1997 Francesco Candido Salice Salentino Riserva

[RAD]

Foodie, this one's for you.

My first experimentation with this wine. For those of you who don't know (including me before I read the label), a blend of Negro Amaro and Malvasia Nera. Attractive clear blood ruby. Nice cherry, leather, and pepper on the nose. Light to medium bodied. Good acidity. Fruity palate fades to pleasant lightweight tannins and another touch of leather and tobacco on the effortless finish. Gives chiantis costing 4-6x this price a run for their money.

Outstanding value at $5.49! Bet it's even better with food--getting ready to wash it down with macaroni al sugo (tomato sauce, ground beef, carrots, celery, garlic) from my favorite takeout joint. 88/97.

RAD

PS Yes, even better with food! Had I not completely obliterated my monthly wine budget on my recent Napa/Sonoma trip, I'd be headin' for the store for 3 cases as we speak.

[This message has been edited by RAD (edited 05-17-2001).]

[barnesy]

I love a good Salice Salentino. I will have to find the one you're talking about. They are great with tomato based foods. Yum Yum

Barnesy

[Thomas]

RAD, nice sound. It's a bargain if it fits your description--5.49, indeed.

Salice Salentino (and Copertino) wines are fabulous products, generally. And, as I said months back, they are the wines for tomato sauce--not Chianti.

[barnesy]

Foodie,

Big agreement here. When I make my spagetti sauce, I serve the salice with it. The tomato makes the chianti taste to, i think, alcoholish. The salice turns to velvet in the mouth with a nice tomato sauce. I save the chianti for beef.

Barnesy

[Thomas]

Barnsey, it makes sense when you consider that big red sauces are the stuff of southern Italy. The more delicate sauces are northern style, and that is where Chianti comes into play. IK refuses to accept this notion, but since he recently bought wine at my shop I will not insult him with a public hand-slapping. ...

RAD, I have two Salices in the shop; each good but each more money than the one you discovered, you lucky Devil.

[RAD]

Foodie, I'd love to swing by and sample them nevertheless! Haven't been to your shop in awhile, unfortunately, I know--too busy with work!

RAD

[RAD]

Had to resurrect this post, as I just popped open a bottle with pizza last night.

Absolute perfection! With the pizza, that is. Nose is more complex than I'd remembered, with raisin and spice notes. Smoky finish, with some bacon fat. This all in addition to the superlatives mentioned previously. Wonderfully complex, yet subtle, and still complementary. Picked up a case of this at $4.99 per. The deal of the century!

Earlier I'd used the Buckorama method and given it 88/97; I'm raising estimates, as the Wall Street saying goes, and now rate it 94/97.

I'm curious--is anyone else familiar with this wine? Foodie? Boto?

RAD

[Thomas]

No, RAD, not familiar with that one. The price is incredible.

My only concern is that you aren't picking up plum/prune qualities, which is a classic Salice description.

Look for Brindisi wines too; they are produced from the same grape varieties as Salice, just a neighboring Puglian village with solid wines.