Castello di Morcote Riserva 2020
DOC Ticino, Castello di Morcote, 750 ml
| Grape variety: | Merlot, Cabernet Franc |
| Producer: | Tenuta Castello di Morcote |
| Origin: | Switzerland / Tessin / Sottoceneri |
| Other vintages: |
Description
Its aromatic richness impresses with spicy notes such as cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, with intense fruit aromas of cherries, plums and orange zest, with noble tobacco and wood notes. The palate is not disappointed: full-bodied and powerful, it spreads out. In its youth, it shows its potential with powerful tannin structure and perfectly integrated acidity. This Merlot is an elegant companion to game dishes and dark meat. When drunk young, we recommend decanting it.
Attributes
| Origin: | Switzerland / Tessin / Sottoceneri |
| Grape variety: | Merlot, Cabernet Franc |
| Label: | Vegan, Certified organic or biodynamic wine |
| Ripening potential: | 4 to 10 years after harvest |
| Drinking temperature: | 16 to 18 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Goulash, boeuf bourguignon, Roasted lamb gigot, Bistecca fiorentina, T-Bone steak, Wild specialities |
| Vinification: | fermentation in wooden barrel, Pumping over, fining |
| Harvest: | hand-picking, strict selection |
| Maturation: | in new barriques, some months bottle storage before sale |
| Maturation duration: | 12 months |
| Volume: | 14.0 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Tenuta Castello di Morcote
The vineyard of the Tenuta Castello di Morcote is widely held to be one of the most beautiful in Ticino. It lies some 200 metres above the picturesque village of Vico Morcote and offers a stunning view of the mountains and the Lago di Lugano. At the heart of this vineyard are the ruins of the Castello di Morcote.
It was in 1994 that the first vintage of the outstanding "Castello di Morcote" from Ticino came onto the market; with its 90% proportion of Merlot, it has since become a fixture of the Swiss wine scene. No less popular is the "Castello di Morcote Bianco", 90% of which is vinified from red Merlot grapes and 10% of Chardonnay.
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.
Cabernet Franc
Forefather of the Bordeaux varieties
The Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest varieties of Bordelais and a parent of three other red grapes in the Bordeaux assortment: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère. It is distinguished by its complex, flavourful bouquet of raspberry, graphite, violet, liquorice and white pepper. In addition, it presents round, crisp tannins which turn out less strongly than those of Cabernet Sauvignon. While the Cabernet Franc always appears as part of a blend in Bordeaux, it is pressed alone on the Loire. The most renowned appellations are Chinon and Bourgueil. Incidentally, the Cabernet originates not in Bordeaux but in the Spanish Basque Country. Cabernet owes its name to the Latin “carbon”, meaning black.
Tessin
Ticino: the Merlot Mecca of Switzerland
Ticino winegrowing is thought to date from Roman times, as early as 2000 years ago. But the foundation for today’s viticulture was laid just over 100 years ago, in 1907. It was then that the first Merlot vines were planted at Castelrotto in Malcantone. Since then, the variety has emerged triumphant here. Top selections matured in barriques more than measure up to those from Bordeaux’s Saint-Émilion or Pomerol regions.
Switzerland
Switzerland – A small country with enormous diversity
Switzerland is famous for its banks, watches, and cheese, but not necessarily for its wine. The Swiss didn't invent wine, but they have been extremely open and curious to it. Wine culture arrived in what is now modern Switzerland via several routes: from Marseilles to Lake Geneva and the Lower Valais region; from the Aosta Valley through the Great St. Bernard Pass to the rest of Valais; from the Rhone through Burgundy, across the Jura Mountains to Lake Constance; and from Lombardy to Ticino, and then on to Grisons.
