Wine Advocate: 92+pts
It's almost impossible to step into any popular Roman restaurant without seeing this bottle on the list. A tried-and-true favorite of the Roman dining scene, the 2015 Mater Matuta beautifully matches the robust flavors of local cuisine with distinct flavors of smoked guanciale (pork jowl) and spicy Pecorino Romano cheese. This is a blend of 85% Syrah and 15% Petit Verdot, and if you consider the characteristics of those two grapes, you can see how the dark fruit and chocolate-like aromas of Syrah, plus the firm structure and drying astringency of Petit Verdot, would be such an ideal match to the foods I described above. some 28,000 bottles were made, and I'm sure most of them will be enjoyed in Rome.