~ The Val delle Rose winery is a state of the art facility housing a reception and dining area in addition to the winery and aging cellars ~
Aurelio is born from the earth at Val delle Rose. Steeped in history and tradition, the wine takes its name from the “Via Aurelia”, an ancient Roman road that winds from the south of France to Rome. Today, that primitive, historic road passes directly through the Cecchi estate, Val delle Rose.
I introduced my readers to Aurelio with its inaugural 2013 vintage. Since then, only 2 additional vintages have been produced. It is Andrea Cecchi’s firm resolve to craft and release Aurelio only in the best of vintages. The success of the 2015 and 2016 vintages is all ready legendary. And Val delle Rose captured the essence of each in crafting this wine.
~ Andrea Cecchi and Estate Manager Piero surveying the view at Val delle Rose’s highest point ~
As part of my “Gemelli” series, I reviewed the 2015 and 2016 Aurelio back in 2018. At the time, I speculated that the 2016 would have more to give and clearly, as you will see, I was right.
The wine is sourced from a single vineyard called Poggio Lepri – loosely translated to “Rabbit Ridge”. Some of my loyal readers will find an interesting irony in that! The vineyard sits 150 meters above sea level and benefits from the cooling sea breezes and optimal exposition to the sun. As a result, the swings between day and evening temperatures along with the wind from the sea, allows for ideal maturation of Merlot.
~ The aging caves on the Val delle Rose estate are carved 2 stories down beneath the winery and are naturally cooled ~
The 2016 Val delle Rose Aurelio is an absolutely gorgeous wine and a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks and then barrel aged in French barriques for 12 months. After 6 months resting in bottle it is released to the market. The 2016 is the newest vintage release.
In the glass, the wine is a deep, purplish black color that is sexy to look at. At once, the aromas rise from the glass and demand your attention. Crushed black fruit, mocha, cedar, mint and blue flowers mark the sexy, inviting nose. In the mouth, the wine is velvety and so smooth. I alluded to the texture in my 2018 review and it hasn’t changed at all. In fact, it’s so smooth that the wine almost seems medium bodied. However, the intricately woven finely grained tannins provide plenty of structure.
Juicy, ripe and delicious throughout, the flavors echo the aromas. Coffee and toasted spice make appearances on the long finish. It can’t get much better than this and when you consider the value, consider purchasing a 6 pack. 95 points. About $30. Find this wine.
~ The color of the 2016 is a blackish purple that is very enticing to look at ~
The Val delle Rose wines will begin to see increased US availability as they are now imported through Volio Imports.
Salute!
