| Red Tuscan Tasting Report |
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For our staff tasting this month, instead of picking a single
grape variety to taste, we instead chose to taste wines
from the Tuscan wine region in Italy. This large wine
region, which is probably Italy’s best known region for
quality wines, is famous for putting the name Chianti on
the world wine drinking map. You know that wine
Hannibal Lecter drinks with liver and fava beans! Even
though there are many different Tuscan wines to choose
from, our tasting focused on three main types, well okay,
technically four. We had one Chianti Classico, one
Chianti Classico Riserva (See, that is where I was splitting
hairs), a Brunello di Montalcino and three different Super
Tuscans.
The two different Chianti’s and the Brunello di Montalcino
are almost entirely comprised of the famous native Tuscan
grape, Sangiovese. The three Super Tuscans, however,
break all the traditional rules of Tuscany because they
allow a percentage of non-native grapes to be either
blended with Sangiovese or make up the bottle of wine
entirely on their own. Usually these non-native grape
varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but lately
more and more are using Syrah and Cabernet Franc too. I’
ll save a lesson on the how and why Super Tuscan wines
came to be for another time.
This tasting was held at Mark & Ronda’s house and they
had prepared for all of us an Italian feast that was quite
simply, delicious! Alfredo pasta, bruscetta, mozzarella and
roma tomato salad, etc… I left stuffed to the rafters! The
food and wine went together, as Forrest Gump might say,
“Like peas and carrots”! Thank you Mark & Ronda for
hosting and for all of the wonderful food.
As for the wines this month…well this may have been
from top to bottom the best collection of wines we have
ever tasted for review as a group. There were no “dogs”
in this bunch! There was not a single wine that all of us
did not like to some degree or another and the scores you’
ll see below reflect that. In fact, there was less than a
single point difference between the fourth place wine and
the sixth. The second and third place bottle were again
only separated by less than a point, however, our first
place wine was a runaway hit. The number one wine in our
tasting was awarded the highest score ever in the four
years we have been rating wines on this website. It was
brilliant! And the best part was that I brought it to the
tasting! It is a good thing I don’t gloat!
Here are the results:
grape variety to taste, we instead chose to taste wines
from the Tuscan wine region in Italy. This large wine
region, which is probably Italy’s best known region for
quality wines, is famous for putting the name Chianti on
the world wine drinking map. You know that wine
Hannibal Lecter drinks with liver and fava beans! Even
though there are many different Tuscan wines to choose
from, our tasting focused on three main types, well okay,
technically four. We had one Chianti Classico, one
Chianti Classico Riserva (See, that is where I was splitting
hairs), a Brunello di Montalcino and three different Super
Tuscans.
The two different Chianti’s and the Brunello di Montalcino
are almost entirely comprised of the famous native Tuscan
grape, Sangiovese. The three Super Tuscans, however,
break all the traditional rules of Tuscany because they
allow a percentage of non-native grapes to be either
blended with Sangiovese or make up the bottle of wine
entirely on their own. Usually these non-native grape
varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but lately
more and more are using Syrah and Cabernet Franc too. I’
ll save a lesson on the how and why Super Tuscan wines
came to be for another time.
This tasting was held at Mark & Ronda’s house and they
had prepared for all of us an Italian feast that was quite
simply, delicious! Alfredo pasta, bruscetta, mozzarella and
roma tomato salad, etc… I left stuffed to the rafters! The
food and wine went together, as Forrest Gump might say,
“Like peas and carrots”! Thank you Mark & Ronda for
hosting and for all of the wonderful food.
As for the wines this month…well this may have been
from top to bottom the best collection of wines we have
ever tasted for review as a group. There were no “dogs”
in this bunch! There was not a single wine that all of us
did not like to some degree or another and the scores you’
ll see below reflect that. In fact, there was less than a
single point difference between the fourth place wine and
the sixth. The second and third place bottle were again
only separated by less than a point, however, our first
place wine was a runaway hit. The number one wine in our
tasting was awarded the highest score ever in the four
years we have been rating wines on this website. It was
brilliant! And the best part was that I brought it to the
tasting! It is a good thing I don’t gloat!
Here are the results:
| Ruffino 2003 Modus – Toscana (Super Tuscan), Italy |
Notes – This Super Tuscan is comprised of
Sangiovese 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon
25% and Merlot 25%. It starts off with
the most amazing aromas of nice cedar,
tobacco, cigar box and peppermint cream.
Truly heavenly! On the palate it explodes
into a complex and fantastic wine that has
tightrope precision and balance between
the juicy red fruit and spicy oak shadings.
One taster put in their remarks,
“perfection personified”. I think that
about sums it up!
Sangiovese 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon
25% and Merlot 25%. It starts off with
the most amazing aromas of nice cedar,
tobacco, cigar box and peppermint cream.
Truly heavenly! On the palate it explodes
into a complex and fantastic wine that has
tightrope precision and balance between
the juicy red fruit and spicy oak shadings.
One taster put in their remarks,
“perfection personified”. I think that
about sums it up!
| About $25.00 |
| Score A |
| Dievole 2000 Broccato – Toscana (Super Tuscan), Italy |
Notes – This crimson colored wine had
deep masculine and earthy aromas mixed
in with old oak nuances. On the palate, it
was massive, a little astringent upfront
with heavy-handed tannins on the finish.
Even though this was the oldest wine in the
tasting, it gave you the impression that it
had many more glorious years to come.
Some of us mistakenly thought it was the
Brunello di Montalcino wine because of its
size and depth.
deep masculine and earthy aromas mixed
in with old oak nuances. On the palate, it
was massive, a little astringent upfront
with heavy-handed tannins on the finish.
Even though this was the oldest wine in the
tasting, it gave you the impression that it
had many more glorious years to come.
Some of us mistakenly thought it was the
Brunello di Montalcino wine because of its
size and depth.
| Around $30.00 |
| Score A- |
| Marchese Antinori 2001 Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy |
Notes – Ruby/purple in color, this wine
showed off old world style toasty oak,
saddle leather and hints of roses in the
nose. On the palate it was like a briar
patch glistening with sweet cherries and
Grandma Marconi’s zesty tomato basil
sauce that finishes with soft tannins on
your tongue. This was our first wine of the
evening and it started us off with a bang!
showed off old world style toasty oak,
saddle leather and hints of roses in the
nose. On the palate it was like a briar
patch glistening with sweet cherries and
Grandma Marconi’s zesty tomato basil
sauce that finishes with soft tannins on
your tongue. This was our first wine of the
evening and it started us off with a bang!
| Score B+ |
| About $30.00 |
| Querciabella 2004 Chianti Classico, Italy |
Notes – Hot red fruits burst from the glass
that transition into a wine that tastes
smooth, albeit not overly complex, with
soft silky tannins that persist onto the
finish. Certainly a wine that is not going to
get in the way of any food at the dinner
table. So in that respect, it might have
been the best food wine of the tasting.
that transition into a wine that tastes
smooth, albeit not overly complex, with
soft silky tannins that persist onto the
finish. Certainly a wine that is not going to
get in the way of any food at the dinner
table. So in that respect, it might have
been the best food wine of the tasting.
| Score B+ |
| Around $25.00 |
| Il Borro 2002 Toscana (Super Tuscan), Italy |
Notes – The Il Borro has a very inviting
nose filled with minty eucalyptus and
steakhouse floor sawdust. On the palate,
the oak is big and burly, but it integrates
nicely with the sour cherry and other red
fruits that accompany it. It has a medium-
length finish. I must say, the winemaker
deserves accolades for turning out a great
bottle of wine in such a poor vintage for
Tuscany (2002). Well done!
nose filled with minty eucalyptus and
steakhouse floor sawdust. On the palate,
the oak is big and burly, but it integrates
nicely with the sour cherry and other red
fruits that accompany it. It has a medium-
length finish. I must say, the winemaker
deserves accolades for turning out a great
bottle of wine in such a poor vintage for
Tuscany (2002). Well done!
| About $40.00 |
| Score B+ |
| Casisano Colombaio 2001 Brunello di Montalcino, Italy |
Notes – This was the lightest in color of all
the wines with candied red fruits mixed in
with a little oak on the nose. On the palate
it was a soft wine without much depth and
displaying vibrant candied currants. I think
we were all shocked that this was the
Brunello in the line up. It did not seem to
fit the profile of Brunello’s in that it was
lighter than the rest and Brunello’s are
typically big and brawny wines.
the wines with candied red fruits mixed in
with a little oak on the nose. On the palate
it was a soft wine without much depth and
displaying vibrant candied currants. I think
we were all shocked that this was the
Brunello in the line up. It did not seem to
fit the profile of Brunello’s in that it was
lighter than the rest and Brunello’s are
typically big and brawny wines.
| Around $40.00 |
| Score B+ |
| 40% Cabernet Sauvignon / 50% Merlot / 10% Syrah |
