Community Tasting Note

Rote Kappelle Likes this wine:

Friday, March 24, 2023 - I found this wine to be oddly compelling; I prefer my oak a bit less in your face, as a rule, but here it is a case of oak for the long haul and, to me, there was some gorgeous fruit with latent power. You have to be of a rugged disposition to handle the wine right now, but I suspect that if you come back in 10-15 years, you won't feel Blu at all. Wouldn't it be nice if instead of the unpredictable, failure prone cork they used a secure and modern closure, like screw cap?

I didn't know anything about this wine until I opened it, so in case you are like me, here are some bare details. Vineyards are sited in the heart of the best sub-regions of Chianti, with good elevation (helpful in a hot year). The vintage was, as we know, a scorcher and the wine shows it with 14.5% ABV, although alcohol heat was not an issue for me - the wine has the stature and depth to hold it.

This is a Tuscan IGT, so they are free to put whatever grapes into it they wish and they have. This is a Merlot dominant wine (usually about 70%), with Sangiovese bringing in a well-judged minority report (I think one gets definite cherry and even some kirsch from the roughly 25% part of the blend) and 5% Cabernet.

If you think 5% in a blend is a bit meaningless (as I used to), think again. I had a Cabernet some years ago and couldn't quite place the plush, plum and surprisingly filled out middle palate in a wine that was labelled simply Cabernet Sauvignon. The winemaker told me they used 4% Merlot in the blend but as it was under 5% didn't need to declare it. My palate is pretty rough and ready, so if I could pick something surprising, well-honed palates would see even more. I think the Cabernet here adds some extra structure, although I am not sure it needs it, given the massive oak superstructure. Aside from the cherry and kirsch fruit, I got lovely, lifted plum (doubtless accentuated by the lavish oak) and some rose petal and dried cranberry.

Ah yes, the oak. You can't get away from a strong focus on this because there is so much of it. Spicy, cedary and dark wood- I didn't get a lot of vanilla/coconut, thank goodness, but the 20 months in small oak, about 70% new is really evident. No wonder Parker's publication loved this wine. That said, so did Suckling and Galloni and I would not call them Acolytes of the Acorn. The wine has also found favour with Italian reviewers, which I think suggests this may be more than a typical 'Parker wine' - although it is that too.

I also got the dried herbs that I love in Tuscan wines, but whether that was really just spicy oak naughtiness or not, I hesitate to say. Maybe if it is there and I like it, who cares?

I will score this at the top of the 'Excellent' range now, with the caveat around how you find the oak and how you cope with a wine that has a massive structure. I have little difficulty imagining it as a tremendous wine in the long term, cork allowing. To temper my enthusiasm and provide you with some balance, let me also note that a comrade who had a sample dropped off to him commented only on the oak and dense colour and made no enquiry as to who made it - read into that what you will! I suggest, therefore that you try before you buy, or at least before you pile into a case, or the like.

Post a Comment / View Rote Kappelle's profile
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue (1,068 views)