2005 Valdifalco Morellino Di Scansano

This past Wednesday night Diane and I were off to celebrate our birthdays (we were born on the same day) at one of our favorite Trattoria's Vacarro's in Bath, Ohio. Rafael Vacarro is not only a good friend but a fantastic chef and shares a love of wines (especially Italian) with the two of us.

Tonight we chose the 2005 Morellino Di Scansano from Valdifalco. Morrilina is a cousin to sangiovese grape although some would argue that's just an alias. It is grown in the southern most region of the Tuscan coast in a town called Scansano. It's very hot in this region and the growing season is longer than most of Tuscany making the wines a little different that the sangiovese that represents most Tuscan "Big Reds".

I found it softer, more Pinot like than what is the usual from Tuscany, but this was a very enjoyable wine. Diane and I both felt it worked well with the dinner and I would rate this one 88 points. It sells for around 27 bucks at retail (if you can find it) and I would recommend it only to Italian wine lovers who want something different.

Another thing I that I found interesting is that Valdifalco has been using the Vino-seal closures for quite some time. The glass or synthetic bottle closures have a gasket that makes a wonderful seal. It's not cork, but it beats a screw cap in a restaurant setting. I'll have a separate bog on the Vino-Seal closures soon.

2008 Felino Vina Cobos Malbec

Here is a great malbec from Argentina carring the Paul Hobbs name. This dark purple wine from Mendoza is huge. A deep dark purple color and a big nose of plum, raspberry and spice with anice and a good amount of oak. Long, full mouth feel and a great finish this one got a 91 from Parker.

This is a wine that would compliament the big porterhouse steak, a great cut of prime rib, or a nice rare beef roast. I score this one 90 points, and at 17.99 a bottle a great QPR. This is a great way to introduce yourself to Argentine Malbec at a wonderful price point.