Las Rocas and Las Rocas Vinas Viejas (Old Vines)

I was turned on to this little gem a few years ago by a friend (Tim at Post Road Wine in Wayland, MA). The 2 best things about this wine are the 1) the taste and 2) the price. The Las Rocas sells for about $10.00 and the Old Vines (made from 100 year old vines found at the vineyards highest altitudes) for between $15-18.00 per bottle. The wine is 100% grenache and is great for beef, lamb, pizza or any kind of BBQ. Whether your drinking the highly regarded and reviewed 2001 or the 2004, you'll love the beautiful dark ruby color and spicy, bold berry taste. This wine tastes great and smells great too. When you inhale, you can distinctly smell fruit, vanilla and pepper. When I first bought this wine a few years ago (it was the better 2001 vintage), Tim kept telling me to "buy it/try it" and that "I wouldn't believe how good this wine was." I recently turned another friend onto this wine and she buys it for every party and gathering.

You can serve this wine anywhere and almost anytime. It tastes like a wine that costs more like $40/btl than the $10 I spent....and as good as the Las Rocas is, the Vinas Viejas is even better. Trust me, you won't believe how good Las Rocas is.

2001 Antinori Tignonello & 2001 Fanti Brunello

Last night we were at a great party. I brought along an 2001 Antinori Tignonello and my friend Jeff brought a 2001 Fanti Brunello. Fortunately for us, 2001 was a great year in Italy and both wines were phenomenal! The Tig is the Italian version of a fabulously big Left Bank Bourdeaux. It's a Cabernet based wine and is silky and very full bodied with soft smooth tannins, rich berry taste with tobacco and leather. Because this wine also has hints of herbs, it will pair well with basil, thyme, rosemary or parsley rich dishes.

I'm not sure whether I liked the Tig or the Fanti better. The experts suggest that the Fanti really won't be really ready for another 3 or so years and will continue to age beautifully long after that. Having said that, and keeping in mind that this was a relatively young brunello, this wine was amazing. It is a massive effort that will only get better with age. Rated #23 on this year's Wine Spectator Top Wines List, it is a chewy, rich, huge wine with lots of berry and cherry fruit taste.

Bottom line, once you start to drink these wines, you just don't want to stop.