Ruffino Il Ducale 2005 - $20

Super Tuscan.

Blend is: 60% sangiovese, 25% merlot and 15% syrah

David: Dark red with slight brownish tint. Nose is sulfury barnyard but over-powering. Some violets. Full bodied with good acidity. Big pomegranate fruit with a chocolatey taste. Powerful but smooth tannins. Decent finish. Enjoyable wine.
Score: 4.0/5

Bran Caia Tre 2007 - $18

A Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet.

David: Crimson in color. Nose of dark fruit, oak, cocoa. A little bit of stink. Medium to full bodied, smooth texture and medium to low acidity with big black cherry fruit. Round tannins and pretty good balance and layering. A little on the mellow side but overall, quite tasty.
Score: 4.0/5

Monte Antico Toscana 2006 - $12

75 % Sangiovese, 15 % Merlot and 10 % Cabernet Sauvignon. A Super tuscan.

David: Light crimson in color. Typical Sangiovese nose with cherry and strawberry and a little earthiness. Medium bodied with lot of acidity and lots of red fruit. Good grippy tannins give it nice structure. Finishes with a little too much acidity.
Score 3.8/5

Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2006 - $21

David: Monsanto makes some extremely expensive Italian wines. This Chianti Classico is one of their cheapest offerings. 90% Sangioveto (a particular clone of Sangiovese) and 10% Canaiolo and Colorino Decanted for about an hour. Color is a very dark crimson. Nose of ripe black cherry, herbs, tobacco and mint. A little smoke. The nose continues to open up and reveal more nuances. Now some vanilla. Now some wet fur. After a while it reminded me a bit of Amarone. Big black cherry fruit on the palate, with good acidity and good structure. Silky tannins with just a tad of spice. The fruit also changed a bit with aeration and revealed some berry fruit. Nice finish. Overall, quite delicious. Didn't want it to end.
Score 4.4/5

Jessica: Wine with ummph. Dark fruits, strong tannins, smoke and tobacco nose. Dark color. A full-bodied and heavy wine. Would have gone well with the pulled pork if it had been cooked correctly, though pulled pork is probably better with a nice lager. This wine, on the other hand, would pair nicely with a hearty snacking cheese such as a Gouda or Parrano. Liked it. Drank more than I should.
score: 4.4/5

Vitiano 2007 -$10

David: From Umbria in Southern Italy. A blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot. Medium to light purple in color. The nose seemed to evolve somewhat over the hour or so that we drank this and I detected different things at different times. Black cherry and black currant are clearly present with nice concentration. Vanilla and a bit of leather with smoke and a bit of balsamic character made appearances. Maybe floral notes, roses. Full bodied and rich with dark fruits. Acidity balances very well the fruitiness and perhaps a little sweetness. Tannins are soft and the wine remains gentile but appealing with sufficient structure. Finish is fairly long and quite pleasant ending on sweet blueberry rather than tart fruit. Had with spaghetti and meatballs and it went well but I would prefer it alone (the way I feel about most wine). A great value!
Score 4.1/5

Jessica: Uh, what he said.
Score: 4.1/5

Di Majo Norante Sangiovese 2008 - $9

David: Pale, brick red in color. Nose has cherry candy, baking spices and earthy tones. Some similarity to a pinot nose. Good acidity and cherry fruit followed by silky tannins. Long finish is a little gravely in texture with a bit of bitterness. Went well with pasta in marinara with meatballs and would probably be great with any Italian dish. Great value.
Score: 4.0/5

Il Faggeto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Pietra del Diavolo- 2006- $23

David: Sangiovese 90%,Colorino 5%, Mammolo 5%. From Tuscany.

Garnet in color. Nose has old leather, violets and cedar. Tangy red fruits, full body. Some earthiness. Silky tannins are very powerful, come on quickly and dominate until the end.
Score: 3.8/5

Jessica: Smokey herbs and leather nose. Mild flowery scent, Medium tannis--mild, chewy. Overall a subtle wine, palatable, tasty.
Not overly remarkable.
Score: 3.9/5