Christmas Comes Early from Italy

Wine won the country’s most-prestigious wine award, Tre Bicchieri. It scored 91 from Antonio Galloni and at $17.99 it is a slam dunk winner. This is definitely a case buy offering as it will fly. Galloni called the wine one of the flag bearers of the new wave of very successful Montepulciano wines. A no brainer at the price.

For years I have been telling my customers about the importance of Tre Bicchieri, Italy’s most important wine award, presented annually by Gambero Rosso, which is the foremost authority on Italian wine. Winning the award is a huge deal; Tre Bicchieri means “3 Glasses” and each year 20,000 wines are reviewed and only 400 receive the award. Today’s wine, the 2015 Cataldi Madonna Malandrino won the award for 2016 and you will flip for it. Further proof of the wine’s irresistible charms is that Antonio Galloni, one of the most important wine critics today scored the wine 91 points, a huge score for a red wine under $20.

In terms of a value wine, this is one of the very best coming out of Italy. To have a wine that wowed Gambero Rosso and Antonio Galloni at way under $20 is truly a special opportunity and there is no need look anywhere else for a quality-to-price ratio stunner.

“Malandrino” is a rascal, or to be naughty, and at the price of $17.99 this is a definitely a naughty wine – but in a very good way; what makes it so mischievous is that is so good for such a low price. I was shocked by how good it was. It is made by one of Italy’s best winemakers, Lorenzo Landi, who has made great wines up and down the country. It is sourced from 6 different vineyards in Ofena, the “oven of Abruzzo”, and the warm weather produces, big, dark grapes, which in turn make magnificently complex wines.

Jump on this by the case.

2015 Cataldi Madonna Malandrino Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy DOC Regular: $21.99 Our Price $17.99

91pts Vinous Galloni & Tre Bicchieri Gambero Rosso Winner

Galloni’s Vinous Review: Deep ruby. Enticing aromas and flavors of mineral-driven red cherry, dark berries and herbs. Very fine-grained, precise wine with a clean finish featuring noteworthy freshness and noble tannins. Malandrino is Cataldi Madonna’s most improved wine and one of the flag bearers of the new wave of very successful Montepulciano wines now increasingly in fashion. – 91 Points