Some decent Italians

Antano Montefalco Rosso, 2007

This was probably the most successful of the three bottles...
A hearty, organic Sagrantino/Sangiovese/Merlot cuvee from Umbria. Rustic, chunky, charming... cherry/plum and gentle, buttery oak bottle, nothing extraordinary, but very pleasant and solid. It will age well, I'd like to try it in a couple of years.

The Ten Bells, NYC $49
73 points











Cantina Rotaliana Teroldego, 2006

An easy drinking item from Alto Adige: medium body, ruby red, ambiguous red fruit and green apple acidity. I didn't like the Rioja style sweaty/lactic nose which took away from the experience. Over all, teroldego is an ancient and interesting Alpine variety worth checking out.

D.O.C Wine Bar, Brooklyn 39$
69 points











Taurasi Dei Feudi Di San Gregorio, 2005

I picked up this bottle in a supermarket in Rome (25 Euro) and was quite excited about trying Taurasi from Campania for the first time. What a disappointment: the perfectly fine Aglianico grape was totally overwhelmed by harsh, abrasive French(?) oak tannin. Some prune and fig managed to break through after a while. This wine is a victim of the global oak-till-you-drop trend:(
60 points