Trentatre Rosso IGT

Grapes: Montepulciano (33.4 percent), cabernet sauvignon (33.3 percent), merlot (33.3 percent)

Region: Salento, Puglia, southern Italy

Vintage: 2007

Price: $5.99

In the glass: Trentatre Rosso is a deep purplish-red color with a semi-opaque core going out into a fine purplish-red rim definition with medium-high viscosity.

On the nose: There are forward crushed cherry and black currants upfront and then a whole plethora of violet-laced pastilles, flowers and fruit. It’s a pretty nose altogether, with hints of cassis and boysenberry crush, followed by vanilla-kissed minerals and touches of phenols and spice box.

On the palate: Trentatre Rosso is just delightful and tastes like a wine that costs three times the price! Lots of freshly crushed black currant, red cherry and sweet boysenberry juice hit your olfactory senses right away and then there’s a rustic component from the montepulciano grape, which adds a dimension to the wine. Through the middle, there’s nice balance and again a hint of sweet black fruit into a nice, supple finish with soft tannins. This is just an all-around great drinking wine.

Odds and ends: Some of the most innovative winemaking in Italy is taking place deep down south in the “heel” of the country, meaning in the province of Puglia. This Trentatre wine whose name means “33” in English and refers to the one-third of each grape varietal formula, is a typical example of the super value wines that can be made when not having to conform to strict DOC standards. All wines that are freely blended from whatever the winemaker decides tastes good together, are called IGT in Italy. This is your go-to pasta wine without any doubt. It is tasty and perfect for any dish featuring that Italian staple, and should drink well through 2011.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.