Gnocchi for dinner, so it had to be something Italian. Initially dull and savoury red fruits with a bit of stink and varnish; just not that impressive. Four hours later richer fruits emerged, sour cherries and soft raspberries, liquorice, leather, brown earth, cedary and creamy oak and dry spices. The acid is initially quite prominent, but it appears to soften with time. Certainly profited from some air-time, so give it a good decant if you’re planning to open a bottle soon. Sealed under cork. 13.5% abv. Drink 2014+. 92 points.

An orphan in the cellar. Neglected. Now my Italian is pretty rusty, but from the back label this looks like a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. And was supposedly inspired by the classic blend from Bordeaux, but made to reflect the Tuscan terroir. Or something like that.

Red currants, graphite, eucalyptus, cream, liqourice, cloves and musky flowers. The palate is initially quite dry, lead pencils and red currants; simple and somewhat short. Over the afternoon (it was opened for Sunday lunch), the palate opened up, the fruit expanding but still maintaining a dusty savoury character, with dry cigar box on the finish. Pretty good really, even if part of me didn’t want to like a Cabernet blend. And then it dipped again, going tannic. 87+ points, but I think it needs lots more time. Drink 2016+. And then, oh holy shit, I checked my records and this cost a smidge over $100…. what was I thinking?!

A lazy Sunday lunch with ciabatta, cured meats, cheeses, olives, artichokes, tomato, avocado and Primo Estate olive oil. First bottle from a purchase three years ago. 13% abv, but seemed a bit stronger. Sealed under cork. Some browning but only a touch. Cherries, plums, dusty oak, undergrowth, dried mushrooms, with a spearmint lift. Balance on the palate, sour red cherries earth and coffee. With time there is good fruit intensity and good length. The finish turns quite tannic though – this can be off-putting. Perhaps needs a few more years, or a decant if you want to open a bottle now. Was over $50 from memory, so quite expensive for what it is.

Picked a bottle of something I hadn’t ever tried before from the racks last night, and as I was extracting a long and high quality cork from the neck of it, I prayed I wasn’t committing vinocide. An intriguing nose: savoury, dried meats and spice, with cherries, stones, vanilla, nuts and black earth, and a touch of caramel. The palate was beautifully textured and structured, dark cherries and plums, tobacco, earth and meats. Great length with perhaps the acid showing a bit on the finish. Probably cost in the mid $80s. Drink 2010-2019. 92 points

I asked Anthony to toss a random bottle in my last dozen from Boccaccio Cellars and this is what he chose. Good work too, because it was delicious and interesting. A big nose, with lots of stuff happening at the same time – dark cherries, plums, vanilla, dried herbs, tobacco leaf and a touch of balsamic. At this point I should disclose that I nicked the last descriptor from Gary Walsh’s note, and that’s because he’s spot on. The palate is big and quite tannic, with lurking fruits, good intensity and bags of potential. A wine to contemplate if you open it now, but really needs a few years tucked away somewhere cool.

Rated : 92 Points
Tasted : Nov09
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $60
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2012-2020
Source : Boccaccio Cellars
Website : Castello Monsanto

A blend of Sangiovese and Colorino. The name means “the black one”, and refers not only to the deep dark colour of the wine, but also to how the old-timers in Tuscany like their red wine. A dark red in colour. The nose is elusive, and after 4 or 5 hours I was beginning to lose my patience, but I did note coffee beans, sarsaparilla root, sweaty leather saddles, red peppercorns, hard woody spices and old gruyere cheese. The palate needs some time to reveal itself, but when it did it showed liquered red cherries, black cherries and leathery earth with some savoury dryness. Not exactly Sangiovese as I was expecting it, but it is quite pleasant and certainly profited from some accompanying food. Oh, and the stinky edge was a touch distracting. Drink over the medium term.

Rated : 89 Points
Tasted : Jun09
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : $48
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2009-2012
Source : Wine Emporium
Website : La Spinetta

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A very dusty nose – it needs a good vacuuming – cedar, red fruits and a little bit stinky. The palate also showed dry red fruits, with dried meats and a metallic twang, and a certain amount of rusticity, with cleansing acid on the finish. The tannins are pleasant, and it looked better on the second day, but that dryness pervades the wine – perhaps it is a style thing or perhaps it was left for too long in the cellar. Not quite a road trip across the Nullabor, but make sure you have some cheese, cured meats and good bread on hand.

Rated : 84 Points
Tasted : Nov08
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : $22
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2008-2008
Source : Cellar
Website : Tenuta dell’Ornellaia

I was wandering the aisles of Dans on the weekend looking for stuff to fill a 6 pack with. Just to get the discount you understand, and this wine, from what I believe is a good Chianti vintage, caught my eye. This label did confuse me a little though, but I think the producer is a firm called “Carlo Antonini and Cerreto Guidi”.

A glass at lunchtime suggested cherries, leather, a bit of spice and earth. Quite lightly bodied, with coy fruit and a leathery dryness. It was also quite short, and had a tinny bitterness on the finish. Well 5 hours later it had fleshed out, with sweet fruits and dusty cherries, bark, and only a hint of bitterness. A wine with some generosity, but perhaps a bit simple.

Rated : 83 Points
Tasted : Aug07
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : $17.95
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2007 – 2010
Source : Dan Murphys

This is my second bottle of this wine. I think I might have consumed my previous bottle too quickly, so I gave this one a good decant. Though I must say that it is slightly disquietening opening a bottle of wine at 8 o’clock in the morning; at least there weren’t any brown paper bags in the vicinity.

A blend of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Canaiolo. Quite a savoury and persuasive nose, with dark cherries and undergrowth, some leather and dusted cherries, fine clean earth and spices like oregano and savoury. The palate is savoury too, with cherry fruits and blacker fruits too, dry spices, fine and dusty tannins, and a charming acid spine. A wine with some depth of flavour, perfectly suited to the winter climate in Brisbane, and really everyone should have a few bottles of this in the cellar.

Rated : 91 Points
Tasted : Jun07
Alcohol : 13.0%
Price : $33
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2007 – 2014+
Source : Boccaccio Cellars
Website : Castellare di Castellina

A medium/light red in colour. The nose shows red fruits, dried herbs, a bit of pepper and gunsmoke. It is almost medium weight, with sour cherries and herbs, some savoury richness and good length. The finish is drying with some good acid. A bit more oomph than the 2003, and it has improved overnight. A pleasant wine, a good food wine; I just wish it was $20 per bottle.

Rated : 87 Points
Tasted : Sept06
Alcohol : 13.0%
Price : $34
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2006 – 2009
Source : Boccaccio Cellars