2007 Antinori "Tenuta Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato" IGT Toscana

Rich, full bodied and succulent, this is the Super Tuscan that most people dream about, at a price that everyday can afford!

New world Italian wine to be sure, rich, lush, full bodied fruit leaps from the glass with cherry and casis notes. Spice and earth are not far behind providing a nice bottom end to the wine. Quite the value for wine drinkers who like the richer side of Italy.

The Il Bruciato is the "second wine" of Antinori's Guado al Tasso estate in Bolgheri and is a blend 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Syrah and other black varieties that sat in barrel for 8 months. But don’t be fooled by the price or its second wine status, this is still a powerful wine, so have it with a meaty dinner or lay it down another year. Ripe black fruit and cassis on the nose along with spice. The palate is thick with tons of black fruit while the tannins are polished but still big. The spice comes back on the finish along with more ripe fruit. This is a ton of wine for the money and an excellent value.

"Il Bruciato" means "the burned" or "the burns", and is a reference to an agricultural method of clearing a heavily wooded area for the cultivation of crops. Given much of the Maremma was once a virtually uninhabited, malaria ridden marsh, il bruciati were employed to clear the remaining vegetation once Mussolini drained the swamps. Folks started showing up and planted a vineyard here and there in order to have a stash of vini for when they came out to their lodges to hunt cinghiale. And speaking of cinghiale, this is a beast of a wine. It has the body, weight and structure of a full throttle Napa Cab, but the aromas and flavors are much more untamed, with lots of menthol, smoke, game and spicy, leafy Cab family aromatics. This wine is probably not for everybody, but with a good half hour after a vigorous decanting and some rustic, meat heavy cuisine, this wine will rock. CM

Very sharp. Nice fruit flavors, but almost harsh after taste. I wouldn't recommend.