Monday, September 19, 2011

Dragani Terre di Chieti Rosso, 2009

Do you take a chance on a wine you don't know selling for $6.99? My decision depends a lot on where the wine is from. I would not waste my time on a $6.99 New World Shiraz or Chardonnay with an animal on the label. But from Italy, Spain or France, there is always a good chance of finding an overlooked artisan wine selling for a bargain price.

Terre di Chieti is a small relatively unknown area in Abruzzo in central Italy (think Montepulciano d'Abruzzo). I have had other wines from this area that I liked a lot, and this one matched the aroma and flavor profile that I remember.

The color is dark and bluish, but I don't detect any new oak or small barrel influence. Very forward aromas of dark cherries. Not much tannin on the palate to interfere with the lush fruit flavors. This is Sangiovese, I believe, but the wine is much smoother and less aggressive than the typical Chianti. Ripe but not too ripe. Goes down very nicely on its own, with appetizers or with the main course. For $6.99 (Harding's Market on South Westnedge in Kalamazoo), it is a very good buy.

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