TN Badiola 2001

Hello, After a fruitless evening trying to get a foot in at our gym organisation we went home wet, cold and a bit down in the dumps. Xina put on a pot of barley pilaff and two pieces of fried lamb saddle, I caramelised 3 tomatoes w Madeira and veal fond. Xina called for something Italian and I found a bottle of above from Mazzei. I decanted, caraffed, or whatever, but not for over long. n Burnt notes, earth, oak, cherries, cherry pits, fieryness and itnensity, wiff of barnyard p deceptively mild in attack, quite low on acidity, builds up with fiercy oaky tannines and an oaky bitterness - French or possibly Slavonian - a slight spicyness underneath it all that says warm earth Cab, very good structure and loads of matter but subdued with oak, oak, and more oak. A bit of sweet tobacco, and quite good length.

Overall impression: this wine, mostly Sangiovese, bit of Merlot and CabSauv, and loads of barrique, will do very well with some cella time - even some SERIOUS cellar time. My only "complaint" is a lack of acidity, despite the CabSauv. I'd lay down 6 bottles and open the first in 2-3 years time, and probably regret my hastiness. Today, it needs a sharper foil than lamb (otherwise, I tned to like lamb with Sangiovese). It is a wine that SHOUTS "Sono Italiano! Forza Italia!" at you as soon as you take a first sniff down the glbutt.

Peculiarity: Sort of blastic cork. And I without thinking sniffed it. It smelt of Sangiovese.

Cheers

Nils Gustaf

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