Brett happens

Wildass Red 2008, Niagara Peninsula, Stratus ($24.00, 11601143)
A hodgepodge of a dozen or so grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Tempranillo. Complex if not particularly deep nose: black cherry, shoe leather, turned earth, leaf mould, sawed wood, volatile herbs. Smooth and fluid from start to finish. Structured but not rigid. Spicy fruit, racy acid and a slatey finish. Pure and appealing. One of the most drinkable Ontario reds I’ve tasted; too bad it doesn’t go for $20. (Buy again? Yes.)

Colli Euganei IGT 2006, Gemola, Vignalta ($43.50, 11581074)
Vignalta’s flagship wine. Mainly Merlot with some Cabernet Franc, grown in volcanic soils. Red fruit with notes of tomato paste, cola and tobacco leaf. Medium-bodied, velvet-textured. Rich but vibrant: sweet dark fruit and a touch of vanilla shaped by firm tannins and keen acidity. Long, savoury finish. Lots of class. (Buy again? Quite possibly.)

Toscana IGT 2006, Pergolaia, Caiarossa ($23.55, 11604619)
Biodynamically farmed Sangiovese (90%), Merlot (7%) and Cabernet Franc (3%). Fermented with native yeasts. Sulphur is used minimally and added only after malolactic fermentation. Aged 14 months in neutral barriques and botti. Textbook Sangiovese nose, albeit fresher than a Chianti’s: black cherry, savoury spice and terra cotta with herbaceous and graphite notes. Medium-bodied, with sweet fruit, tight, drying tannins and coursing acidity. Fairly long, tobacco-scented finish. Straightforward, nothing profound but pure and enjoyable. (Buy again? Yes.)

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2001, Vigneto St. Ercolano, Carpineto ($50.00, 11566464)
Sangiovese (85%) with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, all from a vineyard planted in 1995. Fermented in cement vats with indigenous yeasts. Matured 13 months in new French and American oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered in 2003, then cellared for five years before release. Suave nose of plum, cedar, spice and cigar box. The fruit starts smooth and silky but dries on the leathery finish. The lightly astringent tannins are mostly resolved. Not much depth or dazzle for a $50 wine. (Buy again? Unlikely.)