On the nose cottage cheese and butterscotch. After a while the eucalyptus note typical of this wine also shows up.
In the mouth very smooth tannins, highly pleasant from start to finish. Well balanced and, despite the 12 years, not showing any sign of decline yet. Usually, a Merlot del Ticino has a lifespan between 5 and 8 years, but praiseworthy exceptions like this one exists. Five years ago I had a 1991 Ampelio (produced by Carlevaro), which at 21 was still very fresh and pleasant.
Bottles like these show that if a very good job is done, both in the vineyards and in the winery, an excellent wine can be produced also in Ticino. A wine that can age well for over a decade.
Rompidèe, currently priced at 39 CHF, has been among the first Bordeaux-style wines produced in Ticino, the first vintage being the 1985. It is the result of two very committed and passionate men: Giovanni Caverzasio, who provides the grapes and Fabio Arnaboldi, who took care of extracting the best juice.
2005 has been the first vintage of Andrea, who at 27 took over from his father Fabio. According to him, 2005 was an outstanding year, but he had some headache with the malolactic fermentation, that took pretty long to start. He claims that the 2010 vintage is even better. Its best so far. I fortunately still have 3 bottles and a Magnum stored in my cellar. I’m looking forward to test it in 2022.
Country: Switzerland
Region: Ticino
Grapes: Merlot
Type: Red
Vintage: 2005
Producer: Chiodi
Price range: Premium (30-50 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 4/5