3 | Wine | Other Red Blend, 91 to 95

"Purple in color, with a brooding bouquet, it is a dense, structured, rich wine with impeccable balance, volume, and length. It has the structure to evolve for 2-3 years but can be approached now. It, too, is a great value."

"It displays aromas of damp earth, balsamic, herbs, blueberry, and black plum. On the palate, it reveals some elegance, savory flavors, good volume, and a bit of structure. This tasty effort will provide pleasure over the next 6 years."

"The 2008 Guado al Tasso is once again fabulous. In fact, it may be Tuscany’s most improved wine over the last few years. Firm, vibrant tannins support expressive layers of dark fruit, plums, cherries, sage, espresso and mocha. The wine shows fabulous detail and nuance in a translucent, totally seductive style, with tons of focus, drive and verve. It is a striking wine that will be a joy to follow over the coming years."

"Sexy, oak-spiced aromas of blueberry, cherry-cola and floral oils. Lush and broad on the palate, offering hefty black and blue fruit preserve flavors that are lifted by gentle acidity. Notes of vanilla and mocha linger on the impressively long, spicy finish."

"Medium purple in color, it offers up an inviting nose of balsam wood, Asian spices, lavender, black cherry, and blackberry. Smooth-textured on the palate with savory flavors and a bit of underlying structure, it is an elegant offering that displays excellent balance and length. It can be approached now and will drink well for a decade."

"It has an understated, sensual bouquet that is beautifully defined and very pure, almost Burgundy-like in fruit profile. The palate is medium-bodied, with chalky tannins, crisp acidity and lively blackberry and raspberry fruit tinged with soy and dried herbs. Very harmonious, it has good weight on the mulberry-infused finish, with a hint of dark chocolate loitering after the wine has been ejected. This is top-notch Montsant red."

"Bright, deep ruby-red. Expressive nose offers currant, cherry cola, graphite and dark chocolate. Silky, sexy and intense, with firm, vibrant cabernet fruit complicated by licorice and spices. Finishes lively and very long, with sweet tannins and solid structure from the cabernet, some of which spent up to 40 days on its skins."

"It has ripe mulberry, cranberry, black olive, hickory and fresh prune aromas on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied, well-balanced with plush, plumy black fruit, crushed raspberry and a touch of white pepper. That leads to a refined finish that could do with a little more persistence, but it retains a degree of elegance."