Tasting notes: Soliti Merlot
Soliti Merlot. Plum, blackberry and savoury spice characters on the nose. Full flavoured with layers of black fruit and toasty spice. Backed by firm, ripe tannins, dark chocolate notes. Certainly a fresh finish.
Food match:
For example, drink with grilled red meats, roast duck, rich stews or with pasta with intense tomato sauces.
Producer/Region:
The Merlot grapes are grown in a single block of just 2.5 Ha. Planted in 2000 on south, south west facing slopes to encourage ripening. Cool nights on the hillside vineyards also encourages the development of fruity characters in the finished wine.
Firstly, the must is carefully fermented at controlled temperatures (26-28 degrees C) for 15 days to ensure plenty of fruit extraction. Secondly the wine is then racked at least twice before being transferred to barriques and traditional Piemontese tini (large conical wooden vats) for malolactic fermentation and finally matured for 8-10 months.
Il Cascinone was acquired by leading Piemonte producer Araldica in 1999. An exceptional estate in the Monferrato hills which has undergone extensive restoration and replanting. Now around 70ha of the total 102ha are in full production. And with the warmer, southwest-facing slopes used to grow Barbera, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Furthermore, the northeast slopes are ideal for more aromatic varieties Brachetto and Moscato. In addition with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.
The ‘Il Cascinone’ range (and part of the Alasia range) are produced with grapes sourced from Araldica’s most prized vineyards. Both on the estate itself and from other selected sites. And this also includes the further d’Annona vineyard in the village of Fontanile. This was purchased by Claudio Manera in 1998. This south-west facing vineyard is a source of premium quality Barbera, from vines over 60 years old. Grapes from d’Annona are brought to Il Cascinone for vinification. All harvesting is done by hand. The Araldica winemaking team of Claudio Manera, Lella Burdese and Carlo Manera oversee all production.
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For more information about the producer: https://www.ilcascinone.com/
