2008 Da Vinci Chianti

2008 Da Vinci

Chianti

Cantine Leonardo da Vinci

Origin: Tuscany, Italy

Alcohol: 13%

In the heart of Tuscany, Italy is made a delicious variety of red wine: Chianti.  Legally, Chianti must be at least 80% Sangiovese and is typically aged 4-7 months, with Riservas being aged 38 months.  There are several other sub-varieties, but we will leave that for another review.  Because for now, we are going to keep things good and simple, like this wine.

According to Cantine Leonardo da Vinci,

Wine pervades the culture of Tuscany; it's a birthright. And each bottle of our wine begins its life just outside the historic town of Vinci. There in the Tuscan hillsides, over 200 local winegrowers have joined together to form Cantine Leonardo da Vinci - an innovative growers' cooperative committed to producing authentic Tuscan wine. 

This brings us to the wine, itself.  The 2008 Da Vinci Chianti is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot.  It pours a dark ruby and smells of dark cherries and the slightest bit of oak.  The palette is that of dark fruit jam, black cherries, a bit of cranberry, a touch of spice, and a moderate amount of drying tannin.  It isn't super heavy, but nor is it too delicate.  This is just a well-balanced, very drinkable, tasty wine.  Are there better wines out there?  Certainly.  But, it's hard to beat this for the price (typically only $9-11).

Drink This: if you want a great Chianti under $15.

Don't Drink This: if you're looking for something lush, sensual, and rather complex like more expensive Chiantis.  This isn't any of those things, but it is extremely drinkable and tasty, especially for the price...