Motta Morellino di Scansano 2008

Always on the lookout for a new morellino, we found this wine that pairs ciliegiolo with the requisite sangiovese. Not something you see very often and certainly worth investigating...

EXPERIENCE
The nose sweet and floral with a strong scent of forrest berries. First taste is dark cherries as it hits your tongue. Light tannins and a very smooth finish. As is opens... the nose becomes more smoky and earthy, reminiscent of skins and stems. The taste and finish become more peppery with the sangiovese balancing out the cherry-like ciliegiolo. Fuller than your average morellino with well balanced flavors throughout.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP - We picked this up for $19.99 at a local shop and we'll gladly grab it again. We're morellino fans in general, but this one really stands out. The two grapes in this are almost at odds, but come together to make a really unique wine. Not a replacement for the lighter, peppery blends, but a welcomed varation.

FACTS
Motta is located near Grosseto in the beautiful Maremma region of Southwester Toscana. Their Morellino di Scansano is classified DOCG and is made up of 85% sangiovese and 15% ciliegiolo. Checkout Motta's website for more info.

Fattoria Del Cerro Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2006

A holiday gift enjoyed on Super Bowl Sunday...

EXPERIENCE
The cork has a faint peppery spice. The wine smells very Tuscan... pepper and dried cherries, with very little alcohol on the nose. The first taste is tart, acidic and dry. As it opens you get more fruit, peppery spice, and the surprisingly vivid scent of oregano. Solid medium body with a nice dry finish. Good depth and variety of flavors throughout the tasting.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP - This wine sells for right around $20 and it is well worth it! It's hard to find a bottle at this price point with such varied and interesting flavors. Nothing knocked us out, but also nothing bad... just enjoyable all around.

FACTS
Fattoria del Cerro is located in Montepulciano, just south of Sienna in eastern Toscana. The estate is part of a larger agricultural group called Saiagricola. Their DOCG Vino Nobile di Montepulciano  is made from Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese) 90%, Colorino 5%, and Mammolo 5%. They age 30% of the wine in French oak barriques for 12 months followed by 6 months in Slavonian oak casks and the other 70% in Slavonian oak casks for the full 18 months. The wine is then moved to stainless steel drums for a short time before it spends 6 months in the bottle. The winemaker recommends no more than 10 years of maturation in your cellar.

La Selva Rosso Maremma Toscana 2008

Another bottle, this time red, that we picked up after our tasting at La Selva.

EXPERIENCE
A mildly tart nose. Good balance of fruit, tart, and acid on the tongue. The finish is just the slightest bit dry with a little bit of the pepper you'd expect from sangiovese. Overall a really pleasant drink, very balanced and clean.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP - Another wine from La Selva with quality well beyond it's price. This bottle sells for $10.99 (under an alias) here in the US. This is a "super-tuscan" quality wine at an everyday price. All of the wines we've had from La Selva offer really clean and clear flavors with plenty of depth. You'll kick yourself if you only buy one bottle.

FACTS
La Selva's Rosso Maremma Toscana is classified IGT and is a blend made from sangiovese (60% I believe), malvasia nera, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. Grown and bottled near Magliano in Toscana, all of the grapes are organic and minimal sulfites are used. You can find this wine in the US at Pasanella and Son labeled as "Pasanella & Figlio Rosso" - both in their store and online. Hopefully Pasanella, or perhaps La Selva themselves, will have more of their offerings available here soon!

La Selva Vermentino 2009

A random visit to a winery we knew nothing about brought us to La Selva, a German owned organic farm near Orbetello in Toscana that produces some of the most delicious tomatoes and jarred delights we've ever had... as well as some great wines. We first had this at a tasting with the winemaker himself, Roland Krebser, and promptly bought a bottle for further investigation...

EXPERIENCE
The nose has prominent fruit with some real depth to it - peach, pear, and honey come to mind. A medium body with just the right amount of sweetness. The finish is crisp and dry with some lingering darkness on the tongue.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP - The value here is really unbeatable. This is a great balanced and complex white that is perfect for summer. After a tip from Roland and some investigating, we found this wine in the US for only $10.99!!! Buy it in bulk!

FACTS
Made at La Selva's winery near Magliano in Toscana, this wine is classified IGT and is made from 100% vermentino grapes. Though it may not be labeled as such in the US, all of the grapes are organically grown and the wine is made with minimal sulfites. La Selva is currently not imported into the US (booooo!), but... they do a small private label bottling for a great wine store in New York City (yaaaaaay!). Pasanella and Son sells this wine as their own "Pasanella & Figlio Bianco" in their Manhattan store as well as online. Get it there while you can, and hopefully we'll see some "La Selva" in US wine stores soon!

Cantina Coop del Morellino "Roggiano" Morellino di Scansano 2008

Enjoyed this bottle in a restaurant perched on a hillside overlooking Scansano.

EXPERIENCE
Slight fruit on the nose. Medium body. Mildly tart and acidic, but with a smooth finish. Definitely on the subtle side for a morellino.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP - There are a few things we like about this wine... It's affordable (€13 at a restaurant surely translates to under $20 in the US), and it's 100% sangiovese (which is not the norm for Morellino di Scansano). The reason winemakers add other grapes to their morellinos is usually to tame the harsh flavors, so we aren't sure how they made such a subtle wine out of only sangiovese... but they did and we like it! Really unique and worth seeking out.

FACTS
This Morellino di Scansano from La Cantina Cooperativa dei Vignaioli del Morellino di Scansano is classified DOCG and is made from 100% sangiovese grapes. Like all such wines, it comes from the beautiful hills of southwestern Toscana. This winery is actually a coop of growers... check their website for more info. Again, not much out there in the realm of US availability, so any help is welcome.

Tenuta Pietramora "Petramora" Morellino di Scansano 2007

The second find at Enoteca Scansanese in Scansano.

EXPERIENCE
A funky nose with plenty of oak. Nice balance of sweet and tart on the tongue with some citrus and acidity. Dry as it goes down with a long peppery finish. Well balanced with a wide range of flavors throughout the drinking.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP - €11.70 in our favorite Scansano shop means about $15 here in the US. A great price for a complex and balanced wine. 


FACTS 
Tenuta Pietramora's "Petramora" is a DOCG Morellino di Scansano made from 85% sangiovese and 15% merlot. The wine is aged in small French oak barrels for 7 months and for 3 more months in the bottle. The winery does have a website, though only in Italian... here is a Google translated link! We haven't been able to find this yet in the US, but hope to... any help?

Sellari Franceschini "Morello" Morellino di Scansano 2007

Our Italian adventure continues with a stay just outside the town of Scansano. This region, known as La Maremma, occupies the southwestern corner of Toscana, and is absolutely beautiful (while pleasantly less in the limelight than the Chianti region to the north). Here you will find some of the best peppery olive oil you've ever had, and a Vintage Knows staple red wine... Morellino di Scansano. This is the first of two offerings from Enoteca Scansanese, a great shop in Scansano with a wall full of local wines.

EXPERIENCE
A nutty cork and bold fruity funk on the nose. Tart on the tongue and very dry. Medium light body with abundant peppery spice in the finish. As it opens the flavors become slightly muted, but still bold.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP - At €15 (around $20) this wine is a great deal. Light yet surprisingly bold, it really stands out from other Morellino's that we've tried. There were only 2,801 bottles of this vintage made, so it may be hard to find. If you can find it, your efforts will be rewarded!

FACTS
Sellari Franceschini's "Morello" is a bonafide DOCG Morellino di Scansano. The winery is located near Scansano in southwestern Toscana. It is made from mostly sangiovese (88%) and spagna (6-8%), with malvasia nera, nero francese, grinto, merlot, and cabernet "in piccole percentuali per il resto" (in small percentages for the rest). Easily the most grapes in one blend that we have ever tried. The great thing about Morellino di Scansano is the variety of grapes the winemakers use... the only requirement for the wine formula (aside from growing within the certified area) is 85% sangiovese grapes. That leaves 15% freedom, which this winemaker took serious advantage of. Not much other information on the web, and availability in the US looks slim... but we will keep an eye out. Please let us know if you find it!

Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina 2008

A night out in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome and a meal at Da Lucia brought on this white wine.

EXPERIENCE
A sweet fragrant nose, and sweet first taste. The wine becomes more dry as is opens. Good darkness in flavor and slightly bitter on the tongue. Medium body and a lingering dark finish.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP - A classic fanlanghina at a great price. We paid €15, which converts to right around $19... a google search for US prices shows similar results. Though the Savannah "Sogno Due" is still our favorite falanghina, this one is well worth a drink and comes in a few bucks cheaper.

FACTS
Feudi di San Gregorio is a prolific wine maker in Campania with many great offerings. This DOC wine is made from 100% falanghina grapes. Visit their super-slick website for more information.

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva 2006

A Christmas Day tasting with a comparison part 2... note... 2006 riserva has 2 red diagonal stripes on the label and in between the stripes is the vintage and riserva.

EXPERIENCE
The cork reveals nothing. The nose is cloves. Has balance with a sweet and dryness to it. Good amount of jam and fruit, the finish is slightly dry but not over powering. It is quite silky and we try not to use that term loosely. However for the price, well it just is. Medium bodied and smooth or as we tend to say balance balance balance.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP. The 2006 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva cost right around $13. This wine is one of the more valued wines for the price. If we had a Great and Cheap category this wine would be in it. We tasted this wine and the Vallevo side by side and with the same verdict. But if you see this wine on the shelf PICK IT UP and enjoy. This wine stands apart from the rest, when it comes to quality for the price! The wine is also known loosely as the toggle wine. For the wooden toggle that is twined on the bottle.

FACTS
Classified DOC, and comes from Montepulciano in the region of yes you guest it AGAIN Abruzzo. Fermentation with the skins in stainless steel and aged in oak barrels for 6 months and another 3 in the bottle. The winery has an aesthetically pleasing website...www.cantinazaccagnini.it

Vallevo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008

EXPERIENCE
The cork is synthetic. The nose is light and jammy but solid. The first taste is light with spice and slightly thin but not bad, with a mildly dry finish. The wine has some body with some dark plum or even an olive. Right after the pour the wine is fuller then as it opens it becomes "weaker" or "thin" with the spicy and dry finish. Surprisingly bold for the body.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP. The 2008 Vallev∂ Montepulciano d'Abruzzo cost right around $12 (it has been found on line for around $9). It is one of the more valued wines for the price. It does not have the "wow" factor however for the price you will not be disappointed either...... (more to come next post)

FACTS
Classified DOC, and comes from Montepulciano in the region of yes you guest it Abruzzo. Not to be confused with the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which comes from Tuscany. There isn't much information on the Vallevo wines (I know of 3), according to our research this wine is recommended quite a bit. The quality for the price seems to be a huge hit. And we don't disagree.

Bastianich Friulano 2007

A Christmas Eve tasting of another favorite white wine. A simple white staple. Note the bottle image is of the old label. No longer says Tocai.

EXPERIENCE
No cork, screw top. Earthy, funky nose. Pale yellow in color. Light and crisp with a pleasantly muted finish. A little pear with a the finish being slightly peppery. Becomes more full bodied as it warms and opens up.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP. The 2007 Bastianich Friulano cost right around $13, it is one of the best bang for your buck and enjoyable whites available. This is another white to enjoy if one is a red lover.

FACTS
This wine is 100% Friulano, classified DOC, and comes from Friuli. This wine was formerly known as Tocai. Produced in the Colli Orientali area of Friuli. More info on the Bastianich site... http://www.bastianich.com/

Cantine Colosi Nero d'Avola 2007

We are big fans of the Colosi "Rosso", so when I saw this bottle along side it at out local liquor store I grabbed one of each. This bottle costs a bit more, but $18.50 is still not a lot for a good bottle of wine. Let's see how it stacks up...

EXPERIENCE
Synthetic cork. The nose is smoky with a small amount of alcohol along with black berries and a hint of plum. The first taste is pleasant and smooth, a bit watery, and tart on the finish. The body starts out on the lighter side, but as it opens up becomes more medium. The fruit gradually comes out, with a citrus finish more black fruit and plum. A balanced and smooth wine with enough complexity to keep your attention.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP. Colosi wins again. We saved our last glass of this one for a side-by-side tasting with the Colosi "Rosso" and found that while the two neros are quite similar, the 2007 offered a more complex fruity flavor... perhaps the justification for its higher price. On its own, though, this is a good bottle of wine for less than $20.

FACTS
100% Nero d'Avola and classified IGT. The labeling on this wine as compared to the "Rosso" is confusing, but I was able to solve my quandary on the winery's website. The "Nero d'Avola", their premium nero, is made from the property's best grapes and aged entirely in stainless steel, while the "Rosso", their entry-level nero, is made from standard-quality grapes and aged in oak.

Placido Chianti 2005

Can our replete audience handle this sudden barrage of posts? We'll see... We continue with a recession special. Originally picked for the "horsey" on the label, this DOCG bottle of Chianti cost us a mere $9.90 at our local wine shop. 

EXPERIENCE

A sweet pleasant cork, not too distinct. The nose reminds us of mushrooms, but its not overwhelmingly funky. The wine is soft at first, semi-sweet, with a slightly tart finish. It has a nice medium body and is balanced throughout. Not much change as the wine opens up.

VERDICT

GOOD AND CHEAP. Can't beat the overall product for the money; less than $10 for a balanced, pleasant wine that pairs great with food. Obviously it didn't rock our vinicultural world, but it's nice to have option when trying to overcome the vicious cycle of empty pockets and the need to drink. 

FACTS

The Chianti DOCG region is located in Toscana. There isn't much information out there on Placido, but the US importer has a site here.

Cantine Colosi "Rosso" Nero d'Avola 2006

This Nero d'Avola came highly recommended from the trusted proprietor of our neighborhood liquor store. We got it for a mere $13, and from the looks of a quick Google search you may be able to find it for less.

EXPERIENCE
Synthetic cork isn't our favorite way to start a bottle, but it doesn't always spell disaster. The wine has a soft, pleasant aroma with small amount of alcohol. The first taste has a nice 'jam' flavor, slightly sweet, and a bit watery in the beginning. That leads to a full fruit flavor in the middle and ends with a very light dryness. The full body of fruit in the wine is the essence. You are left with the middle of the wine in your mouth not the beginning or end. Very well balanced throughout.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP. We can't stop picking this bottle up, and apparently neither can anyone else in out neighborhood; the liquor store sold out their original stock and had to order a second round. Its surprisingly full for a Nero d'Avola and more surprising for only costing $13. Once again with this wine, pleasant flavor and balance prevail!

FACTS
Cantine Colosi is located on the isle of Sicilia in Italy. Their "Rosso" 2006 is a Nero d'Avola and thusly made entirely from the nero d'avola grape, the main grape of Sicily. Our friend at the liquor store told us this wine gets its full flavor from aging in oak. It is classified IGT.

Penner-Ash Rubeo 2006

On my annual trip to Oregon for family & friends fun consisting of hiking, white water rafting and of course a tour of some of the Willamette Valley vineyards and wineries, I ran across this little gem. I was lead there by a couple that live in Oregon and really know their Oregon wine. The Penner Ash Rubeo, a blend of Pinot Noir and Syrah. With a moderate price of $20 this was the most interesting and pleasing (at least for me) of the Penner Ash wines. They have a great selection of Pinots and a Viognier along with a Syrah. But this blend of Pinot Noir and Syrah really stands out from the rest. My friends that took us to this vineyard hit this on the head. I purchased a bottle to bring back and he purchased a bottle in which he was nice enough to share with me.
-Nick

EXPERIENCE
The wine is medium to full body, at first very earthy. Our Oregonian acquaintances like to say: “If the wine has an aroma of a compost pile, chances are that wine is going to be a good one.” You may ask, 'why would you want to drink something that smells that bad?', but have no fear. As this bottle opens up, the “compost” aroma fades and the wine takes off with an aroma of spice & fruit. The taste offers rich fruit with earth undertones that is well balanced from beginning to end. We really enjoyed this wine particularly because it is different than the “normal” huge, in your face wines that are now coming from the west coast.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP. You can't argue with a nicely balanced and pleasantly complex wine for around $20. Don't be scared by the description of the aroma... just think 'well tilled earth' rather than 'rotting garbage'.

FACTS
Penner-Ash is located in the northern Willamette Valley, Oregon. Their 2006 Rubeo is a blend of syrah and pinot noir. Check out their website for more details.

Fattoria di Magliano "Heba" Morellino di Scansano 2006

A precursor to a night of Red Wings hockey and a Kimbo Slice fight, we found this wine at a new shop in our neighborhood for $18. Given our reverence for La Mozza's Morellino, this wine has some high standards to live up to...

EXPERIENCE

The cork is surprisingly strong; hinting at an earthy/wood tone balanced with fruit. The first taste is mellow, with little bit of alcohol on the nose. The body is medium-light, with a dry tart finish. Often with a lighter red wine a tart finish can be overpowering; however, in this case, the body is not too light and the finish not too strong. As it opens it becomes pleasantly sweeter on the front, the finish gets longer and less tart, and you really get a sense of the smooth "jammy" taste of the grapes.

VERDICT

GOOD AND CHEAP. No complaints on this one. Good balance with enough complexity the keep your attention. Our affinity for Morellino continues... 

FACTS

Fattoria di Magliano is located in the town of Magliano in the Maremma region of southern Toscana. "Heba" is the name they give to their DOC Morellino di Scansano (much like "I Parazzi"), which is made from 85% Morellino (the local variety of Sangiovese) and 15% "other." Unfortunately they aren't very specific with their grapes, but they do mention aging in "cement butts." We tried our best to figure out what they are referring to, but couldn't really piece it together. Bad translation? Perhaps. Whatever these mysterious "butts" may be, they make for some good wine!

Carpineto Dogajolo 2005 & 2006

In case you were wondering what exactly our name means... this post explains it all. This is a wine we picked up at our neighborhood liquor store for a meager $9. We've had it before, so we were looking forward to giving it some thought. We popped the cork, took a sip, and were simply puzzled. This was not the wine we've had before?!?! Well, it just so happens that we still had the empty bottle from the last time we had the wine. After some quick label sleuthing, we realized that the old bottle was a 2005 and this new bottle is a 2006. Seeing this as a great opportunity for a side by side tasting, we ran out and grabbed the last 2005 bottle they had at the liquor store. Here are the results...

EXPERIENCE

We tried the 2006 first. The nose is weak, but you can tell the wine is going to be relatively bitter; the first taste follows suit. There is not much of anything when the wine hits your tongue, and then all you are left with is an intense tart bitterness. There is really no fruit taste to this wine at all, just a dry finish that leaves you reaching for a glass of water.

The 2005 is the wine we remembered. There is a hint of bitterness in the nose, but there is also a more complex, fruity aroma that is missing from the 2006. The first taste is starkly different; this is a much more balanced wine. There is a slight berry flavor and a smooth texture, both of which are missing from the 2006. The finish has a similar bitterness, but is less dry and much less harsh. Rather than make us wish we just had water, this wine makes us wish we had more.

VERDICT

2006 TASTES CHEAP while the 2005 is GOOD AND CHEAP. This is a great example of how different two vintages of the same wine can be. If you can find the 2005, pick up a couple of bottles; if not, skip 2006 and hope for a better vintage in 2007.

FACTS

Carpineto is based in the Chianti Classico region on the coast of Toscana; however they have several estates throughout the region. The grapes for this wine come from their vineyards near Chianciano and Montepulciano. Dogajolo is their "super-tuscan" blend made up of 80% sangiovese and 20% cabernet sauvignon. Though it is not labeled as such, according to Carpineto's website this wine is classified IGT. The website also notes that the two grapes that make up this wine are harvested and vinified separately, then later combined in small wooden casks.

La Mozza "I Perazzi" Morellino di Scansano 2005

We have drunk more bottles of this wine than either of us care to admit (or can remember). At around $17 a bottle, I Perazzi is attractive to the budget conscious. Don't be deceived by La Mozza's creative names; this is a Morellino di Scansano.

EXPERIENCE

Though the cork and aroma don't offer a whole lot, the taste does not disappoint. Fruity at first with a nice medium body and a hint of alcohol in the finish, the wine offers a very well rounded and balanced experience. The one thought we keep coming back to is that this is just a pleasant wine to drink all the way through. It stands on its own, offers an interesting tasting, and can also be easily paired with food.

VERDICT

GOOD AND CHEAP Balance, balance, balance. La Mozza has it right with this wine. It is just easy to drink. When you consider the price tag, the wine goes well above what you'd ever expect. If Quintarelli's Valpolicella is our Ferrari 250 GT, this is our Fiat 124 Sport Spider. Bottom line, find this wine, buy it and enjoy it.

FACTS

La Mozza is located in the Maremma region of the province of Grosseto in southern Toscana. I Perazzi is classified DOC and is composed of 85% Morellino (the local name for what is actually Sangiovese), 4% Syrah, 4% Alicante, 3% Colorino, 4% Ciliegiollo.

BEHOLD! A rating system.

"And the Lord sayeth to them: Drink wine, and describe it in a way that pleaseth me."

I give you... THE VERDICT

No, this isn't an episode of Law & Order. Seriously, though, what does 85 points mean anyway? We don't know. So rather than come up with some new and unimproved rating system, we are going to keep things simple. 

Wines are separated into 3 categories based on price; they are then given a thumbs up or thumbs down accordingly. Here's the break down:

under $20 - GOOD AND CHEAP or TASTES CHEAP

$20 to $50 - GREAT VALUE or NOT A VALUE

$50 and up - SHELL OUT or SIT OUT

This makes it easy to find a wine that has a positive review and fits your budget.

Now, get on with it. Drink up and be somebody.