Violets and other dried flowers are there, along with dusty cherry that's reminiscent of Rutherford dust (just to prove that it can play in Napa's Cab world, too). There are also minerals and hint of vanilla and anise on the nose.

The palate has a good dose of smooth tannins, a nice amount of acidity (that doesn't sting like a bee), and loads of dried cherries with just a hint of sweetness, thanks to the ripeness of the fruit.

The finish isn't endless, but it'll last a few more rounds than most California 15% alcohol wines out there. This red's moderate 13.5% alcohol level helps ensure that the finish doesn't get stripped from your mouth like you got socked in the kisser.

Best of all, you won't have to fight anyone over the last bottle of this winner, at least not for a while. Fattoria del Cerro makes tons of this wine and ships mass amounts! That said, I would get out there and look for the '01 before it's gone. The '02 might be fine, but it was a pretty rainy year in Montepulciano, and might not quite go toe-to-toe with the previous vintage.

Cheers,
TSW

WoW
...really excited about wine

I'll see your Napa cabernet, and kick the crap out of it for half the price!

That may not be a 100 percent fair fight, since Italy has been making wine for centuries longer than Napa's home country has been a county. But, when you start charging $100 for a cab made by a winery that's been in operation for about 20 minutes, you've gotta admit that you're kinda pickin' the fight.

And here, it's a little like pickin' a fight with George Foreman and thinking you can win because he's old. Older, perhaps, but he trained for years, is huge, and has mad skills in the ring. You're gonna get pummeled, which is what this wine will do to most in its price range.

This is an old-world red with aromatics that float out of the glass (like a butterfly).