Impenetrable black with dried-blood edges. Good dark-fruit nose with an intoxicating chicken-farm earthiness. I will be doing a smug princess-wave to all you New-World wonks from the brettmobile on this one for sure. Lavishly layered and blistering funk, and all through a pillar of thinnish cold, steely fruit over the middle with absolutely MIND-NUMBING tannins.

This drinks like a 3yo Cornas or cool-weather Petite Sirah.  Just BOGGLING the amount of texture and backbone in this thing.  Prob a tad out of balance, but call me in a decade.  The most shockingly wonderful Italian wine I have had in decades.  This takes my IGT game to a whole new level of understanding, as I am used to drinking fairly extracted Merlot-Sangiovese-Cab versions or variations therein.  Here with Syrah and Grenache we have an entirely different bird.

Pitch-black with a massive bouquet.  Fruit for days and days and blistering, stunning tannins.  Not going anywhere, and I would love to taste this in 20 years.  I keep opening these just to show people how unbelievable they are and it is very sad I did not buy more when they were available.

2005 POGGIO ARGENTIERA Finisterre IGT 50/50 SY/GR Gianpaolo Paglia Toscana Italy 14.0

http://www.poggioargentiera.com/