Today we review a 2008 chianti from Italy (of course), which costs $10 at my local wine store. However, I’ve seen it for as high as $14.
Holy cow, is this the perfect value-oriented wine?
It may not be terribly cool to love Da Vinci chianti, but I love it. But only on day 2, after leaving the bottle corked overnight. To be honest, when first opened, it struck me as generic, slightly too sweet, and lacking any kind of personality.
On day 2 my views changed, so I suggest letting it breathe — even better, pour it into a decanter. Da Vinci has noticeable, mouth-drying tannins, but less than many other chiantis. It’s juicy, and very friendly for a chianti. It’s medium-bodied, verging on full-bodied. Wine geek words like “mouthfilling” come to mind. It smells like a sweet Marks-A-Lot magic marker. And it tastes like oak and vanilla, mixed with strawberry, cranberry, blackberry, and a little smoke. Perfect? No. It doesn’t have the sensual complexity or fresh, organic explosion of colors that you get with a truly great wine. But at this price, it’s damn near perfection.
WOW. At $10, absolutely unstoppable. This crowd pleaser is easily a “Best Value” winner. Recommended!
Wineguider wine reviews 
Had it. Love it. Glad to see you reviewing it! 🙂