Tasting note
Colour - Mid depth scarlet.

Aroma - Lots of tangy, upfront cherry and plum aromas.

Taste - Spicy cherry and plum with hints of spice and dark chocolate over rounded tannins.

	Type:Still Red Wine		Country:Italy		Appellation:Marche IGT
	Grape Type:Red blend		Drink Before:End of 2010		Body:Light and Fruity
	Alcohol:11.5%		Bottle Size:75cl		Bottle Code:60863

Description
If you like a soft, cherry-rich Chianti, but at a more friendly price, look to the Marches, across the Apennines from Tuscany. It's a beautiful region on Italy's Adriatic coast with long stretches of sandy beaches and, at the other extreme, inland, towering, snow-capped mountains. The best-known wine of the region is Verdicchio, a crisp characterful white, the very best of which can age with almost the same elegance and complexity as a good Chablis. The main red grape of Le Marche is Sangiovese, the wines of which make a great alternative to pricier Chianti.

Terre Cortese Moncaro is one of the very top cellars of Le Marche. It was founded in 1964 and since that time has made huge strides in modern technology and viticultural methods, in particular lowering yields, and still being mindful of the environment. Today, it is "a hugely influential producer" (Drink Italia), with one cellar in Verdicchio specialising in white wines and one in Conero for reds. Every year, they win many awards and have been highly praised in all the Italian wine guides - from Il Libro dei Vini by Luca Maroni to Vini d'Italia from Gambero Rosso and Hugh Johnson's Italian Best Wine Yearbook.

In Ducale, they have used Chianti's mainstay grape, the early-ripening Sangiovese, with all its bright cherry fruit and bite of acidity. To this, they have added late-ripening, velvety, plum-rich Montepulciano. It creates an excellent balance and needs no addition of oak.

Ducale 2007 is available in the following cases: