Rocca Delle Macie Rubizzo

Wine: Rocca Delle Macie Rubizzo

Grapes: sangiovese grosso (95 percent), merlot (5 percent)

Region: Tuscany, Italy

Vintage: 2010

Price: $9.99

In the glass: This Rubizzo wine is a deep garnet-red color with a dense core going out into a fine light garnet to slight-tinted antique rose rim definition with medium-high viscosity.

On the nose: There is powerful black fruit, dominated by wild black cherries, loganberries, crushed blackberries and even some anise and mineral notes right off the bat, then underlying and quite supple hints of spice, wood and earth.

On the palate: The wine is very progressive in its black fruit flavors, dominated by crushed black morello cherries, but retains the typical Tuscan rounded, yet rustic cherry character without ever giving an impression of losing its suppleness or balance. The small merlot component helps keep the tannins in check, embellishes the crushed cherry fruit and it finishes deliciously with slight clove spice and general smoothness and well-integrated character.

Odds and ends: It is exciting to be able to taste a “preview” of what we can expect from Tuscany in the great 2010 vintage. While the big chiantis and riservas won’t be out for a couple of years, the so-called “baby Super Tuscans” can already be found. This Rubizzo is just such a wine and it comes at a reasonable price. Sergio Zingarelli, the owner of this famous Tuscan estate, is an old hand at producing delicious and early drinkable classic Italian wines. His father, Italo, having made his money in films, started this operation on prime land in the heart of Tuscany in 1973. That is not very old for an Italian winery producing wines of such high quality, but the company’s winning formula has become one of Italy’s most-sold chianti classico wines. Today we can enjoy the wonderful range of wines from this great producer. Try it with osso buco on a bed of rice pilaf. Drink it now through 2015.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.