Score: 91+/100
Cresasso is a special wine in Zenato’s range, meant to express the genuine character of the Corvina grape variety from its terroir in the Verona Province of Northern Italy.
It is therefore the result of from a careful research and selection of the best grapes of Corvina Veronese grapes (100% Corvina).
Manual harvest is done in two distinct phases, with an initial selection of grapes that are picked during the second half of September. These bunches are laid in trays and set to dry for two months, in a similar fashion to the process for producing Amarone wine. This first batch is then fermented for about 20 days and then the wine put for ageing in French oak casks for 24 months.
The remaining corvina grapes, the ones that weren’t harvest, are left in the vineyard to over-ripen on the vines until the end of October, after which it is fermented in stainless steel tanks (no oak).
The Cresasso cuvée reviewed here, is therefore a blend of these two distinct fermentation and ageing batches.
Zenato goes to some length indeed to produce this rather unique Corvina wine!
Tasting Notes
This Corvina wine from the Province of Verona, Italy comes in a dense and dark, very intense deep red color, black to the core, purple red to the rim, still looking bright and youthful despite its 6 years of age!
The nose is equally bright, shining through with vibrant ripe red berry fruit flavors, the most dominant of which are dark juicy cherry aromas. There’s fresh but super-ripe blackberry notes too, lifted by chili-like black or white pepper.
It’s very powerful and appetizing to smell. So positively fruity, vibrantly spicy, and somewhat deeply earthy too.
Put the wine in your mouth, and the wine’s smoothness and roundness strike beautifully.
Mild and soft tannins caress your palate, while an oily texture fill your sense of taste with a sensation of completeness and a velvety texture.
It’s dry but explosively fruity, filled with dark roasted cocoa notes, like a cherry liqueur lollies, somewhat savory and acidic, with some savory austerity to it, but rewarding and salivating for the educated palate.
A wine to experience it is…
Enjoy ?
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