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Wine Details
Price:
$24.00 per bottle
Description:
The triumph of Italian wine varietals championed in this Estate blend of Sangiovese, Primitivo, Barbera and Dolcetto offers a portrait of aromas and flavors that have resonated throughout the Mediterranean for centuries.
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Varietal Definition
Primitivo:
Recent "DNA" testing has shown Primitivo to possess the exact same genetic make up as the popular California grape, Zinfandel. Both varieties origins are tracked back to Croatia. And while the grapes may be identical in theory, the wines they produce have distinct differences. Primitivo's home province is Apuglia (sometimes called Puglia), located in the "heel" of Italy's boot. Wines made from Primitivo have notes of plum and spice, like Zinfandel, but because of different growing soils and climate, the fruit character is less jammy, the structure more akin to old world wines, with rustic notes of earth and spice, as well as tamed fruit flavors.
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Dolcetto:
Italian red grape from the Piedmont area of the North West. Produces soft varietal wines for early drinking. Gives lots of up front fruit with soft tannins with a style not unlike the Gamay of Beaujolais.
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Barbera:
A red-wine grape of Italian origin that produces sturdy, tannic wines capable of aging. Barbera is widely planted in Italy’s Piedmont region, where it accounts for half the total acreage. Most California Barbera is grown in the Central Valley and finds its way into generic or proprietary blends. The Sierra Foothills, Paso Robles, Santa Clara and Sonoma, where very warm days are moderated by cool nights, produce some of the state’s best varietal Barberas. The fruit is naturally high in acid, which it retains very well, even in hot climates. Barbera grapes are also high in anthocyanins, but only low to moderate in tannin content. The resulting wines are deep, purplish black in their youth, but tend to early browning and lightening as they age. Tannin from oak aging can help somewhat to stabilize color.
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Sangiovese:
Sanguis Jovis, the Latin origin for the varietal name, literally means “blood of Jove.” Sangiovese is one of the oldest known varietals and it is likely that ancient Etruscan winemakers cultivated it, although the first literary reference to Sangiovese was in 1722. Sangiovese is probably indigenous to Tuscany, whose most famous wine is Chianti. Chianti is a blend that currently contains a minimum of 90% Sangiovese.Sangiovese thrives in hot dry climates. Because these climatic criteria generally enhance quantity, rather than quality, it takes careful cultivation and winemaking techniques to produce really excellent wine from this grape.
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