So Welcome to the US: Thrilling Tenuta Montemagno from Italy

(Gerry Furth-Sides, content and photos from Tenuta Montemagno in Italy) Tenuta

When we received a beautiful, generous gift from Tenuta Montemagno last fall of two bottles of their finest wines, we were so overjoyed we shared them with our wine maven friend, Irv Wynuck. Even after Tenuta Montemagno let us know that they were still exporting, it was only recently we became aware of Italian export situation with prices rising alarmingly (my mainstay, LaVazza espresso), or coming up against international shop shelves empty of Italian food imports. So we are thrilled to learn that these finest wines are still available in the US.

Montemagno offers a very eclectic interpretation of the grape Malvasia di Casorzo DOC, one of the most ancient indigenous grape of the Monferrato area, and the representative of that enological excellence that is characteristic of this part of Piedmont and that is cultivated in the municipality of Casorzo in the province of Asti.

It is a black, aromatic grape whose production is limited and the wine that is obtained leaves a sweet memory to its tasters, thanks to its aromaticity.

The origins of the vine, as is often the case for the indigenous varieties, are lost in the mists of time. Some texts trace the arrival in Piedmont to the thirteenth century, while the registration in the National Catalogue of Vine Varieties is 1968, for a cultivated area of only 107 hectares. 

Malvasia di Casorzo DOC belongs to the family of aromatic vines and is characterized by aromas of high finesse with strong fruity and floral notes reminiscent of rose, peach, apricot and raspberry. The persistence to the nose, but also to the palate, is another peculiarity of this vine, while the color well represents the range of reds: from ruby red to cherry red, up to the shades closest to the rose petal based on the vinification completed.

TM ROSES is our Malvasia di Casorzo vinified in purity, sparkling with Charmat method and vinified rosé and sweet, whose alcohol content is about 7% alc. /vol.. The intense pink color with delicate ruby reflections, introduces to the typical scent of rose that distinguishes the vine, to which is added the aromatic complexity of yeast in the process of foaming. On the palate we find sweetness, freshness and delicacy with a strong vivacity and pleasant notes of red fruits and fresh flowers.

The ideal match for TM Roses? Tarts and cakes made with fresh red fruit, in particular strawberries, currants and raspberries or as a festive boil, in the afternoons of summer, for its incredible pleasantness.

NECTAR is a Malvasia Rossa Passita, 100% Malvasia di Casorzo, obtained by natural drying, selecting a few clusters per plant. The drying takes place either by twisting the stalk, when the season allows it, or on mats, followed by soft pressing at the end of the year. In addition, the aging process is characterized by a slow prefermentative performance for 12 months in small oak barrels of second passage. It is a passito with a great structure and an intense red color. The bouquet gives off intense balsamic hints, with fruity notes of wild strawberries, red fruit jam and delicate blueberry syrup and natural fruit.

The palate is sweet, full and harmonious with complex structure and good balance between sweetness and freshness. Nectar also goes perfectly with Tonda Gentile Piemonte IGP hazelnut, grown in the 7 hectares of hazelnut trees of Tenuta Montemagno, exposed to the north.

The vineyards of Malvasia di Casorzo are all located in the upper-middle part of the hills around the village, so as to have a better exposure to sunlight and better defend from spring frost. The vine Malvasia di Casorzo has a rather long life and offers abundant and constant productions. Compared to other vines, it shows a better resistance to atmospheric agents such as hail and frost.

In the production of Tenuta Montemagno, 100% of the grapes of this vine are used for the composition of a sweet and aromatic red wine, called Malvasia di Casorzo DOC., which is vinified in three different ways: sweet pétillant vinified, Dulcem, charmat sparkling version with TMRoses and finally in Passito – Nectar, each with a style reminiscent of our Malvasia, but with different and specific organoleptic characteristics.

DULCEM is the sweet version pétillante, obtained with natural fermentation, produced with 100% Malvasia di Casorzo grapes, from vineyards with south – south west exposure. The pleasant drinkability of this wine is due to its fragrance, freshness and limited alcohol content of only 5.5%/6% degrees, depending on the vintage. 

The soft pressing and isobaric fermentation in the autoclave preserve the delicate aromas and amplify the notes of wild strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and hints of wild rose. The color is intense red with slight purple reflections. The palate is sweet and tannic at the same time, fresh and soft, with a good liveliness and sensations of red fruits, strawberry and fresh flowers.

The ideal combinations for our Dulcem are the typical desserts of the Piedmontese tradition, such as Bunet (chocolate pudding cooked in a bain-marie), yellow and white peach salad with cream ice cream.

But my favorite would have to be their grappa ARGENTUM XLV made by Tenuta Montemagno with Malvasia di Casorzo DOC. It is so fine, it is considered “Ideal as a meditation grappa for its taste in purity.” Grappa ARGENTUM XLV is born from the distillation of the best pomace of Malvasia di Casorzo, used to give origin to a soft grappa, of 40 Alcoholic Degrees. Alcoholic. Distilled with ancient techniques, this grappa reveals intense aromas of roses, leaving to the palate a delicate note of aromatic sweetness typical of the vine from which it originates.