1 | Wine | Page 382

"Intense violet red. Ripe red and black fruits such as plums, blackberries, black cherries and strawberries. Rich, tasty, medium-bodied, balanced, with round tannins and very expressive fruit."

"Very impressive. Full, deep color for an older tawny. Brooding aromas of currant fruitiness, nuts, raisins and minerals. Concentrated, unctuous and sweet; slightly aggressive and powerfully structured, but buffered by strong extract. Maintains unusually fresh fruit flavors for an older tawny. Offers weight and solid structure. Long, sweet finish leaves a glyceral impression, and is not at all dried by the brandy." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer; no score given.

"Crisp but supple, with floral citrus and peach aromas and layered dried cherry, almond and mineral flavors that finish with bold acidity."

"The 2008 Sori Tildin is impressive. I confess I wasn’t quite prepared for the assault of fruit and tannins here. Sori Tildin is so often a graceful, elegant wine, but that is not the case in 2008. That’s not to say elegance is missing, but this is a big, big wine with tons of intensity and richness, all woven together beautifully. It’s tough to find a comparison with a previous vintage, as this is a singular Tildin. The flavors are familiar if a touch on the dark side, but the structure is closer than that of Sori San Lorenzo. Flowers, tar, leather and licorice wrap around the palate. This is a fabulous showing and a great wine in the making."

"Sexy aromas of redcurrant, cherry-vanilla, pipe tobacco and dried flowers. Fresh, spicy, impressively delineated red fruit flavors show very good depth, with the tobacco and vanilla elements carrying through in the mouth. Elegantly styled Rioja, finishing with a fine dusting of tannins and excellent spice-driven persistence. Shows more vivacity than the powerful 2004 version, which is of equal quality but in a different style."

"The NV Brut Cuvee de Reserve is a fabulous wine. Sweet red berries, lime and jasmine emerge from this taut, wiry Champagne. The wine flows across the palate with notable energy and tons of appeal. This is a gorgeous NV bottling."