Who knew? What the heck! I would never have thought to seek out of all things, a Cabernet Franc from Veneto, Italy. Yet, here we are. The specific area of the Veneto where this little gem emanates is Colli Berici, one of the only hilly areas in the Veneto (colli meaning hills). The soil suggests it is part of an ancient seabed (alluvial soil) with coral, urchins and algae. For all you wine geeks out there, you know what that translates into…Minerality baby! Also layers of flavors not found in all wines. The best part of this pick of the month is its price…
’14 Marcato La Giareta
’14 Marcato “La Giareta” Cabernet Franc (Colli Berici, Italy)… $11.
Smokey aromas of raspberries and cherries with hits of tobacco and licorice. Sweet tannins support notes of cherries and raspberries with a tiny hit of green bell pepper underneath. There is a good spine of acidity that is well-integrated with the fruit. Plum and licorice notes join up on the mid-palate with minerality trickling into the mix. finishes strong with a hit of citrus sneaking into the back-end. This baby is interesting and shows some complexity.
30% of the juice is aged 7-8 months in 4,000 liter old oak casks. The other 70% spends 7-8 months in stainless steel. It spends another 3 months in bottle before release. A seriously good Cabernet Franc for a stupid price. (B+/A-)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
