Granato Teroldego

Oh…how I adore Elisabetta’s wines and getting to drink Granato with some age is a huge treat! Popped and poured; enjoyed over a two hour time period and it evolved very nicely in that time. The 2010 Granato pours a deep ruby with near opaque core. Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of cassis, fresh sage, mild funk, granite rock and a soft expression of warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with good structure still. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and there is a drying sensation of almost licking a rock. As mentioned earlier, this opened up beautifully after about 30min and continued to shine. Admittedly, I don’t have a lot of data points on decade+ Teroldego so it’s hard to say for sure how long this could last however, when I consider that this is still developing and doesn’t show much in terms of secondary characteristics, I would say this still has a long life ahead. Drink now with a short decant or through 2030; possibly longer.

Clean, crisp and perfectly delineated, the nose shy on P&P but dark purple and black fruit dominate a fresh, mineral-driven and elegant palate. Probably needs a year+ for the stemmy tannins to thaw out. Nicely done.

About an hour of solid drinking before things took a turn. Diminishing fruit, microbial off-aromas, unpleasant balance on the palate. That first hour was so lovely though….sigh

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The dark and brooding 2018 Granato mixes wild berries with savory herbs, crushed rocks, brown spice and a hint of animal musk. This is a more lifted and vertical expression on the palate, with bright acids and mineral-tinged red and black fruits that seem to hover across the senses. The 2018 leaves a coating of grippy tannins, yet remains energetic and fresh, as inner violet tones and nuances of blackberries slowly fade. Only a short stay in the cellar should be required before the 2018 really starts to show its merit. That said, it’s an effort to enjoy sooner while the more structured vintages climb toward maturity. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2022)

Beautiful, Luxardo cherries, leather tones, herb de Provence, and dark rose pedal. Savory spice and herbal notes.

Dark, deeply black fruited, pleasantly bitter and mineral. The depth, freshness, and rocky core are my favorite parts of this wine. Steely tannins are raw, lively, and rustic in their appeal. Brett and VA in check, beautiful structural balance. Crushed black cherry, black plum, medicinal herb, crushed rock, clove, violet.

A more lifted and brighter expression, I felt that its lively structure, brisk tannin, and lively acid make for a compellingly refreshing wine. Depth and structure seem a little lighter in this bottle. On day two it was showing much better, letting the CO2 blow off significantly.

Violets. V. dark. Rustic. Very unfamiliar.

Dinner with friends, bottle theme of the evening is northern Italy and regionally contiguous countries. Fun wines will be poured and smiles will be shared!