Monte Antico Toscana 2006

This week’s selection:

Winery: Monte Antico
Varietal: Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Price Paid: $11.99
Vintage: 2006
Area: Tuscany, Italy
Alcohol: 12.5%
Purchased: Colasanti’s Market

Overall: I hated this wine the first night. All I could taste was the bracing acidity and could not get past it. It confirmed my suspicion that with Wine Spectator you have to be over the top to get attention. (WS #61 on the top 100 wines list.) I picked it up 3 days after being opened and thought this has mellowed a bit and I can taste the sangiovese (the grape of Chianti) and enjoyed it. By the fourth night it was even easier drink and I enjoyed another glass.

This is one of the reasons it is good to let a wine sit for at least a day if you do not like it the first day. I would not recommend this wine but it was reasonably good by the third or fourth day. Too much work for an $11.99 bottle of wine.

Please let me know your thoughts if you try this wine.


Reviews

Critical Acclaim:
Just so you folks know that I am not alone in my opinion, I went on Snooth and these were two of the first 3 regular people reviews

First User Review on Snooth: I picked this bottle up at Costco and have to say that I rarely pour out a bottle of wine, but couldn't stand this bottle. It has a wonderful jammy bouquet, but has no body. There was very little taste and it imparted a bitter, almost sour taste on the back of my tongue.

I put it in the decanter and tried it again today, but nothing seemed to help. After looking at the other reviews here I'll try it again as people seemed to like it, and will change my review if on 2nd taste my opinion changes.

Third User Review on Snooth: Rating 86 Although the nose is long and complex the excessive fruit acid makes this wine unbalanced. the underlying structure is very good. I considered this not to be a bargain !!
• Tags:
• too much acid

Wine Spectator: WS 90pts. - #61 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009 - According to James Suckling on his WineSpectator.com blog: I came across an incredible value in my office in Tuscany today. Tasting a range of wines from $10 to $25 with Neil and Maria Empson of Empson & Co., I found some excellent wines. But what was the most impressive for the money was the Monte Antico 2006. Its suggested retail is $11, and it could sell for less (like here). And it is in the market now. Granted, I have not tasted it blind yet. But it’s in the very good to outstanding range. The wine is 75 percent Sangiovese, 15 percent Merlot and 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. It is made from 25-year-old vines minimum, mostly from Pisa, Maremma and Chianti Classico areas. Of course, the quality of the 2006 vintage in Tuscany shined through on this wine. This is a superb Sangiovese year. The aromatic quality of Sangiovese is mind-blowing for most wines from Tuscany. The 2006 Monte Antico has beautiful plums, berries and fresh acidity. Fantastico! And for $11!