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Sansonina Merlot Garda DOC

Sansonina Merlot Garda DOC 

James Suckling points for Sansonina Merlot Garda DOC: 

The Sansonsina Merlot Garda DOC 2018 recently received 94 points from the wine critic James Suckling:

Tasting note: 

“Exquisite aromas and flavors of black cherries, violets, chili chocolate and rosemary-like herbs. Full and very silky with well-integrated,chocolate-coated tannins,carrying a hint of balsamic too. Long, delicious finish. So well balanced and refined. Complex.”

94
James Suckling points

Vinification of the Sansonina Merlot Garda DOC: 

Gathering of the grapes in boxes, chilling of the grapes, soft pressing by pneumatic presses, spontaneous, slow fermentation, refinement in little oak casks for 18 months, final placing in large casks where the wine lays for a month, filtration, ageing in the bottle for at least 6 months. 

Grapes:  100% Merlot 

Colour: intense garnet ruby red 

Aroma: rich and compact, broad and complex, warm and fruity. 

There are hints of ripe red fruit, jams (prune, cherry and blueberry) and a slight hint of herbs. 

Taste: full, warm, full-bodied with very elegant at the same time.

Rounded, soft, an extraordinary aromatic finish. 

Gastronomic combinations: perfect with roasts, game and aged cheeses. 

Sansonina: 

Sansonina, the name given to the impressive 18th-century cascina near Sirmione, derives from Samson. …Samson, the judge called upon by God to overthrow the enemies of Israel, a man with superhuman strength: a vigorous, virile hero whose long hair – a classic female attribute – was the source of his strength.

Sansonina seemingly belonged to a woman who owned the estate centuries ago and was nicknamed “Little Samson” for her strong character.

Sansonina, the wine that also bears this name, has the dual masculine/feminine character suggested by the estate’s history.

Lugana:

Sansonina comes from the production zone of Lugana, one of most famous white wines produced in Veneto, Lombardy, and by definition a feminine wine.
Uniquely in this territory Sansonina possesses an old vineyard planted to Merlot, a variety famous as the base of some of the world’s best reds.

In the mid-1990s, Carla Prospero acquired Sansonina with the specific idea of taking on a challenge and overcoming prejudices: her aim was to create a great red in a zone traditionally known for its whites and to show that a woman is more than capable of producing a structured red wine. 

For more information about the Merlot, but also the other wines from Sansonina, please click on ‘Sansonina.’