I had the pleasure of being invited to Heirloom Vine imports first tasting. They are a newish wine importer in Ontario. The tasting had some super unique wines, and this was one of them. It is a grape I had never heard of before, which is always an interesting experience. Having never had one before I had no expectations. I was warned up front that this was a bigger, bolder wine … Dark in color with a nice dark berry nose. Knowing this wine has bigger I held it in the mouth a little longer than usual. There’s some nice dark berry flavors and some pepper coming right into the top of the mouth. And then … bam, the finish. And this is where this wine lives where it displays some nice big firm tannins, lively acidity, and nice dryness. If you like your wines smooth and elegant … choose something else, wimps need not apply 🙂 In some ways this wine reminds me of some big bold tempranillos that also live primarily in the finish, which for my tastes is pretty good company. If your going to enjoy it now, I highly recommend something that can hold up to it, like a big steak or lamb. I can only imagine this wine will easily hold up for another 5 years or more, where the finish will soften and you can enjoy the fruit more. At $25.50 a bottle available by private order by the case from Heirloom. Very nice, and a unique experience! I would give it an 88 or so.
From the winery’s web site:
Native to the Treviso wine region this variety was already well established in the times of the Venetian Serenissima Republic as a vin da viajo, which broadly translates from the local dialect into “suitable for travel”. It is a robust wine with firm tannins and refreshing acidity.
Colour: Deep ruby red with garnet highlights
Nose: Vibrant and vinous with lots of ripe black cherry
Palate: Savoury, full-bodied and very pleasant, it is both plush and vibrant. Slight hints of wood
Food pairing: Flavourful red meat dishes and hearty fat-rich food
Ageing: 36 months in oak barrels
Alcohol: 13% min.
Residual sugar: < 3 g/l
Total acidity: 6,00 g/l
Serving temperature: 20° C
