2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
We had been searching for a Lagrein like this for years before we came across Carlotto’s gorgeous rendition almost a decade ago. Michela Carlotto had taken the Lagrein (la-GRINE) grape—known for producing rustic, dense, and tannic reds—and eked an incredible beauty from it through earlier harvests and shorter macerations. This cuvée is dark-fruited velvet in a bottle.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Lagrein |
Appellation: | Alto Adige |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Alto Adige |
Producer: | Ferruccio Carlotto |
Winemaker: | Ferruccio Carlotto |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1946, 2003, 2006, 2012, 1.8 ha |
Soil: | Porphyry, Limestone, Clay, Alluvial stones |
Aging: | Aged in large, older oak botte, very small percentage aged in new oak barrique |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Ferruccio Carlotto Italy | Alto Adige | Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Peter Dipoli Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige
Peter Dipoli Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Feruccio Carlotto and his daughter Michela farm a tiny estate of several hectares in the Alto-Adige town of Ora, south of Bolzano. The special of this village is Lagrein, a red grape that is native to the region. They chose to produce only one Lagrein Riserva that is aged in large oak casks. They also make a small amount of Pinot Nero that is made in a very fine, elegant style, with a feathery touch. We were pleasantly surprised when we were able to talk the Carlottos into selling us a pallet for the United States. Unfortunately there are not much of these finely crafted beauties to go around but if you can get your hands on a few cases, you will be experiencing some of the best of what Alto Adige has to offer the wine world.
In the heart of the Dolomites, Alto Adige is Italy’s northernmost wine region. Having changed hands multiples times in its history between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire (it shares a border with Austria), it boasts strong Germanic influence on its culture, language, cuisine, as well as its wines.
The mountainous geography is the principal determinant of local winemaking styles, with the high-altitude vineyards and cool Alpine climate favoring primarily crisp, racy, aromatic whites from varieties like Kerner, Sauvignon, Müller Thurgau, and Grüner Veltliner. A Mediterranean influence on climate is channeled north up the valley until Bolzano, permitting the cultivation of certain reds as well, among which Schiava, Lagrein, Pinot Nero, and Merlot fare best.
Small growers who once sold fruit to the area’s multiple co-ops are now increasingly bottling their own wines. The arrival of many quality-oriented artisans on the scene caught our eye years ago, and we now count three estates from Südtirol, as it is also known, in our portfolio. These high-acid mountain wines make for a beautifully invigorating aperitivo with thinly sliced speck, a local specialty.
Peter Dipoli Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige
Peter Dipoli Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Peter Dipoli Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Ferruccio Carlotto Italy | Alto Adige | Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Guido Porro Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Sesti Italy | Tuscany | Brunello di Montalcino
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174
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