Sorry, The Wine Spies doesn't support Internet Explorer anymore. Please use a newer browser to continue browsing our wine collections.
What We Say 2004 Rosso Outsider IGT - Merlot / Cab Sauv Blend
SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
Today’s exceptional selection from the Montefalco region in central Italy’s Umbria is not only distinctly varietal but shows off the region’s spectacular Terrior with classic Italian style.
SECRET SAVINGS ALERT:
Subscribe to our Daily Dispatch (above) and you’ll always know what our Top Secret coupon code of the day is. Every day we issue a new members-only code that entitles you to have Ground Shipping included on orders of six or more and, sometimes, an added discount!
Mission Codename: The Outsider
Operative: Agent White
Objective: Secure a very limited allocation of an exclusive Umbrian classic
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Arnaldo Caprai
Wine Subject: 2004 Rosso Outsider IGT
Backgrounder:
Today’s wine hales fro the Montefalco region located south of Perugia in the Umbria region of West Central Italy, is famous for producing one of the most unique and distinctive wines of Italy. The wines of this region are made from the Sagrantino, Sangiovese and Grechetto grapes along with other non-indigenous varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and others.
In just the last decade, IGT wines became the latest rage in Italian wine in the United States, however, their story goes back to the late 1940s when the famed Sassicaia wine was reportedly made by Incisa della Rochetta using Cabernet Sauvignon vines from Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, or so the legend goes. Broadly, wines designated as Indicazione Geographica Tipica (IGT) could be considered vin de pays. Many of these wines are native grape based with the addition of other varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and all are unique blends that gives the winery much more flexibility with regard to the more stringent Goria DOC and DOCG designations.
Today’s wine however, is only Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in an even 50%-50% split aged for 18 months in French oak.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Beautifully dark and dense ruby red but is nearly black in its inky heart. Along the edges the the ruby color becomes more apparent and when swirled tight clusters of thin color-stained legs ring the glass and descend at varying speeds.
Smell – Bold and complex aromatics with classic varietal scents of black fruit including dark berries and black licorice and toasted oak. Notes of sweet spice, dark bittersweet chocolate, sweet spice and hints of green herbs lingers and leads you to take a sip.
Feel – Velvet smooth, warm and round on its entry then at mid palate the sturdy but extremely fine grained tannins blend with its lively acidity and powdered minerality creating an expansive and chewy mouth feel.
Taste – Rich and intense but well developed and integrated as well with abundant ripe dark fruit including blackberry, black cherry, plum and cassis that blend with black licorice, toasted oak, sweet and hot spice and bittersweet chocolate.
Finish – Extremely long with the dark berries fading first leaving lingering licorice, bittersweet chocolate, spice and a touch of bitter cherry pit; the terroir driven minerality and finely grained tannins dries the palate as you reach for another sip.
Conclusion – The 2004 Arnaldo Caprai Rosso Outsider IGT is an elegant and sturdy wine with great varietal character and a great rustic Italian quality. A warm and inviting wine with enough complexity to please the critics but still approachable. In its prime now, enjoy this wine tonight or cellar for a few years. Pair with pan grilled rib-eye steaks, prepared Florentine style with garlic, rosemary, olive oil, cracked black pepper and coarse sea-salt.
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of Arnaldo Caprai in the Montefalco region can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Arnaldo Caprai
About This Wine:
Rosso Outsider is the confirmation of the exceptionality of a terroir like that one of Montefalco and with this wine the Arnaldo Caprai’s Winery proves that this land is able to transfer its temperament and character also to internationals varieties.
Colour: Ruby red.
Aroma: Aromatically sensational, with notes of ripe fruit and graphite.
Taste: Potent, intense and soft.
Serving suggestion: Meat roasts, game and spicy cheese.
About The Winery:
Arnaldo Caprai is the acknowledged leader in the production of top quality Sagrantino di Montefalco, a wine produced exclusively from grapes of Sagrantino, the variety that has been growing in the region of Montefalco for more than four hundred years.
Marco Caprai strongly believed in the great opportunities that could come from such a long tradition and he translated this heritage with a modern and innovative approach. Thanks to research work and long term experimentation we work to produce top quality elegant wines, that show a unique character. The colour, aroma and taste of our Sagrantino will make you feel the strong character of the people who work it, the beauty of the gentle hills where it grows and the richness and complexity of the long traditions of Montefalco.
Tradition – Innovation – Territory are the key words that drive us in our everyday efforts
The tradition that belongs to this territory allowed Sagrantino vines to over the centuries. The idea behind our work is revaluate this tradition, through an innovative approach.
Research and experimentation are at the heart of innovation, so we practice them both in the vineyards and in the cellar.
The methods applied to obtain top quality grapes include different types of experimental training systems and a stable, natural and artificial cover cropping. Moreover, a more rational approach in the plant protection processes and a reduced use of nitrogenous fertilizers, together with the choice of the most suitable location for Sagrantino and all the varieties grown in the estate has proved fundamental for the production of good quality grapes.
Innovation for Arnaldo Caprai means also an open approach to new communication strategies, such as internet. Through our website not only we promote our products, but we also encourage communication between those who love our wine and want to know more about the culture and the values our wine symbolize. A wine club (www.amicidelsagrantino.it), events such as Wine Day, and a special wine sold exclusively on the net NERO OUTSIDER are some examples of the importance that Arnaldo Caprai attaches to new communication technologies.
The territory is not only the element on which we built our identity but can be considered the base from which we constantly raise the quality standards of our production. In this perspective, we are always working to learn more about the character of the terroir of Montefalco: its untapped potential are identified and transformed into product and innovatives production’ process.
Attention to tradition, the focus on innovation, knowledge of the area are the key words that define the identity of the company, one of the most involved in the experimentation also thanks to a collaboration with the Milan University of Agricolture. To enhance and disseminate the results of this work, we published in March 2007 the volume “Impresa saperi Territorio”, 18 years of research and innovation at Caprai, retracing our route to excellence.
Technical Analysis:
Appellation: Indicazione Geografica Tipica
First Vintage produced: 2000
Grapes: Merlot 50% – Cabernet Sauvignon 50%
Training system: Cordon de Royat
Per-hectare yield: 6000-8000 plants/ha.
Harvest Period: First week of September for Merlot and Third week for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Vinification: The wine is macerated for 23-26 days at less than 30°C.
Ageing (months): French Oak: 18
Bottles produced: 7.000
Alcohol: 14 %
Total Acid: 5.49 g/l
Final pH: 3.43
Phenolics: 3123 mg/l
PExtract: 31.4
