Published by Jeremy.
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When we think of wines from Veneto, Italy, our first thought isn't often Merlot. But Cantina Levorato makes a rather interesting one that works well in this cooler climate.
Strong fruit notes and subtle earthy characteristics along with a bright acidity makes this one an easy drinker for those who like fruit-forward wines.
We received this bottle as part of our Vinera Wine Society subscription that was provided courtesy for review.
Strong Fruit Notes in Levorato's Italian Merlot
This Italian Merlot was pale ruby in color with medium aromas of black cherry, blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, cassis, clove, leather, tobacco, and dried leaves.
On the palate, it was dry with high acidity, medium(-) smooth tannin, medium alcohol, body, and flavor intensity, and a medium(+) finish. We had flavors a lot like the nose with black cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, clove, vanilla, cedar, and wet leaves being present.
Although this one was full of strong fruit notes (with some of the secondary notes being minor), it was an easy-drinking Merlot all the same.
Merlot Food Pairing – Cappelletti with Sage Butter
We paired this one with kale and cheese filled cappelletti topped with a sage butter sauce and a tomato salad on the side. While our normal go-to for a fruity red wine would've been pasta with tomato sauce, we thought this one would likely be on the lighter side and hold up to a sage-forward sauce.
The pasta itself helped bring out more dark fruit notes, like blueberry and blackberry, while muting some of the vanilla and earthy notes. We also had a nice little pop of a balsamic note that was quite nice given that our tomato salad also had balsamic on top. The tomato side highlighted more red fruit like cranberry, raspberry, and strawberry which we would admit we likely appreciated even more as a flavor change- but both pairings were quite nice!
Score: 2.5 / 5
We're okay on this one, but would buy a glass in the right pairing.
Admittedly, this one was pretty heavy in primary dark fruit and some of the secondary notes were a but lighter than we would have anticipated. But, it was still quite a nice bottle of wine all around even if somewhat simple, and we'd consider a glass with the right pairing like those above.
Cantina Levorato is located at Srl Via Vego Scocco, 5, 30031 in Dolo, Italy. We received this wine as part of our Vinera Wine Society subscription provided courtesy for review. As always, all opinions are our own.
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