Wine of the Week #6
Tsillan Cellars Sangiovese 2003
80% Sangiovese Oregon
5% Merlot Red Mountain WA
10% Cabernet Sauvingon Columbia Valley WA
10% Cabernet Franc Red Mountain WA.
According to them: This 2003 Southern Oregon Sangiovese is filled with aromas of dried cherries, vanilla, leather, and truffles. Dry and age worthy tannins and fruit dance on the palate giving this wine a pleasant finish.
According to me: Sangiovese is my favorite varietal and perhaps best known as being the main grape used in Chianti’s. My attraction to Sangiovese’s is a direct result of my time spent in Florence, and drinking Chianti with many a meal. I found this Sangiovese to be dry right up front, which is a notably trait of Chianti. I definitely identified the cherry and vanilla, but not the leather.
An interesting note from the Wikipedia definition: The name derives from sanguis Jovis, “the blood of Jove”.
[…] According to Sean O’Connor: The more wine I drink the more I feel that wine is more about the expereinces associated with a particular bottle and less about the nitty gritty tasting notes. I’m always curious to see how Sangiovese’s made outside of Italy hold up against the Chianti’s of Italy which harken back to my days roaming the streets of Firenze and enjoying dinner in the ristorante’s like La Spada, which has the best food in Firenze by the way. I have had some very nice California Sangiovese’s in the past - Benessere Sangiovese 2001 and Luna Sangiovese 2002 and Seghesio, and another from Washington - Tsillan Cellars Sangiovese 2003. This wine comes from 100% Washington grapes and is different from any Sangiovese I have had before. The color is light ruby red and similiar in clarity to a pinot noir and less like the dark ruby red Chiant’s that leave your teeth in need of an after dinner brushing. I enjoyed this wine as the cherry aromas gave way to the dry yet tart finish. It’s intersting to note that I couldn’t find much in the form of a website for Cavatappi wines, but did find that Peter Dow, the owner of Cafe Juanita, also owns this label. […]