Name: Avignonesi Cortona Merlot Desiderio 1997 750ml
Brand: Avignonesi
SKU: 952029
Price: 114.95 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 90.5 (2 reviews)

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Winery

Avignonesi

Shop all from Avignonesi

Varietal

Merlot

With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.

Country

Italy

There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.

Region

Tuscany

The central Italian region of Tuscany is widely understood to be one of the world's most famous and highly regarded wine regions. The beautiful rolling hillsides and medieval towns and castles which are a key feature of the area are also home to many of Europe's finest wineries, and extremely high quality vineyards growing the distinctive Sangiovese and Vernaccia grape varietals which are the flavorful backbone of Tuscany's wonderful red and white wines. For almost three thousand years, this region has been recognized as an ideal home for wine production on a large scale, and the ancient Etruscans, Greeks and Romans all noticed that fine grape varietals flourished on the unique soils and under the hot sunshine which typifies the area. Today, Tuscany is home to a wide range of wines, from the traditional to the complex, but all dedicated to excellent flavors and aromas, and maintaining the region's international reputation.

Appellation

Cortona

WS 91pts

Wine Spectator

Unusual red here. Plum skin and tobacco character. Full-bodied, with lovely coconut and raspberry flavors. Delicious finish. Outstanding Merlot. Best after 2001. 4,000 cases made.

VM 90pts

Vinous Media

Blackish ruby color. Expansive, penetrating aromas of plum, mocha, vanilla and tar. Round and elegant, but with substantial concentration and extract. Velvety and long. Shows the alcoholic warmth and very ripe fruit of the 1997 vintage. Shapely, classy wine.

Winery Notes

Intense, deep red in colour, Desiderio 1997 reveals inviting notes of sweet cherries and raspberries, rose petals and aromatic herbs, enhanced by subtle hints of menthol, red liquirice and chocolate-dipped coffee beans. The flavour is smooth and fruit-driven, with chewy tannins and a deliciously savoury finish.

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Avignonesi Cortona Merlot Desiderio 1997 750ml

Case of 6

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