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What We Say 2006 'Soffumbergo' Rosso delle Venezie I.G.T.
EXCLUSIVE WINE ALERT:
Today’s unique selection is extremely limited and may only available in the U.S. through The Wine Spies. A fun, ripe and food friendly red blend, this wine is the perfect for any Italian inspired meal.
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Mission Codename: The Super Venetian
Operative: Agent White
Objective: Secure an exclusive super unique Rosso delle Venezie I.G.T. for our operatives
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Comelli Paolino
Wine Subject: 2006 ‘Soffumbergo’ Rosso delle Venezie I.G.T.
Backgrounder:
Wines have been produced in Italy’s Friuli Venezia Giulia region for centuries, but that doesn’t mean that innovation is history. Every now and then, new styles and classifications are created based upon the evolving tastes and preferences of the wine consumer. Enter Rosso delle Venezie I.G.T. (Indicazione Geografica Tipica – a designation given to wines typical of a particular region), a relatively new Goria classification that allows for a variety of unique blends that highlight the best local fruit blended with non indigenous varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot – a Super Venetian so to speak.
Today’s selection is a proprietary blend of Peduncolo Rosso and Pignolo with both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon all grown in vineyards near the Castello Soffumbergo just outside Faedis.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Intense and dark purple with garnet glimmers that barely shine through its barely clear and dense heart. Along the edges, the color shows as deep garnet and when swirled, slow clusters of thin legs hang for a second before descending to the wine below.
Smell – Rich and redolent in its aromas of spiced black fruit including wild blackberry. Underneath the fruit lies complex notes of exotic spice, toasted oak, black licorice and dark earthy hints.
Feel – Smooth and dry, this full-bodied red is broad, sturdy and expansive with lively acidity; a good spice kick on the tip of the tongue and the back of the palate; fine firm tannins and textured minerality.
Taste – Bold but balanced flavors of black-fruit including wild blackberry, black plum, red currant and raspberry layers over notes of leaf tobacco, mocha coffee and exotic spice. A touch of oak with characteristic old world spice rounds out the flavors.
Finish – Long with lingering blackberry fruit fading cleanly with notes of spice and oak supporting by its solid and study tannic and mineral structure.
Conclusion – The 2006 Comelli Paolino ‘Soffumbergo’ Rosso delle Venezie I.G.T. is a delicious, unique and fun Italian wine that shows classic old-world character balanced with great dark fruit all held together by a sturdy structure. Both complex and approachable at the same time, you’ll find plenty of character. Pair this wine with the boldest of Italian food creations or simply pop open a bottle with pizza night as you enjoy the basketball and hockey finals.
Mission Report:
Dateline: Trieste, Italy – March 2010
Agent Baco Noir had long gone missing… every now and then, the crackpot command center, what I call my office, had received an unlabeled box with some spectacular wines and detailed intel reports. Those reports, always unsigned, had the distinguished characteristics of Baco.
I was in Italy, and got a call from Ms. Money Penny saying that a box had just come in. Perfect timing, I though, I was in Italy when something arrived, perhaps I could get back on the trail. The wines were from the small boutique farm of Comelli Paolino in the Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Hot on the trail, I quickly arranged transport up to Faedis. From there I would hunt down leads. I new where to find Baco. The first place I looked was the cafes and the second was there shoe stores. She had a passion for wine, coffee and tall Italian shoes…. No luck at those locations (there was only two shoe stores in this small town), so I headed up to the winery. Once there, I was greeted by the family who informed me I was about a week behind. They indicated that they thought she had headed back to the Piedmont.
It wasn’t a total loss however, I had a chance to taste their delicious Soffumbergo, their unique Rosso delle Venezie Red Blend (as well as their Friulano and Sauvignon Blanc.
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Comelli Paolino north of Trieste, Italy can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Comelli Paolino
About This Wine:
This is our red cru which is the fruit of native Refosco grapes from Peduncolo Rosso and Pignolo and international Merlot and Cabernet grapes, all in variable percentage. It is an irresistible wine, rich in colour with a range of notes from wild blackberry to black current, raspberry to tobacco, spices to dry fruit. It is compact and intense on the palate with overtones of cassis, blueberry and coffee which are supported by a good level of tannins making it full-bodied, complex and persistent.
Food Pairing: It is elevated to a high range wine through its three year refinement period and therefore pairs well with wild meats, both of fur and feather (deer and wild duck), roast veal and leg of lamb. Serving Temperature: 18°C.
Winemaking:
Area: ‘Parco della Vite e del Vino’ in the Colli Orientali del Friuli in Colloredo di Soffumbergo (Faedis), vineyard: “Bondio”; the Refosco grapes from Peduncolo Rosso are produced in the vineyard: “Gondolo” in the Cividale commune.
Land ype: Marly-arenaceous rock of eocene origin rich in calcium and potassium containing discrete levels of phosphorus, magnesium and many other micro-elements The “Gondolo” vineyard is gravelly and calcareous.
Cultivation Method: Guyot.
Grape Harvest: Harvested by hand in the second week of October.
Vinification: The low production of this grape and the careful attention paid to the vine are the secret to this wine. The pressed and destemmed grapes are left to ferment separately in stainless steel tanks (26-28 °C). The method used depends on their potentials.
The maceration lasts from 20 to 25 days where after they undergo refinement in French oak barrique barrels for 18 months and then are assembled before being bottled.
About Thie Winery:
Our winery is located in the “Colli Orientali del Friuli” Controlled Denomination of Origin area. It stretches over 14 hectares of vineyards in the hills, protected by the Prealps to the north and exposed to the positive atmospheric effects of the Adriatic Sea to the south, creating a ventilated and dry climate.
The soil consists of marly-arenaceous rock with Eocenic origins, therefore it is ideal for growing vines in the hills. It is rich with lime, potassium, a discrete amount of phosphor, magnesium and many other microelements.
The average density per hectare of 5,000 vines, allows us to obtain the right ratio between quantity and quality of the product.
We use some of the most modern equipment in the cellar for vinification, from ageing to storing of the wines, but we are aware that the most advanced technology can never replace nature, inasmuch as good wine finds the high clone selection of our vines, the quality of the soil, the particular microclimate as definite presuppositions, but also, if we may permit ourselves, our utmost commitment and passion and that of our collaborators.
Our production currently consists of about 65% of white grapes and 35% red. However, we are planning on gradually reaching an equal production of whites and reds.
Growing system: Guyot and runner system
Plant order: 2.5 m between each row; 80 cm between each vine.
Hand harvesting. These cultivating choices limit the quantity of grapes produced per vine, there by favouring a higher concentration of the quality, increasing the sugar content, creating a more intense colour, enhancing the typical perfume and flavour of each variety.
Technical Analysis:
Region: Rosso delle Venezie I.G.T.
Varietals: REFOSCO DAL, PEDUNCOLO ROSSO, PIGNOLO, MERLOT, CABERNET
Alcohol: 14%
