With Saturday night’s pizza, I opened a bottle of the Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico 2009, a wine drinking beautifully at not quite three years old.

The small hill town of Volpaia — “fox’s lair” — dates to the 11th Century, established as a frontier outpost by Florence against Siena. The village retains much of its medieval appearance today, thanks, in large part, to the restoration efforts of the Stianti Mascheroni family that owns about two-thirds of the town and has converted many of the old buildings to winery facilities and homes for their workers. Volpaia’s Chianti Classico is a combination of modern and traditional. For modernity, it’s a blend of 90 percent sangiovese with 10 percent “international” grapes — merlot and syrah; the vineyards are certified organic, and the age of the vines varies from about 10 to about 40 years old. For traditional, the wine was aged 12 months in large oak casks, not small French barriques, though the Chianti Classico Riserva (one level higher, theoretically) gets about 20 percent barrique treatment.

Anyway, Volpaia Chianti Classico 2009 sports an intense medium ruby color; aromas of dried cherries and currants are woven with spiced tea, violets, orange zest, a hint of briers and brambles and a bit of graphite. It’s quite alluring but in a subdued manner; there’s nothing flamboyant or opulent here. While this Chianti Classico’s structure is firm and a little dense with finely-milled and open-knit tannins, it also exhibits lovely lightness, delicacy and balance, along with vibrant acidity and juicy but spare flavors of red and black cherries and currants with a sprightly touch of mulberry, potpourri and sandalwood. The finish is of moderate length, sleek and elegant with a bit of woody spice and earthy minerality. 13.5 percent alcohol. Drink now through 2014 or ’15. Excellent. About $24.

Imported by Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, Ca. A sample for review.

La Mozza estate was established in 2000 by three larger-than-life personalities who rule a great deal of the Italian restaurant and wine scene in New York, that is to say, Joe Bastianich and his business partner chef Mario Batali and his mother the restaurateur Lidia Bastianich. La Mozza is in Maremma, in southwest Tuscany by the coast of the Tyrrhennian, mare being Latin for sea; the province is Grosseto. Joe Bastianich and his mother also own the Bastianich winery, founded in 1997, in the Colli Orientali del Friuli region of northeast Italy. Maremma long lagged behind the central Chianti regions of Tuscany because of the swampy terrain, the presence of malaria and the tendency of the populace to banditry. Those problems were solved by the middle of the 20th Century, and the ambitious started buying land and planting vines. While the coastline is rife with resorts, the vineyard areas lie inland. La Mozza produces two wines, I Perazzi Morellino di Scansano, mainly sangiovese, morellino being the local name for the grape, and the more expensive, but not strenuously so, Aragone Maremma Toscana, in which sangiovese plays a smaller role. Winemakers are Gabriele Gadenz and Maurizio Castelli.

La Mozza I Perazzi 2010, Morellino di Scansano, is a blend of 85 percent sangiovese, 5 percent each syrah and alicante, 3 percent ciliegiolo and 2 percent colorino; colorino is a minor red grape of Chianti, little used now, while ciliegiolo is another minor grape about which there is some dispute that it is either a parent or an off-spring of sangiovese. “Morellino” means “little cherry,” and indeed I Perazzi, though named for an indigenous pear-like fruit, offers the vivid tint, scent and flavor of fresh black and red cherries, highlighted by hints of raspberries and mulberries. The wine is fermented by natural yeasts; 30 percent aged for 10 months in used French barriques. This is no simpleminded cherry-berry wine, however; the succulence of its tasty flavors is bolstered by vibrant acidity, a fine-grained texture and structure — I think of the texture as the surface of the structure — and well-balanced, slightly dusty tannins that nonetheless bring a bit of austerity to the finish. Elements of lavender and licorice, graphite and underbrush add detail to the wine’s dimensions. 13.5 percent alcohol. Drink now through 2014 to ’15. We had I Perazzi 2010 with a hearty pizza topped with bacon and roasted tomatoes, onions and peppers; it would also serve excellently with burgers and steaks, grilled lamb chops and such. Very Good+. About $16, a price that merits Buying by the Case.

Dark Star Imports, New York. This was a sample for review.

Torrontés is not one of the world’s great and noble grapes, but all grapes don’t have to be Olympian, do they? (I was thinking Olympian in terms of “god-like,” but the metaphor holds true for superb competitive athleticism too, and speaking of such matters I returned to the gym yesterday for the first time in more than a year.) Sometimes all we demand of a grape is that it produce pleasant, attractive tasty wines that can be enjoyed in a variety of circumstances; not a damned thing wrong with that. Torrontés has become the white grape for which Argentina is best known, whether grown in the south, in Patagonia, or in the north, in La Rioja and Salta. The grape tends to produce highly floral, spicy and crisp wines that at their best are delicate, genial and charming and at their worse are insipid and flabby. Not much movement to artificially pump up the qualities of the grape with oak barrel aging has occurred, for which we can be thankful. The way to bring out the choicest qualities of the grape is not through manipulation in the winery but through the selection of the most appropriate sites and through the most efficacious vineyard practices.

That said, I’ll assert that the Terrazas Reserva Torrontés 2011, Cafayate Terrace, Salta, is the best version of the grape that I have encountered, and I’ll add that contributing elements to its virtues are the altitude of the vineyard, which stands at 5,900 feet above sea-level on the slopes of the Andes mountains, stressing those vines– think of it as grapes going to the gym — and the fact that it sees no oak. The wine offers remarkable tone, presence and character, with lovely purity and intensity, though never losing sight of its innate delicacy. The color is pale straw-gold; the bouquet is more spicy than floral, though hints of jasmine and camellia are woven through aromas of green apples, roasted lemons and yellow plums highlighted by cloves and a touch of white pepper. In the mouth, there’s more emphasis on citrus, especially in the realm of lemon and lime peel and tart grapefruit, though there’s a sense of sunny leafiness about the wine, along with scintillating acidity and a clean, fresh mineral element. The texture is exquisitely balanced between moderate lushness and bright pertness, while the finish is trim, elegant and smooth. 13.5 percent alcohol. Drink now through 2013. Excellent. About $15, an Incredible Bargain.

Imported by Moet Hennessy USA, New York. A sample for review.

Stepping Stone is the second label of Napa Valley’s Cornerstone Cellars, founded in 1991 by two doctors and a couple of investors in Memphis. The motivation was to produce great cabernet sauvignon wines, and in that purpose the enterprise has flourished. (Here are my notes on the excellent Cornerstone Howell Mountain and Napa Valley cabernets from 2004 and 2005; I have not tasted subsequent vintages.) The Cornerstone wines are built to age, are limited in quantity and dear in cost (though not as expensive as many comparable Napa Valley cabernets), so Stepping Stone was created to offer drinkable products at more accessible prices. Winemaker for Cornerstone and Stepping Stone since 2010, and the company’s first full-time winemaker, is Jeff Keene.

The Stepping Stone Corallina Syrah Rosé 2011, Napa Valley, derives from the Boyd Family Vineyards in Napa’s Oak Knoll appellation. This rosé is made not by the saignée method of bleeding off some juice from the crushing of red grapes intended for another wine but by gently pressing whole clusters to obtain a pale juice that is then taken off the skins. The wine undergoes a long cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks and then, in an unusual process for a rosé, is aged five months in well-used French oak barrels. The result is a rosé that retains all the delicacy and elegance we associate with the best models but one just slightly more robust and structured. The color is indeed coral with a shimmer of copper-orange topaz; in other words, entrancing. Aromas of dried raspberries and red currants are highlighted by hints of orange zest, lilac and lime peel; within flavors of citrus modality notes of melon and raspberry make an appearance, all enlivened by brisk acidity and a scintillating element of limestone minerality. The wine is shapely, supple and spicy — there are touches of cloves and cinnamon — and altogether suited for a variety of Summer and early Fall dishes, from cold fried chicken and deviled eggs to rabbit terrine and veal blanquette. Serve chilled and drink through 2013. Production was 455 cases. Excellent. About $20.

A sample for review.

Here’s a merlot wine that actually tastes like something distinctive and not a cadet version of cabernet sauvignon. (I realize that today is Wednesday, but we had internet problems after a storm Monday and I’m just back to the keyboard. I mean, Wednesday is a day of the week. And now LL and I are on vacation.)

The Gundlach Bundschu Merlot 2009, Sonoma Valley, is a blend of 80 percent merlot, 14 percent cabernet sauvignon and 3 percent each petit verdot and malbec; it aged 17 months in French oak barrels, 40 percent new. The upshot? A deep but radiant ruby-purple color; intriguing aromas of black currants and plums, with touches of blueberries and mulberries and back-notes of thyme and black olive, oolong tea and licorice and an even more exotic hint of sandalwood. The wine is smooth and mellow, packed with ripe and spicy black and blue fruit flavors with a hint of something deep and unfettered that lends a sense of exhilaration. Dense and polished tannins provide well-mannered support, as do vibrant acidity and an element of graphite-like minerality. The finish is long, lively and flavorful. 14.4 percent alcohol. Drink now through 2015 or ’16. Excellent. About $30.

A sample for review.

I didn’t produce a Friday Wine Sips post this week, and I’m not going to do it today, so why not be forward-looking with the Wine of the Week?

I made the Bindi Sergardi Chianti Colli Senesi 2008, Toscana, one of my “Great Bargains of 2011.” I missed the rendition of 2009, but recently tasted the 2010, and it’s even better than its cousin from ’08. Chianti Colli Senesi means “Chianti from the hills of Siena,” a designation that gives you an idea where the D.O.C. fits within the geography of Tuscany, that is to say, Siena is about 32 miles south of Florence. The rivalry between Siena and Florence, the latter long considered the center of the Tuscan wine trade, goes back a thousand years, and at sporting events today, some Sienese may taunt their Florentine counterparts with “Remember Montaperti” — all in good fun! — a great battle the Sienese won on September 4, 1260. They have long memories in Europe.

Made entirely in stainless steel from 100 percent sangiovese grapes, Bindi Sergardi Chianti Colli Senesi 2010 offers a beautiful limpid cerise color and incredibly attractive aromas of red and black cherries, red currants, orange rind, black tea and cloves. The wine is quite dry yet juicy with black and red fruit flavors, touched with something slightly exotic like sandalwood and pomegranate, and enlivened by bright acidity, hints of mulberries, potpourri and pomander, and a persistent graphite quality. The texture is soft, almost velvety, but the tannins that burgeon from mid-palate through the finish bring in elements of briers, underbrush and dried porcini. Drink now through 2013 or ’14 with pizza, pasta dishes with tomato sauces and grilled beef, veal or lamb. Charming but with sufficient heft to be taken seriously. 13.5 percent alcohol. Very Good+. About $15, a Terrific Value.

Imported by Le Vignole Fine Wines, Memphis, Tenn. A sample for review.

I occasionally grow disenchanted with malbecs from Argentina. Though highly touted as primary red grape of that country, malbec can turn out to be as bland as the most anonymous $16 merlot from Sonoma County. On the other hand, when the grape is grown in the right places, particularly at Andean foothill heights under fairly arid conditions, it can make enjoyable, even memorable wines of interesting character. One such is the Ñandú (“nyahn-doo”) Malbec 2010, from the well-known Mendoza region. The grapes for this wine — 98 percent malbec, two percent cabernet sauvignon — derive from vineyards in the Maipu area, at 2,624-feet elevation, and Lujan de Cuyo, at 3,116 feet. The wine aged nine months, half in a combination of stainless steel and concrete, half in French oak barrels. Ñandú Malbec 2010 — named for a large flightless bird indigenous to Argentina — offers a medium ruby-purple color and a purposeful bouquet of black and red currants, black cherries and plums and cherries imbued with cloves and sandalwood, cedar and black olive and intriguing notes of spiced fig and fruitcake. Tannins are smooth and mellow, displaying just an edge of smoke and graphite-like minerality to lend verve to the full-bodied structure, while black and blue fruit flavors are touched with something slightly sweet and untamed, like ripe Rainier cherries; vibrant acidity keeps the whole savory package lively and appealing. Opening from a core of exotic spice and bittersweet chocolate, the finish is a bit brambly and briery and a tad austere. 13.9 percent alcohol. Eminently drinkable, almost elegant, but with marks of seriousness; it’s no pushover. We drank this one night with pizza, the next with seared skirt steak. Very Good+. About $17, representing Real Value.

Winemaker was Bernard Portet, who retired in 2010 after nearly 40 years at Napa Valley’s Clos du Val winery, which he co-founded in 1972.

Imported by Polaris Wines, Napa, Ca. A sample for review.

The last vintage of Catherine Le Goeuil’s Cairanne Côtes du Rhône-Villages that I reviewed was the excellent 2007. Now it’s the turn of the 2009, though the current release is 2010. Why am I stuck on the ’09? Because it’s still available in markets around the country and because it’s drinking beautifully right now. If you happen to have a few bottles on hand or run upon it at a retail store, now is the time.

This is not an ancient estate in terms of present ownership. Catherine Le Goeuil bought a few hectares in the commune of Cairanne, in the heart of Vaucluse, in the southern Rhone valley, in 1993. The wines are certified organic and are made from vines that are about 50 years old. Le Goeuil uses indigenous yeasts and puts the grapes through a long fermentation in cement vats. The blend is 51 percent grenache, 35 percent syrah and mourvèdre, 14 percent carignane and counoise, in other words, much like many wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Twenty villages are entitled to attach their names to the basic appellation of Côtes du Rhône, thereby lifted to the theoretically superior designation of Côtes du Rhône-Villages and possessing the potential of further elevation to full AOC status. Villages that have achieved such beatification, as it were, include Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes de Venise and Vinsobres. Cairanne, generally rated as the best of the 20 villages, surely deserves that honor, more than Vacqueyras did, in my opinion. By the way, beginning with the 2012 vintage, the abbreviated designation AOC will change to AOP, standing for Appellation d’Origine Protégée.

Before the Revolution, Vaucluse was the domain of the de Sade family. Their ruined castle, last inhabited by the Marquis de Sade in 1777, stands in the hills above the village of Lacoste, about 25 miles southeast of Avignon. The castle is owned and was restored by fashion icon Pierre Cardin; it is the site of a celebrated theater festival every summer.

Anyway, the Catherine Le Goeuil Cairanne 2009, Côtes du Rhône-Villages, is a dark ruby-mulberry color. Prominent aromas of spiced, macerated and slightly stewed black currants, black raspberries and blueberries are wreathed with beguiling undertones of rhubarb and pomegranate. The texture is firm and resilient, moderately dense and chewy and layered in pleasing dimension with elements of forest floor and underbrush and slightly dusty tannins enlivened by vibrant acidity and graphite-like mineral qualities. Give this a few minutes in the glass, and it pulls up traces of lavender and violets, fruitcake and plum pudding. Altogether, it adds up to perfect pitch and tone in a savory, highly drinkable package. 14.5 percent alcohol. Now through 2014 or ’15 with grilled sausages, leg of lamb studded with rosemary and garlic, barbecue ribs and the like. Excellent. About $21.

Imported by Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, Ca. Tasted twice with consistent results, a sample and at a trade event.

Chateau des Annibals “Suivez-moi-jeune-homme” 2010, Coteaux Varois en Provence, was one of my favorite rosé wines last year, and it made my list of “25 Great Wine Bargains of 2011.”

Now it’s the turn of Chateau des Annibals “Suivez-moi-jeune-homme” 2011, and though it’s still early in the rosé-drinking season, I know it will once again be among my favorites. The appellation lies in an area of Provence east of Marseilles and north of Toulon, a region of sun-bleached rocky soil, dusty fragrant wild herbs and wind-sheltered pine forests; vineyard cultivation here goes back beyond the stolid Romans, beyond the wily Greeks to the clever and mysterious Phoenicians. The wine, produced on an estate run on bio-dynamic principles (and founded in 1792), is a blend of 60 percent cinsault grapes and 40 percent grenache, made entirely in stainless steel; let no oak tamper with this sheer delicacy and elegance! The color is the palest of the most pale onion skin, just slightly tinged with watermelon pink; spare yet evocative aromas of dried raspberries and red currants are subtly imbued with melon and peach; the wine is bone-dry, vibrant, shimmering with acidity and limestone-like minerality, flush with spice and a hint of thyme, devolving to a finish that manages to be both taut and supple. Really lovely but with backbone. 13 percent alcohol. Winemaker was Nathalie Coquelle, whom I nominate, on the basis of this wine, for a Nobel Peace Prize. Sip it or remark on its versatility as you drink it with a variety of summer fare. Excellent. About $18 to $20.

The wine’s name means “Follow me, young man,” perhaps a reference to Hannibal’s armies, which marched through this region, with their elephants, in the Autumn of 218 B.C., before turning north to cross the Alps southward on the way to do battle with the Romans on the plains of northern Italy. I think the golden elephant depicted on the label should be evidence enough.

Bourgeois Family Selections, Asheville, N.C. I bought this one.

Since 2003, Bonny Doon’s Le Cigare Blanc has consistently been one of the best Rhone-style white wines made in California. The high quality continues with the version for 2010, a blend of 55 percent grenache blanc grapes and 45 percent roussanne grown in the bio-dynamic Beeswax Vineyard, in the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County, south of Soledad. This is mainly white grape territory, with chardonnay and riesling leading the pack. Beeswax, indeed, since the wine exudes in plenty the characteristic waxiness of the grapes and a touch of small waxy white flowers, like camellias, to which add roasted lemon and lemon balm, spiced pears and yellow plums and hints of bay leaf, hay and leafy fig. The wine is ripe and spicy and savory — there’s a fleck of rosemary-like or pine-like resin — yet its juicy pear, peach and fig flavors are allied to a sense of spareness and astringency; there’s nothing opulent or voluptuous strung on this glittering structure of plangent acidity and scintillating limestone, aspects reinforced by the long, lively, spice-packed and faintly bitter finish. 12.7 percent alcohol, and boy, it’s a long time since I saw a wine from California with that little alcohol. Winemaker was Randall Grahm. This was terrific with asparagus risotto with roasted garlic and shiitake mushrooms. Now through 2013 or ’14. Excellent. About $24.

A sample for review.