I’m a big fan of Italian wines. If the price of wine were no a consideration I’d be drinking Brunello di Montalcino on a regular basis. But money is a consideration. So fortunately, there’s Rosso di Montalcino.
Both Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino are made from sangiovese grown in the vineyards surrounding the Italian town of Montalcino.
- Brunello di Montalcino must be aged in oak for at least 2 years and in bottle for at least 4 months before the wine is released. They tend to be expensive wines, selling for $50 and up per bottle. These tend to also be good wines for aging in a wine cellar.
- Rosso di Montalcino only needs to be aged in oak for 6 months and only needs 1 year total aging (oak+bottle) before being released. Rosso tends to be significantly cheaper than it’s big brother, Brunello. Rosso also tends to be lighter in style and ready to drink right away.
So when it comes to finding a tasty wine of this style that won’t break the bank, the Rosso wins. And when it comes time to enjoy it, you win.
This particular Rosso di Montalcino comes from Castello Banfi, a producer with broad distribution in the United States, making this a wine that shouldn’t be too hard to find.
Cedar, cherry, black pepper and plum aromatics give this wine good complexity on the nose – it’s got a bit of fruit and a bit of spice. It’s nice and well balanced. The palate is a similar story, it offers tasty cherry, blackberry, raspberry and spice flavors that are good, but not incredible. It offers an old world style, that brings a balance of earthy and fruity qualities. The acidity is good and moderate tannins give a bit of texture to the mouthfeel. The finish is relatively long and tasty.
Wine: Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino
Variety: Sangiovese
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 87
Price: $20.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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Late last summer I visited west Sicily to explore the Marsala wine region. While I was there I learned about grillo, a grape that is traditionally used to make Marsala wine and is being used more and more to produce white table wines. It’s an amazing grape, capable of producing some really interesting wines. And just recently I was super excited when I discovered this sparkling wine made from grillo — I had to check it out!
Grillo tends to excel in a number of areas that tend to result in good white wine, such as lively aromatics, tropical and citrus flavors, vibrant acidity and salty mineral flavors. With these characteristics, I was really curious to find out what Stemmari could do with this grape in a sparkler.
Baci Vivaci translates to “lively kisses” although after tasting this wine, I think “gentle kisses” would be more appropriate as this is a very light wine. It’s lively in a way, but I’d say it’s more delicate than lively. But that’s not to say that it isn’t really good, because it is.
Gentle honeysuckle, lemon, peach and mineral aromatics give this wine a sultry, soft and elegant introduction. The palate is light and refreshing, offering soft apple, peach and mineral flavors. The fruit is very light and not at all sweet on the palate. It’s also not sour, but just right. The bubbles continue the “light” theme, offering just a slight frizzante characteristic rather than an intensely-bubbly style like you would get in a Champagne or Cava. The acidity is good, giving a touch of vibrancy to the wine. It finishes long with salty mineral and delicate peach flavors. This is a very nice, light and refreshing wine and one I’d definitely want to have again.
Priced under $10, this wine is a bargain.
Wine: Stemmari Baci Vivaci
Variety: Grillo
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 10.5%
Rating: 88
Price: $9.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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Last week I did a write-up on the Mionetto Prestige Collection Prosecco and commented about how I’ve been coming across more and more of their wines lately. This is another Prosecco from their “IL” line and is also quite tasty.
I love what Mionetto is doing with the packaging on their IL line sparklers. Rather than a cork, it has a bottle cap on it. This gives me the sense that this is a casual, everyday sparkler — which is exactly the way I think more consumers should look at sparklers. It doesn’t need to be a special occasion to enjoy this, just pop the top and have at it.
As it says on the label, this is a “gentle sparkling wine,” meaning the carbonation is lighter than you would find in many other sparklers. And that’s how they can get away with the bottle cap, I think the cap might be risky on a normal sparkler due to a bit more pressure in the bottle. If you’ve had a Vinho Verde with a frizzante sparkle to it, this is similar in bubble density.
The nose on this wine is subtle, but pleasant, offering light peach, lemon, floral and salty aromas. It’s well balanced and cheerful. The palate tells a similar story. There’s no “in your face” elements to it, but elegant, balanced, light flavors such as peach, lemon and salty minerals. The acidity is sufficient. The finish is nice, showing salty minerals and lemon flavors.
For the money, this is a nice bottle of bubbly. It’s one to not take too seriously, but just enjoy.
Wine: Mionetto IL Prosecco
Variety: Glera
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 10.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $12.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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I’ve been coming across a number of different sparklers from Mionetto lately. They seem to be doing a marketing push and I’m seeing them everywhere. And after tasting some of their bubbly, I had to share this one with you.
Prosecco is the focus at Mionetto, and they don’t just produce one. In the category of sparkling wine, Prosecco tends to be more of a bargain than many other sparklers. This is in part due to the process they use to produce it, a “charmat” process that involves secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks. This differs from the more labor-intensive “méthode traditionnelle” in which the secondary fermentation is done in bottle.
This particular Prosecco from the Mionetto lineup is their “Prestige Collection” line and is a Brut, meaning it’s dry.
This Prosecco is quite fruity on the nose, giving off a pear, honeydew melon, peach and sort of a fruit cocktail quality. It’s nice. The palate is a good balance of salty mineral and fruit, particularly peach and pear with a bit of lemon as well. It’s beautiful. The acidity is perfect and the mouthfeel is good. The finish is fairly long with tangy citrus and salty mineral.
Overall, this is some of the best Prosecco I’ve had in a while.
Wine: Mionetto Prestige Collection Brut
Variety: Glera
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 11%
Rating: 90
Price: $14.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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As you may have noticed, wine PR folks like to come up with various events to get folks talking about (and more importantly, drinking) their wines. One trend I’ve noticed in this camp is the (fill in the blank) wine day. You know, International Tempranillo Day, International Merlot Day, International Cabernet Sauvignon Day, Malbec World Day, etc. And a bunch of folks who promote riesling have a similar thing they’ve been doing for the past several years called Summer of Riesling.
That’s right, riesling doesn’t just get one day it get’s the whole summer — because riesling is that awesome!
But what exactly is the Summer of Riesling? Ummmmm… Besides a PR stunt? Ummmmmm… I’m not exactly sure. But it sure is fun.
OK, it really is a PR stunt. It started in New York City in 2008 at a small wine bar called Terroir — a pretty cool place (that now has a few locations) and I recommend checking them out if you’re ever in NYC. It’s meant to be a celebration of riesling and the many different personalities the wine can have. It’s a time when wine bars put a few more riesling options on their menu and encourage wine lovers to explore riesling — and have some fun doing so. And the Summer of Riesling celebration has grown to a pretty good size. It’s now an international event, although most participating locations are still in the US.
You can always celebrate the Summer of Riesling on your own too. And that’s what I did with this fantastic German riesling from Mosel, Reichsgraf Von Kesselstatt – RK Riesling.
The floral aromas on the nose of this wine are off the chain! It also shows some peach, lime, melon and mineral aromas too. The palate brings soft fruit flavors, such as melon, apple and peach that is tasty while not being sweet. Vibrant acidity gives it a nice zing. The mouthfeel is good too. The finish is long and tropical, revealing a bit of pineapple. This is a well balanced and delicious riesling.
Wine: Reichsgraf Von Kesselstatt – RK Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 10%
Rating: 90
Price: $19.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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If you’re a regular reader here you probably already know that I’m a fan of dry rosé wines (among a number of other wine styles). OK, I’m a fan of pretty much all kinds of wine. But I think rosé is often overlooked, yet it can be a fun, enjoyable wine with character. And this is my latest rosé discovery.
Hey Mambo is one of the wine brands produced by The Other Guys wines. Although the company is relatively young, the folks behind it come from one of the oldest wine families in the California wine industry, the Sebastiani family, who have been producing wine in California for over 100 years.
Hey Mambo Dry Rosé is made from 100% pinot noir. In addition to being a tasty wine it comes with a fun Zork closure, which you unwind and pull off. I’ve heard some people call the Zork silly, but I have no issues with it. You can open it without a corkscrew, it can be easily resealed and has zero chance of creating cork taint. What more could you want?
Strawberry, cranberry, wet stone and floral aromas give this wine an enjoyable, complex and balanced nose. The palate also brings good balance and nice flavors, such as strawberry, cherry and lime. The fruit flavors are just the right intensity to make it flavorful but not sweet. The acidity is good and there’s a slight creaminess to the mouthfeel that is nice. The finish is crisp and refreshing. This is a very enjoyable rosé.
Wine: Hey Mambo
Variety: Pinot noir
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $12.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
Although my primary focus on this website is inexpensive wines (it’s in the name of the site after all), I sometimes have an opportunity to taste wines that don’t fit in the “cheap” categorization. And every now and then I think all wine lover’s should taste the “good stuff.” After all, these are the wines that set the standard.
And in my mind, when it comes to Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, Caymus Vineyards is the standard. I’m sure many wine consumers and critics might argue that other brands should hold that title. But for whatever reason, when I think of top notch Napa Valley cab, Caymus is the first name that comes to mind.
Caymus Vineyards is now celebrating their 40th year of producing their cabernet sauvignon and has released a special 40th anniversary bottling. The label on the bottle includes photos of the Wagner family (the owners of Caymus), celebrating the family’s history of producing this wine.
They haven’t always had a legendary status. Caymus started as a shoestring operation, producing wine with old equipment, including used barrels gifted from neighboring wineries. They filled and hand-corked the bottles one at a time in those early days. And sold the wine for a modest $4.50 per bottle. Sign me up for that deal!
One pivotal moment in their history that helps propel them to legendary status was an appearance of Charlie Wagner on the cover of Wine Spectator magazine holding a bottle of their 1983 cabernet. The headline read, “Best Damn Cabernet in California.” Although that occurred well before my wine drinking days began, I’m sure the notoriety they gained from that publicity had a lasting effect. Hence, my perception of Caymus as setting the standard.
In addition to this being their 40th year release, it also happens to be a 2012 vintage — which is considered one of the best vintages ever for Napa Valley wines.
The aromas from this wine are incredible. It’s rich, spicy, exotic and powerful, offering intense blackberry, cassis, black licorice and plum aromatics. It’s equally rich in the mouth, bringing big black cherry, blackberry, chocolate and coffee flavors. Big is an understatement with this wine. The acidity is perfect. And the mouthfeel is beautifully-velvety. It’s an amazing wine and would be even better with 5-10 years in the cellar.
Wine: Caymus Vineyards 40th Anniversary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet sauvignon
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 14.6%
Rating: 94
Price: $60.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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I’ve written about previous vintages of Apothic Red and it’s a consistently popular wine among everyday wine drinkers. I’ve had a few folks ask me about the recent vintage lately, so I thought I’d revisit this one with the 2012 vintage.
This wine is a fruit bomb. The aromatics are filled with strawberry, raspberry, plum and cherry. It also reveals some spice notes, such as nutmeg and chocolate. There’s nothing subtle about it. The palate is also all about the fruit. While it’s technically a “dry” wine, it’s on the sweeter side of dry. Juicy strawberry, cherry, plum and cola flavors abound in this wine. There’s a touch of silkiness to the mouthfeel and the acidity is sufficient. The finish is moderately long, with lingering sweet berry flavors. I wouldn’t call this wine sophisticated or elegant, but it sure is easy to drink it.
So why is this wine so popular? Is it the marketing? Is it the label? Is it the taste of the wine itself? Is it the distribution? Is it the price?
I think it’s a combination of those things that drives the popularity of this wine. The label is eye catching, it’s pretty darn cheap and it seems to be available everywhere that sells wine. But the wine has to taste good to get people to buy it again. And it does. Like I said, it’s easy to drink. It’s approachable and tasty — and that’s what most folks want from their wine. It’s not a wine to tuck away in the cellar or save for a special occasion. It’s a wine to just enjoy. So, enjoy it!
Wine: Apothic Red
Variety: Zinfandel, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and merlot
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $14.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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A few weeks ago I wrote about the Handcraft Inspiration Red, a tasty little red blend. So I thought I’d check out another wine from the Handcraft family, their cabernet sauvignon.
I come across a lot of people who love cabernet sauvignon and for many it is their “go to” red wine. Like many wines, it can come to life in a range of personalities. But one thing that tends to be fairly consistent is that it’s often a big, bold wine. A wine that’s not about subtleties. And I’d say that’s true of this one.
For many wine lovers, California cabernet sauvignon is where it’s at. But what differentiates the good ones from the great ones? For me there are a number of factors, but a couple that tend to stand out with cabernet are balance and mouthfeel. When you have a big, bold wine it can sometimes be too bold in some aspects — thereby not having great balance. And a really silky mouthfeel can give the wine a texture that makes it stand apart from other wines.
In both of those categories, this wine does OK but not exceptional. It has good complexity and fruit and it’s overall an easy wine to drink but is a touch off with its balance and the texture could be better. That said, for the price it’s still darn good.
The nose of this wine is like chocolate covered cherries mixed with vanilla ice cream. It’s powerful and pleasant, although the aromas are a bit on the sweet and spicy side. The palate also reveals some residual sugar, with a noticeable sweetness, although it’s still a “dry” wine and there’s a tartness to the fruit. It’s like tart cherries with sugar sprinkled over them. You taste both the sweet and the sour together, but the sweetness throws the balance off slightly. Chocolate and some blackberry flavors also show up on the palate. The acidity is great and the mouthfeel good. It finishes with lingering cherry flavors. Overall, it’s not an elegant wine but easy to drink and would be a good burger wine.
Wine: Handcraft, Artist Collection, Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Syrah, zinfandel, merlot, malbec and sangiovese
Vintage: 2011
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 85
Price: $11.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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I’ll admit it. When I first saw this wine, I didn’t have high expectations. After all, Wolfgang Puck isn’t known for wine, he’s a restauranteur — and a master at leveraging his personal brand to sell stuff.
And while I’m sure he’s a talented chef (after all he had to have some credibility to build his empire), to me his name conjures up the thought of mediocre airport restaurant food. Yes, I’m sure I haven’t tasted the best he has to offer. But what I have tasted hasn’t impressed me.
So, I had a preconceived notion that this wine would mirror the quality of the crappy food at Wolfgang Puck’s airport restaurants. After all, the wine was originally only sold at his restaurants.
But then I discovered that the wine is made by DFV Wines, a producer I trust to create good, reasonably-priced wines. Wolfgang Puck didn’t create these wines, the winemakers at DFV created them for him — although he did taste along with the winemakers to approve the blend.
Now I’m totally confused about what I should expect here and the only thing left to do is taste and let the wine tell its own story.
The spices are intense on the nose of this wine, showing aromas such as cinnamon, pencil shavings and nutmeg along with rich fruit like plum and blackberry. In the mouth it’s like chocolate covered blackberry, plum and cherry. The acidity is vibrant and the mouthfeel smooth. It finishes with lingering blackberry, chocolate and baking spice flavors. It’s a tasty wine.
Wine: Wolfgang Puck Master Lot Reserve Red Blend
Variety: Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, syrah, petite sirah
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $15.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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