Notes:

In recent years, Ciacci’s Toscana Rosso has established itself as one of the finest values in Tuscany, and the 2007 is no exception. Essentially a second selection of barrels from the Ateo and Fabius, the 2007 Toscana Rosso flows with generous, plump fruit and a juicy, irresistible personality. Readers will have a hard time finding a better value in Tuscan wine. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2012. Proprietor Paolo Bianchini has turned out a gorgeous set of wines. In 2005 Bianchini elected to forgo his top Brunello, Pianrosso, and bottle just his straight Brunello, which has all of the best fruit he was able to bring in that year. The result speaks for itself. I also tasted a number of Brunellos in cask from vintages 2006 through 2008 that appear quite promising. As good as the Brunellos are, value-conscious readers will want to pay special attention to Ciacci’s entry-level wines, which are just as noteworthy.