90+(?) 2000 Poliziano VNDM Asinone 7/22/05 ($20 CW special)
Color: Deep black cherry. Looks less than peak, but not young. (3.0) Bouquet: Rich, concentrated black cherry with almondy oak and dusty Tuscan terroir. The fruit has a ripeness that folds the components together well. (3.0) Body: Solid fruit. A light heavyweight that is balanced with smooth cigarbox tannins. Has a slight balsamic vinegar-like edge that will hopefully smooth with 1-3 years of additional aging. (3.0) Flavor: Solid and rich with acidity-propelled cherry fruit. Quite cedary, but has the fruit and structure to meet. Tasty and smooth, but still some tannin and acidity to lose and integrate. (2.5) Finish: Turns on here with aromatic Tuscan terroir complexity intertwined with cigarbox and cherries. Very tasty and interesting. (3.5)
Overall: Does not have the beauty of the ’97, but is very solid, interesting and tasty for the vintage. Similar to the regular bottling from this vintage, just a little bigger and more backward. It only becomes clear that you are drinking their single vineyard wine in the finish, which is long and complex. Give it a little more time (1-4 years), but watch closely. (15.0)Tasted again 2/10/07. In a year and a half, it hasn't budged. If anything it is even more closed. After several hours in a decanter it did start to open, so there may be light at the end of the tunnel. This is a highly structured, somewhat austere kind of wine with which one just has to be patient and hope it comes out of its cocoon before it dries out. Try again in 2+ years. I've always found fine Sangioveses to be the most difficult wines to judge when to drink, as they are rarely monsters (in size), but they have an ability to go on and on in a seemingly timeless way.