Super Tuscans

wines

The wine that most delighted me at this historic tasting of Tuscany's most iconic wines was the 2006 Masseto. This is a wine of sheer power, bliss, opulence, infinity and sublime seduction. This Merlot-based masterpiece hits all your senses with the grace of a ballerina and the power of a heavyweight. It is steady on its proverbial feet, but it also glides over the palate with a profound sense of elegance, harmony and rhythm. Among the prized vintages of Masseto, including 2001, 2004 and 2007, this edition is my favorite. The wine delivers an extra sense of tightness or firmness at the back that serves to stitch together its fleshy richness and general sumptuousness. The personality is sunny, expansive, articulate and sophisticated. You'll remember that the 2006 vintage is celebrated for the elegance of its wines. In the coastal Bolgheri appellation, it is also remembered for the power of its wines. You get the best of both worlds with this stunning creation: elegance and power. These traits are particularly well suited to the versatile grape variety at the heart of this Tuscan all-rounder. This is a true Renaissance wine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPI still remember where I was the first time I tasted the 2006 Masseto. Since then, I have tasted the 2006 several times. It has never been anything less than utterly profound. That is once again the case on this night. Readers who are cellaring the 2006 Masseto in magnum will want to wait at least a few years for it to be at its very best. Still, it is magnificent tonight.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThis has a special savory character that is fascinating. It shows beautiful aromas of dried fruits, black olives, and brown sugar. Full-bodied with a phenomenal amount of fruit and freshness at the same time. Salty, juicy and fruity. Hard not to drink now. Decant two or three hours before serving. Great potential for aging.James Suckling | 99 JSIt is perhaps no surprise that very distinctive vintage conditions in 2006 produced such a special wine. A huge drought from mid-April to mid-September saw only 4mm of rain, which was followed by a deluge of 240mm in one weekend. ‘This wine had one of the highest alcohols and highest acidities we had ever seen’, comments Axel Heinz. Perhaps it is this contradiction that makes the 2006 so distinctive. It is brimming with vivid Merlot aromas including ripe red fruit, plums and contrasting green tomato and spice notes. The rich concentration and opulent texture is offset by vivid acidity. Flavours of green olive, spice and black cherry seem to spring to life on the palate. It has all the lush, velvety tannins you would expect of Masseto, but it bursts into life with a lively, slightly wild personality.Decanter | 98 DECBeautiful aromas of perfumes, berries and flowers turn to light toasty oak and sandalwood. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins that build and coat your palate. Long and silky-textured on the finish. Shows great class and finesse. Merlot. Best after 2012. 2,660 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThis wine shows growing intensity the longer it stays in the glass and a very silky, polished feel in the mouth. Aromas include red fruit, spice and rosemary: this is a beautiful, balanced wine that will have a long life in your cellar.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE

It has a supremely enticing nose.. With the 2019 there is an added precision to the aromas, less heavy oak, and no greenness on the palate. It is concentrated with a rich velvety texture but without any heaviness and with a gentle unforced quality. The tannins are fine and very well integrated, in fact finer and better integrated than even the excellent 2016 vintage. It is of course very young now but it’s almost too delicious not to drink! Supremely graceful, it just gets better and better.TWI | 100 TWIThe 2019 Cepparello has closed down quite a bit since I tasted it last year, as if all of its energy is focused inward. That won’t be an issue in another few years’ time, but for now readers should resist any temptation to open bottles. Time in the glass brings out gorgeous Sangiovese fruit, along with hints of blood orange, spice, cedar, mint and tobacco, all wrapped together by plush, silky contours. The purity of the fruit is just striking. In 2019, Cepparello is more finesse than power. I expect it will age beautifully over the next several decades.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGSo much licorice and fennel seed with black cherry and a hint of tomato paste. Medium body, round texture and savory flavors. Pretty and fresh at the end, with subtle flavors. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2020 Percarlo is a wine of nearly indescribable finesse and nuance. All the elements are so well balanced. In 2020, Percarlo is wonderfully understated, with mind-blowing balance and barely no perception of tannin. I don’t remember ever tasting a Percarlo with this much linear energy, tension and focus. The clean, mineral-drenched finish is unforgettable. The 2020 is, quite simply, spectacular.Vinous Media | 100 VMThe organic San Giusto a Rentennano 2020 Percarlo is born in a vintage of power, concentration and dark fruit flavors. All of these elements are delivered here, and as always, the wine shows impeccable Sangiovese balance with a spotlight on primary fruit, integrated tannins and bright acidity. The alcohol is high at 15%. In fact, the wine tastes young, and that’s not something you can say of most of the other releases from the 2020 vintage. This expression, however, still holds back just a bit and consequently promises an excellent cellar-aging evolution.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RP

100 Points, Jane Anson, InsideBordeaux.com: "Just love this wine, the lyricism and the generosity of it, and its always vivid depiction of fruits and stones. So juicy, so drawn out, works with the vintage, leans into its low yields, with greengages, raspberry, plum, gentle spices, lemongrass, minerality studded with mandarin peel and sage. Translucent and yet full of flavour, once again it begs you to draw up a chair, gather friends, and enjoy. What a brilliant wine and a brilliant winemaker in Bibi Graetz. From a 58ha estate, Colore comes from the oldest vineyards of Sangiovese that range up to 135 years old." 03/23Jane Anson | 100 JAIntense aromas of purple fruits such as raspberry, spice, lead pencil and granite. Perfumed flowers as well. Full-bodied, tight with poised tannins that show transparency and focus. Crunchy and very long. Better after 2028 when it opens and integrates beautifully.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Colore, 100% Sangiovese, is medium garnet-purple in color. After a little swirling, a glorious perfume of raspberry coulis, Morello cherries, and rose oil emerges from the glass, followed by hints of cinnamon toast, Sichuan pepper, and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate is coated with vibrant red berry and floral layers, framed by exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing epically long and fragrant. This is absolutely stunning!The Wine Independent | 99 TWISeductive and layered, the 2021 Colore is also entirely Sangiovese, coming from 100-year-old vines. It pours a rich magenta/ruby hue and reveals pure and luxurious aromas of black cherry liqueur, fresh lavender, polished leather, cedar, and sweet sage. Medium to full-bodied, it’s chiseled and well-defined, with refined, plush tannins, harmonious depth, and an extraordinarily long finish that slowly tapers. This is a stunning wine from Bibi Graetz that will only improve with proper cellar time. It’s remarkable. Drink 2027-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDProduction of Colore in 2021, like Testamatta, was down slightly on 2020, with around 30,000 bottles produced, due to the decision to drop 20% of the fruit in the vineyard. ‘2021 was a really hot vintage,’ said Bibi, ‘but with all this fantastic selection, the wines were perfect.‘ While earlier vintages of Testamatta included some old-vine fruit, Bibi now reserves all old vines for Colore. Vinification is very similar to Testamatta – fermentation in open-top French oak barriques, 50hl casks and stainless steel tanks depending on the size of the parcel; malo in old barriques and casks; but ageing for Colore is in used French oak barriques rather than a mixture of barrique, tonneau and stainless steel. The combination of reduced yields, the inclusion for the first time of some north-slope fruit, and the new winery in Fiesole has seen a step-change in quality: Colore 2021 is incredibly energetic, with ripe red and black fruit aromas and a balsamic waft leading to a fleshy palate showcasing sweet and sapid raspberry, cherry and pomegranate. Fine, integrated tannins and zesty acidity really help to drive this wine forward, with a really long, stony and cool menthol finish. Superb.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECFrom one of my personal favorite vintages comes the Bibi Graetz 2021 Colore. This Sangiovese-based wine offers vertical intensity, energy and remarkable freshness. It also shows a polished quality to the palate that translates into a long, finely tuned finish. There is plenty of berry fruit and balance, yet the wine shows enough structure to pair with roast duck breast or guinea fowl.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe nose asserts aromas of dark fruit and berries, with rubbery, slightly smoky notes drifting around the edges. A juicier, denser berry streak defines the satiny palate, while bitter undertones of orange and chocolate provide structure. Firm, taut tannins emerge on a warm finish. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEPure and elegant, offering a beam of cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, rose and mineral aromas and flavors. This harmonious version builds in intensity to the long, fruit-filled finish, where a hint of blood orange peeks through. Sangiovese. Drink now through 2037. 480 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSHauntingly dark and alluring, the 2021 Colore entices with a blend of dusty violets and lavender, giving way to dried blueberries and sweet smoke. It washes across the palate with textures of pure silk, finessed and lifted in feel, with depths of tart wild berry fruit that saturate. Brisk acidity adds balance, and hints of licorice form toward the close. While firm, the 2021’s tannins are crunchy and crisp, adding structural tension without taking away from its undeniably pretty persona. This finishes with outstanding length and a sour cranberry tinge that puckers the cheeks. The future is bright, but patience is required.Vinous Media | 94 VM