Winery of the Month – SEP 2015
Ca Maiol
In 1967 the Contato family started a winery with 12 hectares of land near Lake Garda in the heart of the Lugana DOC. This region has been producing wines since Roman times. As a matter of fact the remains of fabulous roman villa have been found and are believed to be the residence of Catullus, a famous roman poet, who wrote about the grandeur of the white wines of the area.
The winery is made up of four farmhouses, the oldest of which dates back to 1710. Today the winemaking facilities have been moved to an ultra-modern underground facility built in 2000. The modern touches mix with hand harvesting and rigorous berry selection to provide some of the finest wines Lugana has to offer. They were the first winery to earn “tre bicchieri”, this is the highest rating given by Gambero Rosso, which is the Italian version of Wine Spectator.
Sebastian Brut
This sparkling wine is made in the Charmat process, which means that the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in tank. The base wine is made from several different white varietals that grow in the region. The wine is a classic sparkler, light and crisp with green apple flavors and some light brioche characteristics. Just over 4000 cases produced. Regularly $19.99 Sale $14.99
Lugana Maiolo
Lugana is a white wine only region on the shores of Lake Garda. The Name Lugana is thought to come from the Latin Lacus Lucanus (lake in the woods). The grape for this wine is called Turbiana or Trebbiano de Lugana or several other names, it is rather confusing. With that said a Lugana has to be 90% Turbiana or whatever name you would like to call this grape. It is much simpler to just drink it and call it a Lugana. The wine has apple and stone fruit notes with a hint of Almond. The wine has a medium body with a refreshing acidity and slight chalky note from the many layers of limestone in the soil. Less than 40,000 cases are produced. Regularly $17.99 Sale $12.99
Chiaretto Maiolo
Here we have a rose Gropello wine made up of: Barbera, Sangiovese, Marzemino, and. If you have never heard of the last two grapes don’t worry about it neither has 99% of the wine drinking world? In Italian literature it has the romantic name of “one night wine” coming from the fact that the wine spends only one night aging on its skins. The wine is very floral in nose and taste with strawberry and red raspberry flavors. A slightly heavier wine than Provencal rose. 4500 cases produced. Regularly $17.99 Sale $12.99
Fabio Contato
This red is composed of the same grapes as the Rose: Groppello, Sangiovese, Barbera, and Marzemino. The grapes are hand selected and picked to produce a red wine of supreme quality. The wine is aged in 225L French Oak Barrels for 24 months and then 6 months in bottle. Powerful nose of black briary fruit with some floral, baking spice and graphite aromas. The black fruit continues on the palette with some vanilla and cedar. Regularly $49.99 Sale $34.99
Negresco
Once again we have a blend of Barberra, Sangiovese, Groppello, and Marzemino. The grapes are hand harvested as well but only spend one year in French oak. The resulting wine is a little lighter in body and personality than Fabio Contato but still with berry fruits, spice and floral notes. Regularly $34.99 Sale $24.99