CA DEL VENT - FRANCIACORTA
STORY: Extraordinary …Elegant …Exquisite …Extravagant !! All these and more describe
Ca Del Vent Clavis Cellatica Superiore wine, deservedly a Gold Medal Winner at the 2011 London International Wine challenge.
The essence of civilization and the heart of any culture can be found in its wine, its food and its art. Some of the greatest examples of each can be found in northern Italy, in Lombardy, home of this amazing red wine, and all three come together in the story of Ca Del Vent Clavis.
The aptly named Ca Del Vent (House of the Wind) vineyard sits high atop a wind-swept hill in the foothills of the Italian Alps, just south of the beautiful Lake Iseo, and north of Brescia. The scenery here is draw-droppingly beautiful. Wine has been made here for over a thousand years, and in the tenth century was so well regarded that it was exported to Milan and Rome. Even today, some of the most expensive and world-renowned wines are from this region of Italy. Ca Del Vent Clavis is one of those, a brilliant example of the true art of wine-making.
Luxury is also the hallmark of the cuisine here. Consider these facts about the area around Brescia:
- The province boasts the greatest number of first-class restaurants cited in culinary guides for their high quality, elegance and taste.
- Some of the best cheeses in Italy, such as Gran Padano and gorgonzola, are made here.
- It’s the home of polenta, considered by some to be an aphrodisiac, as well as the perfect accompaniment to many Italian meat dishes, and which, like the “little black dress,” can be dressed up for any culinary occasion from simple to sublime.
- The rare and treasured white truffle, which commands $2500 to $5000 USD a pound, grows in the forests of the surrounding hills. Unlike the French black truffle, these are almost always served raw, shaved over pasta, egg dishes, or risotto, to preserve the delicate taste which is considered one of the finest epicurean experiences on earth.
- Caviar has been produced here since Roman times, when Calvisius, a nobleman with exquisite tastes, moved here because of the indigenous sturgeon. He bred the sturgeons in the fresh spring-water of the area, to provide a supply of fresh caviar for his banquets. His guests were offered those precious black eggs in silver cups topped with scales of ice and garlands made of flowers. Of course only the very best wine would accompany the feast.
- Brisata al Barolo, one of the classic, elegant Piemontese dishes, is beef slow-cooked in a bottle of very very good hearty red wine, such as this Clavis Cellatica Superiore. The secret of the taste of the dish is in the wine - the structure and nuances of this complex and refined wine are imparted into every cell of the roast and turn out a flavor and mouth-feel that is luscious, almost indescribably rich and succulent, and worth every penny. Savor it and the taste will linger in your memory for a very long time. This is traditionally, and best, served with Parmigiano polenta, and of course, a bottle of the same wine used for the cooking.
And art? Oh, yes – what marvelous art – ancient to modern - is found here. Eight thousand years B.C, the Camuni people of the Valcamonica valley, produced beautiful stone carvings, some 300,000 of which are now protected in a park. There is the Museum of Santa Giulia in Brescia, with the exceptional Croce di Desiderio (the Cross of Desire), a rare 8th century masterpiece by a Lombardy goldsmith, the Stradivari Museum in Cremona, and of course Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper in the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
Of more modern vintage, the Ca Del Vent Vineyard is regarded as one of the most important open air museums of contemporary art in all of Europe. There are sculptures by many renowned artists. The works are planned specifically for the place they will reside, and are installed by the artists themselves. The wine labels reflect some of the collection's most representative pieces – this Clavis takes its name from the work “Clavis” (key) by Claudio Parmiggiani, which is pictured on the label.
DESCRIPTION: Ca Del Vent Clavis Cellatica Superiore is a unique blend of six different grapes, produced only in those years when the grapes are the very finest. If you like Barbera, then you'll love this Clavis; so much more complex, fuller, rounder, more sophisticaged and elegant. Clavis is known as the King of the Barbera wines, with a touch of heaven. The vineyards are hand-cultivated, and the grapes are hand-harvested and only the best are selected for this wine. Each variety of grape is vinified separately in order to keep live all the aromas and flavors of the individual grapes.
Two of the varieties used are traditional native Piedmont grapes – Barbera and Marzemino. Pure Barbera wines from the Piemonte are rustic, but demonstrate good, round fruit flavors that are easy drinking right when they are released. Blended, Barbera grape provides a deep ruby color, robustness, intense fruit flavors, structure and softness, and potential for long aging. From the Marzemino grape, noted for its mention in Mozart’s opera, Don Giovanni ("Versa il vino! Eccellente Marzemino!"), comes deep dark color tones and a light plummy taste. Schiava Gentile, Incrocio Terzi N1, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot round out the blend, each contributing to the full, smooth and complex taste. Combined, the whole is truly more than the sum of the parts – the result is an opulent and aristocratic wine.
First aged for 2 years in French oak barriques, the wine is then bottled, and spends an additional 8 years in the Ca Del Vent wine cellars developing its elegant and refined character. It is released for sale 10 years after vintage – truly a masterpiece of the winemaker’s art.
Ca Del Vent Clavis has exceptional aging potential. This amazing wine will continue to mature, evolving magnificently for another 25 years.
TASTE: This is a truly luxurious, elegant and refined wine. Savor it with all of your senses and explore its depth and beauty to the fullest, like the magnificent art it is.
Pour it into the crystal goblet it deserves. Notice the intense deep dark black plum color, with burgundy red reflections and highlights as you swirl the glass.
The aroma explodes in a many layered kaleidoscope of scents – red fruits, cherries, currents and plums, dried fruits and violets, oriental spices and vanilla, hints of dark cocoa and mellow leather.
And the taste – aromatic, elegant, persistent, smooth and complex – strawberry and red currants and plums, and so many others, reflecting each grape‘s unique personality mellowed by the magic of the oak and the aging. Hints of chocolate and spices, warm vanilla, reflections of the earth and minerals that gave birth to the grapes… a truly amazing and sensual wine.
FOOD MATCHING: Serve this Ca Del Vent Clavis Cellatica Superiore for those special occasions that demand only the best red wine to compliment the finest cuisine, especially the foods of the Lombardy region and Brescia. Make a comforting yet luxurious Brasato al Barolo with it, and serve with polenta, and another bottle of this exceptional wine. Enjoy it with the best grilled red meats and wild game, perhaps prepared in the Brescia manner known as “spiedo” - slowly spit-roasted. Try it with a special lasagna or an elegant porcini mushroom risotto. We guarantee a dining experience that will be long remembered – elegant, exceptional, with understated extravagance befitting nobility.