Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Cantina Tollo 2001 Rocca Ventosa Montepulciano D'Abruzzo (Italy)

I bought this bottle for a whopping $6.75 (no date of purchase is on file) ... now trust me, if you live in Ontario $6.75 for a bottle of wine is considered cheap - or sorry - inexpensive. Now eight years from vintage date I open this on a wing and a prayer, wondering if I had actually waited too long to drink it. Happily no, but I would never go so far as to tell you this wine was fresh and lively, age showed on both the nose and palate - and even on the rim of the glass with some slight bricking (turning from red to brownish-red). The nose was forest floor like, with wet leaves and some rot, but sweet pleasant rot, not the festering disgusting kind (trust me it's not bad). The flavours are of sweet dried cranberry and dried leaves along with a touch of some herbs and gentle spice, very nice. Not sure I should have waited this long to drink it, but it is pretty tasty and found a place at the table with a lime, maple and garlic chicken.

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