“Occhio di Pernice” Vin Santo di Montepulciano Toscana DOC 2011 dolce · 2 bottles in OWC

Avignonesi | Tuscany
Avignonesi s.r.l. s.a. Soc. Benefit | Via Colonica 1 | IT 53045 Valiano di Montepulciano

09910511 · 0,75 l · 517,33 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping3 units available

There are wines that need time. And then there is the Occhio di Pernice – a wine that is time. What began as a hand harvest in September 2011, carefully selected, loose Sangiovese bunches in small baskets covered with vine leaves, has spent more than a decade in a world that has changed outside without him knowing it. The harvested grapes were immediately spread out on bamboo mats in the appassitoio – the drying room where air and time do the real work. Months of slow concentration: water evaporates, sugar, flavours and extract remain. Pressing began on 1 January. The must was transferred to the Caratelli – the small oak barrels of 50 to 60 Litersfor which Avignonesi is famous. And then: the madre. A yeast strain that has been passed down from generation to generation for more than a hundred years, never completely used up, always nourished anew – a living heritage that gives Occhio di Pernice a character that no other yeast in the world can replicate. For ten years, this fermentation worked in the barrels, silently and slowly, while more than half of the precious wine escaped into the air through the pores of the wood. What remained was the concentrate.

The mathematics of this work is breathtaking: 24 ordinary bottles of wine could be pressed from the amount of grapes needed for a single 0.Liters bottle of Occhio di Pernice. What is in the glass here is the result of a willingness to make sacrifices that is unrivalled in viticulture. The name explains itself at first glance: Occhio di Pernice – partridge eyes. The colour is deep mahogany brown, almost impenetrable, with an amber rim that refracts the light differently than any other wine. The nose is a universe: dried plums, dates, propolis, gingerbread, malaga, tobacco, a hint of candied orange peel, roasted hazelnuts, Christmas spices. And something intangible in the background – age itself, which translates into flavours. Sweet yet not heavy on the palate, with a concentration that is hard to describe and a finish that lasts for minutes. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2011 Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice pours like molten chocolate from the bottle as a bouquet of mentholated herbs and orange peel flavours come together with dried black cherries and a cascade of spices. It is weighty and viscous, velvety yet harmonious, with masses of rum-soaked redcurrants and white sultanas. It gains vibrancy and remarkable freshness towards the end. A pleasant bitter note lingers, mingling with cocoa powder and ground cloves, while the 2011 finishes with excellent length. Balanced and refined." Vinous

"Intense flavours of dates, toffee, dried mushrooms and potting soil, followed by intense smoky notes. Full-bodied and syrupy. Very dense and viscous with a lingering finish. Burnt orange peel and chocolate. Concentrated and dense, but delicious with a creamy texture." James Suckling

"An unctuous version that exudes aromas and flavours of dried figs, oranges, caramel and chocolate is vibrant and harmonious. It develops into a long, seemingly endless finish with great acidity balancing the intense sweetness." Wine Spectator