Oh, you thought that the $29 Beaujolais deal was cool and hot at the same time earlier this week?

How about we keep things at that sweet $29 spot and take you to Italy with 98 points today thanks to this over-HALF-OFF deal?!

Repeat with us… Montepulciano d’Abruzzo!

Just about a year ago, a Forbes spotlight caught our eye titled “Lost in Abruzzo” with a few recommendations from this severely underrated hearty red wine region: “One of the most unique aspects of this growing region is that it’s dominated by the Gran Sasso, one of the country’s highest peaks at almost 10,000 feet. Vineyards slope down the hills with views of the Adriatic. The region has a Mediterranean climate along the coast that turns colder as you head to the mountains.” they wrote and among their “favorites, in no particular order” was “the 2019 Torre Zambra Villamagna, which is elegant with lush red fruits.”

Been searching for this gem since, fearing it was long sold out until we ran into this small stash!

What’s in our glasses is this deep inky ruby beauty, with a masculine style that should appeal to anyone who loves a big red. Pumped full of perfume of black fruits galore, from the vibrant black cherries to the intriguingly wild boysenberry accents. Forward fruit lushness steps up, but a streak of classic Italian scorched earth and dried culinary herbs runs with the plump juiciness and carries on through effortlessly lithe tannins. Each sip leaves you yearning for the next, begging for a bottle of this to go into your next rich batch of ragù or Bolognese, while another bottle goes down with friends and/or family.

Tiny Villamagna has quickly built a reputation for the best examples of Montepulciano as The Wine Economist pointed out “The 7 members of the Villamagna DOC are Agricosimo, Cantina Villamagna, Cascina del Colle, Palazzo Battaglini, Piandimare, Torre Zambra, Valle Martello. Congratulations to them all for their commitment and achievement… Making excellent, distinctive wines is the beginning of the project. The next step is to get the word out so that the wines can have the market they deserve.”

Stressing that “Elegant and powerful is how the producers describe their wines. I say elegant, balanced, and distinctive, with a line of bright acidity running through that makes me think of Stags Leap.”

Case me, please!

98 Points – Luca Maroni

“The 2019 Villamagna seduces from the first tilt of the glass with a mix of dusty black cherry, fresh mint, and confectionary spice. There’s a pleasant inner sweetness that complements its silken textures as polished red fruits and notes of clove resonate toward the close. The 2019 leaves a staining of primary concentration; and yet, the mouth is left watering as subtle tannins and residual acids mingle through the finale. The Villamagna is a varietal Montepulciano that’s already so easy to like, but also has the balance for medium-term cellaring.”