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Rancio

A tasting term used for a distinctive style of wine, often fortified or vin doux naturel, achieved by deliberately exposing it to oxygen and/or heat. Such wines are typicially characterised by an additional and powerful smell reminiscent of overripe fruit, nuts, and melted or even rancid butter.

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A tasting term used for a distinctive style of wine, often fortified or vin doux naturel, achieved by deliberately maderizing the wine by exposing it to oxygen and/or heat. It is not a negative trait, but characteristic of these wine styles.

The word rancio has the same root as ‘rancid’ and the wines that result have an additional and powerful smell reminiscent of overripe fruit, nuts, and melted or even rancid butter.

Wines that commonly displays rancio character can include: wines traditionally stored in barrels in hot store houses (Australian Topaque and Muscat), or under the rafters in a hot climate (Madeira or Rousillon’s vin doux naturels), or in glass demijohns left out of doors and subjected ot the changing temperatures of night and day, as in some parts of Spain.

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One of Italy’s great value red wines, the Barbera d’Alba ‘Casa Vinicola’ is an expression of Barbera fruit sourced from around the Barolo and Barbaresco sub-regions. This is one of the longest standing labels in Giacosa’s stable having first been produced in 1969, just after the first Barolos and Barbarescos of the mid-60’s. These days it is a refreshing red that shows the ripe red berries of great Barberas from Alba, alongside notably sinewy tannins and a good mineral core.
$101
$96ea in any 3+
$91ea in any 6+
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(a single cuvee made from all of Trapet's premier crus, as the crop was so tiny in 2010; vinified with about 40% whole clusters and aged in one-third new oak): Bright medium red. Lovely tangy red fruit aromas are complicated by rose petal and a whiff of game. Dense and suave, boasting terrific energy and precision to its red fruit and spice flavors. Lovely thrust to this vibrant midweight, which finishes with fine-grained tannins and superb cut and energy. March 2013 Stephen Tanzer, Vinous 92
$789
$774ea in any 3+
$759ea in any 6+
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This is one of the benchmark traditional Barolo's! Every time I’ve tried Cavallotto’s ‘Vigna San Guiseppe’ I’ve gone to a very happed place. The core of fruit in is always insane. Having tasted a dozen of the best Baroli alongside Vigna San Guiseppe over many vintages, it’s clear this is up at the top of the list. Cavallotto’s always beautifully balances power with elegance. “Cavallotto’s 2015 Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe rounds out this trio of new release
$395
$380ea in any 3+
$365ea in any 6+
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For all the many great things that can be told about Giacosa’s red wines, it is the Arneis that maybe typifies the great qualities of Bruno Giacosa the man. In the early 1970’s, this was an indigenous variety almost entirely lost to the region’s obsession with red wines (at the time mainly Dolcetto) that was ‘rediscovered’ by Alfredo Currado of Vietti and Giacosa very shortly after. The two are almost solely responsible for Arneis’ current importance in the region, especially in Roer
$80
$76ea in any 3+
$72ea in any 6+
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