2013 D'Angelo Sacravite Rosso Basilicata

Happy Friday!  It's been a bitterly cold week and I am ready for the springlike temperatures in the 30s projected for this weekend!  We were smack in the middle of the Polar Vortex this week, with highs below zero for much of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, reaching a new record low of -22, so today it seemed almost balmy getting up near 20 degrees!  And with such a heat wave, it's time to open a nice bottle of wine, and tonight it's the wine for the February wine club selection, the 2013 D'Angelo Sacravite Rosso Basilicata, a 100% Aglianico from the Basilicata region of Southern Italy.  I've had a variety of experiences with Aglianico, from lighter floral wines to heartier, earthier wines, so let's see where this one lies.

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose presents aromas of ripe black fruit, plum, cherry and boysenberry with undertones of lavender and rose.  The taste is wonderfully approachable, with a rush of ripe berry that just screams Italian, before settling into some notes of dark chocolate and mocha midpalate.  The tannins are robust but well integrated, giving wonderful structure to the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very easy going and food friendly red wine and a terrific value at just $10.  This wine would pair well with a broad array of dishes, from steaks and barbecued ribs, to pasta and pizza.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic Friday night dinner of steak and tots, with a rare grilled prime New York strip over a bed of grilled leeks and some classic tater tots.  Cheers!