Fiore di Cupolone 2016
IGT, Paolo Conterno, 750 ml
| Grape variety: | Merlot |
| Producer: | Paolo Conterno / Fam. Conterno |
| Origin: | Italy / Toscana |
| Other vintages: |
Description
A complex Merlot with a seductive character, grown at the gates of Florence in the picturesque foothills of the Apennines. A prelude of black cherry notes, plums and herbs. On the palate, more plums and jostaberries, accompanied by blackcurrants, some peppery spices and roasted aromas.
Attributes
| Origin: | Italy / Toscana |
| Grape variety: | Merlot |
| Label: | Vegan |
| Ripening potential: | 1 to 9 years after harvest |
| Drinking temperature: | 16 to 18 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Cold fish dish, dried meat, Saltimbocca, Scaloppine di vitello al limone, Bistecca fiorentina, T-Bone steak, Spaghetti con sugo al basilico, Risotto with ceps |
| Vinification: | long must fermentation, fermentation in wooden barrel, Punching down, cooling period |
| Harvest: | hand-picking, in small boxes |
| Maturation: | in partly new and used barriques/ Pièces, long cultivation |
| Bottling: | no filtration |
| Maturation duration: | 12 months |
| Volume: | 15.0 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Paolo Conterno / Fam. Conterno
Giorgio Conterno and his Baroli from Piedmont, is one of Baur au Lac Vins' long-standing partners. He talks about his new Tuscan passion with beaming eyes:
"Fate has brought me to Ortaglia. By chance I had heard about it and a little later I was there. It was immediately clear to me that Ortaglia was a special place. It took a whole eight years for the takeover, but it was worth it. Tuscany and Piedmont are the two regions in which I can best express my passion - with a life close to nature and working in the vineyard to create wines, as I have learned according to old tradition."
Merlot
Everybody’s darling
Merlot is the most charming member of the Bordeaux family. It shines with rich colour, fragrant fullness, velvety tannins and sweet, plummy fruit. It even makes itself easy for the vintner, as it matures without issue in cool years as well. This is in contrast to the stricter Cabernet Sauvignon, which it complements as a blending partner. Its good qualities have made the Merlot famous worldwide. At over 100,000 hectares, it is the most-planted grape in France. It also covers large areas in California, Italy, Australia and recently in Eastern Europe. The only catch is that pure Merlot varieties rarely turn out well. Its charm is often associated with a lack of substance. Only the best specimens improve with maturity. They then develop complex notes of leather and truffles. This succeeds in the top wines from the Bordeaux appellation of Pomerol and those from Ticino, among others.
Italy
Italy – Where wine is a way of life
The Italian wine regions are extremely diverse, and this is made clear in their wines. Established varieties such as Merlot, Syrah, and Sauvignon can be found on just 15 percent of the total vine growing area. The remaining 85 percent is reserved for autochthonous, indigenous varieties. More than 2,000 different grape varieties are grown under diverse conditions and pressed with various techniques into wines that reach the top tier of the international wine market.
