Hello Poggio Belvedere from Umbria - good-bye Chianti!
Just had 2005 Poggio Belvedere by Ardnaldo Caprai from Umbria (Italy) for the first time - 80% Sangiovese, 20% Ciliegiolo. I picked it up from Alex Bernardo over at Vineyardgate in Millbrae - one of my favorite wine shops in the Bay Area (talking to Alex is always a fun and educational experience, but that's a subject for another post). Normally, I wouldn't pay much attention to yet another Italian red, but this time Alex snuck it into his Saturday tasting line-up. The wine is only $13 (i.e. a type of wine one can afford with an everyday meal), and it was an amazing match to the food. I had it with pasta and prawns in red sauce (with garlic and herbs from my garden). Typically, I would have a Chianti (or maybe a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo) with this type of food. In a Chianti, as in most inexpensive Italian reds I try, one would see a ton of acidity dominating the fruit. But this fresh light-to-medium body wine was singing as a perfect duo of juicy fruit and zingy aci...