Il Cascinone Soliti Merlot 2022

Il Cascinone Soliti Merlot, Araldica, Piemonte DOC, Italy, 2022

Grape: 100% Merlot, sustainable farming, hand picked, oaked

Producer Tasting Note:

Plum, blackberry and savoury spice characters on the nose. Full flavoured and rounded on the palate, with layers of dark fruit, black cherry and toasty spice backed by ripe tannins, a hint of mocha, and a fresh finish.

Winemaking: The Merlot grapes are grown in a single block of just 2.5 Ha, planted in 2000 on south, south west facing slopes to encourage ripening. Cool nights on the hillside vineyards also encourages the development of fruity characters in the finished wine. The must is carefully fermented at controlled temperatures (26-28 degrees C) for 15 days to ensure plenty of fruit extraction. The wine is then racked at least twice before being transferred to barriques and traditional Piemontese tini (large conical wooden vats) for malolactic fermentation and maturation for 8-10 months.

Estate: Il Cascinone was acquired by leading Piemonte producer Araldica in 1999 - an exceptional estate in the Monferrato hills which has undergone extensive restoration and replanting. Now around 70ha of the total 102ha are in full production, with the warmer, southwest-facing slopes used to grow Barbera, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon - whilst the northeast slopes are ideal for more aromatic varieties Brachetto and Moscato, along with Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

Food Match: Drink with grilled red meats, roast duck, rich stews or pasta with intense tomato sauces