Here is a tasting I did during this wonderful Vinitaly 2019 I haven't told you about yet: a vertical of Telos Bianco from Tenuta Sant'Antonio to which he invited me Agnes of Wine Meridian which I thank!
The Télos project stems from the desire to propose a healthy, high quality wine without added sulphites. The cork is used, and the wine evolves in the bottle without spoiling, as witnessed by the splendid 2012 vintage I tasted. 80% garganega and 20% chardonnay from vines over 25 years old grown on guyot and pergola trellises in medium-textured soils located 100 metres above sea level. Télos is a vineyard with a high planting density: between 3,300 and 6,000 plants/ha. After harvesting, the bunches are stripped and the grapes are softly pressed at a cold temperature (8/9 °C) with a pneumatic press in an inert environment (total absence of oxygen). Fermentation then takes place at a low temperature (14/15 °C) without the addition of sulphates and nitrogen salts. Batonnage takes place once a week until spring. The stabilisation process at is also cold. The wine matures in stainless steel tanks. Approximately 12,000 bottles are produced each year.
The tasting was conducted with skill and sympathy by Antonio Paolini, journalist and food and wine critic. Unfortunately, I was not able to follow him much because for me, who loves to linger and write about each wine, it was too fast... but the others present did not write much so they certainly enjoyed it more!
Tenuta Sant'Antonio: Télos 2017 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
It is a beautiful, concentrated, brilliant straw yellow, and swirling the glass reveals its beautiful consistency. The nose is intense, fragrant and very elegant. I immediately recognise notes of blood orange, pear, lemon basil and passion fruit. In the mouth it is consistent, with an exceptional acidic lash! Beautiful structure, great length and a delicious citrus finish.
Tenuta Sant'Antonio: Télos 2016 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
It is a beautiful, concentrated straw yellow with beautiful golden reflections. The nose is intense, fragrant and elegant. I immediately recognise notes of passion fruit, white chocolate, violet basil and late mandarin, both in fruit and jam. In the mouth it is consistent, acidic, savoury, almost spicy, intense and structured.
Tenuta Sant'Antonio: Télos 2015 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖
It is a beautiful, bright, intense golden yellow and on swirling the glass shows great consistency. The nose is spectacular: intense, elegant, fine... crazy in the definition of its aromas. One immediately recognises passion fruit, freshly grated lemon peel, candied orange and a nuance of Greek basil. In the mouth, it is intense, soft and very fresh, very balanced and with a great acidic backbone. Long, rather savoury finish.
Tenuta Sant'Antonio: Télos 2014 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
It is a beautiful intense golden yellow with slight green-gold reflections. Son of chardonnay and a difficult vintage, I liked it very much: I think it has extraordinary ageing potential! If this tasting has the common thread in the notes of passion fruit, in this tasting it disappears completely to make way for pleasant hints of yeast, fresh mint, white pepper and candied pear. In the mouth, it is very pleasant thanks also to this acidity and is enriched with a fresh apricot note. Long savoury finish.
Tenuta Sant'Antonio: Télos 2012 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
It is a beautiful, very intense and brilliant straw yellow with beautiful old gold reflections. Swirling the glass reveals a certain consistency here too. The sweet hints typical of chardonnay stand out, but that intense scent of passion fruit can be smelled again. The nose is elegant and fine, with delicious vanilla and fresh apricot notes. In the mouth it enters penetrating and enveloping, very fresh despite the years on its shoulders and with a great structure. Long finish of sweet spices.
Tenuta Sant'Antonio: Télos 2018 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
At the end of the tasting, we tasted a preview of this 'newborn' wine, which obviously still needs many months to be appreciated as much as it deserves. The nose is intense, here too the chardonnay returns with sweet notes of ripe banana, vanilla and melon that fade into citrus scents. In the mouth the CO2 is well present with a great acid shoulder.
At this point I was waiting for a moment of distraction to splash out... the tasting was over.... And here is Tiziano Castagnedi plating me with 3 bottles of Amarone, including my absolute favourite Amarone, their Lilium Est.
On the opposite side of Vinitaly, in Pavilion 1 Emilia Romagna, Michelin-starred Chef Luigi Pomata was waiting for me for a lunch organised with Cantine Riunite & Civ, on which I chose to draw a veil (both over the lunch and the wines, and don't tell me it was a catering problem because for me there is no excuse for that dessert... and there is little excuse for the idea of mixing tuna with sausage and covering everything with a kg of chilli pepper) and move on to other things.
I arrived late for lunch, but I am grateful that I chose to stay and taste these wonderful red wines too!
Tenuta Sant'Antonio: Télos rosso, valpolicella superiore doc 2016 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
It is a beautiful, intense and impenetrable ruby red. On the nose, roasted notes prevail: lots and lots of roasting that let me guess with an almost certain certainty that new barrels have been used. Notes of cocoa, dried rose and clove intertwine and are repeated in the mouth, where it is well balanced between freshness and softness. Fairly long, I would like to taste it again in at least a couple of years.
Tenuta Sant'Antonio: 'Télos l'amarone', amarone della valpolicella DOCG 2015 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
It is a beautiful, almost impenetrable intense ruby red. The nose is very intense, roasted, with particular notes of brine, leather and black pepper. Intense, the roastiness is also present here, but it is more elegant and fine. Great acid shoulder balanced by a nice softness. I'm still thinking about Tiziano's wife who made the little onions using this wine and I must say they were definitely a lot of stuff even though I didn't taste them... I hope the next time she makes them she invites me to lunch!
Tenuta Sant'Antonio: 'campo dei gigli', amarone della valpolicella DOCG 2013 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
It is a beautiful intense ruby red with garnet hues. Swirling the glass shows great consistency. The nose immediately changes register, and is fantastic in its being "delicately intense" and broad. Notes of dried fig, tobacco, coffee powder and dried rose give way to a shy cherry in spirit on the finish. In the mouth it is soft, intense, consistent in its great balance, very fresh, with a great structure and beautiful harmony. Long spicy finish.
Tenuta Sant'Antonio: 'Telos l'amarone', amarone della valpolicella DOCG 2008 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖
It is a beautiful, intense and impenetrable ruby red. Swirling the glass 'betrays' its 16% vol and reveals great texture. The nose is a marvellous blend of coffee, mountain herbs, carob Modica chocolate, Dominican tobacco and the cherries in spirit here are not at all shy, but deliciously defined. In the mouth it is simply perfect, very smooth, fresh and with an acidic backbone that makes me want to taste it again in 2028! Very long finish... for me, the perfect combination is only one: the right glass and nothing else. Lots and lots and lots of stuff! I didn't put the 5 full balls just because I drank the last bottle of 2004 I had at home after my dad died last Christmas, because he liked this wine so much. And I found it even better than this 2008... but maybe it was also the particular occasion.
Thank you Tiziano for the wonderful tastings at Télos and beyond... and for the delightful company... I promise to visit you soon at the winery since we are relatively close! And remember the Amarone onions, I recommend!
Cheers 😍🤤
Chiara
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