2013-C Poderi San Lazzaro "Grifola" Montepulciano, Offida, Marche, Italy (750ml)   

_{A Red Cellar Trio Wine Club Selection}
This wine is meaty, deep, and dark in color.  It is a tannic, complex wine with rich fruit characteristics of black cherry and plum compote, accented by hints of licorice and fennel. The finish is long and lingering.

The history of the Poderi San Lazzaro winery starts with Lorenzo Capriotti, Paolo’s father, who after years of hard work was able to purchase a farm in the hills of Offida. The property was an excellent location for viticulture, situated atop a hill 290 meters above sea level and only 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Adriatic Sea and 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the Apennine mountains. Offida is in the heart of the Rosso Piceno Superiore DOC (one of the most historic Denominazione di Origine Controllata). Lorenzo began by planting vineyards of Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Passerina grapes. The clay-rich soil vineyards benefit from south, south-west and north-west exposures.

Paolo Capriotti, with his wife Elisetta, took over in the farm and winery in 2003. The original cellar was a small 1,000 year-old cottage! They added a modern wine making facility in 2012.that is surrounded by vineyards with a view of the town of Offida, the Apennines and the Adriatic. They have also expanded the amount of Passerina vines and added Pecorino and Grenache vineyards in the area around the winery. The estate now has 9.5 hectares of vineyards with plots between 15 and 60 years old, two hectares of olive trees and two more of forest. Offida was once part of the Rosso Piceno DOC but received its own classification in 2001. They were further promoted to full DOCG status in June 2011. Offida Rosso requires a minimum 85% Montepulciano. The remainder can be up to 15% other authorized red varietals from the province of Ascoli Piceno. They must be aged for at least 24 months before release. Of this, 12 months must be spent in barrel. In order to produce quality wine that fully reflects the characteristics of the terroir of Offida, they have adopted organic farming and wine making techniques. 100% Montepulciano, hand-picked in mid-October. Submerged-cap with frequent pump-overs daily for ten to fifteen days at 77-86⁰F. Aged for sixteen months in new French oak and an additional six months in bottle before being released.