Every once in awhile, I’m truly struck by what a difference a food pairing makes to a particular wine.  This was especially true of a red I recently picked up at Costco: a 2010 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino.  The wine was a beauty that took on goddess status with a bit of gorgonzola alongside.

This wine hails from Italy’s Brunella di Montalcino region.  It’s a deep ruby in color with a rich structure and never-say-die tannins.  But what really struck me was the wine’s absolutely knock-out bouquet.  I smelled all sorts of beautiful dark things: tobacco, dark fruits, black coffee.  Yum.

The Il Poggione had me at hello.  But then I had a nibble of blue cheese.  And went over the moon.  The wine, which was already smooth, seemed to mellow out even more.  The edges softened without losing power.  Here’s what the Wine Advocate had to say (more authoratively than me): “The 2010 Rosso di Montalcino captures the essence of this great Montalcino vintage. An elegant, expressive bouquet gives way to layers of vibrant fruit in this energetic, totally polished Rosso. After several years of experimenting with a more accessible style of Rosso, Il Poggione has moved back to making the firm, structured style of Rosso for which the estate is famous. Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci showed me their 2010 Rosso after all the Brunellos from vintages 2006-2010, plus several older vintages including 1983, 1991, 1998 and 2003. No matter, the 2010 Rosso was great. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.”

Guess I’m drinking this on the early side of its maturity.  No matter.  I’m motivated to zip back to Costco to grab another bottle or two to keep on tap for a couple more years.  I’ve also got to start keeping better track of the price I’m paying for wines.  But my bet is the cost was in the $15 range, certainly reasonable for a wine of this quality.