Chianti’s cousins: Italy’s other red Tuscan

Chianti is Tuscany’s most famous red wine, said Patrick Comiskey in the Los Angeles Times. Justly renowned as a “friendly, red-fruited” wine, it goes well with substantial fare. But Tuscany produces other stellar wines—“call them Chianti’s cousins”—from Montalcino, Montepulciano, and Carmigiano. Today’s best Chianti bears virtually no resemblance to “the wine we all grew up with: spineless, overcropped plonk.” These three cousins of Chianti offer similarly exceptional quality. They’re a bargain to boot.

2005 Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Rosso di Montalcino ($25) From a prominent Brunello maker, a gentle, cherry-red wine “with a light dusting of tannin.”

2003 TorCalvano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ($22) “Elegant, high-toned, fresh, and simple.”

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2004 Barco Reale Carmignano ($18) A ripe foil for braised lamb. Leathery and dark.