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Sunday, February 13, 2011

2005 L'Oca Ciuca Toscana "The Drunken Goose"

I'll have to rely on someone who knows more Italian than "Grazie" and "Bongiorno" to tell me if L'Oca Ciuca actually means "The Drunken Goose," but either way it was good enough to get me to buy this bottle of Italian red. Not that I generally require that much persuasion. This is one of the so-called "Supertuscans" who operate outside the Italian wine laws by adding such grapes as cabernet sauvignon and merlot to their sangiovese. The horror! This particular blend is of sangiovese, merlot, and syrah.

It's an opaque garnet in the glass, with just a hint of browning towards the rim. The aromas are dense with dark fruits - blueberries and plums, mostly - and some palpable cocoa as well. The deliciousness extends to the palate. It's not at all sweet, but the fruits are juicy, the acid in perfect balance with the fine tannins and alcohol. Despite it's modest price, I suspect this wine could actually age a few more years and still evolve. The finish is a little sour, but overall the wine is very pleasant. I can see why the goose got drunk.

Vintage: 2005
Grape: Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah
Region: Tuscany
Price: $12

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