Whattado royals; whattado? (My homage to raging crush: TV’s Craig Ferguson)! Long time no blog so let’s dive right in, shall we.
A few weeks ago, I was shopping at my neighborhood Trader Joe’s and overheard a clerk singing the praises of an unseen red wine in the Italian section. Ears pricked, I moved in to investigate the source of the praise and encountered a bottle completely unfamiliar to me so I queried the merchant about this stranger on the shelf. He assured me this was a big, juicy fruit bomb with no tannins to speak of, but terrific acidity. At $3.99, my curiosity was easily satisfied and I carted my find home for some Royal treatment.
The wine in question? Archeo Sicilia Nero d’Avola 2007. I’m still somewhat of a novice regarding wines from the Boot but was eager to give this bottle a try given the one/two punch of low price/high praise. Popped, poured and with very little wait, “I went in”. I was immediately struck by the huge berry character, slight soft tannins and jammy finish. Yeah, another economy friendly red to add to my winter cellar stores! But it doesn’t end there. When I went back to buy more, I noticed another offering of this newly discovered varietal for only one dollar more and thus a mini-tasting under $10 was born.
I’d be lying if I said I tasted these blind (the BadMan would not be happy with this) but I made every effort to insure my impressions were honest and unbiased. This tasting was more about getting to know the varietal and its nuances than finding a clear winner, so pen in hand, the tasting began.
The contenders:
Archeo Sicilia Nero d’Avola, 2007, 13% abv, $3.99
Epicuro Sicilia Nero d’Avola, 2007, 13% abv, $4.99
Archeo Sicilia Nero d’Avola, 2007: deep garnet in color, the aromas of warm spiced dark berries leapt from the bowl with just a dusting of cocoa for good measure. The acids balanced the layered, jammy fruit nicely. The mouthfeel was soft and silky and the finish showed glimmers of spice box and just the right amount of acidity. Tannins were so soft as to be a non-factor, yet this wine was neither cloying nor overly simple. A solid 86-88 point wine for less than the cost of a Happy Meal. What’s not to love?
Epicuro Sicilia Nero d’Avola, 2007: deep inky brownish-red in the glass, there was a noticeable vein of vanilla running through this floral tinged berry mash wafting skyward. The bright acid presence was the perfect foil to the rustic fruit. It was plush, full and layered in the mouth and a whispering of fine-grained tannins compliment the dusty body and extend the warm juicy finish very admirably. Easily an 87-89 point red. I’m “in like” for sure.
I’ll certainly buy both of these wines again, and will be seeking more examples of this pocket friendly varietal. The Epicuro is a more fully realized wine, with elements not unlike my beloved Zins: yielding nose; rich mouthfeel; and dark rich fruit, warm spice, and vanilla from front to finish. Good alone, with meat or classic red sauced dishes, it’s hard to find a better value. Chin-chin!
Thoughts, comments, and/or suggestions for other unsung or under-sung wine values for a cellar mistress on the dole?
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