U Giorgio Mercandelli 2007
ArtisanalThe U Label by Giorgio Mercandelli is an outside red from Oltrepò Pavese, an alchemical and biotic wine, a mixture of universe and form that reflects the energy of the earth and the frequency of nature through the grapes. "U" as unique because tasting it is a transcendental experience that goes beyond wine. At the sip it is a matter of substance and concentration, deep and enveloping, with aromas of spices, undergrowth and red fruit jam.
The U Label is a red that emotionally blends richness and depth, the result of vines over 150 years old. Another exciting label, the U is the letter to which Giorgio is most attached and which he considers the purest expression among all those he has bottled. It would be reductive to try to condense Giorgio's thoughts and approach to wine and nature into a few lines, therefore we recommend a visit to his cellar in Canneto Pavese. The fundamental points concern the purity of the fruit, which undergoes no treatment, not even copper and sulfur, and which reflects in the glass its memory and that of those who contributed to transforming it into liquid. Experiences more than wines, capable of overturning and redefining the way of approaching the liquid.
The red U Label comes from indigenous varieties grown in Canneto Pavese, whose fruits come from a very old vineyard from 1860. Very low yields as one might imagine, and a natural concentration of the fruit, which condenses all the life of the plant into a few clusters. The winemaking follows the usual process,applied by Giorgio, therefore the vineyard is worked with a strictly manual harvest and in the cellar the alcoholic fermentation occurs spontaneously in special resin containers, where it is aged for up to 12 months. According to Giorgio, it takes about 7 years for the wine to express all its organoleptic heritage again, as just bottled it returns to an embryonic phase where it has no smell or taste.
The wine Etichetta U by Mercandelli pours into the glass with an impenetrable ruby red color, of dark intensity. A liquid of incredible complexity, which needs to be given the right time to disperse its initial halo of mystery. Then comes an unimaginable richness, made of sweet alcoholic vapor, raisins, jammy plums, and chocolate. The true masterpiece, however, is the tasting, where the material wine with a remarkable specific weight, caresses the palate like velvet, lining it. Infinite heritage, it should be opened at the right moment to fully enjoy it. A unique piece.