For thirteen bucks, you really can’t do much better.
That’s my opinion, and it’s also the opinion of a bunch of wine Judges at the Ultimate Wine Challenge in NY City this past May. Normally I don’t put too much stock in wine contests, but this one I liked, especially as the tastings were blind and the top scorers were were then tasted by a whole different group of judges. And they put a lot of emphasis on affordable and value wines. This is certainly one of them.
Anyway, what a great food wine: medium bodied, with flavors of black and bing cherries, a hint of leather, nice acidity, and enough tannin to chew on but not overwhelm you. Most of this is Sangiovese, one of my favorite grapes, with a few percent of the other traditional Chianti grapes, too.
Right now, amazingly, it’s snowing outside in October, and this is a nice “comfort” wine at a great price.