2005 Falesco Vitiano Rosso, Umbria IGT

Another wine that can be found for under $10 a bottle at some U.S. wineshops. I paid close to that for a glass (dumb inflated wine prices at restaurants) at an Italian restaurant last weekend. A blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine steward spoke of this as a bold wine and a super Tuscan (when is a super Tuscan not a super Tuscan?--how about when it comes from Umbria, not Tuscany, and is more an everyday drink than a special occasion wine). Nevertheless, it was a pretty good match for my entree of rib eye steak chunks over wild mushroom risotto with garlic accent and snap peas around the edge. The boldness of the blend stood up to the rib eye beef. The wine is a purple color with crimson edge. It tasted smooth on entry and mid-palate with the boldness evident on the finish. The cherry notes from the Sangiovese revealed themselves while the influence of the Cabernet Sauvignon was subordinate IMHO.
This is a restaurant that takes wine seriously and has some fine bottles (Barolo, Burgundy, true super Tuscans, etc.) but I do wish they would price them more reasonably by the glass and offer more wines by the glass. They are involved in educating the public about wines, including involvement in the newly formed Fayetteville Wine Society (NC).

JC--
I've had mixed results with different vintages of this popular QPR fave, but it's never said "Sangiovese" to me. (There's usually Merlot in the mix, along with Cab Sauvignon.) Glad to see you had a good experience with the '05, which I haven't tried yet.

I agree that Vitiano punches well above its weight. I have always thought it a Merlot dominated wine and wondered why I liked it because I am not generally much of a Merlot fan. So, having read your note, I went to the Falesco website and discover that it is one-third from each of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese.

This explains it. When young, CS and Sangiovese clearly add a welcome grip and complexity to the wine. But, having inadvertently aged a bottle of 1999 till last year, I found that the Merlot was dominating by then and the wine had become somewhat bland and cloying.

Thanks both of the above for your notes. I also have liked the Falesco Umbria Merlot in the past but haven't seen it in recent vintages.

For several years, I have been recommending Vitiano to folks looking for something new to try. These are people who enjoy drinking wine, but aren't terribly serious about it. The price remains consistent and I still hear how much they are enjoying each new vintage.