100% Nebbiolo from Langhe, Piedmont, Italy.
Available for as low as $15.
From the bottle:
"Vanilla overtones with evident varietal fruit showing clearly; full-bodied, elegant, persistent. At its very best with mushroom risotto, game, grilled and roast meats and mature cheeses.
13.5% Alcohol"
How can a wine labeled "An Everyday Italian" on The Reverse Wine Snob possibly be a Nebbiolo? After all Nebbiolo is recognized and loved as perhaps the most noble of all grapes and it normally carries the corresponding price tag. One of the most frequent questions I get from wine lovers is whether I have found ANY drinkable Nebbiolo under $20, much less the really delicious stuff. So just how does today's wine manage to keep it's price so low?
The reason is all in the location. Wines from Nebbiolo d'Alba don't have the same stringent requirements (or the same name recognition) as it's more famous counterparts Barolo and Barbaresco. For example, wines from Nebbiolo d'Alba only require one year of aging, as opposed to three years for Barolo and 2 years for Barbaresco. And while you likely won't mistake today's wine for either of those two, it is definitely a nice Nebbiolo that delivers excellent value.
The 2009 Cantine San Silvestro Brumo Nebbiolo d'Alba begins with a great aroma of strawberry and other red fruit plus a good dose of anise and red licorice. Tasting this medium-bodied wine reveals silky tannins and flavors similar to the bouquet: juicy red fruit plus wonderful layers of spice along with anise, red licorice notes and a little black pepper. Add in a dry, long finish of spicy licorice, even more red fruit and some lingering toasty notes and you have a really tasty Nebbiolo that you can afford to drink everyday!
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 7.3
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