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The deep garnet color gives you an idea of the surprising heft of this northern red. It’s a complex wine that combines a smoky, macho surface with bedrock elegance. Bright currants, brambly berries and juicy cherries sit on a bed of cedar, saddle leather and spice but while this ’05 offers a lot of freshness, it’s countered by wafting smoke and a mouth-watering salty quality. Delicious and drinking for the next five years.
- Country: Italy
- Region: Lombardia
- Subregion/Appellation:
While the Verdi estate’s production of grapes dates back to its establishment in Oltrepò Pavese in the 18th century, vinification was not pursued until the third generation, and estate-bottling commenced only after World War II, under the leadership of Bruno Verdi. Paolo Verdi, Bruno’s son, currently heads the estate and has facilitated the winery’s modernization through a formal protocol. Such efforts have enabled him to improve upon, rather than displace, traditional methods, and he is particularly vigilant about employing his regime to elicit the best expression of Oltrepò Pavese’s local grapes. Cavariola, Verdi’s premier cru, is the source of this Riserva (a blend of Croatina, Uva Rara, Ughetto di Canneto, and Barbera) that evokes the Rhône in its brooding black and blue fruits; savory, animale dimension; and smoky notes. A limited-production bottling (400 cases) marked by Verdi’s signature sediment, Cavariola is exceedingly difficult to find in the States.
Wine Note
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