Unveiling the Delightful Flavors of Terra Rossa Cotar 2011: A True Gem Among Slovenian Wines!
Terra Rossa Cotar 2011 is a beautiful red wine. It’s the perfect blend of the flavors of the Carso terroir and the wisdom of Branko and Vasja, two winemakers with a big heart and a lot of passion.
It is not a light and banal wine, nor a “Bolgherian bomb” pumped with steroids, but a lovely juice, a distillate of fruit and rock, of power and finesse, of opulence and austerity.
And it is rare to find such an exaggerated yet harmonious dualism in a red wine. All the extract and the charge it takes from the ponche, marine fossils, and limestones that have accumulated over the years are mixed with an incredible explosiveness, however, which is mitigated by a long refinement.
How it is produced
The terroir, or microclimate, is the key. The vines are more than twenty years old and have their roots first in the red earth and then in this huge block of limestone of oceanic origin. The winds that come from the nearby Adriatic Sea bring warm air and mitigate the temperature.
The excursion between day and night is excellent and helps to impress finesse, aromas, and great acidity in the grapes. It goes without saying, and you surely know it, but the cellar is biodynamic and belongs to the Triple A group.
After the grapes are picked, the stems are taken off and the bunches are crushed. The must sits in wooden vats for 14 hours, where it ferments on its own.The refinement takes place in large barrels for 7 years and then matures for another 30 months in the bottle. The blend consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Terrano, and Merlot.
Organoleptic characteristics
The bouquet is wonderful—a concentrate of forest, fleshy fruit, earth, sea, and fire. Already decadent, slightly withered and evolved, but of exceptional prowess and far from faded, the tone is far from faded.
Take a large Bordeaux and push on the pulp and ripeness, but never overripeness. Mint, chocolate, and balsamic tones of resin and eucalyptus, tar and iron, grilled pepper, and herbaceous tones lend elegance.
Mint and cocoa, and again, this return of oysters and the sea, which adds a frightening and enthralling complexity. Don’t think of a cornucopia but of a slow and progressive romantic crescendo, a Wagnerian symphony where each part sounds thunderous but with great precision.
On the tongue, it’s dense, deep, and cocky, still coming at you with big, powerful tannins, but they’re well-shaped. Salt and pulp combine to make a megalithic structure with earthy flavors that are well balanced by a fruity roundness that starts in the middle of the mouth and spreads out in all directions.
It is not a light wine with an immediate approach, even if it has rhythm, savory propulsion to play down, and excellent acidity.
It is not a pleasant wine, but a black obelisk, frowning, carved in severity, with a vibrant tannin that expands, taking in and highlighting the flavors of rhubarb and cinchona.
The texture is rough but pleasantly uneven; it stimulates with an almost tactile sensation.
The complexity is amazing and enveloping, and it never ceases to animate the taste, making it multifaceted and iridescent. The sum of the parts is far greater than any single part and takes on a complete and ambitious shape, builds a volume, and has an excellent three-dimensional taste.
It must breathe for at least a couple of hours, but give it time, and it will come back to life, giving you infinite satisfaction.
It is currently ready and balanced, but not tamed. All this extract, the power of the wine is still fiery, and if you want, you can keep it in the cellar for 10, 20, 30, and even 40 years.
Price
30 to 40 euros. You can find it for sale on the Triple A website. The price is ridiculous—a paltry amount to drink a wine of infinite finesse and great personality.
Pairings
Black truffle risotto, passatelli with Parmigiano fondue and truffle, bucatini all’amatriciana, roast beef, hamburger.