This has a rich nose of olives, bay leaves, stewed black fruit, mocha and tobacco. It’s full-bodied, bold and spicy, with a dense core of dried black fruit and chocolate. Big wine at 15.5% alcohol. Montepulciano and cabernet. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

The Ciù Ciù 2011 Offida Esperanto is a blend of mostly Montepulciano and a smaller part Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a robust, full-bodied red wine to pair with succulent cuts of grilled meat. There is a lot of ripeness here, and this was indeed a very hot growing season. Aromas of blackberry preserves and cherry confit emerge quickly on the bouquet. This is a big wine from all points of view, from the bottle to the wine inside. The bigger those aromas are, like you get here, the less detail and focus they offer in the glass.

The 2006 Offida Esperanto is a blend of Montepulciano and Cabernet Sauvignon. Here you have a savory and deeply concentrated red wine with evolved flavors of dried blackberry, spice, leather and dark licorice. The wine is definitely on the ripe and jammy side with soft tannins and sweet fruit flavors of prune and dried cherry. The wine delivers ample power and not much in the way of complexity or finesse.