Astoria, El Ruden Rosso Veneto, 2021

High quality and slightly unusual! Ruden in Venetian dialect means rust, hence the colour of the label. It is a blend of equal quantities of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir with just 10% of Marzemino, which undergoes drying on straw matting for 3 months. to intensify the flavour and add an almost Amarone edge to the wine. Aged for 9 months in French oak barrels to round-out the tannins. The wine is a dark, ruby red with aromas of black and red fruits with some spice. On the palate it is soft, with a deep structure, plentiful of fruit with some final notes of dried berries. Drink it with beef or poultry or simply sip it with a few pieces of Parmesan to while away the late hours of the night.

This is a blend of grape varieties that we have never come across before. But not only is it unusual, it's fantastic too delivering bold fruit flavours, plenty of structure on the palate with a fine and generous finish. Amarone della Valpolicella is now so very popular yet prices are high due to the high cost of production. This great wine has similar qualities but is so much more affordable.

• ❖ ABV: 13.5%