Negroamaro, Rosso, Salento, 2006
Small Vineyards was at my local Zupan's recently, sporting their wares with a free tasting. And here was this $14 of Italy in a bottle. Small Vineyards is a importer, and they describe this wine this way:
"Terrific body weight while retaining great balance, with ripe, steeped plum and coffee bean aromas. Perfect for those who want a big, powerful wine that is not your usual Cabernet."
Yep, plum -- plum in a big, big way. The nose was nutmeg plum, earth dirt, bark, wood, dusty dirty road, dry moss, and rotting wood. Not just a dry wood, and not moist like peat -- somewhere in the middle. The taste was pretty much PLUM! Maybe a bit of raisin too. The taste starts sweet with the plum, then goes completely dry. In fact, it's a super dry finish, with the taste of stems. But not over bitter.
Denise said something funny that I think captures this wine perfectly: "I didn't notice the wine". What she meant was that it wasn't so great nor so terrible that it was noticeable. She was eating dinner and looked done to find her glass empty. It was just part of the meal. That is to say, that this is really a perfect table wine to accompany a meal.
Cost:
Rating:
7.5