Menthol, ripe dark-skinned fruit and star anise aromas mingle with espresso on this linear, full-bodied red. The palate is structured and still youthfully austere, featuring Marasca cherry, pomegranate, licorice and French oak sensations. Assertive, close-grained tannins provide firm support.\n \n Producer Information\n \n Azienda Agricola Sottimano is a wine producer located in Piedmont, in northwest Italy. Located in Neive in Barbaresco, Azienda Agricola Sottimano produces a range of varietal wines from Nebbiolo, Barbera, Brachetto and Dolcetto. It is perhaps best known for its five "cru" Barbaresco wines: Currà , Cottà , Fausoni, Pajorè and Basarin. Sottimano was founded in 1974 by Rino Sottimano in Cottá – a highly reputed area for the production of Nebbiolo. It has since expanded to include other prestigious vineyards in the Piedmont region. Sottimano owns 18 hectares (44 acres) of vineyard land and farms organically. The estate practices bunch thinning to produce low yields of highly concentrated fruit. At harvest, grapes are picked by hand and fermented with indigenous yeasts – the fermentation and maceration process takes about 25 days. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel and wines are left to age in French oak barrels for 24 months, 12 months of which are spent sur lie. Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
