Renzo Masi is a family owned, three generations old, wine company in Italy. They focus on one of our favorite things, value. To do that, they search out and partner with producers who share the same passion and focus. This leads to long term relationships and true partnership, from vineyard management to bottled wine.
We have two bottles you may have seen on your local wine retailer’s shelves in the past. The labels are a story unto themselves, and an eye catcher on the shelf. Here they are:
Actually, they have created a storyline for the two characters involved here: Rubio (Il Bastardo) and Blanca (La Bastarda). Both children of unwed mother’s, they represent their individual wines with their personalities. Rubio is a bit of a momma’s boy, indulging in her homemade pizza and pasta (with an occasional burger). Blanca, from the island of Sicily, delights in her mother’s fish and shellfish. Their individual wines are perfectly matched to their assumed dietary preferences.
These wines have a suggested retail of $9. We’ll go through the tasting notes below, but suffice it to say these are ridiculous values, and wines you should try.
2017 Il Bastardo – this is 100% Sangiovese, mostly from Tuscany’s Rufina district. The crushed grapes are macerated for 10 days in stainless tanks to increase color and flavor extraction. Suggested retail of $9. The result?
The wine is a vibrant red in color, with a bright nose full of cherries, black cherries to be exact. After it sees some air other nuances creep in, including a little tobacco. It is medium bodied, with surprising tannins and good acid and balance. This is quite delicious and is absolutely made for pizza or something with red sauce. The finish is longer than I would have expected. This is a pretty stellar value at $9.
2017 La Bastarda – for the white we switch to 100% Pinot Grigio sourced from Sicily. The grapes are lightly pressed and then fermented in temperature controlled stainless. This wine also comes with a $9 retail price. Our thoughts:
Light straw in color, with a rich nose of cantaloupe, delicious apple and kiwi. Citrus as well, along with white flowers and a touch of blackcurrant bud. This is complex. It has great mouthfeel, and some texture and body. Overall I would describe the wine as smooth, with great balance. Lots of fruit holds court throughout. It finishes long. This is one of the best Pinot Grigio’s we’ve had in a while, at any price. Ridiculous value here, and simply an outstanding wine.
There are so many wines out there now with gimmicky names and labels, and pretty low quality juice inside the bottles. This is not one of those. The labels, and the story they’ve created behind them, are fun. The wine is outstanding. The value is off the charts, especially the white. Look for these.
A votre santé!
Just checked Masi’s website and they say Il Bastardo has some Sicilian Syrah in the mix. Always used to happen with Pugliese Primitivo in bad vintages, vino di taglio, now they’re honest about having a warmer ripe influence.
Keep up the great reviews, maybe more Australian red that’s a lot better balanced now after the wave of Parkerised madness in the late 1990s!
Cheers,
Andrew
Thanks for the updated info, and the suggestion to do more with Australian reds. We have not reviewed any for a while, and they do deserve more attention.