Perfect 10

This week's wine is a 2008 Cantina Zaccagnini Il Vino Dal Tralcetto Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. Super fancy name for a super cheap wine (only $16 bucks!).  This bottle of wine is probably my favorite of all time because it is cheap, has an amazing taste, and is a legitimate Italian wine.

Montepulciano D'Abruzzo is, as the name implies, is made from Montepulciano grapes in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The region is designated DOC, which means that the wine's grapes are limited to a rather specific region within Italy -- and this region happens to be awesome. The land is mostly clay and benefits from salty breezes coming off of the Adriatic Sea. These aspects of the region result in a mildly salty wine that leaves your mouth with a slightly acidic taste. One caveat, though: a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo can contain up to 15% Sangiovese grapes and still bear the DOC designation. 

When I first bought this wine from Mt. Carmel the owner of the store told me that people have been buying this wine by the CASE. I was a little surprised by this at first -- there are certainly other "legitimate" wines from the region that are highly regarded. But one sip of this wine and it's easy to see why people are buying it by the case. Clearly I enjoyed it...the bottle is empty.  

Name: 2008 Cantina Zaccagnini Il Vino Dal Tralcetto Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 

Paul's Rating: 10/10

Cost: $16