Grape blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Aged: 24 months in Barriques and 12 months in the bottle
Alcohol content: 15% vol
Acidity: 5.2 g/l
Residual sugars: o.54 g/l
Casal Duro is made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes from La Vialla’s vineyard of the same name. A terraced vineyard facing south, with loose, dark, mineral, very stony soil. The 2018 grape harvest produced an excellent vintage, a complex, silky wine with a long ageing potential. Manual harvesting was followed by extremely regular fermentation, at 23 °C, with long periods of maceration.
Tasting – Colour: copious legs of alcohol around the glass frame a deep shade of ruby red, with a garnet rim. The nose: fine, intense nuances of wild fruit and vegetal aromas alternate with blackberry, blueberry and sour cherry, with hints of forest floor and Mediterranean scrub, with sweet spices, cedar wood, tobacco, pepper and aniseed, concluding with a refreshing menthol note. In the mouth: very soft, warm and silky, the close-knit tannins strengthen the structure. Well-balanced and pleasant to drink, with persistent, slightly smoky sensations and fruity reminiscences of cherry, wood and new bitterish traces of rhubarb. Excellent potential.
Wine and Food Pairing – Perfect at the table with important, traditional Tuscan dishes such as pappardelle with wild boar sauce, lasagne, pecorino cheese fondue, roast goose, Valdarno-style “peposo” (a special, flavoursome stew), beef tagliata with porcini mushrooms, jugged hare, stewed and grilled game.