~ Casa Raia, Montalcino ~
A few months ago, I introduced you to a tiny producer located just south of Montalcino. The Casa Raia estate is owned by Pierre Jean Monnoyer and his wife Kalyna and together they have restored the vineyards and property with unyielding respect for the land and tradition of Tuscany. They adamantly believe that the “vine makes the wine” and so with every step in the process, painstaking effort is taken to be non-interventionist.
~ Sangiovese Grosso hanging at Casa Raia during 2017 ~
As I allude to above, the 2012 Bevilo was quite impressive. Not surprisingly, so too is the most recent version of the wine.
The 2015 Casa Raia Bevilo is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet and Merlot that is vinified in stainless steel and then aged 2 years in barrique and up to 6 months in bottle before release.
The striking color of the wine is a nearly impenetrable garnet color that fades only slightly to ruby at the rim of the glass. Loads of fresh flowers, crushed black cherry, new leather and cocoa powder mark the exquisite nose of this stylish red.
On the palate the wine equally impresses. The plushness of the mouthfeel is seductive and coats your palate with juicy flavors of black plum, black cherry, mocha and hints of eucalyptus. Fine but firm tannins are part of the package so you may want to decant this for an hour or better yet, lay it down for 2 years. A wonderful effort that is made even more impactful by an outstanding vintage and as “Super Tuscans” go, an incredible value around $40. 94 points. Not yet released.
~ A classy Super Tuscan that is under the radar and well worth seeking out ~
Buon fine settimana!
Salute!
I must respectfully disagree on Bevilo. Had the chance to taste it earlier this summer, and didn’t enjoy. The Brunello is another story, drank the 2012 last night and it was very good.
That’s what makes the world go round buddy! What’s your gripe? Too international?
Well, my wife’s reaction was ‘ugh’ and that’s what I was thinking. If I understood correctly it’s a Sangiovese/ Cabernet blend; none of the grapes were grown on the property and the Sangiovese and Cabernet grapes were from different vintages. I’m not good with wine-words but the result was not good to my taste. In commercial terms the wines job is to create more volume from a tiny winery which will help make Casa Raia viable. The Brunello is much much better.