Cantine Montagna 2017 Sangue di Giuda

Sangue di Giuda

Dark reddish-purple. The narrow natural cork comes out with a pop, but only a few bubbles line the rim. Light, simple but pleasant scent of plums and mixed berries leads into a bright, appealing flavor that’s more forward with plum-berry fruit. It’s on the sweet side but not at all cloying; crisp acidity and a light prickly effervescence helps hold the sugar in balance, as does a light but perceptible bitter almond note in the finish. A soft drink for grown-ups, best served on the warm side of refrigerator temperature, its light 7.5% makes it an easy quaff. From Oltrepò Pavese, it’s a blend of 45% each Croatina and Barbera plus small amounts of the local Ughetta and Uva Rara. U.S. importer: Bacco Wine & Spirit LLC, Lancaster, Pa. (April 12, 2018)

FOOD MATCH: It’s more a lightweight quaffing wine than a wine for food, but in experimenting with snacks we found its light bitterness made it a good companion with roasted almonds. Avoid cheese, though, which due to its fatty character seems to heighten the wine’s bitter edge by cloaking the sweetness and acidity.

WHEN TO DRINK: This is not a keeper. The 2017 is on the market for a reason. Enjoy it over this summer, then watch for next year’s vintage.

VALUE:
My local price is in line with Wine-Searcher.com’s $14 average retail. It’s a fun wine, certainly worth the toll for me.

WEB LINK
Click here for the importer’s fact sheet on Cantine Montagna and its Sangue di Giuda.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Wine-Searcher.com returns only limited vendors for Cantine Francesco Montagna Oltrepò Pavese Sangue di Giuda on Wine-Searcher.com. You might check in with the importer via its online contact form for information on retailers accessible to you.

Try this Wine-Searcher info page on Sangue di Giuda, though, for a list of about two dozen bottlings from other producers.

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