2004 Saladini Pilastri Pregio del Conte

It is not often that you can find a wine that is 10 years old and under $20.00, but my husband scored with this 2004 Saladini Pilastri Pregio del Conte that we drank with friends and Moussaka.
The technical sheet on this Saladini Pilastri Pregio del Conte says that it is perfect with all sorts of roast, grilled and boiled meat; it prefers, though, salami and seasoned cheeses. I think it also worked with Moussaka and Greek Salad.
This is a wine made from 2 indigenous Italian grapes, Montepulciano and Aglianico. It is made in the Le Marche region of Italy and is named after Count Saladini Pilastri, whose history dates back to the year 1000.

Originally, the Montepulciano grape was considered to be a synonym for Sangiovese, but recent DNA tests have shown that this is not the case. But it is often confused with Vino Nobile de Montepulciano DOCG which is made with Sangiovese. Montepulciano is planted alongside Sangiovese in central Italy. It is high yielding and late ripening with good resistance to botrytis bunch rot and downy mildew. The Aglianico grape is early budding and very late ripening and grows in the warm climate of southern Italy. it produces a dark, tannic wine that improves with age.¹
References:
1. J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz, Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours, Allen Lane 2012 ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2.