Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo Maremma Toscana 2013

Ruby red color; red fruits, blackberry, bacon on the nose; black cherry, sour cherry, red currant, plum, oak, vanilla on the palate.

Super Tuscan blend of 60% sangiovese and 40% cabernet sauvignon. Rich, deep, and smooth; extra dry with sweet tannins, good acidity, plenty of red fruit.

This is produced from grapes grown in Tommasi’s “Poggio al Tufo” estate in Pitigliano in the heart of the Maremma Toscana region. After fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, it ages for 12 months of maturation in 65 hectolitre (1,717 gallons) Slavonian casks.

Founded in 1902 The Tommasi family is one of the giants of Italian winemaking, now in its fourth generation of ownership. Originally focused on the northern regions of Veneto and Lombardy, in 1997 they bought an estate in Pitigliano to open their “Project Tuscany” effort. The Pitigliano estate, from which grapes for this effort come, includes 66 hectares (163 acres) of mostly volcanic soil.

Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo Maremma Toscana 2013 is relatively simple but very well made Super Tuscan with tasty fruits that get better with air—decant. The tannins are sweet and tame, the intriguing sour cherry plays well on the finish. Good value-for-price play that continues to earn Tommasi a reputation as very dependable, go-to brand of Italian wines. $15-18

Tommasi website

Photos: Tommasi Poggio al Tufo winery; Tommasi Poggio al Tufo vineyard; Town of Pitigliano in Tuscany