Poggio Scalette, Carbonaione, IGT

Casual Saturday Tasting (Chicago.wine - Glenview IL) : Walk around tasting. Big and meaty for Sangiovese, there is a lot here but not all quite composed. Fun enough, but a bit more oaky and burly than I would prefer.

2020 vintage

A singular, all-Sangiovese expression from the Alta Valle della Greve, the 2020 opens with black cherry, plum skin, and dried violet layered over tobacco leaf, iron, and warm stone. The American oak shows clearly — a touch of sweet cedar, coconut husk, and baking spice — but it’s well judged, lending breadth and polish rather than overt sweetness. On the palate, dark red fruit rides bright acidity and firm, chalky tannins, with savory notes of leather and dried herbs emerging …

2020 vintage

Maybe I only had this one bottle left; I thought I had two; I must check. In any case, this was an excellent Sangiove, despite the fact that tomatoes were not a component of the meal (prime two-inch thick grilled boneless ribeye, assorted sautéed mushrooms, and grilled broccolini). Slow O'd for as hour or so; decanted for a few more. Gorgeous wine, but with all the rough elements showing: one sips this and is transported through two or three thousand …

2012 vintage

black cherry and sour plum meet iron-rich earth and dried sausage / meat. The new French oak shows as cedar shavings, cocoa powder, and a subtle espresso bitterness, framing rather than masking the fruit. There’s a firm, sinewy line of acidity through the mid-palate, tannins fine but authoritative. Super in quality and above average value if at $50.

2020 vintage

From a double-magnum. The 2012 “Il Carbonaione” pours a deep garnet color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing and initially reticent. After almost an hour of air, the bouquet emerged to reveal some funky cherry, red flowers, bergamot, horse blanket, green herbs, old wood and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the …

2012 vintage

WOTN at a dinner with experienced drinkers…

2012 vintage

Popped and poured - Bouquet is Big and Funky- and the palate, lovely not overly ripe fruit forward, little bit of sweet on the tip of the tongue, big bone dry on the finish, lot of cassis, dry blue fruit, rhubarb, licorice. The nose is funky out of the bottle and out of the decanter - This will definitely age, this is no younger brother juice. But loved drinking it now as well. Lamb or Duck wine. Love it

2020 vintage

I was looking forward to trying this at an Italian wine dinner last night, but it turned out to be my least favorite wine of the night. There is a lot of oak influence, and the wine had a soft and sweet character. I much preferred the Cortese Barbaresco in the previous flight. That wine could have influenced my thoughts on this, too, as the structure and oak were much different.

2020 vintage

Il Carbonaione is great in every vintage, and ages so well, and this bottle was even better than expected! Agree with SCHLAEPDOG except for the rating. I feel this unique wine bridges the gap between the old and new styles of Tuscan expressions of Sangiovese. It’s riper and more extracted than most Chianti Classicos, yet at 13% alcohol, it’s elegant and in no way overpowering. Everything remains in balance, and it’s soooo drinkable. My group loved this one and so …

2012 vintage

Beautiful wine (100% sangiovese). Nice length to finish. Nice depth to the fruit, dusty fine tannins, sweet red cherry and dark berry fruit, plum, kirsch, spices. Also some leather.

2012 vintage

Much better than the last bottle and more in line with expectations. Aromas of sandalwood, shoe leather, balsamic, and crushed forest berry. In the mouth, dark cherry fruit is presented first along with balsamic notes, then a burst of red and sour cherry emerge mid-palate that continue into the expressive finish when earth undertones emerge. Tannin is completely resolved and there is just the right amount of acidity to keep it fresh. I don't remember the secondary burst of red …

2012 vintage

Had what I can only describe as a ‘fishy’ note on the nose that detracted from all that followed. Bleh.

2012 vintage

Very dominant wood which will probably never properly integrate. Definitively not my vintage of Carbonaione.

2020 vintage

Just no longer my style of wine, but not a bad one.

2012 vintage

- Open and accesible, intense nose with red and dark fruit but unfortunately the secondary aromas of wood, vanilla and coffee are too strong for my taste. - On the palate good accidity but out of balance due to a lack of freshness and to much barrell useage. Would recommend 2021 or 2019 vintage.

2020 vintage

Spectacular again. Had prior bottle not too long ago and this one was just sitting there! Beautiful. Drink now.

2012 vintage

Decanted one hour. Old World musty nose. This is is first time I’ve actually enjoyed and liked this wine. It just needs more bottle time to lose that high acidity. Paired with pasta carbonara which was a great pairing. Much more complexity and fullness now. Flavor layers are more now too. I’ll keep my last bottle for a couple more years and see how it develops.

2012 vintage

Truly delicious and in a great spot right now. Bottle threw a bunch of sediment, but with a decant, was able to keep the sludge in the bottle. Tannins nicely integrated with notes of meat, mushroom and red fruits. Harmonious and ready to go now. Will last, but no need to wait.

2012 vintage

Excellent. Right in the drinking window, I think.

2012 vintage

Possibly flawed? Definitely off. Initial nose of bitter cocoa - striking but not unpleasant. From there a bit volatile, after 1 hr. I landed on sour tomato juice and couldn’t escape. Day 2 even more pronounced. Maybe just passable with food, but life is too short. This bottle may have faced misadventures. Enough dregs in the bottle to fill the palm of your hand.

2012 vintage

This is our third tasting of this particular wine. To reiterate, my husband and I did not like it on the first night. Second night, had a glass after it had been originally coravinned. Slightly better. My husband decided that it should be thrown away inasmuch as he did not see any potential improvement. I read the reviews on CellarTracker and was quite surprised with all the positive reviews? So tonight, we tried the wine again. We did not like …

2012 vintage

My husband and I did not like this wine on day one. We had coravined it and seemed to be better on day two. Still not my favorite wine. Will not buy again.

2012 vintage

Last of 4 bottles. Notes from PNP and paired with grilled NY strips. Dark red, nearly black color. On nose, herbal, sweet cherry, savory tobacco and cranberry notes. On palate, fruit brighter than nose (bright cherry), sweet cherry, tobacco and mineral notes. Medium body, medium+ acidity, medium tannins and very long finish. Really enjoyed this. 93-94 range. Will buy more recent vintages of this wine and cellar- best of the 4 bottles I have had.

2012 vintage

Decanted two hours then poured full glasses before dinner. Not as tart and acidic as previous bottles. Darker color also. Wine benefits from more air. Not sure what to make of this wine. I go to Italy a lot. Speak the language and have been to every major wine area there. Have never tasted a wine like this one. Still high acid but also lacking structure and complexity. Like another reviewer said..not my favorite expression of Sangiovese. I’m not sure …

2012 vintage

Served at a large family dinner. Did not last long. No second glass for me.

2012 vintage

Beautiful wine, just opened and drank on an early fall evening. Open and lush and welcoming with red fruit and a bit of sweetness. The mouth feel is exceptional. When Carbonaione is drank too early it’s a tannic beast. This was far from that. Years ahead of it but pretty special tonight.

2012 vintage

Subsequent notes on this wine from a year ago. Dark reddish-purple in color. Full, forward & aromatic nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of floral & earthy/dusty notes, cocoa, coffee, spice notes, herbs, mint, minerals & some cedar notes in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & plums with cocoa/coffee, spices, herbs & minerals. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite …

2012 vintage

Nose is filled with warm red fruits, baking spices, forest floor, and hints of pencil lead. Palate shows tart red fruit like sour cherry and cranberry along with rhubarb. Not much mid-palate with more tart fruit and mineral flavors on the fairly straightforward finish. Tannin is light and mostly in balance, but slightly drying. Overall, the 2011 was much better. I don’t think this is a great vintage of this wine as it lacks depth. It is ready now, although …

2012 vintage

Not my favorite expression of SanGiovese. Too many layers of wood, too jammy. The wine is in its drinking window, actually I think it should be consumed in the next 3 to 5 years. Very dark color. Nose of basement (reminds me of a Rioja) and then prunes and dried raisins. Mushroom. On the palate the same prunes and mushroom. For me it lacks freshness, it is jammy and dense. I found it a bit heavy. That said, the tannins …

2012 vintage

Decanted an hour The poured full glasses before dinner. My second bottle of this and honestly not a fan. I have no idea what people like about this. Wine is tart, acidic and one dimensional. For $25 it wouldn’t be great. Stick with Brunello. Sometimes trying newwines doesn’t work out. This is one of them.

2012 vintage

Camphor, prune, and mocha on the nose. On the palate, black cherry, blackberry, and notes of plum, lemon peel, and coffee on the nose, with moderate tannins and strong acidity on the long finish. This is in its drinking window, with several good years ahead. It was a very good to excellent value at about $50.

2012 vintage

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Poggio Scalette, Carbonaione, IGT

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