This past week we had to endure through Tisha B’Av, so I wanted to make sure that we may something that would give Shabbos its due respect, and I came up with one of my new treats – Spaghetti alla puttanesca.  It is a dish that my friend showed me a year ago, and is one that has quickly become a staple in our house.  I love the Kalamta Olives (not Italian of course, but the best black olives that we can find), the spicy peppers, and the spicy rumors around the dish’s name (hint read the Wikipedia link above).  For protein, some add in tuna or salmon.  Instead, we add in soy meat/protein from one of the many purveyors of the fake ground meat.  It adds a bit of depth and a nice texture overall to the dish.  I have posted a before about my interest in this dish, and Emeril’s recipe.  With all that tomato sauce, the dish needed a nice acidic wine to pair with, and I reached for a wine that I thought would work.  Well initially, it was OK, but unbalanced and over the top acidic.  However, the wine did a 180 degree change and became quite a wonderful wine that is not only balanced, but also more flush and fruity.  The wine is the 2007 Borgo Reale Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, and one that is reasonably priced and Mevushal to boot.  The wine paired nicely Friday night, but it got even better on Saturday day (after staying up all night sealed in a 375 ml bottle in my refrigerator) and paired well thank you with medium hard cheeses.

The wine note follows below:

2007 Borgo Reale Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – Score: B+
This wine caught me by surprise, in a very pleasant manner.  When I first opened the bottle Friday night, I was unimpressed.  It was a red wine with an average nose and a blunt/aggressive mouth that felt out of whack to say the least.  However, all that changed after a few hours of air.  I must stress that while the wine improved drastically from where it was Friday Night, the wine did lose its finish, with so much air.  So, I would think that just a three or so hours of air would get it to where it is smooth, balanced, and enjoyable, without losing its finish.  This is NOT a wine for long cellaring, but a wine that has a body and a life that simply needs a bit of air to be its muse.

The nose on this garnet colored wine is hot out of the bottle, with cherry, raspberry, currants, and some roasted herbs.  After a few hours of air, the wine’s nose goes black with black cherry, rich/fresh plum, currants, and rich loam.  The mouth on this medium bodied wine starts off red with raspberry and cherry.  It flows into a mid palate of tannin, coffee, and bright acidity.  The finish is long and bright with red fruit.  However, with more air, the mouth fleshes out into an almost new wine.  The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine is rich and almost mouth coating.  The tannins have fully integrated and are carried by rich black plum, black cherry, and loamy dirt.  The mid palate is still bright with acidity and a hint of coffee.  The finish is average now with more rich fruit, tobacco, and mineral flavors.  The wine lingers long on the mouth from the acidity, but the finish still feels short.  This is another winner by Borgo Reale that is both Mevushal and reasonably priced to boot.  Still not for celllaring, enjoy this one now or in a few months.  This is a wine that will be comfortable at a spaghetti party or at a formal affair.