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Aged to Perfection! Magnificent S.Italian Red

2001 Ars Poetica, Aglianico del Vulture – Riserva

I cannot remember the exact statistic, but – in the U.S. at least – upwards of 90 % of all wine purchased is consumed that same day.  Wineries and winemakers are well aware of these statistics, and so it is in fewer & fewer places in the world where wine is still made to be cellared upon release.

While this is itself a bit of a sad fact, there is the tragic consequence that often occurs when wines are made in the traditional Vin de Garde style (meant to be cellared upon purchase in order to reach maturity).  These wines end up being drunk when far too young - an unfortunate occurance that we in the business refer to as “infanticide.”  We may be a bit melodramatic, I admit, but it really is a shame for a wine to be drunk before it has reached its full potential.

So what is the moral of this so-far depressing wine tale?  This wine was made to be aged, it has been cellared and matured here at France 44, and it is ready for you to drink right now!

Goldilocks would be so pleased:  not too young, not too old, this substantial yet complex & elegant red is at the apex of perfection right now (and I suspect it shall remain there for at least another couple of years).  It has plenty of ripe, silky-rich fruit, along with notes of chocolate, tobacco & leather.  Plus, it has the perfect acid / softened tannin balance to make it food’s best friend.  Enjoy it with full-flavored dishes, such as roasted or grilled meats, savory stews or pasta dishes, or even on its own (although this wine really shines with food!)  I’m not kidding, I was so enthralled by this wine that I thought about titling this “I Love You, Ars Poetica!”  (then I realized that would be incredibly geeky, and more than a little embarrassing – we do get emotional about wine in this business!)  Only $ 31.99

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