EXCEPTIONAL WINE ALERT!

Today’s exclusive wine is one of the best Merlots that we have ever had the pleasure to taste. This wine blew away our tasting panel and is a uniquely Italian expression of the varietal.

SAVINGS ALERT!

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Mission Codename: Tip of the Sword

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Secure a TOP SECRET exclusive wine from the Piedmont

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: Fattoria Giacomo Marengo

Wine Subject: 2001 Armirè Langhe Rosso DOC

Winemaker: Emilio Marengo & Roberto Voerzio

Backgrounder:

Langhe DOC in the Piedmont overlaps the same regions as Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera d’Alba. The red wines from Langhe DOC must be made from Nebbiolo, Dolcetto or Freisa. That being said, two wine makers diverge from the DOCs specification to make their exceptions to the rule, Emilio Marengo and Roberto Voerzio, and Voerzio assists Marengo in his winemaking efforts.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve featured wines made from fruit from high-density vineyards. Today’s selection is also from a high density vineyard. The fruit for this wine were grown from a single vineyard just above Marengo’s Barolo vineyard and is planted in such a way that each vine only produces one or two bunches of berries. This results in fruit that is of exceptional flavor and quality.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – A dark ruby and purple robe with blueish hues, a dark clear core and brick edges. Slow fat legs that are dense with color slowly creep down the edge of the glass when swirled.

Smell – Immediately after opening the bottle you’ll be hit by the deep and bold bouquet of this exceptional wine. Aromas of raspberries and red cherries are balanced, old-world style, over toasted vanilla oak, dark chocolate, a note of toast, roses and Italian tar.

Feel – This full-bodied wine is dry and velvet smooth with superfine sweet tannins, easy acidity and a dusty minerality.

Taste – Extremely well balanced and integrated round flavors of red cherries and raspberries with a touch of toasted oak, vanilla, dark chocolate and spice. Classic Italian tar, zest and ripe plum adds a kick to this elegant wine.

Finish – Long, clean and smooth with a rich and flavorful finesse, this old-world wine begs for another sip.

Conclusion – This is a wine that will forever change your impression of Merlot. Extremely elegant with tremendous finesse and a all the classic flavors you’d expect from a great Piedmont wine, Emilio hits a home run in this wine. Perhaps the best part is that this wine complements just about anything from pizza delivery to anything you throw on the grill.

In the movie Sideways the inside joke was on the character Miles, who said “if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am not drinking any #$%@ing Merlot!” Well Miles’ favorite wine was Chateau Cheval Blanc (Castle of the White Horse) Saint-Émilion Bordeaux (with 40 percent Merlot), well, obviously Miles never tasted this wine, for this would clearly be his favorite.

Agent Free Run’s Tasting Notes and Report:

Agent Free Run just returned from a mission to the Piedmont and is a close confidant of both Agent White and Agent Baco Noir. Check our directory for the original mission report submited when we reviewed the Marengo Barolo.

This wine is the embodiment of concentration. It is apparent upon first pour from the deep ruby color with a touch of luminosity that emits from the center. The initial nose is such a kaleidoscope of complexity that it literally stops you. The first time I experienced this wine I thought to myself “What IS this?!” The Armire captures the very essence of the Langhe Hills, with the terroir literally pouring out. Yet, despite this huge presence of Langhe on the nose, one has to pause and ask, “how is there is slight hint of Right Bank in there?” I figured it out later, when I learned that this wine is 100% Merlot.

I was surprised, but not necessarily stunned to learn that. I have not heard of Merlot growing in the Langhe. After some research I discovered that the famed winemaker, Roberto Voerzio, is the only other winemaker, to my knowledge, to grow and vint such a wine in the area. It figures, he’s the consulting winemaker for Marengo, and all the Maregno wines are made at Roberto’s facility. These wines are even grown at similar super high density plantings as Roberto’s vineyards, except they do not retail for over $200!!

It is the nearly unheard of high density planting of over 4,000 vines per acre and the rigorous pruning and thinning to absolute world class standards that concentrates this wine. At a meager one pound of grapes per vine, the vines are able to produce fruit that is perfectly balanced and highly concentrated. The concentration translates directly as the palate is coated in the velvet viscosity of this hedonistic wine. With a cornucopia of fruit and flavor profiles, the Amire finishes as complex, yet elegant, as it started.

The result is one of the most profoundly focused wines and certainly the greatest Merlot I have ever had.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location La Morra and La Fontazanna where the grapes for this wine were grown can be seen in this satellite photo.