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| Adorno | www.marcheseadorno-wines.it |   In Lombardia, on the south bank of Italy's River Po lies the region of Oltrepo, an area of green rolling hills lying between Piemonte and Emilia. It has been long known for its vine cultivation, almost certainly dating back thousands of years to the arrival of the Greeks from Marseilles to found a colony here. In fact they named the heart of the region Val Staffora from the Greek word meaning "bunch of grapes". Marcello Cattaneo Adorno is the latest generation of a long established Genoese family dating back to the thirteenth century. His family has long been important in the Genoa region, and among his ancestors were seven Dogi of the Genoese Republic. In 1997, he found himself taking over the family estate at Retorbido in the heart of Oltrepo Pavese. It had been in the family since 1834 and had always produced Barbera and Cortese. Faced with an estate of ancient vines producing only simple wines for local consumption, it was time to make hard decisions - either let things continue to decline or do things properly with a fresh start and lots of investment. He chose the latter.
Today there are 136 acres of newly planted and revitalized vineyards with plans to increase this to a total of 198 acres - all carefully chosen sloping sites facing southwards. Marcello has chosen to grow both top quality clones of international varieties like Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah, and also traditional local varieties like Croatina, Barbera, Pinot Grigio and Cortese. These have been bought from local nurseries and planted at much higher densities than is normal for the area.
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Find wines from this region | Wine List
Bonarda
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| Varietal: | 100% Croatina | | Color: | Medium to dark violet | | Bouquet: | Appealing aromas of plums | | Taste: | A vigorous and distinctive wine; supple, dark, chocolatey fruit in the mouth with a lively fizz | | Food Pairing: | Goes well with red meat, cheeses or on its own | | Serving Temp: | Slightly chilled: 61°F (16°C) | | Ageing: | 1-2 years | | Suggested Retail: | $19.99 | | | Email your request for more technical data | | | View the Adorno Profile | | |
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