Wine of The Month: "Caveja"
In January we decided to inaugurate our annual tasting review taking up the point with which we had concluded the past year, namely the presentation of a pair of wines. First with Potente and Sintria, now with Il Sapiente and Caveja, our intention is in fact to not limit ourselves to a simple description of the products themselves, but to offer our readers, between the lines of these tastings, also an image, a sincere story of our work and our passion.
Through the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot of the Santerno Wines line we have shown the ability of our territory to welcome and interpret the great international tradition: now, with the variations of Sangiovese of the Conte Zardi brand we would like to try to illustrate two projects through which, on the contrary, the most genuine spirit of Romagna has been able to successfully project itself far beyond national borders.
But while Il Sapiente gave us a great example of how it was possible to pursue - and we could well say... reach!! - this goal through a significant contribution of Syrah within the blend (15%), with Caveja we see a real masterpiece of oenology that is 100% made in Romagna.
Respecting the same proportions, Sangiovese Rubicone I.G.P. Caveja composes its own blend with Sangiovese (85%) and Malbo Gentile (15%), two real excellences of the regional viticulture of Emilia-Romagna.
The philosophy underlying the blend remains the same: just like Il Sapiente, Caveja does not present a simple sum of the organoleptic characteristics of the two vines but pursues the much more ambitious goal of an integration to create an absolutely original profile, and it is precisely in that "small" 15% that we can recognize the nucleus from which the character of the wine springs.
The powerful colouring input - with its voluptuous violet reflections - is only the first indication of Malbo Gentile's valuable contribution, which even more clearly reveals itself to the nose enriching the set of fruity notes of Sangiovese: the olfactory examination is a real triumph of ripe, juicy red fruits, whose sweetness recalls the aromas that accompanied the masterly preparation of jams in Grandma’s kitchen. And just as irresistible as were the tastings of those jams while still simmering in the large pots on the cooking stove, so Caveja will use its fatal attraction to compel us to continue our tasting.
Warm, velvety, right from the first sip this splendid Sangiovese will embrace our palate to propose, with perfect consistency, the delicious fruity sensations detected on the nose, framed by the tertiary suggestion conferred by the aging in wood (4-6 months in large barrels of French oak).
The body is full, round, expertly balanced between its soft components - sugar residue and important alcoholic shoulder - and the hard parts, among which stand out the surprising freshness - which intervenes to support and amplify the fruity and sweetly spicy sensations - and the perfect tannin, defined but never intrusive.
On the table Caveja is the ideal wine for the most diverse combinations: from traditional Romagna cuisine (tagliatelle with ragù, potato tortelli with butter and sage, grilled mutton castrato) to preparations of more international inspiration (smoked meat, pork ribs in barbecue sauce, pulled pork, pastrami), without missing delicious temptations of pairing with small pastries and cakes based on shortcrust pastry.
For those who follow our blog and come to this article after reading the previous article dedicated to the description of Il Sapiente (if you are not among them, you can easily recover it by clickinghere) it will certainly have been quite easy to grasp numerous points in common between the two wines, both from a productive point of view (structure of the blend, type of aging) and from the organoleptic one (integration of the typical scents of the two grape varieties, texture, warmth...).
To our audience, which we hope can be more and more numerous as well as intrigued by our publications, we want to dedicate a little final advice ... to fully grasp the points in common as well as the specific characteristics that respectively bind and distinguish Il Sapiente and Caveja we suggest a parallel tasting: placed side by side the two glasses will reveal their most authentic soul, stimulating, as never before, your imagination and curiosity and, more importantly, they will offer you multiple, exciting ideas for comparing with your tasting companions...
... for, just as King Edward VII said
"One not only drinks the wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it and … one talks about it!"
