Meet our new Red: La Corsa Aghiloro
The Grape(s): Sangiovese, Teroldego, and Petit Verdot. Sangiovese is the primary red-grape of Tuscany – whether called by that name or by Morellino or by Brunello. It features prominently in many of the region’s red wines, supplying their characteristic sour cherry and savory notes, relatively high acid and medium body. Teroldego, on the other hand, is rarely grown in Tuscany and is largely associated with the Trentino/Alto Adige regions. The grape typically produces wines with darker fruits and aromatic spices, and which bear northeastern Italy’s characteristic acidity. Petit Verdot is decidedly not Italian; its origins are in Bordeaux, on the Gironde. But, it’s a fantastic grape with oodles of structure and lovely “purple” notes of violets, and pretty, white flowers on the nose. It is one of my favorite grapes – whether as a single varietal or in a blend. I have rarely met a Petit Verdot that I haven’t liked. In addition to La Corsa’s use of the varietal, I have tasted an amazing single-varietal PV from Pennsylvania’s Stargazers Vineyard, and have recently sought it out in Argentina with great results.
The Wine: La Corsa Aghiloro, IGT Toscano Rosso, Maremma Italy. La Corsa was founded in 2005, but already is producing wines of very fine quality. They cultivate roughly 18 acres of land, some 6 km from the Tyrrhenean Sea. This wine is an estate-blend of 33% Sangiovese, 33% Petit Verdot, and 33% Teroldego. It is aged ca 10 months – 8 months in stainless tanks and 2 in bottle. This blend is quite unique for Tuscany, and the wine has flavors and qualities from each grape, resulting in a very complex wine with notes of blackberry and cocoa, in addition to cherry, violet, and dried herbs.
Fun Fact: La Corsa is in Orbetello province, near the southern border of Maremma (Tuscany). It is located quite near to the Roman colony of Cosa , founded in the 3rd century BC. After its founding, the colony expanded with a port and fishery on the nearby Tyrrhenean Sea. From that port, large amounts of wine and fish-products such as garum were shipped elsewhere – to Rome and also further afield to Gaul. Around Cosa and its port surface numerous commercial villas, which produced large quantities of wine. One of these is Settefinestre, a slave-run villa founded ca 40 BC just on the outskirts of La Corsa’s estate. It is estimated that Settefinestre produced over 1.2 million liters of wine, per year*. In homage to that history, La Corsa makes a wine called Settefinestre, made with 100% Sangiovese.
Come enjoy this wine, now at Jet for $9/glass. Have it with our hot dog!
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*TW Potter 1987 Roman Italy (London : British Museum), pp 108.