Antinori (Santa Cristina), Maestrelle, IGT

A classic toucan dessert wine, with notes of raisins, dried fruit, almonds and orange peel. Noticeable acidity.

Nicely balanced. Not too heavy or light. No major oak.

Slightly weak, but not bad for the price.

Maybe this had been left a little long in the fridge, and hadn't been kept upright long enough, but even after a couple of hours, this had thrown a heavy sediment, and the wine was very 'uneven' in colour & body. First couple of glasses were translucent brown, but the second 2-3 were murky and dull (unlike a glossy PX). The flavour profile was very raisined - prunes, dried cherries, raisins & sultanas, similar to the Pedro Jiminez, but without …

S&E Wine Club - Chenin Blanc and St Emilion/Pomerol Blind Tasting : Molasses on the nose and light sweetness

Brownish orange with full viscosity. Nose has some orange zest, burnt brown sugar, some cinnamon and vanilla. Syrupy nose too. Starts off sweetish with some cinnamon and brown sugar, finishes off with a sour bite. Light to medium bodied with a moderate finish. Decent dessert wine not sure if it has much life left. Drink now.

From 75cl, composite "cork". Rich, smooth, pleasant Euro-Sangiovese-blend. Not a keeper. Glad to find this on offer at <�10 among the marked-up trophy wines at KaDeWe in Berlin. 85-86P

Orangey-brown, syrupy consistency. Caramel/burnt sugar, and spicy nose. Warm and dry in mouth, a medium-soft mouthfeel. Intense flavours (flavour bomb!), great complexity.

Nose has some blackcurrant, prunes that recalls an international-Tuscan style of wine. On the palate this is tight, slightly tart with a moderately woody, tannic finish. Some decent fruit here, but this needs to decant at least an hour or two for the Sangiovese to emerge and integrate, much like Antinori's other international-styled wines. For the record, this is 60% Sangio and 20% each of Merlot and Syrah. Decent wine if you get this at a good price (10-12E, .~US$15, …

A modern (mainly) Sangiovese based wine. I'm not sure about the other grapes in this '09 vintage. But there is certainly some Merlot here! There is some resemblance with modern Chianti, though this one is a bit lighter on its feet: Aromas of sour cherry and berries and some cedar with hints of vanilla. Medium bodied with fine tannins and a nice acidity balance. A medium finish that remains fresh throughout. Well made wine that is great to drink now …