Top Italian Red Wines for $20
Italian Red Wines 101Walk into any wine shop, and you will be confronted with hundreds of Italian red wines, ranging in price from six dollars to hundreds. Your goal is to …
Chianti Classico
Castelli del Grevepesa 2015 “Clemente VII” Chianti Classico
This tale starts with our protagonist leaving their sylvan homestead in search of their destiny. With an eye to making their mark in the world, they make their way to a …
Lanciola 2009 Le Masse di Greve Chianti Classico
Chianti Wine Review A hedgehog playing in a pile of autumn leaves. This bottle starts off with a very specific wet fur-and-oak-leaf aroma that was both surprising and delightful. There is …
Poggio Scalette 2012 Chianti Classico
The Greve Valley is lined with terraced vineyards. Looking across the valley from this winery, those stone walls can look like a giant scallete (ladder, in Italian). At least it did for the …
Villa Cafaggio 2010 Chianti Classico
The winery dates back as far as the 14th Century. It was labeled the “Cahago,” the Tuscan term for a walled field. It was bought by the Farkas family in the …
Barone Ricasoli 2010 “Brolio” Chianti Classico
The Castello di Brolio (the castle of Brolio) has been in the Ricasoli family since the 12th Century. Two of the family’s top wines (they produce 11) are labeled as Brolio. The top …
Castello di Fonterutoli “Ser Lapo” 2008 Chianti Classico Reserva
The Mazzei family has a very long history in Chianti and has considerably expanded their winemaking operations over the past few years, including forays into Sicily and the Tuscan coast. However, …
Benini 2006 “Sassotondo” Maremma
The Tuscan Maremma is becoming the place to go for lighter, softer reds, contrasting earthy Chianti Classico and brooding Brunellos. In the airy hills of Grosseto province, Sangiovese is known as …
Nozzole 2000 “La Forra” Chianti Classico Riserva
A style of Chianti that is growing rarer by the vintage. Leather, wet earth, and game notes are predominant on the nose, with bing cherry & smoke flavors on the palate. Light to medium in body, this is a lovely balance of earth & fruit in a food-friendly framework. The current pricing in Pennsylvania is $16 , which is less than half your average retail price of $40. The great pricing —not to mention this is a classic style of Chianti Classico that will soon be extinct due to changes in wine laws– makes this the wine buy of the week.