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This article was published in The 30 Second Wine Advisor on Monday, Jul. 14, 2008 and can be found at http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20080714.php. Super-mini
It's been a generation or so since "Super Tuscans" started grabbing the attention of wine lovers. Certain Chianti producers, seeking to break out of their region's ancient traditions and try new things, began mixing "forbidden" grapes like Cabernet and Merlot in with the local Sangiovese, and even experimented with keeping the wine in French oak. But if the wine wasn't made by the Chianti method, it couldn't be called Chianti, even if it remained recognizably Tuscan in style. Nor could it bear the sought-after "Denominazione di Origine Controllata" designation on the label, indicating that the wine met the traditional standard for the source of its grapes and the purity of its technique. Instead, turning necessity into a virtue, the innovative producers proudly claimed the simple "Vino da Tavola" ("Table Wine") designation that had previously been reserved for the cheapest, simplest wines, presenting them not as the bottom end of their portfolio but the top. These new styles quickly captured the taste of that increasingly sophisticated wine-buying public, and the nickname "Super-Tuscan" was born. Nowadays, the old wine laws are catching up with reality. The Chianti formula is more flexible, and "non-traditional" wines can qualify for the "IGT" ("Indication of Geographical Type") designation, which allows just about any reasonable experimentation. Super Tuscans, of course, have generally become frightfully expensive through demand, with big-name labels like Ornellaia and the grandfather of them all, Tignanello, commanding three-digit prices for a bottle. But the concept has spread through much of Italy, with just about every region producing new wines - "Super" wines, if you will - that add modern variations to the traditional style. Today we feature a popular variation from Umbria, Falesco 2005 Vitiano, a blend of equal parts Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot. A fine, interesting table wine with at least moderate cellar potential, it still sells for $10 or less in many markets. That's a "super" deal. My tasting notes are below.
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