Cosimo Taurino Rosso Salice Salentino Riserva 2010

it's deep cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fresh, with prune berry fruit and some nutmeg mingled with prunes and deft acidity that is fairly bright, and some smoky underbrush. On the palate it's bright, with lively red berry fruit supported by bright berry fruit acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that have a slight burr, and flow into a clean fresh fairly tart finish.

Puglia is in the heel of Italy's boot. It is here that Cosimo Taurino has established himself as a producer of quality wines for great value. Since 1981 when Taurino's wines were first introduced into the US market, he has led the vanguard of Puglian producers determined to focus on producing fine wines from their own region. Until that time, this region which produces only slightly less wine than California, generally shipped their wine in bulk for blending with the better known wines of Northern Italy and France.