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Wine Description
The Story
L’Apparita was Tuscany’s first pure 100% Merlot wine made in Italy with its debut vintage of 1985.
Castello di Ama and L'Apparita made a breakthrough on 8 February when L’Apparita 1987 was awarded as the best Merlot wine in a blind tasting hosted by the Academie du Vin in Switzerland— with a jury led by no less than world-renowned wine consultant, Michel Rolland. It left behind 15 other Merlot wines including the legendary Pétrus and its 1988 vintage.
The small parcels that make up the 3.84 hectares of the L’Apparita vineyard are set atop the Vigneto Bellavista hill, at an altitude of 490 metres. In 1975 they were planted with Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca, then grafted over with Merlot clone 342 between 1982 and 1985.
Blend: 100% Merlot (Clone 342)
First planted: 1982-1985
Viticulture: Open lyre training in 490 metres with 2,800 vines/acre in clay rich soil.
Average age of vines: 32 years
Soil: calcareous with clay
Vinification: Fermented with indigenous yeasts only
Ageing: aged in thin-grained French oak barriques 35% new, 65% once used for 18 months.
First vintage: 1985
Winemaker's Notes: Purple red color with violet nuances. Impenetrable. Aroma: red fruits, blackberry. Spices such as vanilla, black pepper in grains and juniper. The finish has a balsamic note. The taste is extremely elegant, smooth and enveloping, with a silky yet powerful tannin. Clearly fresh, very persistent, never ending.