Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico DOCG

Grapes: sangiovese (90 percent), canaiolo (10 percent)

Region: Tuscany, Italy

Vintage: 2008

Price: $9.99

In the glass: Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico is a deep garnet-red color with a dense spinel-colored core going out into a fine, slightly tinged rim definition with medium viscosity.

On the nose: There are oodles of zesty crushed red and black cherries all over the layers of aged wood, phenolics, crushed rock and hints of sloe juice, fresh herbs and fruity minerality.

On the palate: This is a true chianti, full of cherries of every kind at first, then expanding to incorporate Cherry Heering liqueur, unsweetened cranberry juice, touches of pomegranate and minerals. The midpalate is a fine balance among the red cherry fruit, the acidity coming from it and the lean, supple tannins that play with both, leading to a nice lingering finish that again has cherry notes all over and a touch of Old World woodsy esters.

Odds and ends: Leave it to one of the great producers in the region, Badia a Coltibuono, to deliver the goods in this flavor-packed and tasty 2008 chianti classico. With DOCG being the highest quality achievement possible in the tightly controlled appellation of chianti, this is a wine that will invoke all the great things one always remembers about Tuscany. Made from a blend of indigenous grape varieties, Badia a Coltibuono (which means “Abbey of the Good Harvest”), dates from the middle of the 11th century, meaning this is a winery that has made wine for more than a thousand years. While initially owned by the monks of a branch of the Benedictine order, it was bought by the great-grandfather of Piero Stucchi-Prinetti in 1846 and the family has been in charge since. This wine, with ICEA organic certification from 2003, is the result of natural production methods using handpicked, organically grown sangiovese and canaiolo grapes from estate vineyards, and one can tell it is a thoroughly well-made wine. Available still from the 2008 vintage in the local market, this is a great value. Try it with a wine-reduced Bolognese sauce over a bed of angel-hair pasta. Drink it now through 2018.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.