Two for one: Monte Antico IGT & Mark West

This is a two-for-one wine review.  We went out to dinner, Rachel ordered a Sangiovese, Colin got a Pinot Noir.  After tasting both, we switched glasses because we each preferred the other's choice.  That's the benefit of drinking with a partner.

Sangiovese
Monte Antico IGT
Tuscany, Italy
2007


It is 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot.  It is a blend from Italian wine specialist, Neil Empson, and renowned wine maker, Franco Bernabei, from the finest grapes from the Tuscan hillside.  It is aged one year in oak and then six months in the bottle.

Colin:  I really like the initial tart taste, because it rolls out into an oak-y, very unique flavor for a sangiovese.  I find it to be really good, because it is very unique.  I have not have a sangiovese quite like this.
Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  This sangiovese has a very smooth and long finish.  It is initially very bold in flavor, has a very great smell to it.  It initially is vastly different from most wines.  There is a sour initial taste, with a bite to it, but it crescendos into a very nice finish.
Rating:  7 out of 10 glasses

Where can I find it?
A local wine specialty store.  If you google search it, there are some shopping results that come up.

Cost:  $9.99-$14.00 - Found a bunch online and they range - most are above $10 though.  Still a decent price for a great bottle.  (Their 2006 is worth $75.00 currently, got a 90 on Wine Spectator - so this is a wine you can hold onto, if you have a cellar of course). 

Pinot Noir
Mark West
California
2009

Mark West specializes specifically in pinot noirs.  This particularly blend is aged in French & Hungarian oak for approximately eight months before bottling.  They are a green company and have a pretty neat website (see below).  And bonus:  Under $10.  It is from California's Coastal Appalachian.

Colin:  The pinot noir is mild at best.  There are not really any distinguishing characteristics about it.  I would agree that it is very light.  It has a nice finish, and I don't think it is a bad wine - I just don't like it as much as other pinot noirs (as a pinot noir lover).  This is definitely for someone who does not like a very robust red, because it is very smooth and fruity.
Rating:  4.5 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  This pinot noir is initially very fruity.  It also has a very smooth finish.  I honestly just wanted to drink the entire bottle, I fell in love with this Pinot Noir.  The rich, fruity, sweet side of this wine makes it not traditional for red wine drinkers/lovers.  This is the white wine lovers' red wine.
Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Where can I find it?
Mark West Website or BevMo, Ralphs, K&L Wine Merchants - at your grocery store

Cost:  Under $10