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More wines available from Ruffino
750ml
Bottle:
$119.88
$131.60
Showing some development, this red is hitting its stride with plum, blackberry, iron, leather and woodsy flavors....
750ml
Bottle:
$16.92
$18.80
Color: light pink. Aroma: the bouquet is complex with floral notes typical of Sangiovese, followed by herbal and...
More Details
Winery
Ruffino
Vintage: 2010
2010 saw extremely high quality viticulture in many parts of the world, with an exceptionally long and hot summer providing huge benefits for wineries across many countries, especially in the southern hemisphere. The northern hemisphere and Europe saw something of a cooler summer and flowering period, but this was by no means as disastrous as it could have been. France, especially, had a fantastic year in 2010, with the world renowned Burgundy region proclaiming that their white wines of this year are ones to look out for, and despite yields being relatively small across much of the country, the quality was exceptionally high. Spain, too, received some cooler weather, but Rioja and the rest of central Spain are hailing 2010 as a very good year indeed, again as a result of smaller, finer yields. California also received similar climatic conditions, but again, wineries are highly positive about the overall effect this had on their produce, as the slightly challenging conditions resulted in smaller yields of much elegance and distinction.
2010 was really Australia's year, and in South Australia and across the Mornington Peninsula, Chardonnay vines produced good yields with a lower sugar level than in previous years. As such, the majority of South Australian white wines from 2010 are superb, and packed full of character. Shiraz also had a great year, and most Australian wineries have been proclaiming 2010 one of the great vintages. Both the Argentinian and Chilean wine industries benefited from some ideal climatic conditions this year, and are reportedly ecstatically pleased with the fact that their 2010 wines ended up with lower alcohol levels, and were beautifully balanced wines packed full of flavor.
Varietal: Sangiovese
In its native Italy, Sangiovese is the most widely planted red grape varietal, and has been for several centuries now. It has since spread to several other countries around the world, but will probably always been most readily associated with the rolling hillscapes of Tuscany. It isn't difficult to understand why it is so revered; alone, in single variety bottles, young Sangiovese is lively, full of fresh summer fruits flavors and beautifully drinkable in its lightness. When aged, it has the special ability to soak up the oak and vanilla or chestnut flavors from the barrel, and delights wine drinkers with its complexity and many layers of character. However, the grape does occasionally cause some difficulty for wine makers, as it is one which holds a high acidity, whilst being light on tannins and body. As such, wine makers have experimented greatly with the Sangiovese grapes, from harvesting very low yields to blending it and aging it in different ways in order to make the most of its unique properties. The results are rarely short of spectacular, and Sangiovese is widely recognized as a grape varietal to look out for if you are searching for quality.
Region: Tuscany
The central Italian region of Tuscany is widely understood to be one of the world's most famous and highly regarded wine regions. The beautiful rolling hillsides and medieval towns and castles which are a key feature of the area are also home to many of Europe's finest wineries, and extremely high quality vineyards growing the distinctive Sangiovese and Vernaccia grape varietals which are the flavorful backbone of Tuscany's wonderful red and white wines. For almost three thousand years, this region has been recognized as an ideal home for wine production on a large scale, and the ancient Etruscans, Greeks and Romans all noticed that fine grape varietals flourished on the unique soils and under the hot sunshine which typifies the area. Today, Tuscany is home to a wide range of wines, from the traditional to the complex, but all dedicated to excellent flavors and aromas, and maintaining the region's international reputation.
Country: Italy
Italy is recognised as being one of the finest wine producing countries in the world, and it isn't difficult to see why. With a vast amount of land across the country used primarily for vineyard cultivation and wine production, each region of Italy manages to produce a wide range of excellent quality wines, each representative of the region it is produced in. Any lover of Italian wines will be able to tell you of the variety the country produces, from the deliciously astringent and alpine-fresh wines of the northern borders, to the deliciously jammy and fruit-forward wines of the south and the Italian islands. Regions such as Barolo are frequently compared with Bordeaux and Burgundy in France, as their oak aged red wines have all the complexity and earthy, spicy excellence of some of the finest wines in the world, and the sparkling wines of Asti and elsewhere in Italy can easily challenge and often exceed the high standards put forward by Champagne. Thanks to excellent terrain and climatic conditions, Italy has long since proven itself a major player in the world of wines, and long may this dedication to quality and excellence continue.