Judging and buying a wine by its cover or label in this case was the theme this month. Ignoring the the descriptions, price, and any staff recommendations that accompany a wine on display is harder than it should be. The label here did draw me in with an illustration of a knight sipping a glass of red wine with some huge white bird perched on his helmet. It lacked the vintage, the region, and any recognizable varietal. I was drawn to this one because it stood out from the usually not so fancy lables in the Italian wines section. Seemed "new world" to me in style. Turns out that the Uva di Troia is a grape I've never had and the fact that it was $9 made this an easy decision. I will not leave any indeginous Italian grapes untasted!
This red wine was very arromatic with dark berries, herbal tea, and tobacco. I only wish the taste was as complex as the smell. An initial layer of dark fruit dried my mouth a little too quickly before dissolving into mediocrity. This bottle just wasn't able to define itself. Finished dry and bland. Perhaps this wine could have been decanted or aged a bit more. Next time I realize I am in the Apulia section, I should ignore the label design, and look for what I know I like about the region. This includes negroamaro grapes, malvasia nera, and primitivo based wines.
I should mention that I opened this bottle after a couple Dewars, Thai food, two beers, and a visit to Coldstone Creamery. Just to be sure I am going to try again tomorrow during lunch. Tonight it gets a C- grade.
Thanks for participating. Nice label, but I'm sorry to hear it wasn't a better bottle.
Posted by: Derrick Schneider | December 08, 2005 at 09:27 AM
I'm not going to mince words here: I thought this wine was pretty crappy. But I'm interested to hear how you like it today - save me a sip so we can compare notes later.
Posted by: wino's girlfriend | December 08, 2005 at 10:38 AM
I bought some of this stuff once at Astor and have to say that it was nasty. I'd have given it a D-. Don't know whether to blame the uva di troia or the winemaker. But I'm not too eager to try the grape again.
Posted by: Terry Hughes | December 09, 2005 at 06:48 AM
thanks for commenting Terry, I'm glad to know it's not just me.
Posted by: WaterintoWino | December 09, 2005 at 09:38 AM
Funny you should say that, because I thought maybe I was being too critical.
Speaking of Astor, they have some excellent buys and a pretty knowledgeable staff, but stay away from some of their perennial, low-priced "bargain" wines like this uva di troia and all of their cheap malbecs--truly nasty stuff. I seldom throw wine down the sink, but I did with this kind of adulterated rot.
Posted by: Terry Hughes | December 10, 2005 at 09:00 AM