Sometimes I have to take a break from nerd hobbies and spend time with my wife. We all make sacrifices. For date night I found a cool recipe for Lasagna Bolognese. The recipe is intense, I’ve never made my own lasagna from scratch before. But after several hours in the kitchen (I skipped the overnight part) I had an awesome food thing! To go with dinner, I picked the Piandaccoli Cosmus Chianti Reserva 2011. The wine is from the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy, and is 100% Sangiovese grape. Chianti which has been aged can be labeled as Reserva; this one spent 12 months in french oak.
Nerd Alert: Aging in oak allows organic compounds from the barrel to impart flavors and aromas in the wine. For example, clove, spice, and smokiness comes from eugenol, a phenylpropene also found in essential oil extracts of clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Cosmus is an intense ruby/garnet in the glass, with aromas of cherry, spice, and black pepper. Tasting brings the ripe taste of cherries and plums, along with oak and earthiness. The tannin is medium light, and the finish is soft and smooth. It’s very easy to drink and went very well with my kick-ass lasagna.
Winemaker: Piandaccoli
Wine: Cosmus Chianti Reserva
Year: 2011
Region: Chianti, Tuscany, Italy
Grape: Sangiovese
Price: $15-$20
Rating: 9/10