Varietal: Sangiovese
Region: Italy – Chianti
Cost: $6
Earthy notes with subtle flavors of crushed red fruit and a nice tartness with a good tannic finish. Pairs well with pasta, pizza, chicken, and beef.
Recommendations: I have a great wife. I really do. This past weekend, while we were up visiting our families, I was spending some time with mine, and she with hers. While out with her family, they stopped into the local Wegmans and she picked me up a bottle of wine – the 2008 Le Altane Chianti. I told you I had a great wife.
After a dinner out on Monday (for our 2nd wedding anniversary), we came home and opened up the bottle she had bought as we relaxed and let our dinner settle. A deep red in the glass that was nothing so much as brown (not in a bad way), the wine was subtle. A subtle earthiness with subtle flavors of red fruit, with a subtle tartness and subtle tannins on the finish. Subtle.
Usually I like my Chianti to have a bit of kick on the finish, but as I wasn’t pairing this wine with a meal, it was nice that this one had a more subtle profile. There was still enough going on that it would pair well with a pizza, beef, or chicken, but I would be worried about it being overwhelmed by a more robust pasta sauce.
All that being said, for less than $10, it’s hard to argue against this wine. It’s nothing flashy, but it’s a good table wine, and as anybody that’s been here before knows, I’m a big believer in the table wine. One worth picking up for a casual night at home, but probably not what you’ll want to pull out for the fancy dinner party.
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