Bolgheri & Maremma, Tuscany, Italy – Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
Powerful and perfumed notes of cherry, sweet vanilla, dried herbs and a savoury, almost meaty edge underneath. The palate is dry and beautifully put together: plum and ripe cherry up front, wild berry and a whisper of spice behind, with tannins that are firm enough to give it shape but polished right down, and a long smooth finish that's practically begging for a plate of something. Pour it with lamb burgers, a ragù-heavy pasta, roast chicken with rosemary, or a wedge of aged pecorino. Aia Vecchia — "old farmhouse" — belongs to the Pellegrini family