I’m actually drinking a very exciting bottle as I write this: it’s the 2006 Epicuro Nero d’Avola, which just appeared on the shelves of my local Teedge today! I was there to buy three or four bottles of the Aglianico, but I was thrilled to see one of my favorite grape varietals offered by my favorite budget Italian producer! Like the others, this is also $4.99.

The good news is that this is pretty delicious, and well worth the investment. It’s an extremely rustic expression of what’s already often a rustic grape. If you like your reds a little rough-edged, you won’t mind this monster. It’s opaque in the glass; the nose smells like fresh roses and firewood, and the pal tastes of cranberries and baking chocolate. It’s been out now for two hours, and it’s only starting to smooth out around the edges. However, I found it softened up really nicely when paired with some sharp cheddar. A real winner!

I think I’ll stock up on both this bottle (as long as it lasts) AND the Aglianico — both kind of rough and juicy in their own ways, but definitely displaying their own strong and unique personalities.

My vintage is 2006 and I realize you’ve been reviewing the 2005. Perhaps her bottle was 2005 as well. Have you tried the 2006 yet? Curious to know how it compared for you.

It could also be that drinking wine w/ a friend is always more memorable and enjoyable than drinking it alone.