2009 Las Brisas Montepulciano

Francis planted this variety after his trip with Kathy to Italy in 2000. This red grape is not the Sangiovese clone (called Prugnolo Gentile) of Vino Nobile de Montepulciano in Tuscany, rather it is the Montepulciano widely planted in the hills of central Italy along the Adriatic, most notably in the Abruzzo region. Grown in the cool Las Brisas Vineyard, it makes an intensely scented and flavored wine full of plums, blackberries and spice, with firm acidity and pleasant tannins.

                                        88 pts  WINE ENTHUSIAST March 2011
"This dry wine has a full-bodied texture and strong flavors of wild berries and cherries, tobacco, dark chocolate and spices. It’s an interesting, complex wine to try as a switch from Merlot or even a spicy Zinfandel."