Il Carnasciale Toscana Il Caberlot 2016 1.5L

97 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2016 Il Caberlot (Magnum) is a knock-out. Rich, ample and expansive, with superb intensity, the 2016 has so much to offer. A rush of red cherry jam, wild herbs, mocha, rose petal, mint and blood orange builds in a towering, explosive Caberlot that captures all of the personality of this unique Merlot/Cabernet Franc hybrid. Deep, plush and beautifully resonant, the 2016 is a total stunner. It is also one of the very finest vintages I have ever tasted here. In a word: magnificent! Drink: 2022-2041. (Aug 2019)"

97 points/'Highly Recommended,' Wine Spectator: "Alluring, forthcoming aromas of black currant, cedar, lead pencil and iron mark this suave and polished red. Builds on the palate to the long finish, firming up along the way, yet remains harmonious and beautifully defined. Shows excellent length and grace overall. Caberlot. Drink now through 2035. 400 cases made, 85 cases imported. (10/15/20)"

97 points Falstaff: "Clear ruby violet with black core. Smells of freshly crushed pepper and cardamom, some ivy and in the background a lot of clove, dark berry. Wild and hearty on the palate, shows exceedingly lively, powerful, dense tannin, well integrated, very individual wine with wild spice. (2/13/20)"

97 points Raffaele Vecchione (WinesCritic.com): "A wine with an intense, purple-tinged color reveals aromas of black plums, blackberries, and blueberries. Truly precise and direct, it is enriched with spicy notes reminiscent of black pepper and incense. Full-bodied, with ripe, sculpted, and slightly rustic tannins, a structure based on good freshness and acidity, and a vertical, vibrant finish. A classic style in a cool vintage where the authenticity of this grape variety is clearly evident. 100% Caberlot, a presumed spontaneously crossed variety, the true identity of Il Carnasciale. (Dec 2019)

96 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "The 2016 Il Caberlot is a dark, spicy and intense wine that pricks the tongue with its freshness and its thickly concentrated fruit. The bouquet peels back with thick layers of blackberry, spice, leather and campfire ash. Those aromatic elements are all extreme, but they ultimately fit together with extreme precision. The wine offers just a hint of the pyridine, or green aromas you might expect of Cabernet Sauvignon, with plenty of the darkness and dimension you get with well-managed fruit harvested at optimal ripeness. The wine is fermented in steel and then aged in barrique (of which 80% are new) for 22 months. This wine is only released in magnum and some 3,150 magnums were produced. Drink: 2020-2038. (Aug 2019)"

96 points Aldo Fiordelli (Decanter): "Caberlot is a grape that's exclusively grown at this estate, discovered in the 1960s in an abandoned Paduan vineyard by agronomist Remigio Bordini. Officially it doesn’t exist. It could be a clone of Carmenere, but it's also widely believed to be a naturally occurring crossing of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The vineyards where Il Carnasciale farm it in the Arno valley are on pebbled soils. The exceptionally balanced 2016 gives the wine an amazing pyrazinic aroma of bell pepper, well-binded with cassis and a great spiciness of clove, black pepper and flowers. It's a wine with perfect phenolic ripeness, velvety and soft on the palate with a great elegant finish. Drinking Window: 2019-2045. (10/12/19)"

95 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): " I love the personality of the 2016 Il Caberlot, which seems to have its feet more firmly planted in its Super Tuscan heritage, rather than flirting with Right Bank Bordeaux attributes, as is the case with some of its recent vintage brethren. It is not that I prefer one facet of the wine’s personality over the other, but rather cherish its ability to lean one way or the other, depending on the particular style of a given vintage. In any case, as has been true of other recent vintages, the 2016 Il Caberlot comes in at 13.5 percent alcohol and offers up a precise and perfectly ripe bouquet of cassis, black cherries, dark soil tones, cigar ash, fresh oregano, just a whisper of road tar, cigar wrapper and a beautifully refined foundation of smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, complex and full-bodied, with a beautiful core of fruit, fine saline mineral undertow, ripe, well-integrated tannins and lovely focus and grip on the very long, well-balanced and complex finish. This is a touch more powerful in personality than utterly svelte 2017, but it is another absolutely stunning wine in the making- which of course, is hardly a surprise! 2031-2080. (Nov/Dec 2021)"

95 points James Suckling: "Blackberries and fresh herbs with some tea and green-chili flavors. Tangy lemon and citrus undertones. Medium body. Finely crafted tannins. Bright and delicious at the finish. Needs another two or three years to come together completely. (8/9/19)"

18/20 points Walter Speller (JancisRobinson.com): "Bottled and released in magnums and double magnums only. Pure, chalky raspberry fruit with hints of oak and a touch of Moroccan leather. Quite compelling. Gorgeous lightness of touch and crunchy tannins with energetic acidity. A pure delight and just at the beginning of its evolution. Drink 2022-2034 (Sep 2020)"