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| ~ The modern, cold and antiseptic winery ~ |
“PoderNuovo is a precise choice of how to live. A piece of cultivated Italian land, where men and women try to live in a sustainable way, aware of the fact that it has only been borrowed, and knowing that today’s actions will have an impact on future generations.” …….Giovani Bulgari
PoderNuovo sits in the southern corner of Tuscany, very near the triangle like border formed with Umbria and Lazio. Located in the tiny hamlet of Palazzone, historically the estate was a mere postal outpost on the important and strategic Via Cassia; the ancient Roman road that connected Rome with Florence and points north such as Lucca and Pistoia.
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| ~ I Vigneti di PoderNuovo a Palazzone ~ |
The estate was largely abandoned and neglected until Giovanni Bulgari and his family resurrected it and now farm a single vineyard that spans 20 hectares and sits about 300 meters above sea level. The composition of the soil ranges from clay to sand and limestone and the vineyard is planted to Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
The winery, constructed almost entirely of concrete and glass, appears sleek, cold, and antiseptic. While it admirably sources much of its power from renewable solar energy, it is, without a doubt, one of the ugliest, fortress like wineries I’ve ever seen.
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| ~ Winemaker Giovanni Bulgari ~ |
PoderNuovo a Palazzone, literally, the New Farm at Palazzone, produces three wines from estate grown grapes. Today we’re reviewing the estate’s entry level red blend, Therra.
The 2011 Therra (IGP) is an unspecified blend of every grape grown on the estate. We did not decant the wine, however it was opened and a tiny portion poured out about 40 minutes prior to dinner. The wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks and then barrique aged for an unspecified amount of time. 10-12 months bottle aging takes place before the wine is released to the market.
In the glass, the wine is a medium violet color with faint ruby red streaking. Pleasing aromas consist of red fruits, spices, and toast notes that carry on to the palate. Ripe, round flavors are polished and accented with toast, mineral and spices. This is soft on the palate, with minimal acidity and no sense of tannic grip.
This is tasty enough and well made, but given the blend and the style, is almost completely devoid of any Italian or Tuscan character. I suspect that in a blind tasting of $20 California Merlots and Cabernets, this would not portray as an outsider. For that reason, my review is lukewarm. Many will find this a tasty, polished, international wine that for the money, is pretty good. I find it homogenous, boring, and lacking typicity.
If you like soft, internationally styled wines that are easy drinking, I encourage you to give this a try. If you prefer more authenticity in your Italian reds, there are other places to put your money. 88 points. About $21. Note: Tasted from two bottles, and over a period of two days. (a previous 3rd bottle was horribly corked)
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| ~ Therra is an unspecified blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Montepulciano and Merlot ~ |
E vero!
April 27, 2016
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