In case someone’s sarcasm detector is malfunctioning, the topic is not to be taken seriously.
Apart from a handful of 2015 Chiantis, I’ve disliked most 2015 Tuscan wines I’ve tasted. They are just too ripe, sweet, soft and sunny for my taste - if I open an Italian wine, I want them to have tannins and acidity. I’m not looking for a friend, I’m looking for a fight! Usually between the wine and the food, that is.
However, I know some people who, for some reason, love the 2015 Tuscan wines. And not only do they love these wines, but they also want to spread the love by having tastings on these wines. I was already in one before (2015 Tuscan Merlot), and I should’ve known better to not join this tasting too. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Anyway, the theme this time was Cabernet Franc. That’s a variety I like very much - however, only when made in a certain, and rather narrow style: the one you’d normally find in Loire valley. I find that in cool climates the variety has a very distinct and easily identifiable identity, which I enjoy greatly. However, in warmer climates the variety loses its varietal character and typically the wines don’t really taste like Cabernet Franc to me. They feel like generic ripe reds that could’ve been made with Tempranillo or Malbec or whatever, and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. That’s my beef with Cab Franc made in places noticeably warmer than the Loire valley.
So, can you guess how I liked the Cab Francs from a hot Tuscan vintage? Hint: this tasting was like a synthesis of that aforementioned 2015 Tuscan Merlot tasting and this TN: When Cabernet Franc sucks tasting.
- 2015 Tenuta Le Colonne Bolgheri Superiore - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore (18.2.2025)
A blend of Cabernet Franc (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) and Petit Verdot (10%). Fermented spontaneously in concrete tanks, aged for 24 months in untoasted French oak casks. 14% alcohol.
Fully opaque blackish-red color. The nose feels ripe and a bit restrained with sunny aromas of juicy dark fruits, some savory spices, a little bit of ripe blueberry, light inky tones and a hint of fresh blackcurrant. The wine feels ripe yet firm and dry on the palate with a full body and focused flavors of dark plummy fruit, some black cherries, light blueberry tones, a little bit of savory wood spice, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of ripe redcurrants. The high alcohol lends a tiny bit of warmth to the palate while the overall feel is balanced and pleasantly structured with the moderately high acidity and rather grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is long, moderately ripe and quite grippy with a dark-toned aftertaste of dark plummy fruits, some savory spices, light sweet notes of ripe blackcurrants and blueberries, a little bit of woody oak spice, a hint of dry loose tobacco and a touch of gravelly minerality.
A bit anonymous and predictable effort for a Bolgheri, but to the defense of the wine, it nevertheless shows good sense of balance and structure. Although the ripeness does lend a bit of sweetness to the fruit and the alcohol is a bit to the high side, the warm, solar vintage does not show through too much. Seeing how the flavor profile shows relatively little age at almost 10 years of age, and the tannins come across as quite unresolved, I can see this wine being capable of evolving and improving a bit further with additional age. I'm not sure if the wine shows that much sense of place - at least I would struggle to place the wine anywhere if I had tasted it blind - but I found it nevertheless pretty balanced and enjoyable for a warm-vintage Bordeaux blend from Tuscany. Recommended.
(91 points) - 2015 Le Mortelle (Antinori) Maremma Toscana Poggio alle Nane - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana (18.2.2025)
A blend of Cabernet Franc (80%) harvested in late September and Cabernet Sauvignon (15-20%) harvested in early October, plus a tiny addition of Carménère, harvested immediately afterwards. Fermented and macerated with the skins in conical stainless steel tanks over 20 days. Aged in French oak barriques for 16 months. 14% alcohol.
Quite deep and rather opaque blackish-red color with a tiniest bit of youthful purplish hue. The nose feels thick and honestly quite massive with potent, almost syrupy aromas of toffee oak and mint chocolate, some ripe dark plums, a little bit of black cherry marmalade, light toasty milk chocolate notes, a hint of leafy Cab character and a faint touch of powdered paprika. The wine feels dense, chewy and very oak-driven on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and potent flavors of mocha oak and toffee, some chocolate syrup, a little bit of ripe blackcurrant, light dark plummy fruit, spicy hints of paprika powder and vanilla and a woody touch of savory oak spice. The structure relies more on the ample, textural and rather grippy tannins than on the medium-plus acidity. The finish is long, dark-toned and rather grippy with a bold, concentrated aftertaste of chocolatey mocha oak and toasty caramel character, some toffee tones, a little bit of ripe black cherry and cassis, light notes of vanilla and paprika, a hint of sweet plummy fruit and a touch of mint chocolate.
This tasted more like a barrel-aged imperial stout than a Tuscan red. The wine isn't huge or heavy - and I like its sturdy tannic frame - so in that sense it doesn't come across as a monolithic, overdone monster wine. It's just the oak impact that is way out of balance - this feels more like some kind of oak concentrate with a little bit of something reminiscent of red wine. At the moment the wine feels surprisingly youthful for its age, so I guess it's possible that the wine might come a bit better together with additional age. However, seeing how ridiculously unbalanced the wine is now, I really can't see how any amount of aging would be able to make this wine evolve into something actually balanced and interesting. To me, this was a big disappointment. If you enjoy freshness, finesse and sense of place in wines you drink, avoid this.
(75 points) - 2015 Ampeleia Cabernet Franc - Italy, Tuscany, Costa Toscana (18.2.2025)
The sophomore vintage of this wine that is 100% biodynamically farmed Cabernet Franc from La Rocca vineyard. A small part of the grapes is vinified in whole clusters. Aged in concrete tanks for 10 months. 13,5% alcohol.
Quite deep and rather opaque black cherry color with a slightly evolved brick-red hue. The nose feels somewhat wild and a bit evolved with aromas of brambly raspberries and fresh cherries, some crunchy redcurrants, a little bit of animale funk, light meaty notes, a hint of stewed plums and a touch of moist pipe tobacco. The wine feels rather wild and a bit unclean on the palate with a medium body and slightly sauvage flavors of ripe black cherries, some sweet blackberries, a little bit of fresh bilberry, light nutty notes of sesame seeds - suggesting emerging mousiness - and a hint of something malty. The overall feel is enjoyably firm, sinewy and tightly-knit with the fresh high acidity and assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is ripe, wild and grippy with a long aftertaste of sweet dark fruits, some fresh bilberries, a little bit of earth, light bretty notes of barnyardy funk and mousy hints of Cheerios and rancid nuts. The mousiness never blows up to overwhelm the other nuances in the aftertaste, but it definitely lingers on there.
From structural point of view, this was a very impressive, stern and promising effort, combining a very Tuscan structure with a more darker-toned Cab Franc flavor profile. However, the overall feel was just funky, wild and unclean to be particularly pleasant - and that was before the aftertaste when the mousiness really became obvious (although there were some nutty and grainy signs before that as well). This was just a disappointing effort. Maybe a little bit of SO2 during the winemaking process might've been able to save the wine, but in this state I wouldn't want to return to this wine.
(65 points) - 2015 Fornacelle Foglio 38 - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore (18.2.2025)
100% Cabernet Franc from a vineyard planted in 1998. Fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 20 days in open-top Franch oak casks. Aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months. 14% alcohol. Annual production 4000 bottles.
Quite opaque black cherry color with a somewhat developed maroon hue. The nose feels dry and earthy with aromas of dry loose tobacco and old wood, some evolved notes of wizened cherries, a little bit of blood, light plastic notes, a hint of roasted bell pepper and a touch of asphalt. Just like the nose, the wine feels somewhat indistinct and a bit dull on the palate, too. The wine is medium-to-moderately full-bodied with flavors of earth, some wizened redcurrants, a little bit of tobacco, light black cherry tones, a hint of asphalt and a touch of tree bark. The wine is quite high in acidity with somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is dull, somewhat grippy and a bit warm with a rather short and a bit understated aftertaste of earth, some wizened cherries, a little bit of gamey meat, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of asphalt and a touch of cooked bell pepper.
A surprisingly dull, understated and flat Cabernet Franc. The overall structural feel is pretty nice here, but the flavor department doesn't manage to win me over, coming first across as quite dull and a bit reticent, then slowly turning into something slightly unpleasant. It is possible that the wine is so slightly corked that it just turns the wine dull without smelling or tasting like TCA, but tasting the wine over two evenings, it didn't seem like corked at any point. If anything, the wine felt more like a modern Tuscan red that just wasn't built to last and was aged for longer than the wine had potential for. This was a disappointment.
(69 points) - 2015 Giovanni Chiappini Cabernet Franc Liena Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (18.2.2025)
100% Cabernet Franc from two parcels in Felciaino vineyard, planted in 1985 and 2001. Fermented spontaneously in stainless steel tanks. Aged in French oak barrels (1/3 new) for at least 24 months. 15% alcohol. Annual production 2000 bottles.
Quite deep and rather opaque blackish-red color. The nose feels like that of a sweet crowdpleaser with aromas of cherry marmalade and toasty caramel oak, some raspberry jam, light chocolatey tones, a little bit of vanilla, sweet hints of ripe strawberries and boysenberries, a touch of nail polish VA and a spirituous whiff of alcohol. The wine feels ripe, big and juicy with a full body and sweetly-fruited flavors of soft red plums and cherry marmalade, some toasty mocha oak tones, a little bit of blueberry juice, light oaky notes of vanilla and toffee, a hint of boysenberry and a touch of savory spice. The structure relies more on the quite ample, moderately grippy and rather extracted tannins than on the somewhat round medium acidity. The finish is rather hot, somewhat sweet-toned and quite grippy with a bold, round aftertaste of strawberries and ripe red plums, some chocolatey mocha oak, a little bit of earthy spice, light sweet notes of cherry jellies and redcurrant jam, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of vanilla. The wine ends on a sweet but also quite grippy and rather hot note.
Ugh, this was a too big, warm and sweetly-fruited blockbuster red for my preference. The sturdy tannic backbone keeps the wine somewhat firm and balanced, but besides that, the wine comes across as just too hot, excessively oaky, insufficient in acidity and almost saccharine in its juicy ripeness. Feels like an inexpensive, factory-made market red from Central Valley - apart from the ample, assertive tannins you never would find in cheap market wines. There is no sense of variety here whatsoever - you could've made the wine from any imaginable red variety capable of attaining 15% ABV and the end result would've been the same. While not a faulty wine, this is still quite a disaster. Avoid.
(77 points) - 2015 La Fralluca Cabernet Franc Costa Toscana - Italy, Tuscany, Costa Toscana (18.2.2025)
100% organically farmed Cabernet Franc. 14% alcohol.
Very dark and quite opaque blackish-red color with a slightly evolved maroon hue. The nose feels weird, indistinct and somewhat unpleasant with aromas of ripe dark berries, some rubbery tones, a little bit of gamey meat, light earthy tones, a hint of tennis ball tube and a touch of herby meat stew. The wine feels similarly weird and dull on the palate with a moderately full body along with flavors that are quite identical with the aromas in the nose. However, there are some glossy, dark-toned oak notes and hints of vanilla and caramel that give a slightly Oloroso-finish whisky feel to the wine. The structure relies mostly on the rather grippy tannins as the soft medium-minus acidity doesn't contribute much to the sense of freshness or structure. The finish is odd, dull and quite grippy with a moderately long, dark-toned aftertaste of vanilla oak, some rubbery tones, a little bit of gamey meat, light blueberry notes, a hint of burnt rubber and a chocolatey touch of toasty mocha oak.
This was just dull, weird and unpleasant. Can't think of any redeeming qualities here. Maybe in a more balanced wine that firm and assertive tannic structure could've been an asset, but not here. This was just bad. Avoid.
(63 points) - 2015 Podernuovo a Palazzone Argirio Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (18.2.2025)
A blend of organically farmed Cabernet Franc (93%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (7%). Fermented and macerated in tronconical open-top oak vats for 18-30 days. Aged in oak barriques for 18 months. 15% alcohol.
Dense, fully opaque and somewhat extracted black cherry color. The nose feels quite ripe and dark-fruited with aromas of sweet black cherries, some dark plummy tones, a little bit of cassis, light toasty notes of mocha and vanilla, a developed hint of dried pruney fruit and a touch of gamey meat. The wine feels ripe, sunny and somewhat toasty on the palate with a full body and rich flavors of sweet dark plums, some juicy cherry tones, a little bit of strawberry, light oaky notes of vanilla and chocolatey mocha oak, a developed hint of meaty umami and a touch of earth. The somewhat mellow medium acidity makes the wine feel quite soft and plush, but the ample and assertive yet not aggressive tannins bring in some sense of firmness and pleasant grit. The finish is long, quite warm and tannic with a rather sweet-toned aftertaste of very ripe dark plums, some wizened black cherries, a little bit of juicy blackcurrant, light cedary oak tones, a hint of strawberry and a touch of vanilla. The wine ends on a sweetly-fruited, rather hot and quite grippy note.
A rather generic and very sunny Tuscan red with too much alcohol, too little acidity and a very generic fruit profile that doesn't really speak of any Cabernet Franc to me. The only redeeming quality here is the firm, assertive yet not tough tannic structure that manages to keep the wine surprisingly balanced on the palate despite the high alcohol, modest acidity and sweet-toned fruit. Even then, I'm not a fan. This tasted more like California than Tuscany to me. If you like classic, harmonious Tuscan reds: avoid.
(82 points) - 2015 Piaggia (Vannucci) Poggio de' Colli Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (18.2.2025)
100% Cabernet Franc. Fermented spontaneously in open-top oak vats. Aged in French oak barriques. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol.
Quite deep, opaque and somewhat evolved dark pomegranate-red color with an aged maroon-brown hue. The nose feels a bit weird, green and sharp with perhaps aldehydic aromas of green almonds and birch leaves, some blueberry tones, a little bit of sweet blackcurrants, light brambly raspberry tones and a woody hint of savory oak spice. The wine feels dry, somewhat extracted and a bit mute on the palate with a full body and rather reticent flavors of sweet bilberries, some gamey meat, light green notes of raspberry leaves and green almonds, a little bit of extracted wood spice, a hint of wild strawberry and a touch of something vaguely plastic. The overall feel is quite balanced with the rather high acidity and ample yet ripe, textural and quite gentle tannins. The finish is long, quite warm and somewhat grippy with a dry, slightly understated aftertaste of black cherries, some bilberries, light gamey tones, a little bit of extracted woody spice, a hint of green almonds and a touch of birch leaves.
A doubt this wine was in sound condition; the overall feel had some unpleasant greenness to it, but that didn't feel like pyrazine greenness from Cab Franc. No, it felt like the wine had an elevated level of acetaldehyde, lending it a little bit of Fino Sherry-ish greenness (furthermore, the wine seemed so ripe and extracted that I doubt the wine could've shown any pyrazines anyways). Apart from that, the wine seemed quite ripe, soft and slightly dull, so I'm not sure if I would've liked the wine even if it weren't that aldehydic. However, as the wine didn't seem to be up to snuff, I'm leaving it unrated this time. - 2015 Tenuta di Trinoro Campo di Camagi Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (18.2.2025)
100% Cabernet Franc from the 25-yo Campo di Camagi vineyard, planted at the altitude of 550 m above sea level. Fermented and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks for 12 days. Aged in French oak barriques for 8 months, then blended together and aged in concrete tanks for another 11 months. Bottled in June 2017. 15% alcohol. Total production 2600 bottles.
Deep, slightly translucent dark cherry color with a subtly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels rich, open and quite ripe with intense aromas of sweet black cherries and juicy redcurrants, some dark plummy fruit, a little bit of balsamic VA, light sweet notes of toasty oak spice, a hint of strawberry jam and a touch of wood spice. The wine feels ripe, juicy and quite intensely-flavored on the palate with a moderately full body and vibrant flavors of dark plums and ripe redcurrants, some earthy spices, a little bit of tobacco, light toasty oak tones, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of juicy blackcurrants. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate and the medium-to-moderately high acidity could be a bit higher for such a ripe and bold red, but the ample and moderately grippy tannins lend sufficient sense of firmness to the overall feel. The finish is dark-toned, quite warm and moderately grippy with a long aftertaste of juicy dark plums, some sweet redcurrants, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a little bit of tobacco, a hint of ripe blackcurrants and a touch of balsamic VA.
A surprisingly serious and balanced Tuscan Cab Franc. I feel the wine could use a bit more acidity and the level of ABV should be a bit reasonable, but even then the wine comes across as quite harmonious and thoroughly enjoyable. I'm not sure if the wine shows that much varietal typicity with its relatively ripe overall feel, but it is still a nice and impressive effort with its firm structure and great flavor intensity. Now, at the age of approximately 10 years, the wine doesn't come across as particularly aged, if not that young, either. Based on that, I can see the wine evolving and improving for another 10 years or so. Recommended.
(91 points) - 2015 Tenuta di Trinoro Campo di Magnacosta - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (18.2.2025)
100% Cabernet Franc from the 23-yo Campo di Magnacosta vineyard, planted with cuttings from Pomerol at the altitude of 400 m above sea level. Fermented and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks for 12 days. Aged in French oak barriques for 8 months, then blended together and aged in concrete tanks for another 11 months. Bottled in June 2017. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 2500 bottles.
Deep, slightly translucent dark cherry color with a subtly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels savory, spicy and slightly evolved with nuanced aromas of fresh black cherries and sweet red plums, some earthy tones, a little bit of strawberry, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of garrigue, a touch of dried blackcurrants and a meaty whiff of game. The wine feels dry, firm and quite intensely-flavored with a medium-to-moderately full body and a bit developed flavors of fresh black cherries and ripe red plums, some evolved notes of meaty umami, a little bit of redcurrant, light earthy notes of garrigue, a hint of licorice root and a woody touch of savory oak spice. The overall feel is firm and balanced with the high acidity and ample, quite ripe tannins that feel quite supple and textural at first, but slowly they turn the wine quite grippy. The finish is long, dry and quite grippy with a rather intense aftertaste of dark plummy fruits, some ripe redcurrant tones, a little bit of earthy garrigue, light notes of tobacco, a hint of licorice root and a sweeter touch of juicy strawberry.
A nice, slightly restrained and enjoyably balanced Tuscan Cabernet Franc. Feels somewhat more evolved compared to the 2015 Camagi and 2015 Tenaglia bottlings that were tasted at the same time, so I doubt this wine will be as ageworthy as the other two - although the wine shows good flavor intensity and firmness of structure, that would promise long life. I don't know. I felt this wasn't as strong as the Camagi, but maybe a bit more impressive than the Tenaglia. However, it might be that the slightly more youthful - albeit a bit sweeter and softer - Tenaglia can surpass this wine with enough aging. This was a nice wine, but nothing that would blow your socks off.
(90 points) - 2015 Tenuta di Trinoro Campo di Tenaglia - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (18.2.2025)
100% Cabernet Franc from the 25-yo Campo di Tenaglia vineyard, planted at the altitude of 500 m above sea level. Fermented and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks for 12 days. Aged in French oak barriques for 8 months, then blended together and aged in concrete tanks for another 11 months. Bottled in June 2017. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 1800 bottles.
Almost fully opaque black cherry color with an evolved rusty reddish-brown hue. The nose feels open, fragrant and quite fruit-driven with sweetish aromas of juicy black cherries and boysenberries, some ripe red plums, a little bit of blueberry juice, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of licorice, a touch of fragrant herbs and a touch of cooked dark fruits. The wine feels juicy, rich and a bit extracted on the palate with a full body and sweetly-fruited flavors of dark plums and licorice, some ripe redcurrants, a little bit of fresh bilberry, light herby notes, a hint of woody spice and a touch of earth. The overall feel is quite soft and supple with the round medium acidity and ripe, quite mellow and slowly gripping tannins. The finish is long, somewhat warm and moderately grippy with a juicy aftertaste of sweet dark plums, some ripe black cherries, light blackcurrant tones, a little bit of licorice, a crunchy hint of fresh bilberries and a touch of strawberry juice.
A ripe, juicy and balanced Tuscan Cab Franc. Compared to its peers, 2015 Magnacosta and 2015 Camagi, this bottling felt somewhat softer and sweeter in style. Although starting to show a little bit of age, the wine came across as more youthful than the somewhat more developed Magnacosta. Although the alcohol here doesn't feel as overt as in Camagi, the overall style is here nevertheless a bit sweeter and more ripe, which is why I preferred the Camagi version. It might've been quite ripe and high in alcohol, but of these three 2015 Trinoro Cab Francs, it came across as most impressive with its firm structure and great flavor intensity. With its somewhat sweet, soft and mellow feel, this Tenaglia didn't show the firmness and intensity I look for in these wines. I guess this wine can keep for longer and even evolve a bit further than the Magnacosta, which was starting to feel quite mature already, but I'm not sure if this Tenaglia is ever going to be a grand vin. I guess this kind of softer, sweeter style might be more successful in a cooler, less solar vintage?
(89 points) - 2015 Poggio Argentiera Cabernet Franc - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (18.2.2025)
100% Cabernet Franc from vineyards in Alberese and Baccinello. Fermented and macerated with the skins for two weeks. Aged in French oak barriques. 14,5% alcohol.
Slightly translucent yet quite dark plummy color. The nose feels dark-toned with aromas of ripe dark plums and sweet cherries, some licorice, light garrigue tones, a little bit of forest floor, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of pipe tobacco. The wine feels dry and silky on the palate with a moderately full body and somewhat linear flavors of ripe cherries, some red plums, light licorice tones, a little bit of savory spice and a hint of pipe tobacco. The structure relies more on the moderately high acidity than on the quite ripe and supple medium tannins. The finish is clean, juicy and rather gently grippy with a moderately long aftertaste of ripe cherries and black raspberries, some licorice, light garrigue notes, a little bit of pipe tobacco and a crunchy hint of fresh red plum.
A pleasant and clean but somewhat anonymous Tuscan red. There is nothing wrong here apart from the fact that this tastes like a generic Italian red. Not even Cabernet Franc. I mean, had I tasted the wine blind, I probably never would've guessed Cabernet Franc - though I guess that means the wine at least shows some sense of place? All in all, I found the wine balanced and perfectly enjoyable, but also very forgettable. Seeing how it is still relatively youthful at almost 10 years of age, I guess it can be kept for another 10 years or so. However, I doubt the wine is going to get noticeably better with additional age - there just doesn't seem to be that much stuffing.
(87 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
