Fast Facts:
- 2017 Poggio al Casone, Toscana, Italy ($10.99 @Trader Joe’s in California)
How is that subject line for a mouthful of alliteration? BTW, “porch pounder” is a technical term used by those of us in the wine trade to describe a wine that goes down easy and doesn’t require too much critical thought. See also: cheap and cheerful. This wine fits the bill!
Frankly, every time I take a first sip of this wine a voice in my head exclaims: “I don’t know how they do it!” For starters, this brand is always well-aged. In this case 7 (!) years. That rarely comes cheap, except when it does. And Casone comes in a classy package that would make this appropriate for bringing to an Italian dinner with friends and/or family. But most importantly: the wine never disappoints.
Not bad for $11.
This is a solid, dependable value, year in and year out. And it is almost always in stock in my local TJs. This Casone is what is called a “Super Tuscan.” These are wines made by winemakers that do not strictly adhere to Chianti’s rules and regulations. The winemaker has much more flexibility in the blending of the wine. In this case, 20% Syrah has been blended with Sangiovese. Often Super Tuscans are blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, but the goal is the same. Pair the lighter and more acidic Sangiovese with a dollop of a complementary red wine that adds some body and fruit without extinguishing the sense of place you get with say, a Chianti.
Tasting Notes:
Pours a nice medium red with a surprisingly clear rim given its age. It has pleasant aromas of black cherry, strawberry and raspberry. In the mouth it is smooth and medium bodied with mild tannins. A nice melange of black cherry, vanilla cola, and tobacco. Good complexity and acidity. It ends long and dry with lovely black cherry notes from the nose returning. Would pair well with red sauced Italian dishes, risotto and burgers. ABV is a sane 13%.
This is our fourth vintage that we have reviewed. We first reviewed the 2010 vintage of this wine, and more recently the 2013. We keep returning to it because it is a perfect go-to “house wine” when you just need to grab a quick wine to pair with a weeknight dinner of pizza, pasta or burgers. A blend of 80% Sangiovese (the workhorse grape of Chianti) and 20% Syrah, we always keep a couple of bottles of this wine handy for those nights when Italian fare is on our menu at home. If you don’t believe me, here is a photo of one of the Italian wine shelves in our home wine cellar:
It is a solid, dependable value, year in and year out. Ditto the unwavering quality and high QPR.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best. Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, Tuscan blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international wines and Sangiovese.
If you would like some help picking out Tuscany on a map, look down and you’ll find it just north of Rome.
If you’re shopping finds you at Trader Joe’s, keep an eye out for our Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine.
If you’re headed to Costco soon, you can find our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list.
Happy hunting!
Cheers!
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