Friday, April 22, 2011

Fattoria Le Terrazze Rosso Conero (2008) Marche




A meh Italian red from Fattoria Le Terrazze, a small (produces less than 100,000 bottles annually) Marchesian winery that has been owned by the Terni family since 1882. The 20 hectare estate grows mostly Montepulciano, along with a bit of Chardonnay, Merlot, and Syrah. La Terrazze is most famous for their "Planet Waves" wine, a blend of Montepulciano and Syrah that was created following a special request from Bob Dylan. Rosso Conero has been produced in its appellation (the central part of the Marche) since the Roman days. Rosso Conero must have be least 85% Montepulciano, with the rest usually Sangiovese. Le Terrazze's 2008 Rosso Conero is 100% Montepulciano that has been macerated with the skins for ten days in stainless steel vats then aged in medium capacity oak casks for twelve months. The wine is finished for another six months in the bottle prior to its release. Nice ruby-red color. Intense, dark fruit nose. Full-bodied; almost hot. Gasoline-like on the palate. Good with grilled red meat. Not a sipping wine by any means.

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