TOSCA 2006
This, the maiden release of the Italian Collection, is a project
very close to the heart of Italian owner, Giulio Bertrand, who has always
dreamed of producing wines in South Africa from typical Italian cultivars.
Seeking, as always, to produce something special, something different he
imported specific clones from his Professor Friends at the University in
Italy.
Italian passion and flair is world renowned, and here it is brought
together in two of the greatest symbols of this heritage: wine and opera.
Puccini's Tosca is a complex story of love, betrayal and passion set in
Rome during the Napoleonic wars. The passion and complexity of this opera
come together in a wine that richly marries the flavour of cherries,
tobacco and ripe Rosa tomatoes.
VINEYARD
REGION |
Stellenbosch
Helderberg ward |
| VINTAGE CONDITIONS |
An excellent vintage, largely problem free
producing fleshy, mild tannins in the reds, expressive fruit and
equality in ripeness. |
GRAPE
VARIETIES |
Sangiovese
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon |
| MATURATION |
15 months in tight grain French Oak (45% new) |
WINE
ANALYSIS |
| Alc / Vol: |
14.5% |
| Acidity: |
5.7g/l |
| pH: |
3.63 |
| Residual sugar: |
<2.5g/l |
| Extract: |
31.3g/l |
|
FOOD
MATCHES |
In keeping with the cultivars, we do this in
Italian: Risotto con fragole (Risotto with Strawberries); Vitello
Tonnato (Veal with Tuna sauce), Agnello in fricassea (Lamb with a
Lemon / Bay leaf sauce), and of course to keep it in a South African
context, Grilled Snoek with Cape Malay spices. |
Winemaker comments by
Marius Lategan |
| COLOUR |
Bright, deep plum red with a youthful
exuberance. |
| NOSE |
Spicy aromas amplify the scent of cherries, ripe Rosa
tomatoes, dry leaf tobacco. On the second approach you'll discover
an underlying layer of aniseed and vanilla pod. |
| PALATE |
The mouth-feel is super friendly and tantalises every taste
bud with unbelievable balance of fruit, natural grape acid and noble
tannins in a state of early evolution, bearing great testimony to
its future. A wine with extraordinary elegance. Give this wine time
to mature in the bottle and it will reward you with a full array of
tertiary notes. If drinking now, decant the wine to allow for
evolution for about 2 hours. |
Awards
|
| Invited to enter the 2008
Tri-Nations challenge - results pending. |
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