Monsanto 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva

I gave this a vigorous aeration.

Deep ruby color.

Plum and prune smells, tar, vanilla oak in the background.

Tar taste at first, later dry plum and cherry fruit, oaky vanilla, tannins soften, acid becomes more apparent.

Very good medium-to-full bodied bottle for $19.99.

Morgadio 2009 Rias Baixas Albarino

Yellow straw color.

Mild smell of lime, clean laundry, river stones.

Tart taste of lime, Granny Smith apple, long acid finish.

Excellent medium-to-full-bodied bottle for $16.99.

Chateau Moulin-Favre 2009 Beaujolais-Villages Vieilles Vignes

Dark purple color.

Warm strawberry smell.

Intense fruity strawberry / cherry / banana flavors, some petillance on the tongue.

Very good $14.99 medium-bodied bottle, good acid finish.

Attems 2009 IGT Pinot Grigio 'Venezia Giulia'

Pale straw color, tending towards pink.

Mild ripe apple smell.

Soft, fruity, slightly off-dry apple flavor.

Good mild-to-medium-bodied bottle for $17.99. Fruit well-balanced with bright acid in the finish.

TJIC

We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately.

Villa Medoro 2006 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Very dark cherry red color, some petillance.

Cherry preserves and pesto smells.

Robust fruits and herbs flavor, big flavor, food-friendly acid at the end, excellent pizza wine. At $35.99, an overpriced bottle. I ordered (and I think paid for) Villa Medoro's Rosso del Duca, but received their Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Ah well, tastes good!

Chateau Moulin-Favre 2009 Morgon Vielles Vignes

Dark purple-red color.

Warm fruity banana/strawberry smell.

Fruity strawberry flavor, long finish with outstanding acid.

Better-than-average bottle of medium-bodied cru Beaujolais for $17.99. Good fun without an emphasis on the cerebral.

Pra 2009 Soave Classico

Pale straw color, petillance appears and quickly subsides when the wine is poured.

Smells of apples and walnuts.

Taste is of a big juicy apple. Long finish with good acid, still juicy.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $17.99. Have European whites improved greatly in the last decade or two, or have my preferences changed during that time?

Azienda Agricola Barberani 2009 Polago IGT Umbria

Dark cherry color.

Ripe blackberry smell, strawberry.

Fruity cherry/blackberry flavor. Black tea at the end.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $16.99. Excellent pizza wine!

Felsner 2006 Rohrendorfer Leithen Gruner Veltliner Alte Reben

Rich medium straw color.

Mango and melon smell, grapefruit, white pepper.

Dry apple and citrus, mango/peach. Good acid, long finish.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $32.99.

Rolet non-vintage Cremant du Jura Brut Coeur de Chardonnay

Extremely pale straw color, many vigorous long-lasting streams of pinpoint bubbles.

Fresh apple smell, wild-flowers.

Off-dry apple flavor, some bitterness in the long finish, particularly as the wine warms in the glass.

Adequate medium-bodied bottle for $33.33: cold, wet, and fizzy. The bubbles were the best part. Meh. I won't buy this again.