For a cold, rainy, spring day, we opened a wine to cut the chill, lit  the fireplace, and tried to make time stop as we savored the 2013 Summus by Banfi. It is an example of the International style of wines and far less Italian, but it cost under $45, has 14% alcohol, and scored a pleasant 17 points out of the Dionysian possible 20.

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Black fruits, chocolate notes, and some fresh oak filled the nose after an hour of air.  Olives and almonds were all the wine had to work with and it showed extremely well. We made the wine last longer than the fire.

Any Cab-based wine will need French oak. As nice as it is, you’d be hard-pressed to tell it was from Tuscany. It’s only five years old, but it will mature for another decade, then hold at peak for at least ten years after that. In Vino Veritas.