At the Slow Wine Guide tasting event, I had the opportunity to taste a grape new to me, a grape that is produced by only a single winery in the world. The grape is called Caberlot and is mentioned only briefly in Jancis Robinson's comprehensive Wine Grapes encyclopedia. She wrote, "There is also a small, isolated vineyard near Arezzo, central Italy, where Carnasciale grow a variety called Caberlot, thought to be a crossing of Merlot with an unidentified parent." However, there is more known about Caberlot and it is a fascinating tale.
The story begins in the late 1960s, in an abandoned vineyard near Padua, where Remigio Bordini, an agronomist, discovered a new grape. This grape, which would become known as Caberlot, seemed to share characteristics of both Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and appears to be a natural crossing of the two varieties. Remigio kept this unique grape in a nursery for about twenty years, until 1986. It was then that he chose to share the grape with a single family.
Four years before that, Wolf and Bettina Rogosky, husband and wife, decided to buy some land, full of olive trees, atop a hill in Tuscany, in the southern Chianti hills of the Valdarno, just outside of the Chianti Classico appellation. They discussed planting grapes to make wine, eventually seeking advice from Vittorio Fiore, an enologist. It was Vittorio who fortuitously introduced them to Remigio Bordini. Their meeting must have gone extremely well because Remigio decided to allow the Rogoskys to take cuttings from his nursery so that they could grow Caberlot in their new vineyard.
The Rogoskys planted their initial vineyard, named Carnasciale, in 1986 on the site of an old olive grove, and it was tiny, only about .74 acres. Carnasciale is a nearly obsolete word in Italian that refers to the "period of Carnival." Hoping for luck, Wolf buried a bottle of 1985 Sassicaia, a famous Super Tuscan wine, under his first vines. At the time, Wolf probably didn't realize that the 1985 Sassicaia would eventually become known as a legendary wine. For example, that was the first Italian wine that Robert Parker gave 100 points.
Their Caberlot wine, which was bottled only in magnums as Wolf believed the wine would age well in that format, would eventually become a cult hit. It's scarcity helped, plus the fact that no one else was permitted to grow this grape. Unfortunately, Wolf died in 1996, but Bettina continued pursuing their passion for Caberlot. Following previous plans, Bettina planted additional vineyards in 1999, 2004, and 2011, so that they now have about 13.5 acres of vineyards, producing a total of about 9000 bottles annually. Even with the additional vineyards, production remains small. Their son, Moritz (who I met at the tasting), now works with his mother, helping to promote their wines.
The vineyards are being converted to organic, and they hope for the process to be completed in the near future. It wasn't until about 2005, that the wine was first exported to the U.S., and even at that time, it was still difficult to find in Italy. The "X" that is seen on their labels, which is different each year, is intended to signify the crossing of the grapes, the Cabernet Franc and Merlot, plus it also draws attention to the label even from across a room. The color of the label is also different each vintage.
In the Slow Wine event guide, the winery received two designations, including a Bottle indicating the winery is a benchmark in quality. The other designation, "Slow Wine," is because the winery produces wines that represent "an expression of place, originality and history." Their 2015 Caberlot also received a designation as a "Great Wine."
In 2000, the winery created a second wine, Carnasciale, which is made from Caberlot from younger vines, is released in 750ml bottles, and is supposed to be more approachable. I tasted the 2016 Carnasciale, which is vilified in the same manner as the higher-end Caberlot. It is aged in French barriques, 70% new, for about 22 months and then for another 6 months in the bottle. I found this wine to definitely be very approachable, with restrained tannins, rich flavors of red and black fruit, mild spice notes, and a lengthy finish. There was a light greenpepper/vegetal note, typical of some Cabernet Franc, though I'll note a couple of my friends who tasted the wine didn't discern that note.
The 2015 Caberlot (about $275/magnum) is made from their oldest and best Caberlot grapes. It undergoes malolactic fermentation and then is aged, for about 22 months, in French barriques, of which 70% are new, one third each Allier, Vosges and Tronçais oak, medium toast. It will then spend about 18 months in the bottle before release. The wine is unfiltered, has a 13.5% ABV, is bottled only in magnums, and Bettina hand-numbers each label. It has to be labeled as IGT Toscana as the grape is unrecognized in the DOC. It was definitely a more complex wine, with silky tannins, more plum and black raspberry flavors, a spicy backbone, and a touch more green. Each sip delivered an intriguing taste, which tantalized the palate with a harmonious melange of flavors. The lengthy finish was satisfying and the acidity was spot-on. It seemed a little tight, so would benefit from aging, but it was still enjoyable as is.
I preferred though the 2014 Caberlot, which came from a cooler vintage, especially as I couldn't detect any green pepper notes. The fruit flavors were a touch more vibrant and the mouthfeel was a bit more smooth, yet it retained all of the complexity of the 2015. It was also a bit more enjoyable as is, though the potential for aging was evident. Both wines would benefit from food pairing, maybe wild boar or lamb.
The wines of Podere Il Carnasciale won't be easy to find, but they are worth the splurge if you get the opportunity.
To be continued...
