WTN: 1997 Castellina di Rodano Lazzicante

[Brad Ballinger]

1997 Castellina di Rodano Lazzicante, Toscana IGT. This is a 100% merlot wine aged in barrique for 22 months and in bottle for six more before being released. I have like Rodano's Monna Claudia 50/50 sangio/cab blend. The Lazzicante is almost twice the price (approx $50), but I was lucky to have a retailer give it to me for his cost since his Rodano supplier no longer has the wine in their portfolio. The wine was served with raw pecorino, some olives, some marinated mushrooms. Color was very dark garnet. At first the nose had a bit of a reductive quality, and it needed time and air to open up. Then the wine showed intense morello cherry aromas with coffee and freshly turned earth. There's a great cherry and blackberry core to the flavor profile, but ripe, yet firm, tannins keep the fruit from fully emerging in the mouth. This is a wine that needs some time yet.