Brachetto is a dark Italian grape used to make Brachetto d’Acqui wines. This dark skinned grape is usually used to create flavorful sparkling wines or wines that are sweet and crisp Brachetto is grown in Piedmont , and was said to be related to the Braquet grape type. This bubbly wine was said to have gone with a famous character in the Italian comedy of masks who carried the Brachetto wine with him. The Brachetto grape is typically not mixed with other types and often used to create fizzy or sparkling wines. The Brachetto variety is also used to create table wine, but now, the style is seldom found. Another wine type crafted with these grapes is Brachetto d’Acqu, which is a wine with low alcohol levels, but packed with flavor. Features fruity flavors that includes many fresh notes, such as strawberry, rose, and berry, this fragrant wine can be served slightly chilled or with light appetizers and fresh fruits. Brachetto is a great dessert wine. It has also been labeled as the "wine of lovers" and is sold on special holidays, such as on Valentines’ Day.
Rinaldi Brachetto d' Acqui is made from 100% Brachetto d'Acqui
The skin gives the wine its particular scent and flavor.
Light ruby red color. The bouquet is musky and delicate with scents of ripe red fruit (strawberry, blackberry) and roses. Sweet and smooth flavors with lingering aromatic persistence. There is a good balance between the sweetness and the freshness, which makes this wine very pleasant.
The training system used is Guyot with a density of 2500-3000 vines per hectare. Manual harvest. Temperature controlled maceration for approximately seven days with mechanic plunging of the cap and pumping over to increase extraction of substances from the skins. This is the most important part of the vinification. Soft pressing.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Tenuta di Arceno Valadorna is made from 60% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot .
The first impression of the nose is earthy with notes of cypress, vanilla bean, and spice. There are deep fruit flavors of black cherries, plums and blueberries followed by pleasant hints of chocolate and dried rose petals. On the palate, the tannins are chewy and accompanied by lively acidity; contributing to a long finish dominated by flavors of dried figs and licorice. The 2016 Valadorna is a time bomb of joy that will stand the test of time and age well in the cellar if patience permits.
This Merlot-led blend is sourced primarily from the Valadorna and Capraia blocks, which produce the estate’s most complex and mineral-based expressions of this variety. The blocks are located within the cooler part of the estate, naturally irrigated by the stream that undulates through it, and feature sandy brown soils and lower yields than typical. These blocks are often the last Merlot blocks to ripen on the estate.
Review:
Solid and radiant in the glass it shows notes of pink grapefruit, flowering geraniums, pressed blueberries, plums and rosemary. There is more in the background in the brightness of the lemon, lime and bergamot notes. Full body, well-polymerized tannins that are decidedly vibrant and tense at the moment and an impressive long finish that will relax over time. Better from 2024.
-Raffaele Vecchione - WinesCritic.com 96 Points