Also Recommended
Picture
Product Name
Vintage
Price
Varietal
Country
Region
Appellation
Size
Additional Discount
Original Item
![Avignonesi Cortona Merlot Desiderio 2019 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/8e/8e8d3a73004407e0d5d1b5f08208de30.jpg)
2019
$44.72
Merlot
Italy
Tuscany
Cortona
750ml
6B / $44.00
Similar Price
![Petra Quercegobbe Merlot 2021 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/bc/bc47781461619b86f2743638c407e401.jpg)
2021
$46.50
Merlot
Italy
Tuscany
750ml
6B / $45.57
Similar Price, Better Score
![Tenuta Guado Al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Cont'ugo 2013 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/95/959112bb9cff4a5f9cdb46a1897e09c0.jpg)
2013
$44.25
Merlot
Italy
Tuscany
Bolgheri
750ml
Better Price, Better Score
![Querceto Di Castellina Toscana Podalirio 2018 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/7f/7f7b1f1777536222a144439b2eb67968.jpg)
2018
$35.60
Merlot
Italy
Tuscany
750ml
More wines available from Avignonesi
![Avignonesi Cortona Merlot Desiderio 1997 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/37/37370e32e415885a6f506e9d52326168.jpg)
Pre-Arrival
Avignonesi Cortona Merlot Desiderio 1997
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$108.90
Intense, deep red in colour, Desiderio 1997 reveals inviting notes of sweet cherries and raspberries, rose petals and...
![Avignonesi Cortona Merlot Desiderio 1998 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/37/37370e32e415885a6f506e9d52326168.jpg)
Pre-Arrival
Avignonesi Cortona Merlot Desiderio 1998
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$102.09
Intense, deep red in colour, Desiderio 1998 reveals inviting notes of sweet cherries and raspberries, rose petals and...
750ml
Bottle:
$11.68
$12.56
A tight, focused red with currant and cherry character and hints of chocolate and sandalwood. Medium to full body,...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.94
A versatile, young red wine with a ruby red colour and a bouquet characterised by inviting aromas of ripe cherries,...
750ml
Bottle:
$21.94
On the nose, the leading coppery, sanguine aromas are emphasized by astringent undertones of cranberry, white pepper...
More Details
Winery
Avignonesi
Varietal: Merlot
Merlot has long been a grape associated with excellent quality of character and flavor, and has spread around the globe as a result of its relative hardiness and reliability. From Chile to Bordeaux, Merlot vines grow to ripeness, and end up producing a remarkably wide variety of wines. Single variety wines made from Merlot grapes tend to be beautifully rich in color, and packed full of jammy, hedgerow flavors and notes of plum and currant, and ideal for newcomers to red wines as a result of their medium body. This medium body comes about due to the fact that the skin of Merlot grapes tends to be quite thin, meaning that the tannin content of Merlot wines is lower than those made from other blue-black grapes. The mellowness and roundedness which results is ideal for blending, also, and Merlot is used as a blending grape in some of the world's finest wineries, to produce aged wines of exceptional character.
Region: Tuscany
Tuscany is probably Italy's most important and widely respected wine region, with a history which stretches back almost three thousand years, and a set of fine grape varietals which produce some of the most delicious quality white and red wines in the world. Sangiovese and Vernaccia varietal grapes are grown all over this expansive region, and the way they are handled, aged and processed varies from town to town. The beautiful hot climate of Tuscany helps these grapes reach full ripeness, despite the fact the soil of the region is generally problematic for the vintners who work there. Despite this, there is a dedication to quality and flavor in Tuscany which is more or less unmatched anywhere else in Italy, and a great mix of strong tradition and willingness to experiment and think outside the box which has been a wonderful recipe for success in the region.
Country: Italy
For several decades in the mid to late twentieth century, Italy's reputation for quality wines took a fairly serious blow. This was brought about partly due to lack of regulation in certain regions, and too much regulation in others. This led to several wineries in the beautiful and highly fertile region of Tuscany making the bold move to work outside of the law, which they saw as responsible for the drop in quality in Tuscan wines. They believed that they had the expertise and the generations of experience necessary with which to make truly excellent, world class wines, and set about doing just that. These 'Super Tuscans', as they came to be known, quickly inspired the rest of Italy to improve their produce, and now, Italian wine producers in the twenty-first century are widely recognised to be amongst the best in the world. Regulation and law began to change, and wine drinkers across the globe woke up to the outstanding wines coming out of Italy, which are continuing to improve and impress to this day.