Tonight I am preparing stuffed shells on a bed of Kale with meatballs on the side- the classic Italian dish that this varietal was made for.  It’s a bit murky in the glass and semi opaque.  The nose is brimming with red fruit, rose, violets, walnut and cedar.  There might be a hint of tea in there as well.  The palate is dry, acidic and carries some medium tannins.  The red currants, red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate notes are all there along with the florals and oak notes.  It’s quite tart on the back end but that’s what I was hoping for.  It’s labelled Reserva, which means nothing officially but it’s a way the producer tries to identify a superior product in this region.  I did a bit of research following my tasting- it’s interesting that three different pros described three different fruit profiles.  One said red fruit, one said blue and the last stated black.  Either way, it got decent scores and I would agree with the 91 pointer.  For $25, it’s a good Friday-with-Pasta wine that gets 5 stars from me.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….