Tasca d’Almerita Rosso del Conte: 1979-2006

2006&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 93

2005&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 92

2004&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 94

2003&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 91

2002&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 91+

2001&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 92

2000&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 93

1998&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 89

1994&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 90

1991&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 89

1989 &nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 91

1983 &nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca d’Almerita
Rosso del Conte 90

1981 &nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 87

1979 &nbsp;&nbsp; Tasca
d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 92

Tasca
d’Almerita is one of the leading estates in Sicily and Italy. The estate’s top
red, Rosso del Conte, is among the handful of wines from Southern Italy with a
long, distinguished track record that goes back several decades. This tasting
with proprietor Alberto Tasca provided an incredible opportunity to re-visit a
number of older, and now exceedingly rare, vintages. It also proved the significant
potential of both Nero d’Avola and Sicilian wines in general. I can only hope
one day there will be many more properties making wines of such distinction and
age-worthiness. In particular, readers lucky enough to own any of the older
Rosso del Contes should be thrilled!

For
most of its life Rosso del Conte was predominantly Nero d’Avola, one of
Sicily’s most important indigenous red grapes (the other being Nerello
Mascalese) with a touch of Perricone, another native red variety. In 2003 the
estate began adding a small percentage of their best barrels of international
grapes to the blend in an attempt to give the wine more shades of complexity.
The use of international varieties peaked at about 30% in 2006. During these
years Tasca d’Almerita also conducted extensive work to gain a better
understanding of the qualities of the various clones of Nero d’Avola. With the
2007, the estate has scaled back the use of international varieties to roughly
10%, while Nero d’Avola and Perricone once again make up the majority of the
blend at approximately 75% and 15% respectively.

Rosso
del Conte is made from a number of different vineyards, but the core of the
wine comes from San Lucio, which was planted in 1959 with Nero d’Avola and
Perricone. Some of the estate’s other vineyards include Piana Margio (planted
in 2000), Cordicella (planted in 1976), Ciminnita (planted in 1974), Case
Vecchie (planted in 1974 and 1976) and S. Anna (planted in 1976). All of the
vineyards sit at roughly 470 meters above sea level with south to southeast
exposures. The relatively high altitude of the vineyards is a major reason
Rosso del Conte retains excellent acidity and freshness, even in the hottest
years. The exact vineyard blend depends on each vintage, and it is not a
foregone conclusion that all of the parcels will be used every year. For
example, the 2003 Rosso del Conte was made only from San Lucio. In most years,
the harvest takes place around the middle of October.&nbsp;

Early
vintages of Rosso del Conte were aged in chestnut barrels. I am too young to
have tasted the wines when they were first released, but by all accounts the
wines were extremely hard and difficult to appreciate. What a difference a few
decades makes! In the early 1990s the estate transitioned to a combination of
30-hectoliter and 60-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks, and smaller French oak
barrels. By the mid 1990s the conversion to100% French oak was complete.
Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s the percentage of new oak increased
from 50% in 1994 to 100% for vintages 2004 through 2006. Similarly,
fermentations evolved from lengthy periods of contact on the skins in cement
with no temperature control to shorter fermentations in stainless steel with
temperature control. At their best, today’s wines show exceptional elegance and
plenty of Sicilian character. 

Tasca
d’Almerita’s 2006 Rosso del Conte is
a beautiful wine graced with gorgeous inner perfume and layered red fruit.
Silky tannins frame a long, elegant finish. The 2006 is an understated,
delicate Rosso del Conte that should continue to develop beautifully in bottle.
It is also somewhat of an experimental vintage, as the percentages of Nero d’Avola
and Perricone are 55% and 15% respectively, while international varieties
account for 30% of the final blend. Despite the relatively high presence of international
grapes, the 2006 maintains a clear link with the wines of the past. The 2006
vintage was characterized by warm yet even weather that created an extended
maturation cycle and allowed for a leisurely harvest from mid-September to
mid-October. 93. Drinking window: 2014-2026. The 2005 Rosso del
Conte has put on significant weight since I first reviewed it in The Wine Advocate last year. The 2005
has grown into a big, generous red packed with perfumed fruit. Stylistically it
is a wine that relies on sheer power over subtlety; the balance and sense of
harmony are nevertheless superb. 92. Drinking window: 2010-2025. The estate’s 2004
Rosso del Conte is incredibly polished and silky on the palate. The aromatics
are equally compelling, as an array of tobacco, earthiness, tar, leather,
licorice and herbs emerge from the glass, adding multiple layers of nuance to
the expressive dark fruit. The 2004 is an excellent choice for readers who want
to get a sense of a vintage that is beginning to show the early signs of
development in bottle. This is a remarkably harmonious and complete Rosso del
Conte. 94. Drinking window: 2012-2026.

The
2003 Rosso del Conte is the product
of a torrid year that saw the entire harvest finished by the end of September,
an anomaly in these parts. The 2003 is a fat, opulent Rosso del Conte with plenty
of density in its fruit and a mostly round, seamless personality that persists
through to the finish. The hard tannins that are common in 2003 are a bit of an
issue, but they are handled well as can reasonably be expected. Pretty
suggestions of licorice and leather add complexity on the close. The 2003
remains a rather burly vintage of Rosso del Conte, and it is best enjoyed at
the dinner table. 91. Drinking window: 2010-2020. The 2002 is
another of the more virile, masculine Rosso
del Contes in this lineup. Firm tannins frame a core of dark fruit,
tobacco, earthiness and leather. The summer saw a period of cold, damp weather
followed by five days or so of uninterrupted heat, which shocked the fruit and halted
the ripening in many spots, leaving the grapes with tannins that weren’t fully
ripe. Further time in bottle should help smooth the tannins to some extent. If
that happens, this could turn out to be a surprisingly outstanding wine. 91. Drinking window: 2011-2021. The
2001 Rosso del Conte comes across as
quite youthful in a style that marries elements of power and elegance. The
tannins show considerable elegance but the oak still needs to integrate. For
now, this remains a highly promising Rosso del Conte in need of further
cellaring. 92. Drinking window: 2011-2021. The 2000 is a very
complete, harmonious Rosso del Conte.
Loads of perfumed, opulent fruit emerge from this medium to full-bodied wine,
all supported by elegant, silky tannins. The 2000 is accessible and open for
business but readers who prefer more tertiary complexity will want to let the
wine spend another few years in the cellar. This is a terrific effort from Tasca
d’Almerita. 93. Drinking window: 2010-2022.

Tasca
d’Almerita’s 1998 Rosso del Conte is
a soft, mid-weight effort with good aromatic and flavor development in its dark
fruit, spices, licorice and leather. A blast of tar informs the long finish.
The 1998 is an excellent choice for drinking over the near-term. 89. Drinking window: 2010-2016. The
1994 Rosso del Conte is endowed with
super-ripe fruit and a soft, accessible personality that is the result of a
very hot summer that year. This isn’t an especially complex Rosso del Conte,
but the wine nevertheless impresses for its balance, poise and harmony. Early
notes of gaminess are setting in, so the 1994 is best enjoyed sooner rather
than later. 90. Drinking window: 2010-2014.

The
1991 Rosso del Conte, the product of
a harsh winter and cold summer, is firm and austere, with unyielding tannins.
Elements of rusticity pervade the wine and at this point further bottle age is
not likely to make a difference. 89. Drinking window: 2010-2014. The 1989 is a
wonderfully complete Rosso del Conte.
Round, soft and harmonious, the wine offers up plums, prunes, spices and
worn-in leather supported by firm yet polished tannins. The cold, harsh winter
was followed by a very hot summer that led to a mid-October harvest. This is a remarkably
complete Rosso del Conte, but it won’t last forever. 91. Drinking window: 2010-2014.

The
estate’s 1983 Rosso del Conte is a
decidedly rustic, old-style offering. Fully tertiary dried fruit, spices,
roasted coffee beans, herbs and animal notes emerge from the glass. While this
powerful, big Rosso del Conte may lack a measure of finesse it is still in
great shape 27 years later, and that in and of itself is a quite an
achievement. 90. Drinking window: 2010-2014. The 1981 stands
apart from the rest of these Rosso del
Contes as it is the only wine that it is past peak. Now full tertiary and
oxidized, its balance is dominated by dried-out fruit and rustic, earthy aromas
and flavors. 87. Drinking window: 2010. Tasca d’Almerita produced a gem of a wine in their 1979 Rosso del Conte. At 31 years of
age, the wine is still perfectly intact, as can be seen by its sound color. The
1979 is a touch rustic, but the wine has developed far better than anyone could
have reasonably expected. The fruit is soft and perfumed while the tannins
remain firm yet well-balanced. It is fair to say that the 1979 is the biggest
surprise in this entire tasting, as it has matured into a splendid wine. 92. Drinking window: 2010.

-- &nbsp;Antonio
Galloni

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