Tenuta Vitalonga Umbria Terra di Confine

What a nice deal at $13 USD for a wine seemingly built for steaks with a simple salt and pepper (or peppercorn-based sauce) treatment. 80% Montepulciano, 20% Merlot (Super Umbrian?), reminds me of an old-school Bordeaux --- as if I've had so many of those ;) --- a rustic touch, dried leaf, a hint of green, just ripe fruit along with dark, minerally fruit. Showing a bit of aged character, but still about the fruit and earth. CT window goes …

I was digging this little rustic brambly food wine. Went well with a casual flatbread with smoked mozzarella. It's got some funk, a little dirty, thus the rustic descriptor.

Needs serious decanting. No fruit evident until after 2+hour decant. Then began to come alive.

Day one - disjointed. Day two - dark ruby color. Mentholated dark cherry aroma. Brambley and disjointed with a disappointing finish.

Disappointing. Band aid aromas. Initial dark juicy flavors quickly evolve to tar and tobacco flavors. Somewhat tanic on the finish.

Very nice and drinkable for the price! Would buy more

dark and ripe. loads of rustic berry and plum fruit. notes of brush and tar. Not overly complex but juicy with slightly bitter tannins that worked great with pesto pasta.

Did not show well taken to an Italian restaurant @ PnP. Rather harsh and acidic, even with food. Improved at 2nd and 3rd tasting over a week in the fridge. Not sure where this is going. I'll try another within a year to see.

Near opaque purple ruby, medium plus viscosity; aromas of blueberry and forest floor, a little vanilla; palate opens with plum, blueberry, blackberry fruit, balanced out by a darker tar/leather side that persists on and on. good acid and and well-integrated tannins; silky texture; without the tar/leather components the fruit would have been overbearing and flabby, but this strikes an interesting balance.

I loved it. Who says good wine has to be expensive. I was most impressed by the balance and the focus of this wine it seems like the montepulciano, which is typically less tannic was completely supported by the Merlot. The merlot, not full of backbone itself, complemented the montepulciano perfectly. And with all this fruit the whole thing could have gone all jammy. Instead a focused berry with great structure and a happy me because I have five more. …

No notes, but this was good right out of the gate, nice ripe fruit, balanced with some structure.

Big, fruity, a slight tannin late. Very good wine but not great. It's a good red table wine. For this QPR I have no complaints but I thought my last bottle of this was better. 23 May update: drank last 1/4 bottle, stored in the full bottle with Vacuvin. The wine tasted quite sharp and acidic. I won't lower the rating from 87--it's still a good wine and I happily finished the last glass before cracking a Barolo. But be …