Montevina Teroldego (2004)
I made a recent trek to our neighborhood Italian deli to pick up some Orecchiette and some Mascarpone cheese. While there, I browsed the shelves, because, well, that’s what I do there. You never know what unique item you’ll find here.
And did I ever find a unique item! They had gotten a small supply of MonteVina Teroldego in stock. I had never heard of Teroldego, and so I picked up a bottle.
I got it home and we uncorked it that day. It was a great wine, full of body and flavor. Again, surprised that we had not heard of this grape before, I did some research. Here’s what I found from a fact sheet produced by the winery itself:
VINEYARD & VARIETAL INFORMATION:
Teroldego is native to the Alto Adige DOC of Northeast Italy. It generally produces rather austere reds or more commonly used to produce rosé and sparkling wines; except in Rotaliano, a valley in the foreground of the Swiss Alps, and on Montevina’s Burke Ranch just outside of Plymouth. Our rocky shallow soil is similar to the gravelly plain of Rotalinoand the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains stand in place of the Alps. It took a mere eleven years from the decision to plant Teroldego to the release of the first varietal bottling. Proving that patience, persistence, and wild ideas pay off, Teroldego has developed a huge following among Montevinians who aren’t afraid to drink something different.
Here are the tasting notes:
WINEMAKER NOTES:
Opaque and beet like in color 2004 Montevina Teroldego stains your tongue, your lips, and the tablecloth like India Ink. A bouquet brimming with stewed blackberries, black fig, and orange zest dominates the nose. A blanket of blackberry and pomegranate flavor is laced with Mexican chocolate, coffee, and sweet oak.
We LOVED it, and we’re going back to buy as much of it as we possibly can!
I live about 40 min from the Montevina winery. I love their wines, and belong to their wine club. It’s a great, small winery with laid-back winemakers and a beautiful atmosphere. If you get the chance, I recommend you visit the Amador wine region!
This sounds like a fantastic wine, I look forward to tasting and I thank you for bringing it to our attention.