2007 Mitolo Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: McLaren Vale, Australia
Food pairing: Good artisan sausage grilled with bell peppers
The powers that be at Mitolo like to use the names of their wines to pay homage to something special. It seems to be a growing trend among winemakers to let the name of the wine speak for more than just berry flavors and well-integrated tannins. Serpico, as some may already know, was a New York City police officer who exposed a great deal of corruption within his own force during his era. What on Earth does this have to do with wine?
In the most diplomatic terms possible, the folks at Mitolo say that the name of this wine was brought about because, "With Mitolo Serpico we aim to step outside our peers and redefine the accepted style of Australian wine." Apparently a bit tired of the status quo in the Aussie wine world, they decided to try something a little different. So for their Serpico Cabernet, they've borrowed the method of partially drying the grapes from Amarone, and created something entirely different than most of their neighbors. After drying and fermentation, the wine is aged in 100% new French oak to balance those ripe, raisiny berry flavors with a little toasty tannin and spice. It's intense, unique; the kind of wine that would make our Serpico proud.
http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/australia/09716.html
Though we covered the whole "green thing" last month, it would be difficult to talk about Spottswoode winery and the ladies who run it without talking about their nature-loving ways. If there's one humble phrase you hear a lot when speaking with the Novak women of Spottswoode, it's "stewards of the land." This family counts themselves truly lucky to take care of this special piece of property, if only for a few generations, and as such they see it as their duty to take good care of their little corner of the earth. They've been farming their vineyards organically since 1985, earning their California Certified Organic Farmers certification in 1990.
If you think Karen Culler's good with Syrah (and she is), then wait until you try her Cabernet. The fruit is sourced from Ladera's two estate vineyards, the Lone Canyon Vineyard in the western foothills of the Mount Veeder, and one in the higher elevations of Howell Mountain, where Ladera's winery is located. The former vineyard receives sun-drenched days (being closer to the valley floor) and a shorter, more dynamic ripening season, while the latter, situated above the fog line, benefits from cooler (but still sunny) days and warmer nights, allowing for longer hang-time.
