Italian Reds
1998 Umberto Cesari SangioveSe Di Romana Reserva ($11.99)
85% Sangiovese and 15% Cabernet Savignon. It has a bright red, ruby
color with rich raspberry and cherry fruit and slight tannins. A good
easy
drinking wine for snacks of Italian cheeses and salami.
1993 Castelli Del Grevepesa Gualdo al Luco ($28.00) A pleasant find
among the Super Tuscans at a great price. Aging has served this wine
well with the tannins dulled, the color bricked, and the fruit having
the authority to develop. Mature black fruit and a spice flavor make
this quite enjoyable, though the finish does not hold up to other
Super Tuscans.
1998 Morellino Di Scansano Barbi ($19.00) This Tuscan Sangiovese
lacks the fruitiness and finish to grab your attention. The sweet
sauce on my fried calamari stepped on this wine so it will not hold
up well with pasta sauces high in acidity.
1998 Castello Banfi Centire ($11.00) From the winery that brings
us the big, bold red wine, Summus, this is a lighter fruitier wine
that is well balanced and refreshing. Comprised of 60% Sangiovese,
20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot, this wine is a good companion
to pastas and dried meats.
Italian Whites
1995 Teruzzi & Puthod Vernaccia di San Gimignano ($11.00) This
is a summer's eve wine, not a heavy meal wine. Light, crisp, fruity
and low in alcohol, this wine is something like refreshing lemonade
on a hot summer day. Fruity without the sweetness to offend.
1998 French Creek Ridge Chardonnay ($11.00) Oak gives this a body
and a creaminess with a classy vanilla flavor. The length was disappointing
since the build up was so strong. I haven't liked anything else from
this winery, but this one was good.
1996 Ferrari-Carano Alexander Valley Chardonnay ($21.00) This wine
had a yellow-gold color, with a medium weight and body to it. A smokey
lemon and vanilla aroma rose in the chimney of my glass. The fruit
was plentiful with a bit of an apple flavor. Nice fruit acid balance.
Should hold up well to zesty foods.
1998 Iron Horse Chardonnay, Sonoma County, Green Valley ($22.00)
A nose of citrus dominates your glass as you pour the wine. The wine
starts off with the acids muting the fruit, but a long finish reveals
pear and peach flavors. Not an oaken wine, this is lighter and crisper.
A solid wone once the acid rescinds.
