A single-vineyard field blend of 98% Sangiovese (7 different clones) with 1% Canaiolo and 1% Mammolo.
N/ Clean, acidic blackberry, sharp plum skin, raspberries, and red apple dusted in light barrel room aromas. Pine needles and dry forest floor. Soft leather. Hint of white pepper.
T/ Medium mouthfeel. Dancing cherry, black cherry, and plums. Spice and black pepper kissed. A hint of a cranberry pucker livens up wild herb flavors on an extended finish.
Best one to three hours after opening. Fantastic food wine. Paired flawlessly with roasted chicken, parmesan shrimp orzo with Alfredo, caramelized, Asian spiced sweet potatoes, and artichokes. Try those four with other USA wines and I think things would go south, fast.
Only 282 cases produced.
Oak regimen: 69% Hungarian, 18% American, 13% French; 34% new oak barrels.
Alcohol = 14.1%
Winemakers = Bill Nachbaur and Clay Mauritson
Price = $30
N = A-
T = A / A-
I = A-
Overall = A-
This wine was a media sample kindly provided by the winery.
From the winery
“In 1950, Americo Rafanelli planted Sangiovese in our old mostly-Zinfandel vineyard. Forty-two years later, we took cuttings from his old Sangiovese vines and six other Sangiovese selections to plant a new vineyard on the west-facing slope of our Acorn Hill. We included two other Tuscan varieties in the field blend, Canaiolo to add velvety texture and Mammolo to add the aroma of violets. Field-blending clones and varieties produces complexity of flavors and aromas. 2010—our 17th harvest from these hillside vines—will be remembered for a devastating August heat wave that destroyed some of the crop, limiting our production. Meticulous hand-sorting in the field, and again at the winery, was necessary to secure only the undamaged and evenly ripened fruit. We fermented the grapes with native and Brunello yeast and aged the wine in a combination of Hungarian, American, and French oak barrels selected to compliment and elevate the character of the grapes. We stirred the lees monthly during 16 months of barrel aging to enhance body and mouthfeel. The new barrels—17% Hungarian oak and 17% American (Kentucky and Pennsylvania)—added vanilla, mocha, and baking spice notes to the cherry fruit.”
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