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Italian  We don't drink a lot of Italian wines but we do know a good one when we get it. Italian reds can be some of the best food wines in the world.

 
'97 '97 Monsanto "Chianti Classico Riserva": Not the Il Poggio and half the price. Plenty of ripe cherry fruit on the nose surrounded by leather, tar and roses. Really nice fruit and spice flavors in the mouth in a medium body style. The acid and tannin levels suggest that a couple of years of age will yield happy results but it's plenty nice with dinner right now. At < $20, it's definitely worth buying a few bottles for the cellar. JD (6/01)

'98 Barone Cornacchia "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo": In the past, this has been a QPR quaffer with a little bitty price tag of about $7. Well, it's now up to $9 and given how thin and fruitless the wine is, I would have trouble paying $5 for it, even for cooking wine. Skip it. JD (6/01)

'96 Antinori "Peppoli" Chianti Classico ($19): Leathery pepper and cherry nose. Decent fruit in a medium body style with leather and a dash of brett. A decent wine but I'd like the price better at $15. JD (7/99)

'95 Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva ($24): Leather, spice, tar, roses and cherries on the complex nose. Good cherry fruit on the palate with a leathery, barnyardy edge. Medium bodied with moderate tannins. Nice Chianti. JD (7/99)

'90 Monvigliero "Barolo Riserva" ($34): Tar, roses and mature fruit on the nose. The palate follows in an elegant (for Barolo) style. Big tannins still remain but overall, this is a nice full bodied wine. JD (5/99)

'95 Vignole Chianti Classico Riserva ($17): Light tar, roses, leather and cherry aromas. The palate follows in a light to medium bodied style. Moderate tannins, decent acid. Decent finish. Austere by itself but it should improve with food. Decent QPR for the price. JD (4/99)

'96 Masciarelli Montepulciano de Abruzzo ($5.50): Nail polish and cherry nose. Austere palate with little fruit. Skip it. JD (4/99)

'93 Monsanto "Il Poggio" Chianti Classico Riserva ($23): One of the greatest CCR's I've had is the '85 Il Poggio. Although the '93 has the same profile, it doesn't have near the stuffing. Tar, roses and saddle leather dominate the nose but the sweet cherry fruit is not as deep as it could be and the tannins come on strong and quick. Drink it over the next couple of years. JD (4/99)

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