2008 Amore Super-Tuscan Style Sangiovese 3 L

2008 Vintage Notes

Daytimes during the spring were near picture-perfect, yet the cold temperatures and frost threat held on for more than three weeks.  Within the same week that many had begun irrigating for frost protection, irrigation efforts had to switch abruptly to account for a multi-day heat spike soaring into the triple digits.  Dry conditions resulted in less vine canopy, allowing the vines to focus on fruit production.  Additional benefits of the dry season included very little pest infestation and mildew of the vines.  The summer continued with cool, consistent temperatures, leading to a normal time of harvest.
 

Winemaking Notes

At Terra Valentine, we have created Amoré, a special Sangiovese based blend, as an expression of our love of Super Tuscan style wines.  After we released our first vintage of 2002 Amoré, we quickly learned of our strong following for this easy drinking and delicious wine.  The 2008 Amoré is a blend of 90% Sangiovese from Atlas Peak, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon from our Wurtele Vineyard and 3% Merlot from the Yverdon Vineyard.  We used 20% new French Oak puncheons and aged it for 12 months. 1,000 cases were produced

Tasting Notes

One of the most elegant vintages since 2002, Amoré fans will immediately recognize the lush, ripe fruit expressions of red cherries (think cherry cobbler), but we were taken aback by the pronounced espresso, allspice and marzipan notes.  A soft, even, fruit-forward palate finishes with textured tannins of sweet cocoa powder and lingering flavors of raspberries.