MCF Rare Wine

$17 Sunday Perfection

 

About a year and a half ago, I offered the previous vintage of this wine, Musto Carmelitano's Maschitano Rosso 2014, under the header 'The Best $15 You Can Spend Right Now', and we made short work of nearly 50 cases of it, all told.  

 

I guess you could say it was a hit. 

 

The 2015 vintage arrived last January which, yes, was $2 more, and, being a younger wine, it was a little more feisty at the moment than the more agreeable '14 was. 

 

I was thinking of it the other day, as I often think about dark, soulful, rustic reds when the weather is cold and the days are short and, since I hadn't tasted it in a year, I was eager to see how it was developing...so I requested a sample from the supplier, and pulled the cork and...yeah, it was developing nicely...quite nicely, at that.   

 

At first, it showed the citric brightness that Aglianico del Vulture can sometimes show when it ages, but after a few minutes, the dark, wild, rocky personality began to come to life..but with a less-unruly disposition. 

 

The rowdy, wild-man Aglianico tannin that defined the wine last year had softened considerably, and the dark fruit, while a bit more humble, was offering plenty of that smoky, spicy, volcanic substance...the kind of substance that makes for an oh-so wonderful accompaniment to the kind of food I'm all over this time of year. 

 

I haven't made a good old 'Sunday Gravy' yet this Winter, so I have a real hankering for one...not just the act of eating it, but for the whole process...making the meatballs, the braciole, browning them with the sausage, then caramelizing the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, paste, etc., one ingredient at a time and then letting it all slowly trickle away all day. 

 

It's the kind of soul-fulfilling labor of love that I learned from my Dad, that he learned from his mom, and all the way back into history...the smell that fills a warm house on a cold Sunday is...well...

 

I hope my kids will someday have the same fond memories come flooding back whenever that aroma hits them. 

 

So, yeah, I think I'll make one this Sunday for the big game...and have a bottle of this lovely Maschitano with it...because they both share the same humble Southern Italian roots, and both prove that modest can also be sublime. 

 

I only hope that I don't drift off into a blissful food coma before the 3rd quarter even ends...

 

...but then again, it's all good if that happens too...

 

MUSTO CARMELITANO Aglianico del Vulture Maschitano 2015 

 

You may order by emailing info@mcf-rarewine.com or calling 212.255.8870.

 

Matt Franco

MCF Rare Wine, Ltd

249 West 13th Street NYC 10011

212.255.8870