Tasting the 2018 the other day inspired me to dig in the cellar, and–as promised–here’s one at almost 10. It’s actually not as vibrant as anticipated, and possibly at just about peak. Going brick in the glass, it still maintains a ruby core, but headed amber-garnet at the edge. Weedy nectar in the nose, considerably rustic with dense raisin and bruised-plum characteristics along a dark, gritty path shining concentrated and dessert-y. Canned cherries in syrup and dank, murky barnyard make for a gorgeous-smelling wine, but porty and heavily-weighted.

The mouthfeel also reflects something you probably want to pop in the next few years unless you are a sucker for seriously aged–and possibly out-of-balance–wines. The cherry is surprisingly bright, but an acidic–and possibly alcoholic–burn create a bottom-heavy texture that skews things. The rusticity is apparent in the mouth, tasting cellar-floor-ish and almost bretty. Still a heavy, chewy wine, thick with flavor and dense berry–albeit a black, murky, teeth-wiping kind. Tannin is still unforgiving, and the dirty fruit slides down meekly against its solid wall. A rather invigorating briar emerges where the funk and acid meet late-middle, and prods at the structure in a lively manner.

Maybe I’m being too hard on this wine, but the thinness of the fruit over the middle and its overall tiredness bothers me. I could be totally wrong. This thing could emerge as something stupidly good at 15. I have a couple left, and will let you know.

2011 TENUTA SETTE PONTI ‘Crognolo’ Sangio/ME IGT Toscana Italy 14.5

https://www.tenutasetteponti.it/en/
https://www.kobrandwineandspirits.com/portfolio/tenuta_sette_ponti/about