Sportoletti Assisi Rosso 2001
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
50% Sangiovese, 50% Merlot
Professional Ratings
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Other Vintages
2021-
Suckling
James
Today the company owns 50 acres of vines all situated in the hills of Assisi and Spello, an area highly regarded for its climate and for its association with the Denominazione di Origine Controllata of Assisi.
Recently, Sportoletti went through a process of renewing the vines with new grape clones of Grechetto and Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Nero which is showing very promising results in Italian Oenology.
The vines are followed very attentively up to their harvest, when the grapes are handpicked. The same care is taken in the cellar where the vinification takes place utilizing an air press for a soft pressing. Vinification is carried out in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and the best reds are refined in French oak. In the last few years the prominent enologist Riccardo Cotarella has consulted with the winery.
The Sportoletti brothers also own 3,000 olive trees on land that is 1,600 feet in altitude, on the slope of the Monte Subasio.
Italian Red Wine
While picturesque hillsides, endless coastlines and a favorable climate serve to unify the grape-growing culture of this country. The apparent never-ending world of indigenous grape varieties gives Italy an unexampled charm and allure for its red wines. From the steep inclines of the Alps to the sprawling, warm, coastal plains of the south, red grape varieties thrive throughout.
The kings of Italy, wines like Barolo and Barbaresco (made of Nebbiolo), and Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino (made of Sangiovese), as well as Amarone (mostly Corvina), play center stage for the most lauded, collected and cellar-worthy reds. Less popular but entirely deserving of as much praise are the wines made from Aglianico, Sagrantino and Nerello Mascalese.
For those accustomed to drinking New World reds, the south is the place to start. Grapes like Negroamaro or Primitvo from Puglia and Nero d’Avola from Sicily make soft, ammicable, full-bodied, fruit-dominant wines. Curious palates should be on the lookout for Cannonau (Grenache), Lagrein, Teroldego, Ruché, Freisa, Cesanese, Schiopettino, Rossese and Gaglioppo to name a few.