Thickly extracted, concentrated and boasting a deep ruby color, this succulent Primitivo is redolent of chocolate fudge, black tea, espresso bean and black cherry. It’s a well-executed, well-priced wine that has benefited from oak aging offering sweet, chewy tannins and lingering spice flavors.
— M.L.
(10/1/2008)
If you like wines marked by fragrant, incense-like perfumes, this is a bottle for you. Indian spice, clove, red rose, ginger and sandalwood surround a core of brandied cherries. It’s a corpulent wine that slides easily across the palate.
— M.L.
(8/1/2007)
This is an extremely floral Negroamaro that boasts intense aromas of Chinese jasmine, incense, dried violets and lavender. The wine has good freshness and lingering floral, almost soapy, flavors. Acute floral notes like these won’t appeal to everyone, but the wine’s low price will.
— M.L.
(10/1/2008)
There’s chewy ripeness in this 80-20 Negroamaro-Malvasia Nera blend with aromas of freshly brewed coffee grinds, blackberries, plum and cherry. Not hugely intense, but it is genuine with good structure and many food-friendly elements. Try it with barbecued meats.
— M.L.
(8/1/2007)
This is a distinctive red wine from Puglia marked by apple skin and floral notes of dried rosebud, black tea and green olive. It has depth and personality—and a touch of volatility—that leaves a fresh impression.
— M.L.
(10/1/2008)
Spice and jam get it going, but then it turns more grassy and lean. Cranberry and pie cherry are the lead flavors, and the feel is kind of raw and hard. Almost refreshing in its steeliness, but ultimately it’s pretty thin.
— M.S.
(10/1/2006)
Inky black, dense and concentrated, that’s a lot of extraction at just $9 per bottle. Ripe fruit, prunes, dried figs, blackberry confiture and chocolate notes characterize the nose; in the mouth the wine is chewy, with sweet cherry flavors. At 3.7 grams per liter of residual sugar, it definitely has a sweet note.
— M.L.
(8/1/2007)