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I warned you about the Italian Reds

January 8, 2008
We picked up this bottle of Girone Dei Folli 2003 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Villa Bizzarri at the Winery in Old Town Alexandria as part of a mixed case. It clocked in at 13% alcohol by volume, had a real cork, and cost us $12.99 minus a 10% case discount.

On the nose I found what can only be described as a mist of Vick's cherry cough syrup, bitter espresso (though I suppose "bitter espresso" is kind of an oxymoron), leather, and Eucalyptus. Overall, I found the nose to have a slightly medicinal quality. In the mouth flavors of tart cherries dominated, with hints of the same cherry Vick's cough syrup, and a little bit of spice. The wine was very dark, and reminiscent of Negroamara, but with different qualities. It was more herbal and medicinal than the Negroamara, but that's the closest thing I can compare it to.

4 comments:

  1. Orion Slayer said...

    The Italian wines have some of the coolest names! Negroamara always makes me think of a Necromancer. I'm sure the wines aren't as scary!

    1/8/08, 1:21 PM  

  2. Anonymous said...

    hrmm, sounds interesting!

    For those of us with low to moderate bitter thresholds and who also drink espresso constantly, we don't think espresso is bitter. 90% of the time, haha

    Nice post
    John

    1/8/08, 8:21 PM  

  3. Jeff said...

    A shot of espresso that is allowed to sit for more than 10 seconds can get very bitter. I manage a coffee shop and when I train new baristas, I actually make them taste a shot of espresso that has sat for about 20 seconds. The idea is that if they know how bitter it tastes they'll never put it in someone's drink.

    1/8/08, 9:18 PM  

  4. Sonadora said...

    Definitely not that scary Orion!

    John, I don't have much of a bitter threshold, espresso is not my thing!

    Jeff-my brother said the same thing when he used to work at a Starbucks!

    1/23/08, 10:30 PM  

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