Exceptional. Enjoyed over dinner at an excellent restaurant (main dishes were pork in a red wine sauce and a strip steak). 30 years in, this wine is fully mature but at least this bottle still had lots of time left. This is a full-bodied wine, with gorgeous fruit, great structure, and a wonderful long finish. One of the best California reds I have had in quite some time. While this is unmistakably a California wine, it has complexity, structure and nuance -- it's not an OTT "fruit bomb". I have had many bottles of the 1999 Insignia over the years -- I thought this was even better and doesn't seem even close to decline.
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Opened an hour before dinner (prime NY strips grilled over wood charcoal). Great nose and drinking beautifully. The TNs for this over the past two years are quite consistent and right on the mark. The wine is fully mature, very well balanced, no hard edges, just great Brunello. Unfortunately, my last bottle. Thanks again to the somm at Fiola in Miami who recommended this highly two years ago -- I did not know the producer.
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Despite the CT drinking window "closing" in 2017, this wine was still singing over an excellent Italian dinner at Cucina Alba in NYC. I understand this wasn't a "great" vintage, and Costanti didn't bottle a Riserva -- maybe that helped this. Lovely fruit, long finish, very well balanced. Terrific Sangiovese from one of my favorite Brunello producers.
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1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia
4/13/2024 - Valaprop Likes this wine: 96 Points
Exceptional. Enjoyed over dinner at an excellent restaurant (main dishes were pork in a red wine sauce and a strip steak). 30 years in, this wine is fully mature but at least this bottle still had lots of time left. This is a full-bodied wine, with gorgeous fruit, great structure, and a wonderful long finish. One of the best California reds I have had in quite some time. While this is unmistakably a California wine, it has complexity, structure and nuance -- it's not an OTT "fruit bomb". I have had many bottles of the 1999 Insignia over the years -- I thought this was even better and doesn't seem even close to decline.
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2007 Terralsole Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
2/4/2024 - Valaprop Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened an hour before dinner (prime NY strips grilled over wood charcoal). Great nose and drinking beautifully. The TNs for this over the past two years are quite consistent and right on the mark. The wine is fully mature, very well balanced, no hard edges, just great Brunello. Unfortunately, my last bottle. Thanks again to the somm at Fiola in Miami who recommended this highly two years ago -- I did not know the producer.
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2003 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino
1/25/2024 - Valaprop Likes this wine: 93 Points
Despite the CT drinking window "closing" in 2017, this wine was still singing over an excellent Italian dinner at Cucina Alba in NYC. I understand this wasn't a "great" vintage, and Costanti didn't bottle a Riserva -- maybe that helped this. Lovely fruit, long finish, very well balanced. Terrific Sangiovese from one of my favorite Brunello producers.
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