Salice Salentino - epicuro - riserva 2006

Red wine needs context. I knew nothing about this wine (Salice Salentino) until a few weeks ago when I saw it on sale at the local Trader Joe's and decided to buy a few bottles. And I could not be happier that I did that.

For $6.99/bottle it was/is a steal. And I mean a great steal. After opening a bottle, pouring a glass, and taking a sip I needed a moment to recover from the depth of well defined, developed, and matured flavors it reveals. Salice Salentino riserva 2006 displays with ease and elegance black currant, dark chocolate, and has a mysterious and yet uplifting finish with hints of mulberries. This is a wine that can be had without any food pairings, and for a red wine at this price it is not an easy accomplishment. I have had +$25/bottle wine that did not have the qualities needed to make it palatable or pleasant to have without food.

My 'reserve' now includes this wine and it needs to be in all of my friends wine cellars. Without a doubt, the value to price ratio (VPR) of this wine is above 3.5 and  I am recommending it for casual consumption, without much pretentiousness. 

Salute!