MCF Rare Wine

Rustic Perfection from a Susumaniello
 
I talk all the time about wines that are inexpensive and will age.

Many (most?) of these wines I highlight come from Southern Italy, as I maintain that, despite Italy being front and center in terms of the wine world, the Southern regions are still the most hilariously under-appreciated treasure trove of wines on the planet.  

Yes, yes, people know of the fruit-forward crowd friendly versions that became popular in the early aughts and higher-minded wines like those from Etna have certainly arrived, but I'm talking about the entire range of other wines from the South, the ones that hear the term 'rustic' and embrace it.  The wines that quietly define a place, history and culture, whether or not the wider world notices.  

I often ask you to 'just trust me' that a given wine is going to transform into something even more delicious, but today, you don't have to 'trust' me...you just have to buy the Susumaniello Oltreme 2013 from Tenute Rubino and drink it because this it's already got some time under its belt and is basically a perfect example of what I'm always yammering about.

Susumaniello is one of Italy's rarest and most obscure varietals, and this Puglian native typically yields a big, intensely dark-fruited wine that has all kinds of meaty, smoky, mineral and even chocolate-y nuances.  But, as this wine so clearly illustrates, as you let it develop, that big fruit loosens up and the 'nuances' begin to take over.  It goes from being a wine defined by its hyper-dense, dry fruit, to being an untamed beast of a wine (and I mean that in the best possible way, of course).

Sure, there's still plenty of density to the fruit but it's gotten more savory and wild and all those smoky, meaty, mineral-y elements that I mentioned before have been totally unleashed.  It's only going to keep getting better too.

We had a few friends over this past weekend, and I made one of my signature pastas, a Pacchieri with lamb shoulder braised in rendered guanciale.  While the kids were making messes all over the apartment, we all just stood around the table chatting and having seconds and thirds of the pasta.

The Susumaniello was open and it was singing so perfectly with the earthy, fatty flavors.

This is normally where you expect a cliche about beauty in simplicity...so I'll use one...

It was simply beautiful...


To inquire about this wine, please email info@mcf-rarewine.com or call 212.255.8870.

Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870