Montresor ‘Nero del Nago’ 2004

I”m a big fan of Italian reds, even more so in the summertime. I like their acidity and their food-friendliness. When the weather heats up and I feel like a glass of something cool, a few minutes in the fridge can actually bring out more flavours. And every once in awhile, I find a real treasure in the Italian section.

The ‘Nero del Nago’ (2004 vintage) from Montresor is one of those finds. It’s a blend of Corvina (one of the main component grapes of Valpolicella), Cabernet and Merlot. I came across the 2004 vintage while looking for a pizza wine at DeLuca’s.

I’ve always had good luck with blends of Italian and “international” grapes (a.k.a SuperTuscans, although not always from Tuscany). Wines like the Da Luca Primitivo-Merlot or Banfi’s “Collepino” Sangiovese/Merlot blend have always treated me well. So when I saw this wine right by the cash register, my day (a windy, rainy, cold Saturday spent mostly at work) suddenly looked a whole lot better.

The label boasted of plentiful tannins, although I didn’t pick up a lot of them. Instead, I found the wine refreshingly crisp, with sweet cherries, earth, a hint of spice and some cedar on the nose. In the glass, it showed off the same, with floral notes, some hints of tobacco and a really long cherry finish. There were some oak flavours going on, but they were muted by the fruit. And for a wine that was harvested almost four years ago, there was still a lot of fruit going on, although it had that delicious Italian earthiness to balance it out.

This wine is available at DeLuca’s for $13.78 (before tax). It did go very well with pizza, but I think it could also stand up to grilled red meat. I wouldn’t pair it with a heavy BBQ sauce, but a simple grilled steak would go very well.