Stephen Tanzer's IWC
Medium to full garnet. Tobacco, licorice and graphite predominate on the nose. The sweet, gauzy texture supports layers of intense black fruit sensations followed by mouthcoating but smooth tannins. A supple and well-structured wine.
Wine Spectator
A silky, well-crafted red, with tarragon, berry and plum character and mushroom and bark undertones. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a long, fresh finish. Delicious. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2003.
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
For more than two decades one of the greatest Tuscan proprietary red wines has been Castello dei Rampolla's Cabernet Sauvignon/Sangiovese blend called Sammarco. What has always made this wine exceptional, especially in the top vintages, is its complexity and elegance. It is closer to a great Graves than any other wine I have ever tasted outside of France. The 1998 Sammarco, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Sangiovese, reveals structure and tannin. Additionally, it possesses formidable underlying concentration and depth, along with that multi-layered mid-palate that always seems to separate exceptional wines from good ones. The 1998 Sammarco's deep, saturated ruby color is followed by a complex bouquet of charcoal, roasted herbs, smoke, hot gravel, black currants, and cherries. It is medium-bodied and deep, with high but sweet tannin, and extraordinary purity as well as delineation. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2016.