Rosso Veneto “Madègo”

Wines

Before it was a vineyard, this plot was an alfalfa field — and in the local dialect, the alfalfa harvest was called madégo. Some thirty years ago, the Tessari family planted vines here instead, on volcanic basalt soil above Costalunga di Monteforte d’Alpone, in the shadow of an ancient Franciscan chapel that still gives their estate its name: La Cappuccina.

This is Bordeaux grapes gone Veronese — a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenère, certified organic and grown on lava-born soil with real personality. Each variety is picked separately, at its own moment of ripeness, then blended and aged with a light touch to preserve freshness over power.

The winery once described the herbaceous notes of this wine by recalling a coppice in the Lessini Mountains. Immediately after a brief autumn rain – wet earth, fresh wild herbs and cyclamen over bright red berry fruit: youthful, generous and made to drink now.

Appellation: Rosso Veneto IGT

Type: Red, dry

Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 10% Carmenère

Wine Details:

Tasting Notes:

Color: Bright ruby red.

Bouquet: Wild berries, eucalyptus, resin, mulberry, pine needles, and cardamom.

Palate: Round and well-balanced with light tannins and a soft, spicy, pleasing aftertaste. Youthful and full of fruit.

Alcohol: 13% ABV.

Serving Suggestion: 18° C (64° F). Use large-bowl, high-quality stemware.

Pairing: Excellent with grilled or barbecued meats, roast beef with herbs, moderately aged cheeses, and an arugula salad topped with shaved Grana Padano.

Vinyard Notes:

Production area: Madègo vineyard, Costalunga, in the Soave DOC production area, province of Verona.

Elevation: 80 meters (260 feet) a.s.l.

Exposure: South-easterly.

Soil: Lavic basalt with volcanic origin.

Training Method: Guyot and Cordon Spur training systems.

Age of the vines: 30 years.

Density: 3,300-5,400 vines/ha (1,335-2,185/acre).

Yield: 55 hl/ha (490 gallons/acre).

Winemaking Notes:

Harvest: Each varietal is harvested separately and when at optimum ripeness.

Vinification: Grapes are carefully selected and destemmed and crushed. This is followed by 15-to-20-days of fermentation and maceration on the skins with maximum temperature of 28º C (82º F). Malolactic fermentation follows.

Aging: Around 8-to-10-months on lees in stainless steel followed by some time in oak tonneaux. This varies greatly depending on the vintage to add some tectural elegance to the wine but without sacrificing its fruity and fresh nature. This is followed by assemblage and then the wine is held in bottle for at least six-months before release.

Reviews:

MADEGO 2011
Awarded with the Silver Medal/Medaille d'Argent at the 2013 Challenge Millesime BIO in Montpellier, France

http://www.grapeoccasions.com/wine/2012/01/wine-discoveries-not-your-typical-italian-wines/ Italian discoveries:
"The Tessari family has been growing grapes at La Cappuccina, the site of an ancient chapel of Franciscan friars, for over a century. The vineyards, which surround the family villa, are locaed at Costalunga, in the Soave DOC production area of Verona in northern Italy. La Cappuccina is a certified organic wine estate."