For devotees of Italian wine, when someone mentions “Maestro” many will instinctively know to which wine you’re referring. There can only be one, Felsina’s Maestro Raro.
The Maestro Raro vineyard was planted in the 1980’s and is adjacent to the more famous Rancia vineyard, which is responsible for some of the greatest Chianti Riservas produced. The Maestro Raro vineyard is planted densely to 100% Cabernet Sauvignon vines and benefits from wonderful exposure. Harvesting and sorting are all completed by hand.
The 2009 Maestro Raro shows all the hallmarks of Felsina’s efforts to produce a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon. I have tasted only a few vintages of this wine in the past, and always at the hands of others. When I came across this recently, I had to try it and although I presumed it would be too young, (it is!) I was determined to open it anyway.
The wine was decanted for about an hour and is black purple in color. The hour wasn’t enough as the aromas on this wine were very difficult to coax. There’s some dark fruit and spice but litte more despite aggressive swirling. On the palate however, the wine is more vivacious. While slightly monolithic, the intense purity of the Cabernet fruit is impressive. Full bodied black fruits mingle with leather, earth and spices. But what applies the exclamation point to this wine is the velvety texture. It’s so silky, with delicate acids and tannins that are barely noticeable. This is not a fault nor a complaint. The wine is smooth as smooth can be. Impressive for such a young Cabernet. The finish lingers softly and elegantly. This is more about grace and femininity than it is about power. 92 points, about $40 with the potential to improve greatly with cellar time. I recommend aging this wine at least 3-5 more years to encourage the aromas to develop. There is loads of fruit to stand the test of time. I suspect I’ll be uncorking one of these 15 years from now.
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| ~ Felsina’s Maestro Raro 2009: 100% Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ~ |
Avanti…
June 26, 2013
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