TTD Tuscan Red 2010 IGT Toscana £6.99
80% Sangiovese 15% Canaiolo 5% Cabernet sourced from the Sensi vineyards around the village of Vinci. The grapes are both hand and machine-harvested. The wine is fermented for between 10-12 days with regular pumping over at a temperature of 26-28°C. Casein is used for fining and the wine is filtered to 0.45 microns. Residual sugar: 2.3g/l. Winemaker: Massimo Sensi of Sensi Vigne & Vini Srl. New vintage available now 587 stores exclusive Diam cork 13.0%

Pale red colour. Some oak on the nose but not very forward. It’s perfectly OK but doesn't move me.

Piccini Chianti 2011 £7.99
95% Sangiovese and 5% Ciliegiolo. The grapes are grown in soils which are mainly made up of clay fragmented rock and stones typical of the Tuscan soil. The grapes are machine-harvested and once picked they are de-stalked and lightly pressed before being macerated for 10-15 days in stainless steel under controlled temperatures. A traditional Tuscan winemaking technique is then used whereby a second fermentation is carried out by adding a selection of dried Sangiovese grapes. Residual sugar: 4g/l. Winemaker: Antonella Conti. Available now 575 stores natural cork 12.5%

Startling fluorescent orange label. Nice oaky aroma. A pretty woody taste but not the vanilla flavours of the Spanish wines.

Piccini Montepulciano Reserva DOC 2009 £10.99 100% Montepulciano. The grapes are grown in vineyards located in central Italy close to the Adriatic Sea on the hills of the province of Chieti. This region has a calcareous and clay soil. The grapes are harvested in September when they have reached the ideal level of ripeness. They are de-stemmed and vinified according to traditional methods with prolonged maceration on skins at controlled temperatures. The wine is then aged 70% in Slovenian oak barrels and 30% in barriques for about 12 months. The wine then spends a further 3 months in bottle. Residual sugar: 4g/l. Winemaker: Antonella Conti.Available now 560 stores natural cork 13.0%

Very cheeky calling this Montepulciano without adding d’Abruzzo. A completely different wine and the price is steepish so you might think it was the posh one. Quite an attractive farmyardy nose. Rustic flavours but pretty smooth.   A nice wine.

TTD Primitivo 2011 IGT £7.49 100% Primitivo from the vineyards surrounding the 16th century fortress Castello Monaci located on the road from Lecce to Taranto in the Salice Salentino region. The grapes are picked by hand in late August from 10yr old vines grown in deep dry clay soil with some tufa limestone. The wine undergoes two weeks maceration at controlled temperatures before being aged for 8 months in stainless steel tanks. Bentonite is used for fining and the wine is filtered to 0.45 microns. Residual sugar: 5.9g/l. Winemaker: Giordano Formenti at GIV. New vintage available end November 581 stores exclusive screw cap 13.0%

Sweet oak on the nose and very ripe dark fruits. Savoury oaky taste with freshness and vitality. OK.

TTD Barbaresco 2008 £9.99 100% Nebbiolo from the Langhe hills in the heart of Piedmont. After harvesting by hand in late September the grapes are gently fermented at 28°C before undergoing malolactic fermentation. The wine then spends 18 months in new and used French oak barrels before being fined with bentonite and filtered prior to bottling. Residual sugar: 3.3g/l. Winemaker: Gaetane Carron MGM Mondo del Vino. New vintage available now 560 stores exclusive natural cork 13.5%

Pale brick colour as expected. Sweet and pretty aroma. Gentle flavours.  There’s tannin and oak but it’s smooth and gentle. Easy and Barolo-lite.

TTD Barolo D.O.C.G. 2008 £15.49 100% Nebbiolo from the Ascheri family’s finest vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba La Morra and Verduno. The vineyards have south / south-west facing slopes with an altitude which ranges from 280 to 350m. The hand-harvested grapes come from traditional Guyot trained vines. After 12-13 days of maceration at 28°C post fermentation maceration takes place for a period of 15 days. The wine is aged in stainless steel for 6 months followed by 27 months in Slavonian oak and at least 8 months in bottle. The wine is fined using bentonite and paper sheet filtration is used. Residual sugar: 0.4g/l. Winemaker: Matteo Ascheri.New vintage available now 424 stores exclusive natural cork 14.0%

Gentle aroma. Woody and farmyardy with leather.  I like my wine this way but some might call it Bretty.

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mel

They didn't offer you the TTD Amarone?

That's a treat!

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Viognier Reviews - my blog that does what it says in the title.
http://viognier.posterous.com

We have done this here though.

Mr T's, TN in 2010

Is this Sains version still a drink at one sitting wine - Sains state the vintage on the bottle, don't they ?

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Duncan

I posted about the 08 recently - http://www.quaffersoffers.co.uk/QOforum ... php?t=7737

Can't compare to any earlier vintages but it had some life beyond 1 sitting.

There's a mix of 08/09 in Sains at the mo.
Matthew Jukes reviewe the 09 recently and it sounds like a good one too. http://www.matthewjukes.com/2013/02/200 ... eto-italy/

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Viognier Reviews - my blog that does what it says in the title.
http://viognier.posterous.com

Thanks Viog, I've clearly not been paying attention !

Jukes is as wary as I had been to the extra hot and non age worthy versions in the past.

Thanks for the info, I may just go for the '09, and see if Sainsbury do a third -off clearance offer in a huge store. Cheers.

I don't know Veneto vintages at all . Also, the way the fruit is hung up and dried may make flavour characteristcs a tad nominal / marginal.

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Duncan

Maybe I should add more emoting


I picked it up a while back on special, around £12, so I'd say it'd be on again.

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Viognier Reviews - my blog that does what it says in the title.
http://viognier.posterous.com