Tenuta Col Falco Montefalco Rosso

We last had a bottle of this about three years ago, and I thought then that the tannins might be fading. Wrong! The tannins are very present, but part of the positive appeal of the wine -- dry, slightly astringent, leathery, with some dark cherry fruit behind. This is the archetype of the 'weeknight Italian' that my wife loves.

Our dinner guests were powering through the wine faster than through the food, so this was pulled from the cellar mid-meal. It played its role perfectly -- ready to drink right from opening, distinctive but not overbearing, and good with food. This is a herbal, leafy wine, with a dominant smokiness, low acidity and fading tannins. Drink soon.