Let’s get this off the table first: I’m not really a big fan of Merlot. My main problem with the variety is that its fruit / flavor profile is sort of anonymous to me, it naturally produces wines that are softer (ie. have lower levels of acidity and more gentle tannic structure) than many other varieties that thrive in similar climates and it tends to accumulate sugar quite readily, resulting in wines that can get quite high in ABV. For example when it comes to Bordeaux, I tend to steer clear from most St. Émilion producers.
However, in correct hands Merlot produces some very impressive wines indeed. Even these wines are not typically that big on any distinctive character (which I attribute to Merlot’s sort of generic or anonymous fruit profile) but they make it all up with the sense of harmony, structure and finesse. I’ve had some serious Merlots from eg. California, Australia, northern Italy and even from Japan, but basically the only two regions which seem to produce very impressive, noteworthy Merlots consistently are - in my books - Pomerol and Tuscany. Well, at least if you don’t go for the cheapest option. Even though I know some terrific Merlots are made in California and Australia, I still wouldn’t buy a random expensive Merlot from these places without tasting the wine first.
However, they seem to have a some kind of winning recipe for making great Merlot in Pomerol and Tuscany. Pomerol is pretty obvious to anyone who knows their wines, but Tuscany might come as a sort of surprise - after all, they make some very classically styled traditional red wines there, but the modern IGT Toscana wines made with international varieties are a crapshoot. Some might be terrific, others nothing more than soupy mess. Reflecting on this, it is quite a surprise how against all odds many varietal Merlot wines from Tuscany manage to be so impressive.
Of course all this might be because just I’m not holding to the same standards: when I’m drinking a Tuscan Merlot, I know it’s not going to be a Chianti Classico! It might also be that when I know I’m drinking Merlot (unless it’s a Pomerol), I tend to set the bar much lower, so I don’t get that disappointed when the wine turns out to be, well, a typical Merlot. But for some reason many Tuscan Merlots not only pass the bar but instead tend to be pretty darn lovely wines by any standards.
Castello di Ama’s l’Apparita is a 100% Merlot made with fruit sourced from the Vigna l’Apparita cru, planted in 1982. The inaugural vintage was 1985 and the wine is typically vinified in stainless steel, seeing a full month of maceration on the skins and then aged for 14 months in French oak barriques - normally a blend of 50% new and 50% used oak barrels. I must admit that wine made with this much new oak doesn’t sound like something I’d normally enjoy, but since I was familiar with l’Apparita beforehand, I had no problems attending the tasting; even if the wine might be stylistically quite modern and oaky in its youth, I know the wine is really built for the long haul and after some 20-25 years it really starts to come together.
In addition to the l’Apparitas, we also had one extra blind white to get the tasting started:
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2015 Cave de Turckheim Pinot Gris Brand - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (26.10.2022)
100% Pinot Gris from Grand Cru Brand. Vinified medium-sweet. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite deep and intense yellow-green color. The nose feels fragrant and quite ripe with aromas of sweet apricots, some creamy tones, a little bit of honeysuckle, light red apple nuances and a faint, evolved whiff of woolly lanolin. The wine feels ripe, round and medium-sweet on the palate with a rather full body juicy flavors of apricots and white peaches, some apple jam, a little bit of honeysuckle, light stony mineral notes, a hint of beeswax and a floral touch of rosewater. The medium-plus acidity doesn't lend much freshness or sense of structure to the wine, but it keeps it somehow in balance. The finish is rich, juicy and quite long with a medium-sweet aftertaste of ripe apricots and white peaches, some apple jam, a little bit of stony minerality and a hint of honey.
A juicy, rather sweet-toned and quite hefty yet still enjoyably balanced and vibrant Grand Cru Pinot Gris. My first guess was an Alsatian Grand Cru Pinot Gris with around 4-5 years of age, so almost a bullseye this time. Enjoyable stuff for occasions that call for a wine with body, fruit and residual sugar - although I'd like the wine to show a bit more freshness and acidity and slightly less sweetness. Based on how youthful the wine was at seven years of age, I can see it aging quite nicely for a good handful of years more. A very good purchase at 14€.
(89 points) -
1995 Castello di Ama L'Apparita Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (26.10.2022)
13% alcohol.
Deep, moderately opaque and somewhat evolved blackish-red color with a rusty dried-blood hue. Brooding, characterful and moderately evolved nose with aromas of dark plummy fruits and dried figs, some licorice tones, a little bit of game, light toasty wood and vanilla tones, a hint of juicy blackcurrant, a touch of tobacco and a whiff of fried porcini. The wine feels dry, firm and sinewy yet very silky on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of fresh blackcurrants, some licorice tones, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light gamey nuances, a hint of tobacco and a toasty touch of mocha oak. The overall feel is evolved yet not old or particularly tertiary - the wine still retains quite a bit of youthful fruit even if it is close to 30 years old. The structure remains remarkably muscular and tightly-knit, thanks to both the high acidity and still quite formidable and grippy tannins. The finish is developed, lengthy and rather grippy with an intense aftertaste of sour cherries and prunes, some dusty old wood, a little bit of ferrous blood, light nuances of tobacco, a hint of licorice root and a touch of old leather.
This was my second time I tasted this wine and again this was a stunningly impressive wine that does show some age, but a lot less than what you would expect a Merlot over a quarter of century old! There are some savory developed nuances, but the wine is still packed with intense, dark-toned fruit and still very assertive and relatively unresolved - yet not aggressive - tannins that make the wine feel very firm, tightly-knit and structured for its age. The overall feel reminds me more of Bordeaux than Tuscany and seeing how the wine is all about Merlot-qualities, this is probably one of the closest things you can get to Pomerol without being in Bordeaux. Based on how there are still some toasty oak undertones present, I can imagine the wine must've been a lot oakier in its youth. However, now the oak has integrated wonderfully with the fruit and the emphasis is definitely on the complex, evolved yet not old fruit characteristics. An outstanding Merlot - not only one of the best vintages of l'Apparita I've tasted, but also one of the best Merlots I know. Very highly recommended.
(95 points) -
1994 Castello di Ama L'Apparita Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (26.10.2022)
13,5% alcohol.
Quite deep, somewhat opaque and rather evolved blackish-red color with an aged maroon hue. The nose feels somewhat aged and tertiary with complex, subtly sweet-toned aromas of ripe dark plums and savory wood spice, some notes of asphalt, a little bit of wizened dark berries, light meaty nuances, a sweet hint of black cherries and a touch of blackcurrant marmalade. The wine is dry, evolved and quite savory on the palate with an open-knit texture, a medium body and somewhat tertiary flavors of leather and wizened dark plums, some ripe redcurrant tones, a little bit of pipe tobacco and old wood, light meaty notes of umami, a hint of dried dates and an oxidative touch of beef jerky. The wine is high in acidity with firm medium tannins that feel quite gentle at first, but quite suddenly turn the wine into a quite grippy effort. The finish is dry, evolved and moderately grippy with layered flavors of wizened blackcurrants, some leathery tones, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light raisiny nuances, a hint of tobacco and a meaty touch of savory umami.
An evolved, complex and rather open-knit vintage of l'Apparita that is aromatically getting quite aged, but structurally remains still rather stern and sinewy, even at almost 30 years of age. Compared to the surrounding vintages, this feels a bit more evolved in character, coming across as subtly oxidative - a stark contrast to the still remarkably youthful and vibrant 1995 vintage. The 1993 vintage was stylistically much closer to this, coming across as slightly softer and structurally more resolved, but fruit-wise slightly less aged and tertiary. This is an enjoyable effort, but near the heights the best vintages of l'Apparita can attain - although one must remember that at this age there are only great bottles, not great wines. It's perfectly possible our bottle was more advanced than it should've been and one that was less evolved would've performed much better.
(91 points) -
1993 Castello di Ama L'Apparita Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (26.10.2022)
13,5% alcohol.
Quite deep, pretty opaque and rather developed blackish-red color with an aged maroon hue. The nose feels savory and somewhat restrained with evolved aromas of raisins and dried forest fruits, some leathery tones, a little bit of tobacco, light fruity notes of ripe blackcurrants and strawberries, a toasty hint of sweet oak spice and a touch of prunes. The wine feels dry, textural and silky on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of wizened dark plums, blood, some tobacco, a little bit of leathery funk, light sweeter notes of ripe black cherries, a hint of sweet oak spice and a touch of balsamic VA. The overall feel is firm yet mellow and resolved, thanks to the moderately high acidity and the ample yet ripe and quite gentle tannins. The finish is long, dry and evolved with a mellow tannic grip and a layered aftertaste of wizened black cherries, some tobacco, a little bit of leather, light pruney tones, a hint of smoke and a touch of beef jerky.
A sophisticated, evolved and harmonious old vintage of l'Apparita. Right after the 1994 vintage, this felt slightly softer and more resolved in structure, but also a bit more vibrant and less tertiary in character. Contrasting the typically very tough and grippy nature of l'Apparita, this was surprisingly gentle for the wine. You could taste that the wine had quite a bit of extraction and tannins, but either the tannins have lost their astringency over the years or they've been rather ripe and mellow to begin with. All in all, this is now a lovely and enjoyably developed vintage of l'Apparita that is more or less at its peak right now. While the wine might continue to keep for a good handful of years more, I really don't see any benefit in further aging - this is as nuanced and resolved as it is ever going to be.
(92 points) -
1992 Castello di Ama L'Apparita Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (26.10.2022)
13,5% alcohol.
Quite deep, pretty opaque and rather developed blackish-red color with an aged maroon hue. The wine has a layered, dark-toned bouquet of ripe dark fruits and cedary notes of cigar box, a little bit of juicy blackcurrant, light leathery tones, a sweet hint of dried figs, a touch of licorice root and a whiff of toasted wood spice. The wine feels ripe, clean and silky on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and vibrant, juicy flavors of blackcurrants and black cherries, some leathery tones, a little bit of toasty oak spice, light cedar notes of cigar box, a hint of licorice and a sweeter touch of wizened dark plums. The high acidity contributes more to the structure, whereas the ample yet very resolved, powdery tannins contribute more to the silky texture of the wine - although they slowly grip the gums as well. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat grippy with a complex, layered aftertaste of black cherries and ripe dark plums, some crunchy notes of redcurrants, light leathery nuances, a little bit of tobacco and a woody hint of old, savory oak spice.
A beautiful, fragrant and quite fully resolved vintage of Castello di Ama that is in a magnificent spot right now. The wine was noticeably more youthful than the surrounding vintages that we tasted (1994, 1993 and 1990), which all seemed more evolved and tertiary in nature. Out of these four wines this was easily the winner, showing most finesse and complexity and not a tiny bit of tiredness from advanced age. However, as great as it was, it still seemed slightly a lesser wine when compared with the 1995 and 1987 vintages, which simply were on the next level. But in light of all this, I admit this was a fantastic vintage of l'Apparita and one of the best Super-Tuscans I've tasted. Saying this was a positive surprise for a wine from the challenging, wet 1992 vintage is a huge understatement.
(94 points) -
1990 Castello di Ama L'Apparita Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (26.10.2022)
13% alcohol.
Very dark, almost fully opaque and quite old blackish-red color with a brownish hue. The nose feels very odd at first with aromas of stewed dark fruits and rather pronounced volatile notes of medicinal ether. We leave the wine to breathe for some time, during which it opens up to reveal rather aged aromas of raisiny dark fruits and wizened blackcurrants, asphalt, some pruney tones, a little bit of cigar, light oxidative notes of beef jerky, a hint of pouch tobacco, a touch of balsamic VA and a whiff of soy sauce. The wine seemed to evolve from a somewhat cooked wine into a very tertiary wine in a rather short span of time. On the palate the wine feels old and tertiary with a silky medium body and a bit tired flavors of sour cherries and crunchy redcurrants, some oxidative notes of beef jerky and tangy rancio, a little bit of asphalt, light cigar tones, a sweeter hint of raisiny fruit and a balsamic touch of VA. The overall feel is sinewy and quite tough, thanks to the high acidity and quite assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is dry, old and tannic with a medium-long aftertaste of soy sauce, some beef jerky, a little bit of salty rancio, light crunchy notes of redcurrants, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of earth.
This bottle seemed to be just past its peak. At first it didn't feel that obvious, as the wine just came across as a bit stewed and weird, but the more the wine opened, the worse it got. There are still some fruit notes and the wine is still fully drinkable, but it's pretty obvious the wine isn't showing its best anymore. Structurally it is still very tough and unresolved, but the fruit department has started to give up.
(82 points) -
1988 Castello di Ama L'Apparita Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (26.10.2022)
13% alcohol.
Old, translucent maroon color with a pale, yellowish-orange rim. The nose is old and more oxidized than oxidative with aromas of pungent rancio, some soy sauce tones, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light beef jerky notes, a hint of earth and a touch of balsamic VA. The wine is old, pungent and tertiary on the palate with a medium body and tired flavors of prunes and raisins, some oxidative notes of beef jerky, a little bit of earth, light tobacco notes, a hint of blood and a touch of balsamic VA. The mouthfeel is resolved and silky, but the high acidity and quite firm medium tannins still lend quite a bit of structure to the wine. The finish is old, tertiary and gently grippy with rather tired flavors of raisins and prunes, some soy sauce, a little bit of sharp rancio, light nuances of tobacco and a hint of earth.
This is already going downhill - unlike the exceptional 1987 vintage that was tasted next to this. While still drinkable, there's quite little pleasure in drinking such a tired, old wine like this.
(NR/flawed) -
1987 Castello di Ama L'Apparita Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (26.10.2022)
100% Merlot from Vigna l'Apparita Cru in Chianti Classico, planted in 1982. This 1987 vintage was the third ever produced. Fermented spontaneously in stainless steel, macerated for a month with the skins, aged for 14 months in a combination of new and old French oak barriques (normally 50/50). Bottle #5529 of total 9971 bottles. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, moderately evolved and still wonderfully luminous black cherry color with aged, syrupy brown highlights. The nose feels sweet-toned, evolved and wonderfully complex with seductive aromas of wizened dark plums, some fragrant minty notes, a little bit of fresh blackcurrant, light nuances of pipe tobacco, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of roasted game. The wine feels ripe, firm and juicy on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense, dry flavors of fresh blackcurrants and old leather, some minty green notes, a little bit of cranberry sauce, light toasty wood nuances, a meaty hint of bloody game and a sweeter touch of wizened figs. The wine feels wonderfully fresh and focused with its high acidity and its almost ample yet fully resolved, silky tannins mainly contribute to the suave texture of the wine. The beautifully complex finish feels long, ripe and gently grippy with a subtly sweetly-fruited aftertaste of ripe blackcurrants, some cherry marmalade, a little bit of sweet toasty oak, light minty notes, an evolved hint of balsamic richness and a touch of leather saddle.
An extraordinary vintage of l'Apparita that shows its age, but doesn't feel one bit too senescent. Unlike many younger vintages of l'Apparita, which have been still quite tough and grippy, this vintage feels like it is more or less fully resolved - the tannins are still there, gently sweeping across your gums, but not really turning this wine into a tough, tannic beast anymore. The flavors have taken on fascinating tertiary hues without losing much of the vibrant, still surprisingly youthful blackcurrant-and-cherry-driven fruit. Most of the oak has receded nicely into the background and the bright acidity lifts the finer nuances to the fore while giving the wine so much energy and precision. I don't know if this is the greatest epitome of what Merlot can attain, but it's getting quite close to it. Pomerol beware! You have a challenger in Tuscany.
(96 points)
Posted from CellarTracker