The colour is medium ruby. On the nose red berries and sour cherries. Pleasantly fruity but sparing of complexity. In the mouth not particularly structured. The aftertaste doesn’t last long.
This Merlot del Ticino is a special edition made by Vinattieri as a selection for 13 prestigious Swiss restaurants and hotels, such as Giardino in Ascona, The Chedi in Andermatt and Le Grand Bellevue in Gstaad.
Vinattieri was founded in 1985 by Luigi Zanini, who decided to start making his own wines to complement his business as a Swiss sales partner for Italian wine producers. A trade the he has been in since 1964.
Luigi Zanini Sr. has been one of the barons of the Ticino wine world and as winemaker he was able to price his top of the line wines at levels comparable to the best Second Growth Bordeaux wines. In 2018 he sold his business to Transgourmet Holding AG (part of Coop Group).
I bought this bottle of wine a couple of year ago for 72 CHF directly at the winery. I find it outrageously overpriced!
Country: Switzerland
Region: Ticino
Grapes: Merlot
Type: Red
Vintage: 2017
Producer: Vinattieri
Price range: Extra (50-100 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 3/5