Closings and beginnings

“We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine.” – Eduardo Galeano

We often think of a new year as the beginning of something new. We think that a new beginning is coming, that we have the chance once again to achieve what we set out to do, to pursue our goals and to try to achieve them. I have long believed that what I want can be easily achieved, although there is no shortcut in this regard and it is often not easy at all. So I chose to eliminate the “easy” part and see what each experience has in store for me.

Certainly the year 2021 was a year as I did not expect. Sprinkled with many major changes, with happiness and joy with dear friends, with much pain for the loss of a dear friend, but also with a drop of hope that it will be alright, someday it is going to be alright. And the good came as I did not expect. It came with lots of joy, happiness and beautiful moments, it came to prove to me that everything can change and that everyone can have a new beginning.

And now in the middle of the spring, just before the first month of summer, I manage to analyze every moment and enjoy what follows.

Even if 2021 was dominated once again by the presence of restrictions, I hope that this year we will easily return to normal. I say this because I really want to continue the “wine stories” project that I interrupted for obvious reasons and to focus on this type of meetings, to taste and talk about wines.

Pinus Nigra from Antonutti winery is one of the last wines I have tasted and I look forward to share this experience with you. I have told you about the Anotnutti winery countless times, it is a winery that has remained close to my heart and whose wines I promote with pleasure every time I have the opportunity. Pinus Nigra is dedicated to Nicola Durandi, the one who brought these wonderful wines close to my heart and who managed to create exceptional wines through perseverance and dedication.

Obtained from 100% Pinot Noir, 2017 harvest, this wine amazes you from its first contact with the taste buds. The training system is Guyot with a density of 4,500 plants per hectare, and in order to obtain a favorable exposure to the sun, the defoliation technique was implemented.

The grapes are harvested at full maturity by hand, followed by maceration for a period of 10 days. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in stainless steel tanks followed by maturation in French oak barrels for a period of 12 months. The last step in this process is the bottle aging for a period of 12 months, before the wine is placed on the market. As a way of storage I want to mention that although it is recommended to be kept for at least 10 years, of course the period can be extended if we can offer this wine the optimal storage conditions that do not include frequent temperature changes or direct exposure to sunlight.

I can wholeheartedly say that I was amazed by the color, an extremely intense ruby red that manages to capture visually. It’s as if the notes are already beginning to be felt from just from the color, even if you haven’t had time to bring the glass to your nose, there are notes of pomegranate, raspberry and black fruit, but also spicy notes. For a Pinot Noir and I say this because I have not had the opportunity to taste one like this, the notes blend absolutely harmoniously and create a kind of dance of notes and softness even on the taste buds because this wine evolves as you taste it, moreover it offers you an absolutely perfect balance between the fullness, delicacy and the freshness of a red wine, but especially of a Pinot Noir. The tannins are discreet, this is to be appreciated for Pinot Noir and we are talking about a persistent after taste that reminds us of berries.

The first moment I tasted it and was indeed special. It is one of those wines that will remain in your memory the first time when you taste them (another one would be of course Popone), a wine that makes you relax and enjoy every moment with the most important person in your life, a wine that makes you put everything on hold to have enough time and to enjoy every second.