Wine of the Week: Grifone Sangiovese

Wine: Grifone Sangiovese IGT

Grape: Sangiovese

Region: Tuscany, Italy

Vintage: 2013

Price: $4.49

Availability: Trader Joe’s

In the glass: Grifone wine is a dark crimson-purplish red color with a dense opaque core going out into a fine light-violet rim definition with medium viscosity.

On the nose: There is spicy black fruit, sweet tobacco, balsamic reduction, cedar box, ripe red cherry fruit that is bright at first, but then turns deeper, followed by underlying notes of wood, Chambord, herbs and fruit-driven minerals.

On the palate: The wine expands to show its ample vibrant red and black fruit medley, dominated by the classic — similar to the chianti zone — red cherry characteristic, followed by currants and cranberries, hints of toasted oak, wood and fine minerals. The midpalate is rich with ripe red fruits, especially saucy cranberries, going into a nicely balanced and lengthy finish, with just a touch of youth and phenolics at the end. It is a singularly great expression of the traditional young Tuscan wine, but with added depth, showing nice quality in the bottle.

Odds and ends: Yet another killer value from the heart of noble winemaking in Italy. It’s very Italian and very Tuscan through and through. Grifone Sangiovese has a striking red label and looks classy. It is an amazing wine for the money, probably one of the greatest value wines on the market now. It’s exclusive to Trader Joe’s. I’d say buy it by the case and drink this before the end of 2016. Try it with a bowl of pasta Alfredo, as it was meant to be paired. It can handle that and a whole lot more in the food department.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.