| Score: |
92 RP.
"The dark plum/ruby-hued, seductive 2006 Sangiovese exhibits notes of sweet cigar tobacco intermixed with plums, balsamic, strawberries, and black cherries. Round, generous, medium to full-bodied, and disarming . . . . Frank Altamura and I agree on the fact that 90% of a wine’s quality comes from the vineyard, and the winemaker accounts for 10% of the finished product. This huge 400-acre ranch in the Wooden Valley, nine miles northeast of Napa, has 65 acres of hillside vineyards. One of the most under-the-radar wineries in all of Napa, Altamura’s Sangiovese makes a mockery of all the mediocre Sangioveses produced in California. Altamura also produces a terrific Sauvignon Blanc that is aged in wood for 8 months." Wine Advocate #186, Dec 2009 |