The diversity of wines coming from Italy surely rivals, if not tops, that of almost any wine producing nation. Aside from the classic and widely known grapes and styles there are literally hundreds of varietals throughout the country. Over the course of this week I'll look at a number of releases from legendary producer Biondi Santi and their sister winery Villa Poggio Salvi. These will lean towards classic, well known grapes.
Villa Poggio Salvi's2006 Lavischio Merlot is 100% varietal. The grapes for this wine come from estate vineyards in the Monteriggioni region. The wine spends three months in oak and annual production is right around 3,000 cases. The suggested retail price for this wine is just under $30. Check wine-searcher though and it can be found for closer to $20.
The nose of this merlot presents cherry, plum, vanilla and cedar notes. 45 minutes to an hour in the decanter helped this wine come into its own, as it was pretty closed and tight at first. Once it blossoms the Poggio Salvi Merlot proves to be a medium bodied offering with loads of sour cherry in both the entry and mid-palate. Vanilla notes that came out in the nose are more prominent by the end of the mid-palate and carry through to the finish along with some secondary earthiness and a touch of white pepper. This wine has excellent acidity and will be an outstanding match for hard cheeses or a classic Italian Sunday Dinner of pasta with red sauce.
What I like best about this selection is how smooth, silky and easy to drink it is. This 2006 Merlot is a wine made in it's local style that speaks of the place it comes from. The 2006 Villa Poggio Salvi Merlot is not built for long term aging and should be consumed in its youth for maximum enjoyment. Drink it over the next couple of years.
Imported by Shaw-Ross International Importers.
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