{"id":20106,"date":"2020-10-07T03:24:01","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T10:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?p=20106"},"modified":"2020-11-28T20:10:07","modified_gmt":"2020-11-29T04:10:07","slug":"monterosola-the-vineyard-and-wine-tasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/monterosola-the-vineyard-and-wine-tasting\/","title":{"rendered":"Monterosola \u2013 The Vineyard and Wine Tasting"},"content":{"rendered":"

At a time when COVID-19 keeps us from traveling overseas, I enjoyed some travel vicariously by reading about a vineyard in Tuscany<\/a> while tasting some of their organic wines. While it was a poor substitute for actually walking the rows, smelling the breeze blowing over the 25 hectare hillside estate, and touring the cantina, the experience was improved by tasting the wines. Their local cheeses, extra virgin olive oil and fresh baked bread normally served with the tasting will have to wait until it is safe to travel again. Until then…<\/p>\n

\"Monterosola<\/p>\n

How the tasting for three people was done:<\/p>\n

I briefly chilled the wines, then uncorked them and poured some into wine glasses, and we immediately took a sip. Then, we let them sit for an hour before we tasted again. While waiting that hour, I poured the wine through a Vinturi Tower wine aerator into different glasses. For each red, the sip was the worst, the aerator was second, and the open for an hour and poured was the fullest flavor \u2013 especially after swirling it in the glass for a bit. So if you don\u2019t have time to let your wine breathe, use an aerator.<\/p>\n

The two red wines according to Monterosola:<\/p>\n

Mastio 2018 \u2013 \u201cA beautiful rich ruby in color with elements of ripe fruits on the nose with a hint of red cherry, strawberries almonds and green herbs. A well-balanced combination of elegance and intensity on the palate with soft tannins and a generous aftertaste.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mastio<\/p>\n

Cresendo 2016 \u2013 \u201cDeep garnet color with flavors of rich cherries, dried herbs, sweet oak, spices, black tea and toasted almonds. Both intense and complex on the palate it is powerful yet refined with a lengthy finish. Crescendo has great aging potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

What the tasting revealed:<\/p>\n

Color, bouquet, and legs \u2013 both similarly red, the Mastio\u2019s bouquet initially more inviting, but it didn\u2019t have legs until it breathed. The Cresendo\u2019s legs were walking from the first pour (see video), and the bouquet blossomed as the wine opened. Both are good quality for the price.<\/p>\n