Castello delle Regine Merlot Umbria IGT, Umbria, Italy

皇后城堡酒莊梅洛紅葡萄酒

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：2745

Here's a dark, smoky and evolved Merlot from Central Italy. Castello delle Regine's 2007 Merlot opens to a dark, savory appearance and a velvety texture. It ages in oak for up to 14 months. The estate releases this wine a good number of years after the harvest and this is cause for mixed blessings. The wine is evolved, but dangerously so, especially in this vintage. The warm 2007 edition may not enjoy the same longevity. On the bright side, it tastes great now with rich intensity and a sophisticated style. Fruit is selected from 60-year-old vines using a clone that was brought here over 200 years ago.

The 2004 Merlot is a big, full-bodied wine bursting with layers of richly-textured dark fruit, plums, tar, and smoke. Polished, finessed tannins round out the close of this very satisfying Merlot from Umbria, which spent 12 months in French oak prior to being bottled. It should continue to provide great drinking for another ten to twelve years. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. Proprietor Paolo Nodari and consulting oenologist Franco Bernabei make richly flavored wines from the estate’s 80 hectares of vineyards. Castello delle Regine is a young property, but these wines show significant potential. Importer: Castello delle Regine U.S.A., New York, NY; tel. (917) 592-0734

A fruity red, with black cherry, fresh flowers and a clean oak note. Full-bodied, with lots of juicy fruit character in a tight, velvety framework. The finish is long. Needs a bit of time. Best after 2008. 2,500 cases made. -JS

The 2001 Merlot suggests that this is the grape which is likely to give the estate’s best wines in the future. Almost purple in color and with a nose of major impact, plummy and vanilla-rich with warming alcohol which adds to the sense of expansion, it is succulent and velvety, very ample and voluminous on the palate, and endowed with a dense, sensual texture. Already irresistible, it should last for another decade. Importer: Opici, Glen Rock, NY; tel. (201) 689-1200