Brett happens

IGT Val di Neto Rosso 2008, Gravello, Librandi ($28.45, 11297268)
A self-styled “Super Calabrian” made by the region’s highest profile estate. Gaglioppo (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%). Fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with regular pump-overs. Aged eight months in new and second vintage French oak barrels. 14% ABV.
Dark nose that had me thinking of black olives, tar paper and cigars more than fruit, which tended toward fig and plum/prune with overtones of spice (licorice, black pepper) and some oak. Full-bodied and heady. The very ripe fruit tastes a little cooked and only holds it own against dusty slate and savoury flavours that echo the nose. The tannins, soft and chewy at first, turn stern and grippy on the long, dry finish. Impressive, yes, but only in that made-to-impress way: a wine that tries too hard, that pushes the grape to the limit instead of letting it speak for itself. It will appeal to the more-is-more crowd but it’s not my cup of tea. (Buy again? Unlikely.)