Granato Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT 2018 1500ml Magnum

A dry Teroldego at 13.0% ABV that holds its power in check: cool, racy, threaded with spice notes. Here, stamina counts for more than concentration.

The Campo Rotaliano is a valley plain, wedged between three-thousand-metre peaks. Over millennia, the Noce river has deposited sediments here: alluvial sand and gravel, along with weathered limestone, granite and porphyry. By day the rock walls reflect the sun's heat; by night cool mountain air flows through the valley. The wine carries this contrast within it.

Single-varietal Teroldego from a total of four hectares across several old pergola-trained plots. The grapes ferment spontaneously in a large open wooden fermenter, and ageing lasts 15 months in wood. Elisabetta Foradori took over the estate in 1984 and brought the variety back through years of mass selection, working with the University of Milan and the San Michele research centre. Since 2013, Emilio Foradori has overseen winemaking.

On the nose, plum, blackberry and elderberry, followed by clove and cinnamon, along with leather, juniper and violet; the floral side builds in the glass. Roasted notes and cedarwood stay understated, while a nuance of mandarin peel lends tart-acidic tension. On the palate, fine-grained tannin and acidity with real drive; the dark fruits now appear brighter rather than concentrated. The finish fades out on floral, violet notes.

Charcoal-grilled roast beef with roasted broccoli, almonds and dauphine potatoes, braised leg of lamb ragout with baby turnips, or minced meat bake with Jerusalem artichoke.

The Granato has been vinified since 1986; it has received Gambero Rosso's top award 36 times. The estate's 28 hectares are Demeter-certified, with the logo shown on the label. Presented here as a 1500 ml magnum.