France may have my brain but Italy has my heart. Here's a roundup of some nice Italians from the past month, plus an Italian-style blend from Argentina.
Barone Ricasoli, Campoceni, Toscana IGT 2005
80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot. Black cherry, raspberry, and some Tuscan undertones. Good quality, but not giving a lot at this stage. Needs 2 - 3 years. Great value for $13. Excellent (87 - 90) [4/10/10]
This one was at least unique, and I'm not ashamed to say that I enjoyed it:
Riunite, Vivante, Lambrusco dell'Emilia NV
Dark purple. Cherry, plum, and violets. A bit bitter at first, but that resolves with air. An older bottle with little sparkle left, but nicely refreshing. Good / Very Good (84 - 86) [4/17/10]
Been wanting to try this DOC for quite a while. Fortunate to have had it from probably the best producer in the DOC:
Mastroberardino, Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio 2005
Dark ruby/garnet. Very nice nose. Tart cherry, plum, a touch of citrus, and roses, with tobacco leaf, and a touch of barnyard. Lovely aromatics. Medium-full bodied, but trails off a bit toward the finish. This DOC has a lack-luster reputation, but I very much like this wine! The DOC uses the Piedrosso grape. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88) [4/20/10]
Found this on clearance for $12.50 if you can believe it. Great Chianti for that price (but not for its $30 list price!):
Da Vinci, Riserva, Chianti 2005
Opaque ruby; the darkest Chianti I've ever seen. Great nose, very attractive, with dark fruit, plum, tobacco, and earth. On the palate, black cherry, currant, red plum, violets, tobacco, tomato, and a touch of earth. Palate not as good as the nose, lacking a bit in persistence, but dense, and with some complexity. Atypical given that it is 100% Sangiovese, its darker, denser notes more easily explained by a dose of Canaiolo. Cleary this is a wine of very good quality. Can last another 5 years, but no need to wait. Unfortunately, hard to recommend for $30 (fortunately I didn't pay that). Excellent (87 - 90). [4/25/10]
And the "pseudo-Italian":
Notro, Sangiovese - Bonarda, Mendoza 2008
Pie cherry, touch citrus peel, juicy currant, hints of mint and earth, hint of coffee. Drink now. Needs time to open. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88) [3/14/10]