#390 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - 3 for the price of 1

So, two bottles of wine.  One is seven quid and the other is three times as much.  One is made by a big famous producer and the other is made by a Formula 1 driver.  One looks like a cheap wine and the other looks very swish in a heavy bottle. The only thing that they have in common is the fact that they are both Montepulciano d'Abruzzos, so what do they taste like?

2009 Umani Ronchi Podere Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Bright ripe cherries, a little crisp red apple skin coming off and then some slightly meat fat aromas too.  Very clean and lively - this is a simple, fun wine.  The palate is again fresh and clean with some crunchy raspberries and blueberries, lots of under ripe cherries and just a touch of aniseed.  There is more spice on the back end, almost a nudge of honey sweetness as well, and then a dry, leathery texture.  Soft, velvety tannins and a very long lasting, warmed berry compote finish.  Really quite nice.  90pts

2004 Podere Castorani Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
A lot of big, sweet, port like aromas.  Chocolate, brambles, toffee and then some minty sweetness mixed with balsamic vinegar - it is balsamic mint sauce.  There is a little tobacco coming off and a touch of raspberry compote.  The palate follows on where the nose left off.  Slightly less sweetness with some spice coming to the fore.  There is that lovely baked fruit, dry leather and cherry flavour, with lots of spice, but it has a touch of aggressive alcohol.  This calms down, but it stays warm all the way to the end.  The finish is nice, dry with a dar k, savoury, earthy flavour and a little cherry flavour on the back end with cocoa.  89pts

I'd go with the cheapy.  It is very tasty, light fun wine that tastes really nice.  Jarno Trulli's more expensive wine is very good too, but it doesn't make you want to polish off a bottle with your friends and start another one - it is too serious, so instead of buying one Podere Castorani, buy three of the Umani Ronchi wines instead.