Pratesi Carmione – Dark, Dry and Delicious

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot from Carmignano, Tuscany, Italy.

SRP of $33 and purchased for $22.99. Saturday Splurge. Imported by Winebow.

From the winery:

“Intense ruby red in color and extremely concentrated, Carmione offers a powerful bouquet of sweet wild berries, cedar, licorice and spices. This is a full-bodied, rich, well structured wine with jammy fruit, fine tannins and a persistent finish.

Powerful and complex, Carmione is excellent with grilled steak, game, ribs and aged cheeses.

13.5% Alcohol”

The 2004 Pratesi Carmione begins with very pleasant aromas of dark fruit, lots of licorice, a little cedar and a hint of tobacco. Tasting the wine reveals a wonderfully dry texture with persistent dusty tannins and really delicious dark fruit. This is a full-bodied, serious wine and while it may be a 2004 vintage it still has a lot of years left. It ends with a long, dry and savory finish.

When tasting this wine I actually had to double check and see if there was any Sangiovese in this one, as I would have guessed that it made up a portion of the blend. Instead it’s just a Bordeaux style blend, using the basic Bordeaux grapes. Evidence of terroir perhaps?

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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