Il Bruciato (Bolgheri) 2007

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (30%), and Syrah (20%) sourced from the Tenuta Guado al Tasso estate on the Tuscan coast. It gets a relatively short stay in oak barrels (only 8 months), which leaves the fruit as the dominant element in both the bouquet and the palate. Not a wine for the cellar, but a lovely wine for early drinking with, say, steak. Indeed, the soft tannins and refreshing acidity make it very food friendly and easy to drink at age 4. Black cherry, blackberry, and prunes, with a touch of vanilla and smoke from the stint in oak. Grade: B+