Sottimano | Piemonte | Cottá, Barbaresco DOCG | 2019 | 750ml

Description

Product description for Sottimano Cottá, Barbaresco DOCG 2019

Sebastian Bordthäuser: On the palate, the Cottá oscillates between inviting hospitality and youthful stubbornness, which quickly reveals itself as attitude. The taut, almost chewy tannins provide the typical Sottimano bite and clothe the youthfully bright acidity in purple regalia. The overall concept combines vertical drinking with a gastronomically attractive drinking window.

Info

Sebastian Bordthäuser 6.5.21: The Azienda Agricola Sottimano was purchased by Rino Sottimano in the 1960s and is located in the heart of the Cottà vineyard. In the following years, it was gradually expanded to include the Crus Currá, Fausoni, Basarin, and Pajoré. Today, the business is run by son Andrea and his sisters Elena and Claudia. Located in the triangle formed by Barbaresco, Neive, and Treiso, Sottimano has been working according to biodynamic guidelines for years to capture the character of each of its five crus as precisely as possible in the bottle. Cru Cottà is the winery’s signature vineyard site, located between the municipalities of Neive and Barbaresco. It covers around 2.8 hectares and faces southwest. The vines are between 50 and 70 years old and combine the fleshy, dense polyphenols of the Neive vineyards with the powerful tannin structure of Barbaresco. Fermentation is always spontaneous with the wine’s own yeasts; maceration typically lasts 25 days, and malolactic fermentation also occurs spontaneously in French oak. The wines age for 24 months in barrels (15% new oak, the remainder in second to fourth fillings), including 12 months on the lees. The use of wood in winemaking was modernized with the 2014 vintage, making the wines more accessible even in their youth, with immense vibrancy and depth. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Colour

Delicately luminous, light cherry red with rusty reflections and a light rim.

Nose

Full of spice, it starts intensely on the nose. Black pepper, roasted coffee beans, and dark chocolate shavings kick it off. Delicate, soft nuances of cold smoke follow in the same vein. Roasted hazelnuts provide a familiar feeling of well-being. Plum, elderberry, and blackcurrant slowly warm up, but are still in the early stages of their development. On the balsamic side, it displays warm leather. A little licorice and anise gradually emerge. Silky woody aromas of undergrowth, dried porcini mushrooms, and pine needles are perfectly balanced and wonderfully integrated. These components will develop wonderfully with age.

Palate

Barbaresco Cotta presents itself, as usual, as compact and dense. Its fleshy character plays wonderfully with the fine-grained, yet very present tannin. It coats the mouth in a pleasant way. The dark fruit really has a hard time competing with it. Plum and cassis, in particular, become more prominent. Supported by a very present minerality, this culminates in pure elegance. It appears juicy and enormously stimulating. Its slightly salty appearance plays cat and mouse with its fine acidity structure. The fruit comes through more clearly in the finish, complemented by licorice, peppery spice, and a hint of lovage.

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Keywords: Sottimano Cottá, Barbaresco DOCG 2019 Piemonte Italy

Producer website: http://www.sottimano.it/