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More wines available from Cantine Lonardo
750ml
Bottle:
$20.94
Intense ruby red colored wine, dense and opaque. The nose is rich and lingering with hints of ripe fruits, balsamic...
750ml
Bottle:
$41.94
Intense ruby red colored wine, dense and opaque. The nose is rich and lingering with hints of ripe fruits, balsamic...
More Details
Winery
Cantine Lonardo
Vintage: 2011
The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
Varietal: Aglianico
Aglianico grapes are typically grown in the Campania region of southern Italy, where they have been an important grape varietal since the height of the Roman empire. The Romans adored their deep garnet coloured wines, and the Aglianico grape provided a beautiful colour along with high acid levels and a strong tannin content, which made it wildly popular both then and today. Nowadays, the finest Aglianico wines are usually aged in wood to soften their strong tannins, and this process allows the grapes to reveal their complex flavours of plum and chocolate, along with plenty of pleasing dark fruit and berry aromas. Often, Aglianico grapes are blended with Bordeaux varietals to make a wonderfully balanced wine. The varietal thrives most successfully in hot and dry regions, and has a particular affinity for volcanic soils.
Region: Campania
Campania is a stunning coastal wine region of Italy, home to over a hundred native grape varietals and some of the finest soils and climatic conditions for viticulture on earth. The fine Mediterranean climate crossed with the mineral rich volcanic terroirs produces grapes of exceptional quality and flavor, and as such, Campania has been an important center for wine production for over three thousand years. As one might expect from such an ancient and esteemed wine region, tradition is highly important to the wineries which operate there. Careful attention is paid in order to bring the most representative flavors and aromas out of the grapes, and traditional, time honored techniques are still employed across the region when producing their many highly regarded wines.
Country: Italy
It isn't difficult to understand why Italy is famed not just for the quality of its wines, but also for the vast variety and range of characteristics found in the wines there. The terrain of the country varies wildly, from the lush rolling green hills and valley of Tuscany, to the sun drenched rocky coasts of Sicily, the mountainous and alpine regions of the north, and the marshy lowlands of the east. Italy really does have a little bit of everything. Combine this huge range of landscapes with an almost perfect climate for grape cultivation, and you have a country seemingly designed for viticultural excellence. The results speak for themselves, and it is clear to see that wine has become an inseparable part of Italian culture as a result of its abundance and brilliance. Each village, city and region has a local wine perfectly matched with the cuisine of the area, and not an evening passes without the vast majority of Italian families raising a glass of locally sourced wine with pride and pleasure.