Hi Everyone,
It's been a while since I've posted here, and I'm doing so under my new, old name (K Story was my married name, Kralovec is my maiden name). Robin was kind enough to help me get my handle updated, thanks again for that!
Anyway, I just bought a case of the above mentioned wine from Empire Wines in New Jersey, after trying a bottle that was featured at Calvert Woodley in DC. Empire had it for $3 less a bottle, and when I factored in no tax and the lower bottle price, it was still cheaper to have it shipped from Jersey than to buy it locally.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo has long been one of my favorite "everyday" wines, and this one is no exception. Medium/deep garnet. Loads of red fruit on the nose, with some elusive herbs in the background (oregano maybe?). A bit smoother than many of its peers, it still has enough of that earthy, rustic quality that I love, and great balance of tannins, fruit and acidity that makes it a perfect wine to accompany a broad range of food. Cute bottle, too...twig tied with dried grapevine.