“Thought to be a relative of the still rarer Marzemino, a grape of Greek origin, Teroldego has been famous in the Trentino area since the fifteenth century. At present it is more or less confined to the towns of Mezzocorona and Mezzolombardo, an area known as Campo Rotaliano, which comprises the Teroldego Rotaliano DOC zone.”†
Teroldego Flourishes in the sandy, gravelly, limestone-rich soils of the Noce River basin in the Dolomites and produces a unique wine that is deeply colored, tart, savory, and full of crushed, dark berry fruit.
The last time I wrote about Teroldego on enotecaMarcella was just last September after my visit to Harrington wines in San Francisco. Bryan Harrington makes intriguing wines from the Teroldego and Marzemino grapes, both also grown in California.
Tonight, however, the subject of this blog post is the Marion Teroldego 2005 from Italy. I treated myself …
Marion Teroldego 2005. IGT Veronese. This wine comes from just outside of the Teroldego Rotaliano DOC zone, actually. Nevertheless: impressive! Ruby-magenta color with a deep core, stained legs, and some sediment. It is a clean wine with an intense and complex bouquet of fresh blueberries, cherry syrup, fig jam, and a mix of ashtray, cola, and freshly-cut grass. The palate arrives in much the same way with a bold structure all around (acidity, tannins, and body combined) but with friendlier qualities coming to the surface: candied apple, cinnamon, and Christmas spices. I might expect a highly-tannic, bold finish on a wine like this, but this is Teroldego and instead it ends with a nexus of herbs to contemplate: cologne, dried oregano, fresh mint, and pine resin on top of a big juicy center. ★★
While there isn’t much of this grape grown in Italy (or anywhere else for that matter), one producer has worked hard to promote Teroldego’s popularity and image. You can find out more about her, the icon of Teroldego, Elisabetta Foradori, in this New York times article by Eric Asimov. I did mention one of her wines on this blog a couple of years ago, and while I didn’t that night, I normally have had stellar experiences with her wines in times past.
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† From: Bastianich, J & Lynch, D. (2005). Vino Italiano, The Regional Wines of Italy. New York, NY: Clarkson Potter.
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