For under $20, the 2007 Primus from Chile’s Veramonte, this 14.5% alcohol red scored 17+ Dionysian points out of 20.

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Made with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 8% Merlot and 7% Carmenere, the Primus is a food-wine that will make red meats show their best.

Pepper, spice, blackberry, black raspberry and smoky oak all linger on the nose.  At 10 years old, this wine needed a full decade to mature and round out.

We enjoyed it with a basic beef dish on a really cold night in New Jersey.  I suggest you age your Primus at least six to ten years. I n Vino Veritas.