Saladini Pilastri Rosso Piceno

[Innkeeper]

2000 Saladini Pilastri, Rosso Piceno ($12.99 Wine Expo). Strong herbs and black cherries on the nose and upfront. Lots of earth and a ton of chewy tannin add to the complex full body (13% alcohol) crossing the palate. Great finish. Matched with sautéed chicken breasts in an Italian tomato sauce, and salad vinaigrette. The sangiovese-montepulciano blend must be close to 50/50 because the acidity was lower than would be expected with a larger shot of the sangiovese. It handled the tomato sauce just fine, but made the salad astringent. No problem, finished the salad, and then finished the wine! If this wine had a Rosso Conero label on it, it would be acceptable. It is a very elegant Piceno. For an added bonus, the wine is made from organically raised grapes.