2610, 2011
Cantina Tollo Listed In Wine & Spirits As Top Co-Op
CANTINA TOLLO "Located in Central Italy's Abruzzo region, Cantina Tollo is a first-level co-op, where the farmers are also the owners of the company. It was founded in 1960 [...]
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Medium red. Spicy redcurrant and strawberry on the nose, with subtle earthiness and musky herbal character. Bitter cherry and cracked pepper flavors possess impressive concentration but are a bit wound up today. Air brought up sweeter raspberry, then a big hit of bitter cherry pit. The tannins are standing out right now. - Bright red. Spicy redcurrant and strawberry on the nose, with a zesty white pepper quality adding energy. Shows deeper cherry and plum on the palate, but also offers vibrant minerality and a suave floral pastille character. Finishes with a crisp, exotic orange peel flavor and impressive length.
- Layers of fruit flesh out on a broad-shouldered structure, easily filling out the wine’s frame. Attractive spiced notes develop in the glass as this fleshy, radiant Pinot flows through to the generous, inviting finish.
- The grapes undergo a tremendous amount of triage (sorting) both in the vineyard and in the cellar. They were crushed using a Demoissey destemmer / crusher and were inoculated and punched down immediately to get relatively warm fermentations. We wanted to bring out as much of the natural earth and spice flavors that the berries contained. The total fermentation time was 12 days the resultant wine went directly to barrel and was aged 22 months before being bottled unrefined and unfiltered.
- Bright red. Lovely, floral-dominated scents suggest fresh red berries, kirsch and Asian spices, with sexy rose and magnolia adding complexity; seems to expand in the glass while maintaining focus. Silky and packed with sweet red fruit flavors, picking up floral pastille and bitter chocolate character with air. A very grown-up style of Syrah that finishes with superb clarity and persistence.
- Greenish-yellow color. Pungent pineapple, tangerine and peach aromas are complicated by smoky minerals and brown spices. Rich and weighty but energetic too, offering sweet citrus and tropical fruit flavors and a chewy texture. Nervier on the finish, which features a note of lemon peel and very good clarity and persistence.
- The Solomon Hills Vineyard in Santa Maria sits adjacent to hwy 101 just due east of Orcutt. It’s gently rising west facing slope is primarily comprised of very sandy ocean bottom soils. Planted in 1998 and 1999 to a multitude of clones. This wine is a California pinot noir made in a Burgundian style, the baires are fermented using a whole cluster fermentation technique which adds to the aromatic and texture of this wine.
- The grapes undergo a tremendous amount of triage (sorting) both in the vineyard and in the cellar. I consider this to be one of the most significant practices we employ. We can truly say only the best grapes go into our fermenters. Once they are received into the cellar we subject them to another sorting on the table and then into the fermenters. This whole cluster fermentation technique we believe contributes significantly to the aromatics and texture of our wines. It is the gentlest manipulation of Pinot Noir grapes possible. Once in the fermenters we cover the cap in dry ice to arrest any spontaneous fermentation that may occur. We prefer a pre fermentation maceration (cold-soaking) allowing the color and flavor to be extracted in the absence of fermentation for two or three days. During this time we pigeage (foot tread) twice a day increasing to five times a day at peak fermentation. The wine is usually pressed of at 1 or 2 brix into François Freres barrels from the Allier forest in the center of France. The wine will remain in barrel for 16 months without racking and will be bottled without fining or filtration. This wine received an additional six months of bottle ageing before release.
- Vivid red. Deeper and smokier than the Sleepy Hollow, showing scents of black raspberry, cherry skin, Indian spices and dried rose. Fleshy dark berry flavors are firmed by chewy tannins and deepened by notes of black pepper and candied plum. Gains freshness with air and finishes with very good thrust and lingering sweetness. This will benefit from more cellaring but could be drunk now after an hour or so in the decanter.
- Ruby-red. Exotically perfumed nose features vibrant cherry and dark berry scents complicated by black olive, tobacco and smoky herbs. Tactile dark fruit preserve flavors display impressive depth and sweetness, with suave tannins adding grip. Spiciness builds on the long, juicy finish, which shuts down quickly.