Tuscany - Sicily: 1-0

As I promised, we got a little more into Italian wine, making use of the great selection Los Angeles has of European wines. Our wine club has gotten so big, it has expanded into two groups. We tasted Sicilian wines with one group and Tuscan wines with the other. Tuscany won hands down, but it’s true, after our disappointment with Sicilian wines, de didn’t dare touch the bottom shelf stuff when time came for the Tuscan tasting. Everyone brought wines worth at least twenty dollars. It turns out you do get what you pay for when it comes to Italian wine. Here are our wine notes: …

Sicily:

Arancio Pinot Noir 2008

I chose this bottle of wine out of curiosity. I wanted to know who would make Pinot this far south and how it would taste. Dark in color, it's a little unpleasant in the nose, “southern style”. Herbal, light-bodied, fruity, some tannins, lots of oak. Quick, bitter-sweet in the finish, not leaving a big impression. An easy wine, served chilled it's even more potable. Definitely better than I expected. 81 points.

Nero d’Avola 2008

Judging by the name, I expected black, dark juice to be swirling in my glass, instead I got a light, lau Frankish colored wine. Fruity with sour cherries and liqueur in the nose. Light-bodied, similar to Blauer Portugieser, a simple summer wine. I would drink it a little chilled with tomato-based dishes or seafood. 85 points.

Rosso di Montalcino Castello Banfi 2007

Cherries and unpleasant old barrel notes in the nose. More than likely, this wine was produced in mass quantities. It’s obvious the grapes didn’t see much pruning. There's lots of pressed juice in this table wine. 79 points.

Cavit Merlot 2007

Unpleasant in the nose, with animal, barnyard, and pungent cheese smell. I would never have guessed this was a Merlot, even if someone would have tried to beat it out of me. Bitter, sweet, and green…Yuck! 67 points.

This last wine totally wore me down, especially when I found out the price. We immediately had to establish a new rule in the wine club: whoever brings the worst wine has to spend at least $40 on wine the following week. Let them just try to bring a wine for $3.50 next time!

Tuscany:

La Massa Toscany 2007 -$26

Dark in color with a hint of purple. Blackberries and plums, fruity in the nose. Very clean, well-handled and well-fermented wine. Elegant oak tones, medium-body, velvety ripe tannins. Very pleasant on the palate with a long finish. This wine definitely still has much potential. If I could, I just stop here, this wine was so good. It is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. 92 points.

Santa Christina 2007 -$12

This is also 90% Sangiovese, but the remaining 10%, we weren’t able to figure out. Garnet color, lavender in the nose with cola and tobacco. Slightly sweet on the palate and some green tannins, leaving a somewhat bitter taste of black tea. Short finish. 80 points.

Felshina Chianti Classico 2006 -$26

Concentrated, fruity, with serious aromas. Ripe blueberries, lavender, some spices, especially pepper. Nicely rounded, ripe tannins, with a medium-long finish. This wine still has some potential. It is easily drinkable, a nicely made wine. I’m starting to believe in Italian wine again! 84 points.

Our youngest wine club members - they’re only drinking kiddie wine.

Ruffino Il Ducale Toscana 2005 -$25

Blend: 60% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot, 15% Syrah. Sweet smells dominate the nose with honey, exotic spices, and cinnamon notes. Very smooth tannins supported by a wonderful body and a nicely balanced palate. Long finish. 86 points.

Villa Antihori Toscana 2005 -$20

Sangiovese 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Merlot 15%, Syrah 5%. This also has exotic spices in the nose, velvety texture in the mouth, smooth tannins, natural flavors and is round, long, and concentrated. Strongly oaked, but the wine can handle it. The oak complements the wine nicely and they chose a great barrel. A well-timed harvest and optimal extraction create the nice balance in this wine. I’d gladly try this wine again in five or ten years. 94 points.

This wine tasting was truly exceptional with two 90+ point surprises. I guess they really do make good wine Italy, just be careful about buying the cheap stuff. Never buy cheap Italian wine or bring a bottle to a dinner, friendship is worth more than that!