Fossetti Rosso Toscano IGT 2007

It's not very often that I get truly excited about a bottle of wine that retails for $9.99. This Fossetti Rosso Toscano bottled by Mocali in Montalcino is one of those value wines that has me quite fired up. Mocali is better know for the famed Brunello di Montalcino, but this bargain Rosso made primarily with Sangiovese and some Canaiolo outperforms many Brunellos and Chiantis that cost much, much more.

Very dark purple in the glass, the nose is filled with aromas of intense cherry fruit with other dark berry aromas and some very subtle leather. The wine is fruit forward in style and very approachable at a young age. This is a 2007 Rosso that is absolutely ready to drink now. In your mouth you get the same intense cherry flavors and other dark berries that are so pleasant on the bouquet. The body is medium-full with rather mild acidity for a Sangiovese, and the tannins are very smooth. Aside from maybe wanting a little more acidity, this is already a very good wine; however, it is the long finish that really sets it apart from other value wines from Tuscany. This wine just keeps providing pleasure for your taste buds well after you swallow a sip.

As far as value for your money goes, this is about as good as it gets. At $9.99 a bottle, go out and buy a couple cases. This is an absolute steal.

I enjoyed this with some pasta and sausage with red sauce, but this would also pair very well with with grilled meats or a good aged Italian cheese.

Falesco Vitiano 2007 - Umbria

I have to say that I tasted the Falesco Vitiano 2007 with some rather high expectation for a bottle that retails for around $9. The very stingy critic Stephen Tanzer gave this wine a glowing review with a 91 point rating which is just about unheard of for something in this price range. After tasting it, I am not completely in agreement with Mr. Tanzer, but I do think that this wine is a decent value.

This Umbrian Rosso is made from 34% Sangiovese and 33% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In your glass you get intensely dark purple color. The bouquet is dominated by blackberry and cassis with a little bit of leather to it. On the palate you get blackfruit flavors which are primarily cassis with some black cherry, and there is also some earthiness that I found to be just a little bit off . The Sangiovese did contribute some pleasant acidity to the blend. The other flaw I found with this wine was the tannins. They were too chalky and bitter for my taste. I'm a guy that generally likes strong tannins, but in this case they put the wine out of balance, especially on the finish. This Rosso had a finish with some nice length to it, but the chalky, almost astringent tannins overpowered the other flavors which were present but very subtle.

Overall, the Falesco Vitiano is still a good value when you consider the $9 price tag, but it is nowhere near the 91 point score that Stephen Tanzer gave it - probably more in the 85 to 87 range if I had to put a score to it. My recommendation is to really let this decant a long time, at least 3 hours, to let those tannins mellow out a little bit.

As far as food goes, this would pair best with aged Italian cheese like a Parmigiano Reggiano or a Pecorino.