So, first off, who has actually heard of the Ciro DOC or the Gaglioppo grape before? I had never so much as heard of either before it was recommend to me, and the chance to try something completely new is not to be missed. And the result: this Calabrian delight might not be up everyone's alley, but I was quite taken with it, despite a underwhelming showing on night 1.
Librandi, Rosso Classico, Ciro 2010
Ciro is in Calabria, and the grape used is Gaglioppo, neither of which I had heard of before this wine caught my curiosity. Light ruby, not far on from some roses. Heady and aromatic nose of dark fruits, plum, prominent notes of orange, a touch of sweet mint, floral hints, tomato, leathery earth, and cedar. Medium bodied and juicy on the palate, with lots of black cherry and bright plum notes (almost apricot), a prominent note orange zest providing the backbone, mint/cedar, a hint of sweet saddle leather, and earth, all with a very savory, fleshy tone. The mouthfeel and texture are delicious and rather lovely. You could identify this as Italian blind, and it is completely unique, yet a number of its components are rather Bordeaux-ish. Fascinating. Needs a day to really flesh out. The acid structure and balance of this are such that despite its apparent lightness, it should age very nicely for another 5 years or more. I like this quite a lot! This was delightful with spaghetti and meatballs. 3 Stars [9/29/13]