Blast from the Past: Talosa, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano Riserva, 2007

4th April 2018

An occasional series, revisiting a wine SVS used to sell: last night I took out a bottle of Talosa's Vino Nobile de Montepulciano Riserva 2007. Looking back to a Tuscan list from June 2012 I see this won a rare gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Here is the original tasting note: "Ample aromas, with liqueur cherries dominant. Hugely  energetic, with generous tannins almost covered by layers of black cherries. Creamily rich. Very long, and the finish too shows that same cherry tone. Huge potential. Best 2013-2017". It's from 100% old vine Sangiovese grown on hillside vineyards very close to the town; and the wine was aged for three years in traditional botte, large, old oak vats.

First, one can see how conservative our drinking window was. This wine was absolutely a point, still showing vibrant cooked cherry fruit, but wreathed in amazing aromatics and secondary hints of coffee and gravy. It was potent too (14.5%, perhaps it's only flaw) and wonderfully long; and made a brilliant match to the house speciality (Vegans look away now), unromantically known as "Pig Three Ways" - a really tender and tasty fillet of Hampshire pork filled with seasoned (pre-coooked) sausage meat and wrapped in bacon, cooked over onions and mushrooms and served with broad pappardelle.That lovely Italian acid cut through the fat and richness of the dish.

Most important, it really lived up the expectations of the six year old tasting note. It cost £20 in 2012. We are now offering the 2013 vintage at £25. If it develops even near as well as this dramatic 2007 then it might offer rather good value at only 25% more than six years ago... 

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