Cheap Grapes: Castello di Gabbiano Chianti 2006

Any wine lover knows full well that the days of cheap Chianti are long gone. At some point in the last 10-20 years, the world began to fall in love with all things Tuscan, and that pushed the prices of this once bargain wine higher and higher. Fear not, as I've found a good choice for those looking for a Chianti fix on the cheap. Castello di Gabbiano Chianti 2006 is a widely available, basic and yet very enjoyable wine that retails here in Ontario for $13.95, so I'd imagine that it is in the $10 range throughout much of the U.S. It's comprised mostly (90%, I think) of Sangiovese and therefore has that nice mixture of earthiness and fruitiness that you come to expect from that grape. I'm not big on too much fruit, so I really appreciate the dark cherry, blackberry and maybe even plum flavours that are found here. It's also got a nice little peppery kick and finishes fairly dry. All in all, I think it would be a crowd pleaser. It's quite drinkable now, but would benefit from a couple more years in your cellar.