Mile High's Wine of the Week: February 16th
Terre del Marchesato "Emilio Primo" Super Tuscan 2006
Regular Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $14.99
Sale End: 2/19/2012
Are you getting a little tired of all these fruity one dimensional reds? Do you long for more depth and complexity in your wine? Are you ready for a red with some real character? Then boy do we have a treat for you this week! The 2006 “Emilio Primo” is a fantastic example of what happens to a great wine after it rests for a few years in the bottle. As it sits in the glass today, it is a study in secondary characteristics with seductive notes of saddle leather, cedar, anise, bittersweet chocolate, wilted violet, and underbrush on the nose. The palate is classically styled with a core of ripe red and black berry fruit surrounded by sweet tannins and bright acidity. Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah give so much length and richness on the palate without ever becoming syrupy or sweet. This really is a treat! But don’t delay. Supplies of this fantastic value are limited and we would be very surprised if it lasted through the weekend. Please come by the store tonight and taste the “Emilio Primo” for free. We think you’re going to fall in love with it!On to the Tasting Notes:
I like a good Zinfandel as much as the next guy. There’s a lot to be said for a nice ripe juicy alcoholic red, isn’t there? But there are certainly times that I long for something more than just berries and booze? It’s times like those that I wander down to my basement and dig up a bottle of Southern Italian red. In spite of the fact that the 2006 “Emilio Primo” is composed entirely of non-native varietals it still manages to display a vivid sense of place. The nose is so humble and generous that you’ll be instantly intrigued. It starts off with an abundance of cocoa then transitions into scents of damp soil, blueberry compote, cigar box, loam, violet, grilled meat, tar, and anise. What a nose! And it gives up all of those aromas without being braggadocious. Instead it’s alluring and subdued. The palate is similarly refined. The entry is soft and supple initially with a pleasant dose of ripe red raspberry and tart black currant initially. That slowly fades revealing incredible minerality, refined tannins, and plenty of food friendly acidity. The finish displays impressive notes of cedar, cola, ginger, allspice, charcoal, garrigue, and unsweetened chocolate. It really must be one of the longest finishes of any wine I’ve had in quite a long time. This is one of those ones that if you forget to brush your teeth before bed then you’ll still be tasting it when you wake up in the morning.
I’ve had the pleasure of tasting the “Emilio Primo” several times over the last 6 months. It certainly is an engaging bottle. I’m going to grab a few for myself for sure. It’s in a very good spot right now and I think that it has just enough ripe fruit to balance out the obvious dose of tannins that are still present. It has aged gracefully over the last several years and there is very little doubt in my mind that it will continue to evolve in the bottle for at least 3 or 4 more years, becoming more and more plush and round during that time. This one probably isn’t a candidate for another decade’s worth of cellaring, but it’s a heck of a nice bottle that shows no sign of falling to pieces either.Food Pairing:
I served the “Emilio Primo” last night with a beautiful piece of broiled salmon that I rubbed with a mixture of herbs de Provence, granulated onion, toasted garlic powder, bleu cheese powder, and fleur de sel, and fresh black pepper. Then I added a side of herb roasted new potatoes, and some baby carrots glazed with Chimayo chili powder and roasted tomato paste. It did not suck. But don’t stop there, this solid red would hold up nicely against seared duck breast or just a plain old ribeye.
You MUST mention this special or print it out to receive the price on the above wine.
This price expires 2/19/2012 at 6pm and is limited to in-store quantities.
No rain checks given. Call (303) 936-0272 to reserve bottles with a credit card.