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DOUGLAS BLYDE |
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The Wines of Marchesi Antinori
Quote "More changes have been made in my wine over 30 years than in the past 25 generations..."
"The danger these days is to produce wines that are all very similar to eachother. Uniformity is not our philosophy."
17 May, 2003
"Profit is not the only objective..."
[Marchese Piero Antinori]
From Umbria, 80p/c Chardonnay; 20p/c local high acidity Grecchetto. A relatively simple, smooth, slightly zesty, oaky wine with a sweet finish; should reveal more complexity over time when the oak softens.
More local personality in this one. This and the '90 are easier to befriend. Slightly foxy, slightly slatey, with a fuller body, mushroom/truffley notes, a good backbone and a drier finish.
More truffle plus something untamed - a touch of straw, with a long gluey aftertaste.
Into the super-tuscans, this inpenetrably opaque wine has a dry nose of peat, wild berries and mulled spice with a tempered, measured, balanced palate. A real character, tannic, with a persistent aftertaste.
Brighter, with a shy nose, warm, unripe berries on the palate. Tannic, overall closed, but with a good aftertaste.
Lighter at the rim, though still very, very deep, remarkably robust to look at. On the nose this is a huge, fresh, impressive, delightful, cherry-plum wine. The highlight for me. On the palate, dry layers reveal a sandwich of potent sweetness segmented between. Exceptional, buoyant, precocious and pretty.
Started in 1990, this is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Franc, Merlot with just a touch (5-7p/c) of Syrah. Little purple on the rim, less dense, pensive, perfumed on the nose with the maritime influence showing through (hot winters, cool summers). On the palate, sharper, taught, very good tannins, Cabernet lends backbone, Syrah yields a touch more structure. Overall soft, low acidity.
Darker, healthy (shiny), legs absent, with a hand-made feel and a slight pate consistency. Like it.
The Sangiovese forms about 20p/c of this originally Cabernet Sauvignon varietal, 30p/c in this vintage. More viscous, very deep in colour with a certain fullness, softer than other vintages.
Not an open book, this classy wine has a certain charm, a hint of mint, and is starting to open out.
Slight tawny rim with some tartaric crystals, this is much more open with a fun, potent, subtle nose. Sprightly for its age, but just a touch oxidised.
