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Member-Beloved, Stunning Italian Value
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If you were going to design an ideal climate in Italy for growing bold and powerful red wines, you’d end up with something a lot like Puglia.
The heel of the boot enjoys plenty of sunshine, and also plentiful ocean breezes to ensure a long growing season. But the region is much more focused on agriculture than the culture of fine wine, which is why today’s $15 Lupo Meraviglia is an expensive bottle by local standards.
That price reflects the 2021 Tre di Tre’s status as one of the top bottles in the region—and it’s also one of our favorite reds we’ve ever tasted at this price. Bold and dark-fruited, it’s absolutely thrilled our members to the tune of a 4.4-star average, which places it among our top Italian wines for the last year and would be fantastic for a wine twice as expensive.
One five-star reviewer summed it up nicely: “Really enjoyed this and can’t believe it was under $20. Only bought 3 bottles the first time around and should have bought 3 cases!”
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In a lot of ways, Puglia reminds us of Paso Robles in the 1980s: There are a few wineries doing really compelling things, but they’re still building a market, so many of the best bottles remain extremely affordable.
Like Paso, Puglia grows an array of intense red grapes: Primitivo, which is nearly identical genetically to Zinfandel; Negro Amaro, named for its dark pigment; and powerful Aglianico, native to the area around Naples but also built to thrive in the heat of the Salento peninsula.
After picking the grapes at optimal ripeness, Meraviglia uses a “salasso” technique—the French call it saignée—bleeding off 20–30% of the liquid early in the winemaking process. It’s costly to discard this, but doing so increases the skin-to-juice ratio, providing deeper color and fruit, making for a more powerful, intense wine.
This is the perfect bottle to have on hand for summer and fall. It’s dynamite with anything meaty and grilled, and inexpensive enough to pour for the backyard-barbecue crowd. We kicked off cookout season by pouring it with smoked chicken and garlic-butter crowned burgers, but it will be a darling with a veggie tagine when fall rolls around. Make sure you have enough to last that long—at this price, there’s no downside!
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Wine Access Tasting Note
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A dark ruby core with a hint of purple. The aromas of summer-ripe black cherry and blackberry notes are embraced by a purple flower bouquet, with hints of vanilla, tobacco, and amaro. The mouthfeel is plush and juicy, with great silky tannins and a long-lasting finish. A lush, bold, and dense red. Drink now–2030.
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14.00
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Aglianico,
Negroamaro,
Primitivo
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Fruit
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Oak
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Body
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Acidity
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Tannin
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Buy and Hold
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Claim the bottles you want before someone else does. We’ll hold them for up to 30 days or until you hit the free shipping threshold of $150. Then, choose your delivery date–and you won’t pay a cent for shipping.
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