Canberra Times, 23-Jan-11

2009 Sangiovese - top drops

Mark Lloyd's Italian varieties offer a flavour world far removed our usual menu of shiraz, cabernet and pinot noir. The limpid sangiovese appeals for its medium body, savoury flavours and taut, grippy tannins such a good combination with char-grilled meat of all kinds. The barbera startles with its vivid crimson colour and high-toned aroma - always reminiscent of summer berries, but in this warm vintage resembling very ripe mulberries. The palate is soft and round, but not without a tannic twist to finish. The deceptively pale nebbiolo offers deep, earthy flavours, tightly bound with firm, lingering, drying tannins.

Chris Shanahan

Sunday Examiner (Launceston, Tasmania), 16-Jan-11

2009 Sangiovese - pick of the crop

McLaren Vale winery Coriole pioneered this Italian variety in Australia first planting the Tuscan grape back in 1985, long before just about anyone else had thought of the idea. They were well ahead of fashionability curve. This is the 23rd vintage of their sangiovese, a dependably good choice to pair with Italian dishes, or roast meats. It's savoury and silky with sweet cherry aromas and nicely restrained on the palate with plenty of length, nice balance and soft tannins.

Parramatta Advertiser, 05-Jan-11

2009 Sangiovese - three cheers

McLaren Vale winery Coriole was the first to plant sangiovese in Australia, and have a strong Italian connection to this day, with Barbera and Nebbiolo also in their range. This is my pick from the current releases, just ahead of the Barbera. There's leathery dark fruit, with some sour cherry and chocolate flavours. Good on its own but even better with food. Top value.

Rick Allen

The Wine Front, 03-Jan-11

2009 Sangiovese - 93 points

What a fabulous bargain this is and not only that, I suspect it's also the best release to date.

http://www.winefront.com.au/coriole-sangiovese-2009/

Gary Walsh

winsordobbin.com.au, 23-Dec-10

2009 Sangiovese - Wine of the Week

http://wdwineoftheweek.blogspot.com/2010/12/coriole-2009-sangiovese.html

Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine, 01-Jul-10

2008 Sangiovese - 70 Reds to Remember

One of the most reliable and affable takes on sangiovese. Bright red fruits, quite ripe and lively; the palate's immediately fleshy, offering up-front cherry-plum flavour and enough savoury tannins to get you through lunch.

Nick Stock

Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine, 01-Jul-10

2006 Brunello Clone Sangiovese - 70 Reds to Remember

This is a brooding, reserved expression that gives the sense it is only just revealing its true persona. With a clonal selection of Brunello in Tucsany, there are plenty of savoury dried red berries and licorice. The palate's well-weighted to the middle with a gathering of tannins and sweet earthy, anise-tinged flavours.

Nick Stock

Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine, 01-Jul-10

2008 Sangiovese - 100 Top New Release Wines

Aromas of black olive and earth; roast meats too. A savoury, nongrapy kind of red wine with a rich, smooth palate texture and appealing ripe, supple tannins. It's easy to drink now but will surely keep as well.

Huon Hooke

Canberra Times, 04-Nov-09

2008 Sangiovese - four and a half stars

"Better known than Coriole's nebbiolo, its sangiovese is one of its pioneering Italian varietals. This one is a combination of McLaren Vale generosity and sangiovese restraint. Dense red-cherry fruits and some savoury earthiness are tied together by a taut, firm finish. The perfect introduction to this classic Italian variety."

Fergus McGhie

donna hay magazine, 01-Sep-09

2007 Sangiovese - best reds

"The Coriole sangiovese is just like an old friend you can depend on; you know it will always be a good food match particularly with roasts or Italian. It's quite savoury and smells of juicy, ripe cherries."

Deputy editor Melanie

Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine, 01-May-09

2007 Sangiovese - 91 points - a modern Tuscan sangiovese

"This has the power of primary fruit. Raspberry, redcurrant aromas, fresh and clean, with savoury notes. It has the style of a modern Tuscan sangiovese. The palate has good fleshiness, length and nicely judged grip. Charming drink now and will build character with age."

Canberra Times, 20-Nov-07

2006 Sangiovese - 4 stars - Canberra Times, November 2007

"My idea of serendipity is a Coriole Sangiovese arriving the same afternoon that spaghetti bolognaise is on the menu for dinner. It's a great food wine and of course it suits Italian cuisine perfectly. Savoury with a backbone of delicious cherry fruit character, it finishes a little tart with plenty of dry acidity and firm tannins. Just the thing for bolognaise."

Fergus McGhie

2006 Sangiovese - 92 points - Weekend Australian Top 100, November 2007

"Coriole was the pioneer of Sangiovese in Australia, planting the first vines in 1985. While not as capricious as Italy's other great grape, Nebbiolo, it is no pushover. The fragrant red cherry fruit of the bouquet flows into the fore-palate before savoury, powdery tannins run through the finish."

James Halliday

www.paulippolito.com.au, 01-Apr-07

2005 Sangiovese - 93 points

"Mark Lloyd of Coriole fame has been crafting Sangiovese well before it became trendy to do so here in this country. Dark reddish in colour with purple hints. It oozes red cherries, violets, blackcurrants, allspice and has an accompanying intense earthiness to it. Alluring and complex in its overall presentation, the purity of the fruit characters really shows itself. Savoury in mouthfeel with fine tannins, seamless oak all make for a balanced and highly drinkable food friendly wine. This is one the better Sangiovese made in this country that I have tasted."

Paul Ippolito

Winewise, 01-Apr-07

2005 Sangiovese - Highly Recommended

"This is a vibrant, cherry-scented red that doesn't want for tannins, but the fruit is up to the job. It's virtually become a cliche that wines like this need food. Some protein in the mouth 'fines out' some of the tannins. Try it with any of the Italian classics."

2005 Sangiovese - Elegant & easy drinking - Sunday Territorian, January 2007

"This wine gets better every year; it has savoury spice and fresh plum aromas, a long but lean texture with low levels of sweetness to the fruit, dark cherry and chalky fine tannin. Made for Italian food. Perfect with a richly flavoured Osso Bucco".

Elegant and easy drinking

Darryl Thomas

Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine, 01-Sep-06

2004 Sangiovese - 100 top new release wines

"Coriole's best sangiovese yet, and they've been doing it longer than anyone. Delicious cherry, raspberry and vanilla aromas; deeper and more lushly fruited than earlier vintages, with impressive weight and intensity."

Adelaide Advertiser, 27-May-06

2004 Sangiovese - 89 points

Colour: Medium Youthful lively colour with violet edges.

Nose: Canned black cherries and stewed plums, with sweet perfumed balsamic notes and spicy oak.

Taste: Fruit and youthfulness, with blackberries, hints of anise and chocolately oak characters. Grippy, slightly drying tannins, and a long, fruit-filled finish.

Michael Potts

Winestate, 01-May-06

2004 Sangiovese - four stars

2004 Sangiovese - four stars, top in category

Herald Sun (Melbourne), 25-Apr-06

2005 Sangiovese -

This latest release of a Coriole speciality is the 18th and represents a commitment by the McLaren Vale label to local interpretations of Italian varietal styles. But though there are some tasty traces of Italian sangiovese here, the wine stands on its own as an Australian individual with its ripe cherry and berry fruit fragrance and flavour, soft acidity and dry, gentle tannins. A medium-bodied dry red chock full of charm and cheer.

The Age (Melbourne), 04-Jul-05

2003 Sangiovese - Emotion!

18.1 points. Sour cherry, lovely dusty tannins, long flavours, sensational. Top Score.

"You know you've got a good wine tasting when the judges get emotional, and they got emotional here."

The Age (Melbourne), 03-Jun-03

2001 Sangiovese - 4 stars

"More than 15 years ago, Coriole pioneered the Tuscan red grape, Sangiovese, in Australia. This latest vintage has good varietal personality and some savoury charm. It's paler than most reds with raspberry, red cherry, leather and woody aromas, and a dry, savoury, medium-intensity palate with a firm backbone underneath.
Drink over two years.
Food ideas: Scaloppine; pasta with chicken livers."

Ralph Kyte-Powell

Australian Gourmet Traveller, 01-Dec-02

2001 Sangiovese - balance and finesse

"The 2001 has subtle oak influence, which enhances these medium weight savory flavours with out straight jacketing them with tannin. The wine has a good measure of natural acidity, which gives it both balance and finesse."

Huon Hooke