This month, I have my five favorite wines to drink on a spring Saturday. The Morellino and the Malbec for BBQ, the Ripasso and the Renacer for farmhouse cheddar, and the Rioja for a dry-aged ribeye with some marrow butter. Enjoy! If you grab a bottle, let me know what you end up pairing them with!
Fattoria Le Pupille 2023 Morellino di Scansano Avg. U.S. ~$18 | PA $12.74
Sangiovese does the heavy lifting here. Ciliegiolo and Alicante play supporting roles, but punch above their weight: adding color, aromatics, and crackle. The fruit veers tart: cherry, cranberry, a sliver of plum. But what gives it character is everything around the fruit: lemon peel, dried flowers, mint, sage, something dusty and mineral, and a whiff of tar. Lean rather than generous, with firm tannins and bright acidity that leave the mouth clean and wanting more. For $12.74 in Pennsylvania, this is about as good a case for everyday Tuscany as you’ll find: brisk, a little wild, and built for food pairing.
Salvaterra 2023 “Save the Land” Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Avg. U.S. ~$30 | PA $19.99
Ripasso at its best threads a needle. It’s richer than straight Valpolicella, but not so extracted that it tastes like a low-rent Amarone. This one threads it well. The re-fermentation over dried grape skins adds texture and a faint dried-cherry note. Medium-bodied and balanced, this wine is mostly Corvina and offers up dark cherry and plum. The supporting varieties bring perfume and grip, and the whole thing holds together through a finish that stays savory and composed. The plush mid-palate is a classic Ripasso signature, but with enough tannin structure to avoid feeling syrupy.
El Porvenir de Cafayate 2022 “Laborum” Malbec, Cafayate Valley Avg. U.S. ~$28 | PA $17.99
Cafayate sits at an astonishingly high altitude in Salta. The wines grown here often carry a mineral edge that sets them apart from those of Mendoza’s lower regions. This is UV radiation as Terroir. The fruit is dark and ripe: blackberry, plum jam, black cherry. New French Oak adds cedar, vanilla, and espresso. The wine never feels heavy: it has a savory, herbal, almost balsamic acidity, along with fine-grained tannins that hold the concentration in balance. It is full-bodied and creamy, but focused rather than loose, and more structured than most Malbec at this price.
Bodega Renacer 2021 “Milamore” Red, Mendoza Avg. U.S. ~$28 | PA $19.99
Another Amarone clone this month! Renacer applies the appassimento method, drying a portion of the grapes before fermentation, to a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bonarda, and Cabernet Franc. The result is what most Amarone lovers seek out: kirsch, prune, dried fig, ripe plum, violet, warm spice, and a touch of leather. It is generous and smooth, with a lightly sweet dried-fruit character that reads as exotic rather than cloying. Dark, plush, warming, and unambiguously hedonistic.
Hermanos Hernáiz 2021 “El Jardín de La Emperatriz” Rioja Avg. U.S. ~$27 | PA $13.99
A composed Rioja with a confident, unhurried temperament. Tempranillo provides the red-and-black berry core; Garnacha adds lift and a little aromatic warmth. Aging in a mix of French and American oak contributes spice and balsamic notes, polishing without sweetening. The palate is medium to full, the tannins are fine, and the mineral finish is long. The wine offers more definition than the price warrants. It is not flashy, but it is not trying to be.
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