The Ruffino Problem

Anno Italiano 2008 - continued...

There is absolutely no reason to drink cheap Italian wine. ... Okay, let me qualify that. Outside of an Italian restaurant that serves nothing else, there is absolutely no reason to drink cheap Italian wine.

There are simply too many good alternatives. A lot of cheap Italian wine tastes acerbic, volatile, dry, occasionally harsh, and less than forthcoming to me. Chianti Classico, which can be illuminating, is too often overtly dull. Case in point: We opened a Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale last night. It was, to be kind, less than inspiring, and at about $20+, twice what I could have paid for a Chianti of the same quality. The problem, as I see it, with a lot of the well-known Italian wines from the likes of Frescobaldi, Ruffino, and Antinori (just to name a few of the producers who fall into the category of making a number of unquaffable table wine that sell for inflated prices) is advertising. Buying an ad in Wine Spectator corresponds to a price jump in the wine. That is simply unacceptable to me. For that reason, this wine gets my rip off of the week nod...

2000 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale - $20 - Garnet. Light body with sort of abrasive acidity typical of mediocre Chianti. Port tones, overt raspberry, and a touch of river silt in the mouth. Some earthy musk emerges after a couple minutes.