Dizzying Heights… of Italian Cabernet (Highlights from VinoVIP Cortina 2024, Part 1)
This recap is nearly a decade in the making.
I was lucky enough to have been invited to attend the 2024 incarnation of VinoVIP Cortina, held in the incredible locale of Cortina, Italy (which will host the 2026 Winter Olympic games, and was host to much of the filming of Cliffhanger).
That invitation can be traced all the way back to 2013, when I judged the Argentina Wine Awards alongside a group of international wine pros among whose ranks was Alessandro Torcoli, the man behind Italian wine punblication Civiltà del bere. Alessandro subsequently asked me to pen an article for Civiltà del bere the following year, and we more-or-less stayed in touch and in mutual admiration ever since.
As you’ve probably guessed, Civiltà del bere puts on the VinoVIP tasting event (held biannually), and fortunately I was able to attend it this time. The setting for the tasting is, in a word, stunning. Perched among the Italian Alps, the event is a summit in pretty much all senses of the word.
I have many wines (and many photos) to share of this exceptional event, but I wanted to kick it all off with highlights from the first masterclass/tasting of the 2024 event: a bit of a high-end Italian showdown of sorts between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, both bringing their big guns in a shoot-out worthy of a classic Spaghetti western. So let’s get to it, corkscrews all a-blazin’!
2021 Marchesi Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, $175
A surprisingly funky, though not surprisingly complex red that blends in 10% Cab Franc (though relies more heavily on Cab Sauv for its base). Spicy, deep, earthy, and possessing a soul as dark as its plummy fruits, some very ripe and very powerful Tuscan muscles are being flexed here.
2020 Barollo Winery ‘FRANK!’ Cabernet Franc, Veneto, $NA
Talk about surprises, this Cab Franc from northern Italy eschews the more traditionally lithe presentation of that variety from the region and instead goes full-bore in this juicy, spicy, mineral, and modernly polished red. There is heat, power, and some big-ass structure on the palate, along with great length full of dark cherry fruit action.
2021 Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara ‘Bacicolo’, Toscana, $NA
Another 100% CF, the dried spices, licorice, and deep black cherry on the nose of this thing are downright incredible. The palate entry is polished, the mouthfeel is gorgeous, and both the lift and the structure are tight, contrasting expertly with this red’s ample fruitiness. Color me impressed.
2018 Tenuta Meraviglia ‘Maestro di Cava’ Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, $90
This Cab Franc specialist seems to firing on all cylinders right now, based on this intensely fresh and fantastically spiced (think dried rose petals) release. A selection of their best CF grapes, it has great structure (it’s still young AF), great mineral qualities, great power, and great expression of red fruit flavor.
2020 Tenuta Meraviglia ‘Vigna Pianali’ Bolgheri, Tuscany, $NA
Sourced from a single plot of CF grown on rocky, volcanic soils situated a mere 200 meters from the sea, tasting the incredibly spices, herbs, and freshness of this energetic and excellent young red made me want to move to wherever its grapes were grown. F@cking fantastic stuff.
2018 Planeta ‘Burdese’, Sicilia, $50
Cab Sauv with 30% Cab Franc blended in, the dark herbs and blackcurrant notes of this red belie the freshness of its linear palate. The sultriness comes in in the long, dark and mineral finish that presents an embarrassment of riches in its ensemble of black fruits. Another winner from one of my fave producers in Sicily.
2020 Poggio al Tesoro “‘W’ Dedicato a Walter” Cabernet Franc Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, $200
Another 100% Cab Franc from Tuscany, this earthy red has an understated quality that suggests it needs some time (like, years) in the bottle to fully develop. A nose of dried roses, big black cherry fruit, and multiple kinds of pepper spices lead into a structured palate with fantastically integrated acids. This is the kind of CF that converts otherwise skeptical drinkers into CF nerds.
2020 Tenuta di Arceno ‘Arcanum’, Toscana, $110
Arceno winemaker Pierre Seillan told us that he “is a terroir-ist, not a terrorist; but maybe I’m a terrorist to some of the Bordeaux guys!” He was referring to scaring his Bordeaux compatriots with the quality of Arceno’s Tuscan Cab Franc reds, which has been top-notch since its modern re-awakening. The 2019 release is a CF masterclass: overtly mineral, leathery, smoky, floral, and fantastic with its hints of licorice, its seductively juicy and deep palate, and its deliciously modern polish.
2022 Villa Sandi ‘Borgo Conventi’ Cabernet Franc, Friuli Isonzo, $NA
Sourced from 30 ha of vines planted near the Slovenian border, this savory CF has intense herbal spice notes, tinged with mint, nettle, pine, and a bit of balsamic to go with its cherry fruits. Lifted and floral on the nose, there are hints of resin and plums, and the palate goes down incredibly easily.
2022 Zorzettig Cabernet Franc Colli Orientali del Friuli, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, $NA
The light color telegraphs the more perfumed, peppery, and lithe CF that’s to come in this release. Black cherries, raspberry, and red currants mingle with hints of pine nuts and green herbs on the nose. The mouhtfeel, however, is surprisingly round, with complex herbal tinges and an easy-going freshness.
Cheers!
