The Great Twitter Wine Exchange–Part 1 of 2: Caparone Sangiovese

I’m going to say we are the first to ever do this through Twitter!
One of the people I have been randomly talking to through Twitter is Kevin Widmer, who goes by the obscure Twitter name of @billybuttock.
The rules of our wine exchange were simple: you send me a bottle, I’ll send you a bottle. The only stipulation was that the wine had to be under $20 retail. Below is the wine I chose to send him (and should be receiving any day now), I’ll be reviewing his bottle in my next wine review.

Grapes

100% Sangiovese [san-joe-vay-zee]

Facts

The Caparone winery prides themselves on a minimal intervention approach to winemaking. They don’t fine or filter any of their wines, techniques that are employed by the majority of wineries throughout the world to give the juice a clearer appearance. The main reason behind fining and filtration is to keep the public happy, and not freak out that their wine is cloudy. Some winemakers argue that fining and filtration strips a wine of its flavor.

Sangiovese is indigenous to Tuscany, where is makes Chianti, the flagship wine of the region. Sangiovese is also the primary grape in the wines Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

The back of the bottle states that this wine will cellar for another 25 years or more, which blew my mind a little bit when I read it! Unfortunately I’m not hanging on to any long enough to find out…

Caparone specialize in Italian varietals of Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Aglianico. If you want to sound cool and trendy (with just a pinch of nerdy,) call these types of wines Cal-Ital’s. This just means grapes that are commonly found throughout Italy that are being grown in California.

Caparone is a true father-and-son winery operation. All Caparone wine is made by Dave Caparone and his son, without any other employees!

Place

Just south of Monterey is San Luis Obispo County, which contains the Paso Robles wine region. The region is best known for its Cabernet and Zinfandel.

Paso Robles was named for its local oak trees, El Paso de Robles, “The Pass of the Oaks.”

The Paso Robles region has a long history of winemaking, with grapes that were introduced by Franciscan Friars around 1790.

The close proximity of the Pacific, and the numerous canyons, valleys, and elevations give a multitude of distinct climates in Paso Robles.

Wine super-god Robert M. Parker, Jr. states “…there is no question that a decade from now, the top viticultural areas of Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills and the limestone hillsides west of Paso Robles will be as well-known as the glamorous vineyards of Napa Valley.”

Taste

I’m not going to pretend that this is the first time I have tasted this wine, I’ve been a fan since it graced my lips a little over a year ago. It’s unlike any other wine I have ever tasted, in a good way!
Pale crimson in appearance, the nose explodes with complex spices of cinnamon and clove, and shows bold red cherry and dried cranberry.
On the palate the bold red cherry continues, with distinct ripe raspberry and the cherry turning slightly sour with herbal notes on the lengthy finish.
Tons of character and definitely decant an hour before serving.

Pairing

Beautiful by itself, but also pair with Italian cheeses such as parmesan or pecorino, red sauce pastas, olives, capers, smoked meats and pizza.

Price

$16.99
The Grape at St. Johns Town Center