership with the owner Silvia Imparato and consulting oenologist Riccardo Cotarella, for nearly a decade. I love its individualistic style. Each year, regardless of vintage conditions, it offers up compelling amounts of blueberry, blackberry, and black raspberry fruit presented in a distinctive, medium to full-bodied, fruit-driven, complex personality. It also exhibits a touch of minerals, marvelous purity and symmetry, as well as the potential for 10-20 years of evolution.The 1998 is an outstanding success, with elegance allied to power and intensity. Montevetrano’s hallmark blackberry and black raspberry component is present as well as beautiful purity/symmetry, and a long, medium to full-bodied, highly-concentrated finish. Sadly, production is a mere 2,000 bottles from a 4-acre vineyard planted in 1991 with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Aglianico. Like most of the wines made under the supervision of Riccardo Cotarella, it is aged in new French oak, and bottled with neither fining nor filtration. The 1998 should drink well for 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 92 RPThe 1998 is another excellent vintage for drinking today. Although this isn’t the most complex Montevetrano I am struck by how primary the wine is. The 1998 is open in its dark fruit with a soft, accessible personality that is similar to the 2000. Sweet, silky tannins round out the long finish. Readers who prefer layers of tertiary complexity will want to cellar the 1998 for a few more years, but from a textural standpoint, it is a highly rewarding wine today.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGDark ruby in color, with aromas of currants, berries and tar. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, berry, vanilla aftertaste. Needs time to come together. Another gorgeous red from Montevetrano, though not as great as the ’97. Best after 2002. 1,100 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 1998 Campoleone, is a blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Sangiovese. Just under 1,000 cases were produced. It is an impressive, exceptional effort. An opaque purple color is accompanied by knock-out aromas of new saddle leather, roasted espresso, chocolate, blackberries, and grilled steak. This rich, multilayered, full-bodied, moderately tannic wine is deep and serious. Cellar it for 2-3 years and consume it over the following 12-15. This is emerging as one of the finest wines of central-south Italy.Robert Parker | 91 RPFruit explosion on the nose, with berries, cherries, blackberries and violets. Black color. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a clean, fruity aftertaste. Needs more fruit on the finish to get more points. Not as great as the ’97, but still outstanding. Best after 2003. 1,650 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A wonderfully silky and seductive red. Intense aromas of ripe plums and cherries, with hints of vanilla. Full-bodied, with soft velvety tannins and a long, fruity finish. Best after 2003. 1,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSNew consultant Riccardo Cotarella’s first vintage saw the blend shift more to Merlot (40%), with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Alicante. The colour is notably deeper than the 1995. A dark-fruit nose with a whiff of vanilla-oak is followed by an assertive, fruity palate with touches of chocolate and coffee. Initially it’s velvety, but the tannins begin to take over and it finishes on a dry, slightly grainy note. Drinking Window 2020 - 2021Decanter | 91 DECA blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, this opens with aromas of red currant, clove and toast. The structured, elegant palate doles out plum, sage and tobacco alongside fine-grained tannins. Drink 2017–2022Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThe 1998 impresses for its considerable richness. Like so many Italian wines of this period, the 1998 Saffredi shows a determined attempt to extract as much concentration as possible. There is no arguing the wine has aged exceptionally well, but in hindsight many of the subtler nuances Saffredi is capable of are buried under masses of fruit and excessive French oak.Antonio Galloni | 90 AG

1998 is most likely the best vintage ever for Ornellaia. Petit Verdot was not yet used in the blend. Evolved bramble fruits meld with forest floor, helichrysum and Mediterranean herb aromas. On the palate this wine dazzles with the vibrancy of the best Pomerol-like minerality, with a tight-knit structure of velvety yet lively tannins amongst the fruit, and delicate acidity pushing a slightly pyrazinic finish with long, dark notes of Marmite and cigar-box supported by some citrus notes. Drinking Window 2019 - 2030Decanter | 99 DECThis is just a baby with so much extract and density yet always polished and beautiful. Full body, velvety tannins with a dusty and gritty texture. Complex flavors of fruit, tar and smoked meat. Solid all around. Powerful still. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSA cool and sleek Tuscan red, with tarragon and fresh sage aromas, blackberry and cherry undertones. Full-bodied, with a wonderfully silky palate of fine tannins and a long, fruity finish. Very sophisticated and reserved. Best after 2004. 13,330 cases made, 3,165 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSOne of the highlights of the evening, the 1998 Ornellaia is not the most profound wine on the table, but it is among the most pleasing because it is in such a perfect place for current drinking. The aromatics are super-refined, but everything about the 1998 speaks to total polish. Hints of cedar, tobacco, licorice, mocha and savory herbs give the wine its nuanced personality. From magnum, the 1998 has another decade of fine drinking ahead of it.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGMade in a relatively structured style for the normally succulent Ornellaia, the dense saturated ruby/purple-colored 1998 offers up aromas of pain grille, spice, smoke, black fruits, and graphite. Full-bodied, concentrated, exceptionally pure, and long, it will be at its finest between 2005-2018. Very impressive, but it requires patience.Robert Parker | 93 RP

The profound, dense ruby/purple-colored 1999 Montiano (2,500 cases of 100% Merlot aged in 100% new French oak, and bottled unfined and unfiltered) offers a smorgasbord of aromas, including melted chocolate, espresso, blackberries, cherries, currants, and smoke. Full-bodied, with terrific purity, a multilayered texture, and surprising freshness for a wine of such depth, it can be drunk young, or cellared for 10-15 years. For technicians who care about such things, it has a whopping 37 grams per liter of dry extract.Robert Parker | 95 RP

Although rain at the end of September produced good but by no means perfect ripeness, this wine is showing very well (in magnum). The blend is the same as the previous year (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Alicante) and the colour is again lively. The nose is fragrant and sweet, with cherry and black fruit, spice and subtle chocolate. The palate has richness and intensity, with well-integrated, nutty oak and velvet-soft tannins that nonetheless still have some friendly grip on the finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2024Decanter | 94 DECExtremely ripe, almost raisiny, with loads of raspberry and cherry character, yet there’s a sophistication, a subtlety, to the wine. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a silky, well-defined finish. A pure and pretty wine. Best after 2003. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 1999 Saffredi is an immensely gratifying wine. It could almost be mistaken for a Burgundy, so pure and sweet is the bouquet. The 1999 is a decidedly understated, graceful Saffredi that impresses for its elegance and finesse rather than for its heft. Hints of French oak, smoke, autumn leaves, tar and tobacco add the final layers of complexity. I am not sure the 1999 has much upside from here, but it should continue to drink well for another decade.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

Austere in its aromas but the flavors of black cherry, blackberry and dark chocolate build nicely from the beginning to the long aftertaste. Very tightly knit, with intensity, structure, loads of finesse and plenty to give overall. Non-blind Petrolo Galatrona vertical (November 2021). Drink now through 2033. 400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe extremely concentrated, massive, full-bodied 1999 Galatrona takes Merlot to the limits of ripeness and intensity. This is "extreme" Merlot, but wow, what an impressive wine. Made from 100% Merlot aged in 100% new French oak, this opaque purple-colored 1999 exhibits phenomenally ripe notes of jammy blackberry and cherry fruit intermixed with roasted coffee and pain grille. Unctuously-textured and thick, with moderate tannin, this huge, viscous wine needs to settle down, but there is unbelievable upside potential to the raw materials present in the bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020.Robert Parker | 95 RPVery dark almost impenetrable ruby, this has no rim. Very deep aromas and flavors of smoky black plum, tar, shoe polish, smoky vanilla, and rosemary. Plush and palate-coating, becomes spicier with air and finishes with superb length, clarity and harmonious tannins.Vinous Media | 94 VM