PV Tasting Notes
Deep Ruby in colour, this is all about the fruit, a lovely lift to the aromas of sweet mulberry, blackberry and violets, complicated by herbal and pepper notes. The mouth is dense and sweet, lifted fruit flavours lazily roam throughout the palate and end on some cocoa notes, this is impeccably balanced and even seems still a little tight, the tannins are fine grained and silky, this will continue to improve for 2-4 years and should drink superbly for a decade thereafter. Tasted April 2011.
Independent Review92 Points Antonio Galoni The Wine Advocate Aug 2011
The 2009 Merlot e Cabernet Franc Altrovino is an elegant, racy wine layered with radiant fruit. It shows fabulous energy through the mid palate and finish, where a closing blast of dark fruit saturates the palate. This is a beautifully balanced red from Duemani. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017.
This is a stunning set of wines from Luca D’Attoma and Elena Celli. D’Attoma and Celli have really dialed in these wines over the last few years, but the 2008s are truly special. Peronospera was an issue in 2008 and took with it about 40% of the Merlot crop. The summer was dry and very hot, with 4-5 days of hot sirocco winds which caused the vineyards to go into hydric stress in July and August. D’Attoma and his vineyard crew dropped additional crop to give the vines a chance to recover. Whatever they did, it worked, as the flagships Duemani and Suisassi are both superb. As always the Duemani is fermented in oak vats, while the Suisassi is fermented in open-top French oak barrels. Both wines are aged in French oak, and the malos occur naturally.
I could find dozens of dishes to enjoy this wine with, here are just a few; Thyme-roasted fillet of beef, Beef and horseradish stir fry, Corned beef hash, Beef bourguignon, Slow roasted four rib, Loin of lamb with a lemon and mint stuffing, Provencal braised lamb with lentils, Lamb shanks in red wine jus, Lamb stew with garlic dumplings, Roast shoulder of lamb with honey and herbs, Pork and fennel casserole, Stilton-stuffed pork loin, Braised belly of pork, Pheasant 'coq-au-vin', Pheasant and redcurrant fricassée, Roasted partridge with garlic jus, Peppered duck breast with wild mushrooms and cream, Venison kebabs, Venison wellington, Venison casserole or even Griddled wild boar chop with griddled fennel and plum chutney.
The vinification process of the Altrovino is made in cement vats of between 30-40 hl in size where the maceration and both fermentation processes take place under temperature controlled conditions, following which the wine is matured for a further 9 months still in cement vats: the Altrovino sees no wood.
100% Biodynamic (Demeter)
Trailblazing oenologist Luca d’Attoma is probably most well-known for the wines he made at Tua Rita and the wines he continues to make at Le Macchiole, two of Bolgheri’s leading estates. In 2001 D’Attoma and his partner Elena Celli purchased several hectares of land in Riparbella, located in the northern reaches of Maremma. The seven hectares of hillside vineyards, which lie adjacent to Castello del Terriccio on their eastern border, are densely planted and farmed biodynamically. I was the first company to purchase from Duemani and these are some of the finest wines made in the region solely due to the winemaking philosophy. Duemani is a very young property, and there is a great deal to look forward to here.