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  • Brunello di Montalcino
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Taurasi DOCG is made from Aglianico grapes and is one of the most underrated grapes anywhere.  The more "serious" ones can age fr thirty years, and the more accessible ones are usually great values.  This is the later.  Purple in color with a ruby rim.  The nose has black cherries, char, and slight spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, cherries and black licorice.  Good acidity.  Good finish. This is delicious and drinks easily on its own although it will work great with a nice pizza.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

This is made from 100% Frappato grapes.  The winemaker at Planeta, Patricia Toth, has been at Planeta since 2005.  This wine is a beauty.  Ruby in color with some purple hues, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, salinity and wild Thyme.  With air, just a hint of smoke.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Light acidity.  On the palate, cherries, minerals, slight balsamic with a slight candied finish.  There is some depth.  This drinks nicely on its own, but would be even better with food.  It would be awesome with a Vegetarian Lasagna.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

Great showing for this wine.  it is made from the Nero d'Avola grape.  Garnet in color, darker at the core, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, sandalwood, nutmeg, and slight dark chocolate notes.  It is tight at first but opens after an hour or so.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, this is delivering right away.  Black cherries, sour cherries, and ash.  Complex and deep.  Delicious.  Long finish.  At age 9, this is in a great spot and should be at or close to peak.  It is great on its own, but should work well with meat or fowl.  A

This comes in a cute 175ml package with a plastic stopper, screw top and glass bottle.  A nice size for someone who wants one large or two smaller servings.  There is no indication about what varietals are in the wine other than the grapes are organic.  There are many options available from this winery which gets grapes from all over the world.  The wine has a pale green gold color, clear and bright.  The nose features peaches and Meyer lemons.  Light bodied.  On the palate, peaches with good acidity.  Nice finish with a bit of (bitter) almonds.  These would work well for a picnic.  Drink o

A fifth generation family winery in Sicily that gets the whole family on board.  From Aurelio and Barbara Di Giovanna, Gunther Di Giovanna, Gunther Di Giovanna, and Klaus Di Giovanna, the co-owners to Melissa Di Giovanna, the Sales and Marketing Manager.  The winemaker is Gianfranco Zito.

Back when the 1997 vintage was released, there was a lot of fanfare and hype.  Some bought into it and some didn't.  But, the prices rose dramatically and at the time, this was one of the better values in Brunello (around $40).  I was curious how well this held up.  Sadly, after all this time, the bottle was corked (TCA).  What a shame.  

This is 100% Sangiovese, which when it was released, did not qualify to call itself Chianti (the rule has since been changed), so it was released as a Super Tuscan.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, tea leaves, spice and dust.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity.  Cherries with underlying forest floor.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This will work better with food.  Pasta or pizza would be great.  Probably past prime, so drink up soon.  

Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, dust, dried cedar and slight spice.  Medium bodied. Wispy tannins.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity to it.  Layers of dried cherries, cherries and forest floor.  Good acidity.  Good finish.  This is past prime and on the way down, so drink sooner than later.  It is better with food.  A nice plate of pasta with a tomato sauce would work well.  

How long does a good, if not great, Chianti last?  This bottle was bought on release and cellared since.  The fill was just into the neck of the bottle.  Pop and pour (carefully).  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose was complex with cherries, slight dried cherries, forest floor and slight spice.  Full bodied.  Tannins integrated.  On the palate, this is fresh and vibrant.  Fully mature.  Ripe cherry and slight sour cherry fruit along with a bit of sandalwood.  Some depth and complexity.  Nice finish.  Blind I would have though about seven to ten years

This seemed to be a step above the 2017 although both were quite good. Ruby/purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, dust, char and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, cherries, tart cherries and slight chocolate notes.  Good finish.  This needs a few years of cellaring to hit peak though it drinks well now.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  A nice wine to match with Pasta with Bolognese sauce.