This past weekend saw us fall back into an old favorite; Puttanesca.  We have posted here many times before about our enjoyment of the unique flavors and textures that Puttanesca has to offer.  The saltiness of the olives and the body of the anchovies mingle together so well, that it almost feels surreal.  Well this time was no different, and we paired it with a combination of whole wheat spaghetti and Quinoa, thereby leaving us with many options of how we would enjoy this wonderful sauce.  As usual we added in fake soy meat and some thick sliced mushrooms, which add even more textures to the party.  We enjoyed the Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, along with the aforementioned grains/pasta, and a fresh green salad.

To pair with this wonderful dinner, I went for a bottle with a fair amount of acidity, and enough body to keep up with the Puttanesca.  The first thing that came to mind was the classical pairing of pasta sauce; a Chianti.  Luck had it that we had a nice 2004 Borgo Reale Sangiovese Puglia, which turned out to be fine, for the evening.  By the next day, it had fallen on its face, and was just a shadow of its former self.  Clearly the acidity has kept this player in the game far longer than it deserves to be, but that is the joy of a low PH.  Drink this bottle now, and enjoy it.

The wine note follows below:

2004 Borgo Reale Sangiovese Puglia – Score: B – B+
The nose on this dull ruby colored wine, with a hint of orange is oaky with tart cherry, loamy dirt, raspberry, and a nice dollop of spice and pepper. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is soft and follows the nose with tart cherry, loamy dirt, and raspberry that almost feels velvety and full in the mouth. The tannins are all but gone, and were probably perfect 6 months ago. The mid palate is balanced with acidity, oak and spice. The finish is nice and long with bracing acidity, soft to almost nonexistent tannins, tons of spice, and tart cherry. This is quite a nice bottle that has clearly survived because of its low PH, and needs to be drunk NOW.  It should have been drunk 6 or so months ago, when it was probably better.