Italian Wine: The Cesanese Grape From Lazio

The Cesanese grape is thought to be indigenous to the Italian region of Lazio. The red grape has a long history there, dating back to the winemaking of the Romans. Today, the Cesanese grape is primarily found in Lazio, and rarely outside of the area.

Lazio is home not only to Rome, but to Casale del Giglio. Vintner Antonio Santarelli and Winemaker Paolo Tiefenthaler got 14 awards recently for their concoctions. They dedicated those awards to the Italian region they call home, Lazio.

The Cesanese grape ripens late and is usually not harvested until October. Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv. I purchased their 2022 Cesanese Rosso for $23 at Eataly in Los Angeles.

This wine is very dark. It looks that way and it smells that way, too. The nose offers a funky, earthy, dare I say barnyard-y package of aromas. The fruit that is there, the blackberry, currant, and black plum, is muted and dwarfed by the savory smells. Tar, creosote, forest floor, and cigars are the main event. The palate bears much more fruit. Flavors of dark berry, black currant, plum, black cherry, elderberry and black Mission fig all vie for attention. The mouthfeel is fairly elegant, which is surprising after the brute force of the nose. Fine tannins and a gentle acidity will make a nice pairing with meatballs in a Bolognese sauce or sautéed mushrooms. 

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Italian Wine - Roma Holiday

Today we continue a virtual trip through Italy, provided by wine guide Gambero Rosso, who staged the online tasting event recently.  

The Roma DOC is in the Lazio region, which surrounds Italy's capital.  The DOC was established in 2011, but winemaking in the area goes back to around 800 B.C., so they really know what they are doing with the grapes.  It's natural to find Roma wines scoring great popularity with the citizenry.

Felice Mergè carries a century of winemaking with him as the owner and enologist for Poggio Le Volpi.  His father, Armando, and his grandfather, Manlio, set the scene before him.  The grapes grow in soil of volcanic origin, loaded with minerals.  

The 2017 Limited Edition of Roma DOC Poggio Le Volpi was made from three grape varieties - 60% Montepulciano, 20% Syrah and 20% Cesanese.  The grapes were grown in the same vineyards as the regular vintage Roma, but the winery says only the best bunches contribute to this wine.  It was fermented in steel tanks and aged for a year or so in oak barriques.  Alcohol sits at 14% abv and the retail price averages around $19.

This is an extremely dark wine, inky black, and it smells of black plums, blackberries and black cherries.  The palate shows a terrific display of said fruit with a savory blanket of spice and licorice thrown over it.  The tannins are a bit tame, but that fault does make for an extremely sippable wine.  It will pair nicely with pork or tomato-based dishes.

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