Podere Sapaio Volpolo 2005
Posted By Joel on January 27, 2010
Podere Sapaio Volpolo, Bolgheri Rosso DOC
The words “experimentation” and “innovation” are a lot like guns: get the wrong people involved and things can go terribly wrong.
But, at Podere Sapaio, where experimentation and innovation in seeking new expressions of Bordolese (Bordeaux) vines in Bolgheri is the ruling philosophy, we need not worry: owner Massimo Piccin is just the kind of person to make things go right. Very right.
I spent a day with Massimo a few years ago, tasting Podere Sapaio’s wines and making some professional visits. I enjoyed the wines and the time I spent with Massimo very much, and so was happy to recently find a bottle of Podere Sapaio’s Volpolo 2005 sitting on the retail shelf.
Located in Tuscany nearby Castagneto Carducci, Podere Sapaio was established in 1999. Under the good guidance of consulting enologist Carlo Ferrini, Podere Sapaio produces two wines, Volpolo and Sapaio (Bolgheri Rosso Superiore DOC), different interpretations of the Bolgheri territory.
The names Volpolo and Sapaio derive from ancient Tuscan vines called Volpola and Sapaia. The wine names, along with Podere Sapaio’s trademark crown logo on the bottle label, were especially chosen to pay tribute to the nobility of both the land and its wines.
Volpolo is made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot. Vineyards are situated above quaternary deposits and soil includes loose sandy and well-drained calcareous components. Selected grapes are manually harvested.
Fermentation is carried out in temperature controlled steel vats. The wine is then aged in barrique for 14 months followed by an additional 6 months in bottle.
Tasting Notes / Impressions:
Deeply colored red with purple reflections. Cedar and spice, leather, smoke, and earth on the nose. A powerful, curvaceously smooth palate shows great concentration of dark fruit balanced by delicious acid and just the right flex of smooth tannins. Notes of coffee and cocoa powder. Smooth and long on a brushed-velvet finish.
Note: Decanted for ninety minutes.
Food Pairing Suggestions:
MEATS: beef, veal, lamb, or game, this wine is the perfect filet mignon partner; PASTA: richly sauced pasta of all types; RISOTTO / POLENTA: with sausages; CHEESES: young - medium aged cheeses
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