3 | Wine | Red Blend, 86 to 90, 2008

"Smoky, herb-accented aromas of cherry and redcurrant. Sappy and broad, with a supple texture to the bitter cherry and red fruit preserve flavors. Finishes lush and weighty, with notes of cherry pit and licorice. Quite rich but there's good back-end bite to this wine."

"Ripe red, with lots of pure raspberry, cherry and mulberry flavors accented by rich cream and spice notes. Dark chocolate and kirsch on the finish."

"Supple and appealing for the clarity of the cherry and dark plum flavors, lingering on the polished finish."

"This boasts a lively mix of dark plum and dried blackberry flavors, flanked by thyme and tarragon accents. Dark chocolate oozes from the finish."

"It has a striking bouquet of bacon fat and smoke that soars from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy, dry tannins and a core of dusty red fruit. It shows good weight towards the masculine, structured finish with mulberry and cedar lingering in the mouth. This is a modestly priced wine with grand ambitions."

"The 2008 Valdisanti impresses for its layered personality, something that was quite difficult to achieve in this vintage. Plums, black cherries, sage, incense and sweet tobacco are some of the many notes that are woven into a soft fabric of notable class. Floral notes add freshness and balance on the finish."

"Supple, offering pretty blackberry fruit and a nice zing of guava and citrus around the edges."

"Spicy dark berries, graphite and a whiff of pepper on the lively nose. Nicely ripe and concentrated, with good cut to the flavors of currant, pepper and herbs. Firmly built, fruit-driven bonarda with ripe tannins and juicy persistence." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Deep ruby. Red fruits, chocolate and vanilla on the nose. Rich and suave in the mouth, with ripe red fruit and chocolate flavors that are ample but lack a little complexity. Finishes smooth and moderately long. The word brolo is equivalent to the French clos (a walled vineyard); this wine is made from a special selection of the best grapes available, all native and mainly corvina."

"The “Axia” level wines are often excellent values here – and this in fact may be the bargain of the lot. With a lush texture opening up, followed by some tannic bursts and very typical, Northern Rhone-y Syrah nuances, this wine shows both power and complexity. It should have the ability to hold a reasonable time in the cellar and develop more. If you’re not a big fan of those Northern Rhone gamey Syrahs, this isn’t for you, as the Syrah notes dominate the wine, but for those who are fans, this is a fine value and a terrific wine with that Xinomavro steel and power underneath that Syrah character. This is a real nice buy."