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- Published: 12 January 2013 12 January 2013
I was making my way through Portobello market today picking up some various food bits from the vegetable sellers and suchlike when it dawned on me that a bottle of something nice ought to be procured for drinking when I got home. 
Jeroboams have a little store there just off the main drag so I meandered towards the Duke of Wellington pub where a chap who looked like he had been bathing in methylated spirits for the entire winter period was miming to some heavy metal tune whilst playing air guitar on a tennis racket.
This particular branch of the Jeroboams mini-chain's Italian section, it has to be said, is a little meagre, but then the shop itself is pretty tight. I was actually looking for a primitivo from Puglia on the heel of Italy. With a half shoulder of lamb slow roasting in the oven at home, I wanted some fruit and herbaceous style to inject into the feast.
The young assistant informed me they had no wines from Puglia "at the moment" but I could try this light little number from Tuscany, which at £10 was a good value bottle.
With a label painted, as opposed to designed, in a style somewhere between Howard Hodgkin and Rothko, with the deeper reds approaching carmin, there was only one way to get a taste of Italy this evening.
Morellino Di Scansano, Rinaldone Dell'Osa 2010 from Tuscany is presented well and a beautiful ruby colour with light just passing through. On the nose it is approachable with red fruits tantalising the mind.
In the mouth it is light and refreshing, spilling red fruits and bright cherries over the taste buds. These flavours blend well with the smells emanating from the roasting lamb that is filling our apartment. What I especially like is the tannin which is just crisp enough to leave the mouth watering but fresh and ready for another glass. Perfecto!
Served with the food it continued to do its job. My better half agrees that it is just the job for this meal and setting us up just nicely for a little perusal of my new Italian tome (see picture above!).
Have a great weekend and drink well...
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