Contributed by Mike Mollica from
Mike's Mostly Food and Wine Blog

Super-Tuscan. Just the name evokes images of a wine so ostentatious, so incredibly multi-faceted that becoming a familiar to these wines seems daunting. One reason is possibly because there is no clear definition of what makes this relatively infant non-DOC/DOCG wine group so “super.” They have only been around about a quarter-century, and they certainly do not follow any winemaking rules of the Toscana region, unless you consider perhaps that these meritage wines by now have totally redefined wine in Toscana. One thing for sure… you know, as the name implies, that you’re talking about a serious wine.
 
Super-Tuscan is often thought to refer to Bordeaux-style wines, like the first representative, Sassicaia, still a fantastic wine to this day, but it really never legally had a home in the industry of Tuscan winemaking. Other superb Super-Tuscans also fall into this category… consider such heavyweights as Solaia, Ornellaia, and Tignanello. These Tuscan producers wanted to try new things. Perhaps a little Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend with the traditional Sangiovese? Just a handful of Merlot? A red meritage made without the dose of white Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca grapes that the law required? Maybe a little time spent imbibing the strong perfume of French oak barrels?  They wanted to compete in the luxury market with the top wineries of France. These Tuscan wine makers were confident, and they wanted to play. What they did was buck the odds and carve out an entirely new appellation, creating seductive wines that have become famous the world over.
However, there is another category of Super-Tuscans. Wines that were established by producers who opted out of the classification system because they felt the antiquated and bureaucratic Tuscan rules kept them from making, say, a great Chianti Classico. Their goal was not to make a Bordeaux style wine like those aforementioned blockbusters, but great Sangiovese based wines, which they could not do a half century ago under Chianti rules which required a certain percentage of white grapes be used in a Chianti blend. These wines, like the one I have reviewed below, can be much more affordable, quite compelling and memorable.
 
As I mentioned before, none of these wines even remotely qualify for a DOC or DOCG designation, due to their trailblazing style and complete disconnect from the centuries-old standards of the region. Instead, they are labeled Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) which denotes wine from a more specific region within Italy. This appellation was created for the "new" wines of Italy, those that had broken the strict, old wine laws but were wines of great importance. Before the IGT was created, the earlier notable "Super Tuscan" wines such as Tignanello and Sassicaia were labeled Vino da Tavola (VDT), truly an erroneous moniker for such gems.
 
 
2005 Frasca Toscana “Super Tuscan” – Fattoria Varramista, Montopoli, Italia ($25)
 
A wonderful price point for this blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah (quantities in that order). The 13% alcohol wafts hot on the nose, with notes of dark ripe fruit, peat and currant. The color is quite beautiful, an intensely deep ruby red, blending into a lighter pomegranate rim… vibrant colors you’d expect from a younger wine like this. 
 
On the palate I found tame and elegant tannins. They were definitely there, along with a dryness that is characteristic of Sangiovese… but clearly the Merlot adds layers of structure, and the Syrah is there to smooth it all out. Cleverly blended (I wish they disclosed the ratios), and exhibiting flavors of raisins and dried stone fruit.
 
The finish was astringent, but full of character. I detected dark chocolate, anise and a mineral layer that all went together very well.
 
This wine has spent 12 months in a barrel, and another four aged in the bottle. Very enjoyable now, but hold until 2011 for an even better experience.
 
87pts (Wine Spectator)  

Mike Mollica is an independent food & wine journalist for the "Italian American Community News", author and publisher of the blog "Mike's Mostly Food and Wine Blog", and is a blog contributor to VinVillage.com.