The House of Ruffino is one of the best established names in wine in the world. Founded in the 1870’s by the Ruffino cousins, Ilario and Leopoldo, by 1913, lacking any male heirs to continue the business, they sold out to the Folonari family. Ruffino is a name that has become nearly synonymous with Chianti and the straw bottle cliché. That changed in the 1970’s as the traditional bottle was abandoned for a more modern (and patented) “Florentine” bottle.
The Modus Brand was introduced in 1997– a moment when Super Tuscans were very well established in the market place. A short history of the Super Tuscan:
In 1968 Azienda Agricola San Felice produced the first ever “Super Tuscan” called Vigorello, and in the 1970s Piero Antinori, whose family had been making wine for more than 600 years, also decided to make a richer wine by eliminating the white grapes from the Chianti blend, and instead adding Bordeaux varietals (namely, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot). He was inspired by a little-known (at the time) Cabernet Sauvignon made by relatives called Sassicaia, which openly flouted the rules set down for traditional wines in Tuscany. The result was one of the first Super Tuscans, which he named Tignanello, after the vineyard where the grapes were grown. Other winemakers started experimenting with Super Tuscan blends of their own shortly thereafter. Today, a Super Tuscan from a good producer can easily cost $100 plus. If you want to check out a more comprehensive history of the Super Tuscans, click on the link: http://www.intowine.com/italys-super-tuscan-wines-history-recommendations
Ruffino Modus 2007 ($37). Modestly priced (by Super Tuscan standards) this blend of 50%Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Merlot, wine pours out in a dark robe. Earthy and leathery notes as well as dark bitter chocolate and espresso mixed with unripe black plum/blueberry flavors intermingle on the palate. While this wine had a long finish, I found its extraction heavy to distraction. Whatever the vinification manipulations employed, it appears that the character and freshness of the Sangiovese fruit was sacrificed to the more brooding flavors absorbed from the small oak barriques used in the aging of this wine. To quote Ms. R, “It’s good, but not for THAT price!” Given her economical style of expression, I should just let her write these reviews. Rated ** 
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