Tasting Tuscan

2005 Pinino Rosso di Montalcino “Clan Destino.” Charming top-tier Rosso from Pinino. The wine is fermented in steel, then aged in French oak casks. It leads with a sweet wild cherry perfume, and the oak, while not obtrusive, smooths out the wine nicely. Lower acid than most Rosso di Montalcinos, but finely wrought nevertheless. Available at K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood, (323) 464-9463, www.klwines.com; Malibu Village Wines in Malibu, (310) 456-2924; and the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, www.winehouse.com. About $32.

2005 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Rosso di Montalcino. From one of the more respected modern Brunello stylists, Ciacci’s Rosso is a much gentler wine than his powerful Brunellos. Cherry red in the glass with a nice tar note to accent black cherry and dusty red earth scents, the wine has a natural feel on the palate, taut but not short, with a light dusting of tannin. Available at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463 www.hitimewine.net; and Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454, www.winex.com. About $25.

2005 Siro Pacenti Rosso di Montalcino. Somewhat darker and more concentrated than its counterparts, the Siro Pacenti has a dark plummy scent accented with a hint of black pepper. Its flavors are dark and earthy, the plum filling out to a fresh cherry flavor and marked by fine, elegant tannins. Available at Bristol Farms, West Hollywood, (310) 248-2804, and other locations, www.bristolfarms.com; and Wally’s Wine & Spirits in Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606; www.wallywine.com. About $30.

2004 Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano “Asinone.” A Vino Nobile of exceptional refinement. Selected from older vines, this wine leads with the scent of black raspberries smoked in briar, with a hint of gingerbread. It is dark and extremely satisfying on the palate, elegant and seductive at once, with deep plum fruit flavor, a touch of earth, and a fine grit to

the tannin. Available at Hi Time Wine Cellars, K&L Wine Merchants, Wine Exchange and the Wine House. About $50.

2003 TorCalvano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Balanced, light, fresh and red, this Vino Nobile leads with a cross of plum and dark spices, a hint of tar gracing the top register. On the palate it’s all finely grained black cherry flavors, elegant, high-toned, fresh and simple. Available at Bristol Farms, Hi Time Wine Cellars and K&L Wine Merchants. About $22.

2004 Barco Reale Carmignano. A whiff of leather leads this Carmignano, with hints of brick dust and red cherries. It’s weighty and fairly simple on the palate, with a hint of meatiness and a dark, plummy fruit flavor. The ripeness is a good foil for braised lamb. Available at Wine Expo in Santa Monica, (310) 828-4428. About $18.

2003 Villa di Capezzano Carmignano. An elegant and rich Carmignano from the region’s oldest producer, the family of Contini Bonaccorsi, this wine is a fog of plum and fig scents when first opened, gathering with time to a more focused spiced plum aroma on the second day. On the palate it’s rich and heady, with a touch of anise and accenting black fig flavors. Available at Hi Time Wine Cellars and the Wine House. About $30.

-- Patrick Comiskey