Don’t call this a baby.

2006

Mocali Rosso di Montalcino

$18

It just feels better when you find a wine that drinks like something significantly more expensive. It’s a rush, like hitting your number on a roulette wheel and then bang: 36 to 1 odds paying off.

This bottle was like hitting my number on that wheel. It is a reasonably priced bottle at around $18, depending on your local store, and it is well worth it. It drinks like a Brunello, and the Sangiovese is on full display in this wine. It carries great Tuscan earth with every taste, reminiscent of a traditional Brunello working in concert with dark fruit, licorice and a hint of tobacco.

Such great praise for only a baby brunello? My answer goes back to the roulette table. Whether your bet was $5 or $500, you are still winning 36x your bet, and you feel good. That’s what the Mocali Rosso di Montalcino does for me. Finding a great, reasonably priced bottle is my jackpot…although I’ve been known to play some games of chance as well. We’ll save that for another blog.