Velenosi Visciola 14.5% (Meditation wine) 2009

In the past, sour cherry wine was used to make robust and tannic wines more pleasurable. Duke Federico da Montefeltro, according to his trusted biographer and librarian Vespasiano da Bisticci, “quasi non beveva vino senon de ciriege o de granate” (almost drank no wine, except for cherry or sour cherry wine). Afterwards this wine was regarded as a feminine wine, apt to honour the fair sex with its aromas, smoothness and roundness: today it is regarded as a meditation wine, to be savoured and tasted in someone’s company, rediscovering lost tastes. This wine is also called visciolato or, more often, vino di visciole. The Marche region tradition of aromatizing wine is an ancient tradition that, from the Middle Ages and aristocratic castles, through farmers’ wisdom, survived until today. Its region of choice is the area of the municipalities of Candiano and Pergola, in the surroundings of Pesaro, and the Castelli di Jesi, in the area of Ancona. The recipes for this wine significantly differ from place to place, from winery to winery. The basic ingredient for vino di visciole is sour cherry (visciola), an ancient wild cherry species (Prunus cerasus), a deep dark red and slightly sour cherry. Based on the traditional recipe, sour cherries are harvested – they ripen during the first weeks of July – and left to soak in sugar, partly whole and partly smashed. This product is then decanted for a few days and finally filtered. A syrup with a high concentration of sugar is thus obtained, which is then mixed with wine (Lacrima di Morro d’Alba). This triggers a re-fermentation process combining the two different identities (wine and syrup). Fermentation stops when a 14 % alcohol content is reached and having obtained the ideal resulting residual sugar makes this product pleasant. Nose: pleasingly intense, as if just made. Sensual and persistent strawberry, raspberry, ripe wild berries, jam aromas; scents of peach and ripe pear. On the palate, it is quite soft in the mouth, highly persistent without loosing freshness. Enthralling, right body, good flavour and acidity, great smoothness and balance. This fruit stimulates your taste buds: fresh and ripe wild berries, flowers, blueberries, cherries. An enthralling wine, gently intriguing and tempting you to drink one more glass and then…one more! Perfect with cherry and sour cherry tarts and pies or dark chocolates. It can also be savoured as meditation wine or digestive to conclude a meal. WA : The Vino di Visciole is an unusual red dessert wine made partly from dried cherries. The best I can do to describe it is to draw a comparison with some of the sweeter Sagrantino passitos of Umbria. A long, polished finish rounds out this beautifully balanced wine. Cookies and jam tarts seem like natural choices for pairing. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012.